The Divine Imprint of God on His Words

Something the average person of faith may not be aware of is that when God inspires His servants to write His word to the world, those writings invariably carry the imprint of Deity. In this instance I am referring to the practice among the ancient prophets of using special numbers to reinforce and emphasize the message they were delivering. 

I personally do not ascribe to numerology in the sense of “hidden” or “esoteric” (that is, “special insider”) messages that portend grave disasters. The numbers I am referring to are quite simple and direct, but therein is the strength of their usage. For example: “3” refers to Deity or presidency in the priesthood; “7” refers to the priesthood power in the Church as well as the priesthood authority present in the Church congregations when the Lord considers that Church to be His; “10” refers to the commandments, and “12” refers to the quorum of twelve apostles/high priests and the gathering of Israel. There are more. These numbers (and others) appear frequently throughout the Old Testament, New Testament, the Book of Mormon, and the Pearl of Great Price. They are also present in the Apocrypha (those books that were placed in the oldest Bible manuscripts but were not considered of equal worth to the Testaments in the middle ages) and the (beautiful) Quran. But what of the Doctrine & Covenants? 

The presence of these numeric emphasis markers (as I choose to call them) in ancient writ is, perhaps, understandable: it could be said that the ancients had developed a method of instruction that made use of such devices to enhance their teachings. But would we expect to find such numbers used to enhance teachings in the Doctrine & Covenants, modern revelations revealed predominantly to Joseph Smith, Jr., in modern American English, in a rural American northeast setting?

I would like to refer to Section 43, from February, 1831. In this revelation (named “Section”; for my Muslim fellows who share with me a love of Al-Ilah “Allah”, and Jewish fellows who, part for part, call Him “Ha-Eloah” or more often “Elohim”, these are “Surahs” or “Chapters/divisions”), the Lord Jesus Christ speaks to Joseph Smith and expresses His pain and sorrow at the world’s unwillingness to allow Him to gather them. Focus on the words that denote “utterance”. Doctrine & Covenants, Section 43: 23-25:

…Hearken, O ye nations of the earth,

and hear the words of that God who made you.

O, ye nations of the earth,

how often would I have gathered you together

as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings,

but ye would not!

How oft have I called upon you by

1.      the mouth of my servants,

2.      and by the ministering of angels,

3.      and by mine own voice,

4.      and by the voice of thundering,

5.      and by the voice  of lightnings,

6.      and by the voice of tempests,

7.      and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms,

8.      and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind,

9.      and by the great sound of a trump,

10.   and by the voice of judgment,

11.   and by the voice of mercy all the day long,

12.   and by the voice of glory and honor and the riches of eternal life,

and would have saved you

with an everlasting salvation,

but ye would not!

What impressed me most about the use of the number 12 here by our Savior when speaking to Joseph Smith is that He, my Lord and Savior, left a divine imprint on His words by utilizing the same “manner of speech” that He had used when speaking to His ancient prophets. The use of repetition here called my attention, led me to repeat the list, and upon several rehearsals I counted up 12 uses of synonyms for “utterance”. The result was that I perceived special emphasis on the idea of the Lord laboring diligently to “gather” His people. I also benefited by pausing, re-reading and scrutinizing and studying the passages out—as the reader is no doubt meant to do--because I found myself contemplating what the symbols (lightnings, trump, etc.) were meant to convey. I also noticed details I had missed in my more casual initial reading. Such is the beauty of the pattern of God’s speech to His children; His speech is not only clear to the mind, it beckons each person to consider it longer, deeper, and contemplate its personal application. Upon first reading, I found these verses (ayahs) to be beautiful. Upon more careful study, I found them to be moving, both emotionally, and moving to greater action as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I mentioned that these words have a "divine" imprint in reference to the number 12 (12 instances of "utterance"). However, the most divine imprint that I received here is the personal knowledge that these words are in fact truly the words of my Savior, and this knowledge or witness comes from the Holy Ghost, a special Messenger who testifies of all truth directly from the presence of God, but personally to my mind, and my affections or heart. My Muslim brethren inherited their word for “Holy Ghost” from Aramaic, RuhUlQudus, which etymologically is Ruh ‘Spirit’ ul ‘the’ Qudus ‘Holy’. RuhUlQudus corresponds to the Hebrew “Ruakh HaKodesh” (literally) ‘Spirit the-Holy’. So I ask myself, “what good is knowing any of the divine imprint in the speech of God if this knowledge does not motivate me to serve God better?” Well, therein lies the purpose. Let all serve God better today, and every day. If you love God, Allah, Elohim, study His word, and find meaning in life as you do His will.

