Through The Storm

All right, I admit it. For many years of my life the very name "Noah" did not conjure up good feelings. This section of scripture- namely Genesis 6-10, was one of my first and most intense "exaltation" experiences. (See "My How To Book") When I first read it for myself, at about age 7, it seemed that God mirrored in so many way the capricious and vengeful (in the most modern and worst sense of the word) ancient gods I'd been reading of in a series of books with legends from around the world. It is amazing how tenacious can be the impressions of our youth! By the time I taught the Old Testament in early morning seminary, I had read and reread both accounts in Genesis and Moses, and read every article on the subject I could, spiritual or scholarly. I think I was in a place similar to what my daughter described about the word "exalt"- I knew the problem was not with what the Lord taught and could see how a change in perspective really did show this story to be another example of the Lord's love- but I was relieved when the lesson passed and I could move on, past the residue of confused feelings that continued to darken this part of the scriptures for me.


When did that darkness completely dissipate? I'm not sure, but as I read the account this time it came alive with vibrant meaning for me, here, now. It was like that perfect moment early in the morning when the deep purples, blues, and pinks of dawn are in perfect balance with the first burst of sunlight over the mountain. The colors are so beautiful and serve to emphasize the wonder- often taken for granted once the sun's light has completely dissipated the darkness- of a new day, of life, of eternal hope. "Which hope, cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men." (Ether 12:4) The hope and anchor Paul knew when he wrote:

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor thing present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romas 8:38-39)
As Paul carefully explains earlier in the chapter, the only thing that can separate us from the strengthening, healing, redeeming love of God is our rejection of it. That is so important to understand when approaching this epoch story.

Elder David A. Bednar noted the use of the word unto: “Please notice how the power of the Spirit carries the message unto but not necessarily into the heart. … Ultimately, … the content of a message and the witness of the Holy Ghost penetrate into the heart only if a receiver allows them to enter.” (2 Nephi 33:1)

Why just unto the heart? Individual agency is so sacred that Heavenly Father will never force the human heart, even with all His infinite power. Man may try to do so, but God does not. To put it another way, God allows us to be the guardians, or the gatekeepers, of our own hearts. We must, of our own free will, open our hearts to the Spirit, for He will not force Himself upon us. (Gerald N. Lund, “Opening Our Hearts,” Ensign, May 2008, 32–34)

Now let's think about what happened during the time when Enoch and his people were building Zion. According to our record, Enoch humbly recognized those he spoke to as his brethren, equally loved of God and equally capable of deciding for themselves. Under the Lord's direction, he pleaded with them to consider the world on which they stood, and the magnitude of creation, and to stop denying their creator. Some listened and began to "experiment upon (the) words" that Enoch taught and to repent (turn back) to the Lord. (Alma 32:27, Enoch 7) Those who listened to Enoch, were so unpopular they had to flee for their lives. It took moving mountains, literally, to get those who wanted them dead to stand off. Zion was protected until the people had become beings who could comfortably dwell and learn in the presence of God. (A testimony that no one has power to thwart the purposes and opportunities that are important for our eternal growth, if we rely on the Lord.)

When the enemies of Zion noticed it was gone, they gloated that "Zion had fled."(Moses 7:69) In other words, "We won, they fled, we have successfully cast them out from among us!" Nor was the world any more accepting of those who remained behind to carry on the Lord's work. Noah not only dealt with mockery as he taught and warned, but attempts on his life. (Moses 8:18)
This correlates to a repeated pattern taught in all the scriptures, but expressly spelled out in the Book of Mormon:

Yea, and I say unto you that if it were not for the prayers of the righteous, who are now in the land that ye would even now would be visited by utter destruction; yet it would not be by flood, as were the people in the days of Noah, but it would be by famine, and by pestilence and by the sword.

But it is by the prayers of the righteous that ye are spared; now therefore, If ye will cast out the righteous from among you then will not the lord stay his hand; (Alma 10:23-24)

That imagery,of the Lord's hand, is also central in what the Lord relates to Enoch about the flood:

The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold, I am God; man of Holiness is my name, man of counsel is my name; and Endless sand Eternal is my name also. Wherefore, I can stretch forth mine hands and hold all the creations which I have made; and mine eye can pierce them also, and among all the workmanship of mine hands there has not been so great wickedness (rejection of the Lord's directions and power) as among they brethren. (Moses 7:35-36)

Just as the Lord won't force us to open our hearts-he won't force us, once we have intentionally and decidedly rejected his power, to live with the organizing, creating, sustaining, enabling grace which holds all creation together.  For visualization purposes it is as if we are held lovingly in the cupped palm of his hand, and when we insist, the palm straightens out, pulls away, and we are "free" to fall. 

