Thinking about time

When I think of history I like to think of the relationship between the Divine and temporal time using the analogy of the Crucifix.  On the horizontal axis, we have earthly (temporal) linear time.   Event A is followed by event B which is followed by event C etc.  In regard to the vertical axis, this is where the Divine pierces earthly time. The Divine is eternal, not subject to time, but is beyond it. 

When thinking about history then, we have to consider when and where the divine pierces earthly time, as this historical context is important (meaning that, if the intervention failed then it would need to be undertaken at ‘another time’ which means the intervention may well look different.  This is because the consciousness of human beings does actually change over (long periods of) time, and this means, how we relate to the Divine changes over time too. Therefore, how the divine ‘touches us’ will also change.

Now, when we are situated somewhat after the historical event, we have two different ways of understanding it: (1) historically, as we are accustomed too, and (2) from the perspective of eternity – that is, attempting to apprehend the motivation purpose for the Divinity’s intervention, from the point of view of the Divinity itself (the true nature of a spiritual event can only be understood in the spiritual itself.  Any attempt to understand such an event with ‘fallen’ thinking will only get us so far).  Only in this way, can we comprehend the greater picture of the spiritual event – by combining both the earthly and heavenly perspectives.

Since its been raised...the issue of reincarnation

My last post was really prompted by a recent post by Denver Snuffer on a totally unrelated topic.  However, in my previous post I just went with what came and interestingly enough it ended on something unrelated but which I have been pondering lately.  Here I wish to return to that particular post by Snuffer.

In a recent post Snuffer responds to a question by using the example of ‘multiple mortalities’ also referred to within the LDS movement as ‘multiple mortal probations’, or what I’d prefer to simply call ‘reincarnation’.  This should not be confused with the idea of the ‘transmigration of souls’ (see TPJS pg 104).  I was not expecting to delve into this topic this early, because I wanted to build a foundation from which to launch into other non-doctrinal topics.  Reincarnation too is an issue that is both challenging to peoples worldview (hence my previous unplanned post) and is rather complex (isn’t all life complex!).

Stated (very) simply reincarnation means that after you die you spend a period of time in the spiritual world and then re-incarnate and live another temporal existence, and the cycle continues until something is reached in your spiritual growth.  Traditional Christianity and the LDS Church reject reincarnation, while in the Eastern world it is (generally) accepted as part of their worldview.

As a mental exercise, let as assume reincarnation is true.  That being the case, let us attempt to answer the question “if reincarnation is true, how come it is not part of the Western-Christian worldview”?  Below I will use Denver Snuffer’s comments as prompts to address what is a rather most important issue (all Snuffers comments below are in italics).

What possible good can it do you to know about your pre-earth record.

What possible good is it to know about Creation? Does the Books of Genesis or Moses contain superfluous information that we would best ignore? I don’t think it is a superfluous question to have an interest into our spiritual nature.  The real question is what is the most appropriate way to get such an understanding.  Perhaps another way to put the above comment is this: unless you are sufficiently prepared to understand your pre-earth lives and reincarnation, speculating about them or engaging in inappropriate spiritual practises will do you no good. Start with who you are today, and when your self-knowledge and morality is sufficiently developed, you will naturally come to answers of previous earth lives.

The challenge in front of us all has “sufficient evil unto the day thereof” without, like the Indigo Girls, to “try and get it right” for some other life. The challenge is underway. Fight now. Win in this present estate and focus on what it takes to get out of here with honor. Nothing else matters. Isn’t this life challenge enough for you?

This is the position taken (generally) by the scriptures, and for good reason (I will address my ‘general’ comment shortly) which I’ll address below.  However, the issue is not whether life is a challenge enough (who is to say someone isn’t ready to know about reincarnation?), but whether our interest in pre-earth lives is healthy or not.  I have read much speculation on such matters and it honestly does people ‘no good’.  However, I have also read much that enables us to understand about how reincarnation ‘works’ and why one temporal life is insufficient for us to learn the lessons we need, and to develop our spiritual-nature.  I guess the point is the source of the knowledge.  I agree, there is no point in speculating.  But I disagree that there is 'no good' in knowing, if the time is right (who decides the time?).

If the topic were important enough that it should influence you today, don’t you think the scriptures would make the question plain enough so the doctrine is out in the open?