James Weller

My Words to Beloved Departing Missionaries

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1826212333

Dear Elder,                                                                                                         28 September 2011

I wanted to share some simple advice that I believe will not only ease your transition to post-mission life, but will serve you well throughout your life.

1.     Know that moves always upset even the best of habits. Part of your enriching scripture study was not just the texts you were reading, but the environment, the safeguarded time to do it, the presence of a protective companion, and the immediacy of the need to study. Once you return home, the obstacle to continued enriching study that you will face will not only be the sudden end to the circumstances under which you had come to study the Word, but the return to an environment that subtly entices you to return to your previous habits there, habits which may differ greatly from those you have attained to on your mission. In short, resist the two forms of temptation that can disrupt gainful scripture study: 1) the temptation to revert to sleeping in later at the cost of scripture study and 2) the pressure to abandon such rich scripture study because “it no longer feels the same”. Do not mistake the normal feelings of alienation that come with changing one’s environment for a lack of Heavenly Father’s support of your efforts with His Spirit. And share your insights with members and non-members alike. Once you’ve breached your fear to share, it becomes easy and natural to share insights with anyone.

2.     Continue to pray, pray earnestly, speaking with your actual and real loving Heavenly Father. And continue praying to share the Gospel with those you meet. You saw (as did I and as do so many Full-time Missionaries) that the regular members are the key to finding. Far from losing the mantle upon release, you assume a mantle, that of constantly living worthy of the Spirit and carrying the Gospel forth to those whom we are not actively proselytizing. Anyone not currently taking the discussions is not being actively proselytized. Talk to them, share with them, learn of them in order to learn how to engage them, intrigue them, and reach their searches. Ultimately, everyone is searching for the truth in their own way; your duty from now on is to lead them to the Way, that of Faith in Jesus Christ and Repentance, Baptism and the Gift of the Holy Ghost, service in callings, the Sacrament, the Temple, in making and keeping the covenants God has established.

3.     Keep contact with those who knew you when you were your best. These people saw the best in you, saw how good you could be, and that knowledge alone motivates us to continue to perform and grow. Do not feel obligated to return to any habits from before. Also, on a mature note, know that you’re now coming into, shall we say, your most “virile” years. You can continue to be pure by listening to the tender voice of your Father Who will, I firmly believe, tell you what He told me (this year), as emotionally and vulnerably as He did me (for lack of better descriptors): “Choose Me. I will fill you. In Me you will not lack. Choose Me.” The Atonement is for you, too. The Book of Mormon, which I adore, imparts this wisdom: “And when the priest had imparted unto them the word of God they all returned again diligently unto their labors; and the priest, not esteeming himself above his hearers, for the preacher was no better than the hearer, neither was the teacher any better than the learner; and thus they were all equal, and they did all labor, every man according to his strength.” Sometimes we, sadly and regrettably, think that as Returned Missionaries we should be “strong enough” on our own to withstand the subtle craftiness and temptations of the adversary. Know this: the Atonement is just as much for you as for those you taught. You’re the same as they, no better, but no worse.