Seeing and living through the effects of the Lord withdrawing -and the earth momentarily re-experiencing a piece of its primordial chaos- was so horrific that the righteous (namely Enoch and Noah) prayed that the Lord would never again withdraw so completely.  The Lord did promise, and as pointed out in the scripture above, is able to enforce eternal laws and justice equally well through other means. But, there are eternally significant reasons why the flood did happen, not the least of which is its testimony of both the Lord's power and our own position and need of him. A heartbreaking global example of the truth which is so aptly illustrated by this passage:

All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field…Behold the nations are as a drop of the bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance; behold, (God) taketh up the isles as a very little thing….It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; (He) bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. (Isaiah 40:8-23)

Remember that all the Lord says and does, he does for our benefit (John 3:16, 2 Nephi 26:23) So, the account of the flood also carries a message of profound, infinite hope. Hope that even if the whole world falls apart, if we choose the Lord, He will be with us even as he was with Noah:

Wherefore Enoch saw that Noah built and ark; and that the Lord smiled upon it, and held it in his own hand....(Moses 7:43)

Also, remember:

Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing, and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father, but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-30)

The Savior spoke those last words to his apostles before sending them out to teach. He knew they would face opposition. He prepared them for it, even telling them they would be scourged for their testimony of Him. His admonition was given to strengthen them and help them keep their perspective in the midst of difficulty. To help them look for and see how the hand of the Lord was upholding them, strengthening and enabling them to become. Now let's consider for a moment how the same was true for Noah, another faithful follower of Christ.
According to the record the flood was a storm unlike any we see today. The rain was continuous for 40 days and winds never ceased. We know the kinds of conditions that a severe storm can cause in a matter of minutes. A Tornado can wipe out a town. When that kind of storm combines over water, we call it a hurricane, and it can create a force more powerful and destructive than several atomic bombs. We know that vessels of twice the recorded size and stature of the ark have been broken to bits by lesser storms. If you've seen the recent articles on rogue waves or movies such as The Perfect Storm, you get some idea of the miracle it was that the ark survived the storm. And you get a glimpse into the level of individual care and infinite control the Lord exercises for each one of his children, if they will allow. And you also get a glimpse into the character of Noah.

Again, our experience tells us that passing through a decidedly lesser storm is an uncomfortable experience at best. The ark was not a luxury vessel- it had no heat or other accommodations. Jewish tradition recounts that Noah and his family suffered from cold, and with illness severe enough that he coughed up blood. (Hugh Nibley, Abraham in Egypt, Deseret Book, 1981, p.264) After living through these difficulties, what is his first act upon leaving the ark? It was to "build and altar to the Lord" and offer sacrifice in gratitude. Yes, he was supported by the hand of the Lord through this experience, but, no, he was not denied the oppositional opportunities for growth that come with challenges. Most importantly, he was able to profit because he recognized, with gratitude the hand that supported his every breath through the whole eternally profitable learning experience. In turn, this account can help us maintain perspective as we try to understand the difficult storms that come into our lives. Help us to not focus on the dark, cold, and discomfort, but instead discern the hand that is, even in the midst of the storm, upholding us- ensuring that even as we are tossed, we are moving forward toward our eternal goals-being prepared to see the Lord's promises fulfilled in our own lives:

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand for ever…Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand….
Hath thou not know? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall;

 But they that wait (move forward with hope) upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles….(Isaiah 40 10,28-31)

The Masterpiece

"It is a masterpiece!" In our culture today, to sincerely voice that sentiment is to give someone's work the highest compliment. With our modern usage of the term it is interesting to consider the source of the word. Prior to the growth of towns in Europe in the late middles ages, most artisans lived and worked within the walls of their lord's keep. When times became less deadly and towns began to thrive, a quality craftsman could no longer depend on his lord to provide materials, protection and stability. But he also had the opportunity to make wealth for himself. Artisan's kept the advantage of obtaining wealth, and helped mitigate the potential damage from expense, competition, and fraud by forming "guilds." Guilds were formed by artisan's who were established as masters of their craft. They banded together, pooled resources which brought down the price of obtaining raw materials, and created a structure for training new artisans that both ensured quality work for the consumer and protected their trade secrets.