Oh don’t you just love it when someone says “but it ain’t in the scriptures, therefore it ain’t true!” Firstly, there are many things pertaining to our spiritual life that are not in the scriptures!  I do not accept this statement at all. It doesn’t mention oxygen either (!!) have we all been duped by science?!? Ok, moving on...

The numerous scriptures we (mere fallen mortals) have collected (out of many others) in the Bible were given to specific peoples at specific times and in specific contexts (as I have gone into previously). To those folks who received such revelations it would seem that reincarnation was not mentioned for good reason. In regard to the revelations collected in the Old Testament, I propose one such reason here: it was necessary for the Israelites to focus on their spiritual mission, which included the development of the physical-material body that would – at the right time of this development – become the vessel for the Messiah, the Christ (hence the rigid codes that the Israelites had to follow, and if they didn’t, they were ejected from the community).  This code of conduct changed when Christ appeared at the meridian of time).  It was not necessary to address the topic of reincarnation at that time, with that particular people.  Oh, but Isaiah speaks to us today you say! But again the revelations were given to the Israelites, and was primarily for them. They were in their language, and addressed their particular stage of soul-spiritual development.

Interestingly enough, it wasn’t until the coming of John the Baptist that the topic of reincarnation is raised – in other words, it wasn’t until the completion of the role of the Israelites that this topic was first hinted at. (How could people confuse John the Baptist with Elijah the prophet, knowing full well that Elijah centuries earlier?  John could have denied the connection for a number of reasons – he may not have been aware himself, or he knew it wasn’t appropriate even at that latter time to delve into that topic).

If it is veiled, even if it were true, then it is left obscure for a reason

My point exactly, and it is an interesting study to understand why that is the case (which I won’t go into here).  However, suffice to say that what is veiled for one group of people need not be kept hidden from another if it is the right time for ‘the unveiling’.

Drawing this to a close,  let me say this regarding this unveiling: reincarnation is a truth that has been hidden from Christendom until the early 20^th century, when a Christian understanding of reincarnation and karma (the laws that govern the re-incarnations) was unveiled to those who listened.  Only the naive would think that new revelations from the divine would be given solely to the LDS Church.  Who, in this Church, has the right to tell God who to talk to or who not to talk to?

As I have mentioned previously, we are developing beings, and we have not yet arrived at what God has in mind for us (so to speak).  We each need to face circumstances that give us the opportunity to grow and develop.  It is Christ who authors these circumstances.  It is the Lord who sees that we each have what we need at this particular point in time.  So from this point of view, I agree with Snuffer that we ought to focus on the here and now.  And yes, some things happen ‘unplanned’, such is the outcome of being free beings.  If God were to intervene then our freedom would be violated.  You cannot have it both ways – we are either free, or not free.  That God does not intervene when such atrocious acts of violence are perpetuated by some people upon others is evidence to me of the most holy nature of our freedom that He will not violate.  Justice will be handed out to those who require it.  And divine justice is far greater than what we mere mortals can impose. 

True love can only ever be a free deed.  It is our destiny to be Spirits of Freedom and Love.

OM

Personal Revelation (Part One)

A revelation is when the divine discloses to us humans something relating to our existence.  Revelation can be received by any person the spiritual world considers worthy; revelation is graced to us. Only the divine determines who shall receive revelation, this act of grace is not determined by the world of men. "If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal" (D+C 42: 61).  "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened" (Matt 7:7,8).

For some, the revelation is a vague feeling, for others a manifestation of heavenly proportions. How we receive that revelation, how the revelation unfolds for us, is determined by our own personal disposition and individual ability to understand and 'handle' the message.

Joseph Smith, for example, was chosen before birth to carry out the Restoration.  He incarnated during a specific historical time, and at a specific location, both of which contributed to how he was brought up and educated in the world. This earthly schooling, combined with spiritual gifts he brought with him from the spiritual world, would see Joseph Smith receive his revelations in a certain way.  For example, in Joseph's 'First Vision' [1] an exceedingly bright pillar of light appeared to him as if from above, and rested upon him, and he was filled with the Spirit of God.  The Lord opened the heavens, and he saw the Lord whom spoke to him saying "I am the Lord of Glory.  I was crucified for the world, that all those who believe on my name may have eternal life...." [2].