4.     Keep balance in your life: this is no joke, no subject of experimentation, but of critical importance. Satan will (not might, maybe, could but will) tempt you to try to be “super-“ man/husband/Elder/member, etc. Consequently you will, at times, push yourself to work with little sleep, skip meals, avoid the pastimes you love, avoid exercise, avoid play, avoid quiet meditation and undistracted and creative scripture study (which almost always happens when you’re alone) for the sake of accomplishing just a bit more for those you love and the things you need. Hear these words of wisdom: Unless you want to come to a realization that you went down a rapid path of thinking, speaking and behaving grossly out of character for you, do not experiment with having balance in your life. Work hard, study hard, push yourself, but within moderation, and rest, eat well, get out with friends even when married, reward yourself for doing good, enjoy the things you love. Do not be ashamed to be yourself, and if playing mindless video games makes you happy, or if squirrel-watching happens to be your thing, do it, do it regularly, moderately, in the middle of the week and on the weekend. And remember the Atonement, and how much others need it, though they do not even know to articulate the need as such.

5.     Commit to building up the Kingdom of God on the earth. This means love going to Church, love the Sacrament, the Temple, service, the scriptures. Do not forget regular (weekly if possible) missionary service. I promise you (to the extent I am able) that if you remain a regular fortress of missionary service, exercising the Christ-like principle of giving much more than you ever received, that you will remain on fire in the Spirit, others will be inspired by your light, and even if you sink, you will soon be buoyed up. Consider this: Not even Joseph Smith or Thomas S. Monson in all their glory have the chance to walk where you will walk and talk to those whom you will encounter. So every day in small and caring ways build up the Kingdom of God wherever you happen to be.

Elder, it was a pleasure getting to know you. Thank you for being a huge support to me. Your kindness and willingness, your insights and sincerity exceeded those of many a good member of multiples of your age. Also know one last thing: the best is yet to come. On my mission there was a time when I spoke by the Spirit so powerfully that I felt light in my own eyes, but it was only last year (2010) that I saw my Lord, His divine image impressed in my mind’s eye, transposed over real visual sight, but perceptible to my mind, during a day of nearly 9 hours straight of missionary work. He was so beautiful, so similar, yet so unlike in our art, glorious in a way I did not understand, until I read the descriptions the Prophets made of Him in the scriptures, and I was astonished to find such a confirmation in His holy word. And it was this year, 2011, that I heard Him say in my mind what I needed to hear in order for me to turn around in peace and confidence. A mission is not the spiritual high of anyone’s long life; that is the talk of people who have slipped into a more muted slow mode (because it is so freaking easy to do, especially when you’re sacrificing yourself for the people you love). Light the fire in those you love. Continue to draw closer to the Son, and the best will be yet to come. The best is knowing God and His Son Whom He sent. The best is having His Spirit to be with us always. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true!

Sincerely,

James Weller

jamesweller1965@gmail.com

614-286-2791                                                  P.S.: I will baptize Emmie in

→Doctrine & Covenants 132: 12, 21-25       November, 2011. (Thank you!)

Did the Lord ever tell His people that He would not give them revelations?

There is no explicit statement that the Lord would not lead His people by revelation. There is, in reality, a statement to the contrary, to the effect that the people would depart from the Lord, not the Lord from them.

Thus saith the Lord,

where is the bill of your mother's divorcement,

whom I have put away?

or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you?

Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves,

and for your transgressions is your mother put away.

(Isaiah 50: 1)

The Lord commanded His people to gather today in order to publish something very specific, and that publishing would be the basis of a great work.

And for this purpose I have commanded you to organize yourselves,
even to print my words,
the fulness of my scriptures,
the revelations which I have given unto you,
and which I shall, hereafter, from time to time give unto you—
For the purpose of building up my church and the kingdom on the earth,

and to prepare my people for the time when I shall dwell with them,

which is nigh at hand.

(Doctrine & Covenants 104: 58-59; April 24, 1834)

This led me to understand an Old Testament verse in a new way, with a new dimension.

Unto the woman he said,

I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception;

in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children;

and thy desire shall be to thy Husband,

and He shall rule over thee.

(Genesis 3: 16)

I feel like I'm getting this message! Everyday, in steps, the picture is coming into greater focus.