So, lets suppose you were interested in becoming a master weaver. You would first have to apprentice out to a master weaver. During your time as an apprentice you would be taught the most basic skills. If the master weaver felt you showed promise you would be recommended as a journeyman. During this time you would learn more advanced skills, but "trade secrets," would be kept from you. Before you could complete you training and be considered a "master," you would be given a challenging work assignment from the master craftsmen who headed the guild. This piece of work was called "the masterpiece." If the masterpiece was completed to the guilds satisfaction, a new master was born! With the passage of time, the word "masterpiece" was also used by the general public to mean the best of the best produced by the masters of a craft. But whether you consider the origin of the phrase of its modern usage it refers to a unique and enduring work of craftsmanship.

Which brings me to Zion- the word the Lord uses to name those who decide they want to accept the "challenge to become," enter into His apprenticeship, and "with the help of their Heavenly Father, create a masterpiece of their lives." (Joseph B. Wirthlin, “The Abundant Life,” Ensign, May 2006, 99–102)

Zion is what we create both individually (Zion is the pure in heart), and collectively (the Lord called his people Zion), as we move through the process to become. (Doctrine & Covenant 97:21, Moses 7:18) Because it is a creative process, and we are the apprentices, it is imperative that we learn from the oft repeated accounts of the Master Himself creating. Have you ever wondered why the Lord lists out what he created day by day, piece by piece. There is more than one reason, I know, but today lets focus on just one lesson- one very important to building Zion- the importance of variety working together in unity.

Look at this picture of Mirror Lake. What gives it its beauty? Is it the mountains? The lake? The fluffy white clouds? The deep blue sky? The little flowers on the bushes in the foreground? The pine trees? Each does have a beauty of its own, but what makes the overall breathtaking scene is the way the very different parts work together.

Or consider music. A good friend of mine is currently serving as choir director in her ward. She told me of a wonderful spiritual moment when she viewed the very different people of various shapes, sizes, careers, and talents, all joining their voices together in a common goal. It is the very differences in the ranges and tones of the choir member's voices that make the music of a choir such a thing of beauty. She said she had an impression that one of the reasons the Lord's prophets have encouraged wards to have a ward choirs is because it is a perfect example and type of what the Lord means when he "called his people Zion because they were of one heart and one mind" or "if you are not one you are not mine." (Moses 7:18, Doctrine & Covenants 38:27)

Her comments rang true. Although I love music, I do not have great talent. In fact, for me to survive in a choir I need a strong soprano who can pick out the notes next to me. I have discovered that I can learn from those with more talent and training, and with their support I can sing with them and enjoy it, too. Imagine how ridiculous it would be of me, a mediocre soprano who struggles to follow the music, to judge everyone else in the choir whose voice and expression were not like mine as doing it all wrong. Not only would it disrupt the choir and cause contention, but I would rob myself of the opportunity to learn, grow, and rejoice in song.  I would, in that hypothetical choir, be doing exactly what James was trying to get the early Christians to see they were doing within their congregations.

Speak not evil (his problem is…; I thing what he is doing is not nearly as functional as me) one of another brethren. He that speaketh evil (I can judge that he is falling short- I am in a superior enough position to point out his dysfunction) of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law(God really doesn't do enough to correct the situation so I must; God really does allow others- not me, but others- too much freedom to make mistakes): but if thou judge the law, thou are not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy; who are thou that judgest another. ((James 4:11-12)Italics are completely my own work! Remember the origin of the word "evil!" See "Powerful Good")

In the last conference President Uctdorf talked of a this same phenomenon creeping into our lives today:

Sometimes, well-meaning amplifications of divine principles—many coming from uninspired sources—complicate matters further, diluting the purity of divine truth with man-made addenda. One person’s good idea—something that may work for him or her—takes root and becomes an expectation. And gradually, eternal principles can get lost within the labyrinth of “good ideas.”