We too, if we are ready, may also have conscious experiences of the spirit.  If we doubt the spirit, and become impatient - demanding that the divine manifest itself for 'proof' then we probably aren't ready.  At the end of the day, the Lord will know, so we need to be patient and the Heavens will open themselves in due course.

What the divine chooses to reveal to us will also be determined by Grace, our needs (or the needs of others), and our abilities.  By abilities, I do not just refer to the gifts of the spirit per se (see Moroni 10), but rather our spiritual faculties. It is these faculties that allow us to exercise our spiritual gifts.  For example, if our gift is to be a brilliant athlete, then the means to be a good athlete would be good health, a perfectly tuned body, and a resolute will - our drive and determination.  The way these faculties are prepared would be the athletes training regime. In regard to the spiritual nature of human beings, the training regime would be prayer, 'following the commandments', meditation, or other forms of spiritual development.  The faculties developed would be spiritual faculties of the soul - hardly spoken of in Christendom, but recognized by Eastern paths. In the East these faculties - these spiritual organs of perception are called the chakras, or 'lotus flowers' because of how they appear to spiritual eyes.

For most of us, our soul-organs are undeveloped - they are seeds waiting to sprout. Only we can water (exercise) these faculties in order for them to grow so they can be used.  Despite acts of Grace spoken of above, if we truly want to penetrate the occult mysteries [3] then we need to follow a spiritual path which involves training the soul-organs and our moral life.  I will speak about such western (Christian) paths another time [4].

Revelation could be concerning things which have been, which are, or which have yet to come.  The latter form of revelation is often called a prophecy. The gift of prophecy is a gift of the spirit - the ability to receive insight concerning the future (Moroni 10: 13; D+C 46:22).  This gift, like other gifts, is given to many according to the will of Christ (Moroni 10:17). The First Presidency of the LDS Church in 1833 [5], for example, was given the gift of revelation "...from time to time, as shall be manifested by the Comforter, receive revelations to unfold the mysteries of the kingdom" (D+C 90:14). Note the statement 'from time to time', that is, according to the will of the Lord - the one who 'reveals' (through the Holy Spirit or Comforter). The gift of revelation is not limited to holders of the priesthood, or even those at the very top of the priestly hierarchy.  The Lord Himself determines where the gifts shall be laid.

Although in D+C 28 Joseph Smith is appointed to receive revelations for the Church, their is nothing preventing anyone else from receiving revelations.  We only need to keep in mind that ones personal revelation is not doctrine, and therefore, it is not obligatory for members to be "obedient unto the things" revealed (D+C 28:3):

"And if thou art led at any time by the Comforter to speak or teach, or at all times by the way of commandment unto the church, thou mayest do it. But thou shalt not write by way of commandment, but by wisdom" (D+C 28:4,5).  

In other words, if one has the gift of revelation and wisdom (Moroni 10:9) one can use it. 

OM


Notes:

[1] http://en.fairmormon.org/Primary_sources/Joseph_Smith,_Jr./First_Vision_accounts/1832

[2]  Some believe that the nine differing accounts of Joseph Smith's First Vision is proof that the vision itself is a fraud. However, what such people fail to appreciate is that when you have such an experience as did Joseph Smith, how you understand that experience may be at first somewhat limited.  Over time, with further reflection and recapitulation of the experience, combined with deepening maturity in ones spiritual development, the Vision/experience will yield further light, and ones own understanding of the event will deepen. Such a thing happened to Joseph Smith. He was after all only 14-16yrs old at the time. Further contemplation would yield greater insight, and as such, how the event would be narrated would change too.

[3] Contrary to what some say, the word 'occult' simply means concealed, secret. A better translation would probably be 'esoteric'.  Christendom has always had a history of esoteric knowledge that is only granted to those 'with ears to hear, and eyes to see'.

[4] It is important that, alongside a discipline of spiritual development, the aspirant also works on their moral development.

[5] Whether such gifts can be handed to others like plate or an inheritance is questionable.  They are only given (by the Lord) to persons.  See for example D+C 28:2 where Joseph Smith himself is appointed to receive revelation for the Church, until another is appointed by the Lord, not man, although the Church must sustain him (D+C 28:7).