This was one of the Savior’s criticisms of the religious “experts” of His day, whom He chastised for attending to the hundreds of minor details of the law while neglecting the weightier matters.( President Dieter F. Uchtdorf Second Counselor in the First Presidency)

To help further visualize what the prophets are teaching, consider the metaphor used above of us being apprentices, the Lord being the master craftsmen, and our lives being the "masterpiece" we've each be given to work on. Our current task is to concentrate on making our masterpiece, so that we can qualify to become a master craftsmen. We do have to make judgments, to be sure- we must choose the right materials and employ them in our masterpiece according to all we have learned from the master craftsman. This includes interacting with, helping, and receiving help from other apprentices. We must also learn to discern and turn away from fraudulent or poorly made materials that would prevent us from weaving a masterpiece. In the things we must judge, the master craftsmen has given us volumes of instruction on and we are expected to, under his tutelage, to utilize that knowledge. But, we do not yet have the skills or knowledge to make an accurate evaluation of another apprentices work. Moreover, if we take it upon ourselves to use our very limited time and knowledge to make the judgments only the master can make, we neglect our own given task. We simply cannot do both. In the words of Isaiah, "all that watch for iniquity are cut off." (Isaiah 29:19)

That scripture is especially poignant when you take it in context with the whole of Isaiah 28 and 29. Isaiah 28 is the Lord correcting his "apprentices" for believing they are full fledged master craftsmen, yet rejecting the foundation and cornerstone (Jesus Christ), who is both the very best of materials and the best master craftsman. Isaiah 29 turns to our day, and the restoration of the gospel, and how the same approach will prevent many from receiving all the Lord has prepared. Verse 19 is saying that if we approach this life with our perspective being that we are in an elevated enough position to judge others standing with the Lord, and then we use our limited time and energy to do just that- "watch for iniquity-" we are in essence cutting ourselves off from being the Lord's apprentice and being able to hear his instruction.(Also see 1 Samuel 16:7) It is like we leave working on our own masterpiece to, well, waste our precious mortal apprenticeship pretending we are something we just aren’t. I believe this very human, universal tendency is "the beam" spoken of by Christ. (Matthew 7:3)

Whenever I think of "the beam," I think of one of the most tragic scriptural accounts of what can happen when we put aside our God given assignment to work on our own beam, in favor of evaluating another's iniquity. I speak of the tragedy of Judas Iscariot. Remember the Lord is the master teacher- he never gives us assignments for which, if we turn to his grace, we are not adequately prepared. Thus Judas' call as and apostle indicates he was a very capable and talented apprentice. But some of the things Jesus said and did surprised him- they didn't fit with how he'd imagined he'd be instructed. Because of his approach, his feeling he had sufficiently mastered life enough to "watch for iniquity," he saw it in Christ- the one being who was completely free from iniquity. Not only did he use his erroneous assessment to justify his own iniquity in betraying the Savior, but in his self proclaimed judge, accusatory, state of mind, he left the last supper, and so missed some of the very important instructions for completing our mortal masterpiece.

Interestingly, as I pointed out in "Moses1-Patterns", Peter faced many of the same surprises, but he approached it differently. He truly saw himself as the Lord's apprentice- "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the word of eternal life." (John 6:68, Matthew 16:15-16) And because of that he was there, after Judas had gone his own way, to hear the Savior teach:

A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that yea also love one another. By this shall men know that ye are my disciples (apprentices), if ye have love one to another….

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he it is that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him….the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things…(John 14:34,15:21,26)

That same command and promise is given to us today. We have the Holy Ghost, the spirit of the Lord, to help us apply the information in the scriptures and teach us about the love of the Lord, so that we don't follow the path Judas did and lose the opportunity to "create a masterpiece of our lives." One scripture I have found very helpful in this quest is Galatians 5:22-23:

But the fruits of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law.

In those moments when something someone does or says hits me with surprise, causes irritation or discomfort, if I manage to call that scripture to mind, it serves as a great barometer to measure whether I am being guided by the spirit. If I am not feeling love (do I want what is best for the other person involved), peace (do I trust the Savior and the atonement), longsuffering (patient in the interest of another's growth even if it causes you some discomfort), goodness (facilitating the use of the Lord's gifts for his plan-like that strong soprano who helped me sing), and so on- well I am probably in danger of plunking down in my self proclaimed, master craftsmen, judgment seat, and spending precious time and energy on something that will only prevent me from working on the masterpiece I've been given.

And a few times when that scripture has come to mind, and I've taken the Lord up on his promise to bestow charity on all who pray for it (Moroni 7:48), something extraordinary has happened. My surprise, possibly even irritation, turns to understanding that I am in the presence of a beloved child of God who is earnestly trying to love and serve him, and whose life and circumstances so vary from my own that they have so much to share with me and teach me. Through our association the master craftsman broadens my lens, gives me insight into how to better craft my own life, and how limited and poor my life would be without the infinite variety found among His children. And I think I begin to know the beauty and wonder of Zion. And that beginning- well it is so more than I could've ever imagined.