The Temple in The Vineyard - Isaiah 5

Every summer our family goes on vacation.  We basically do the same thing- load up gear, a trailor of motor bikes and quads, and head for mountians to go riding.  But each year we try to go some place different and even though the technique you use to ride is much the same, it is fun to discover new places, new vistas, new (old) historical sites.  I often feel the same way in studying the scriptures.  For instance, I realized as I approached Isaiah's parable of the vineyard, that I had never taken the time to learn about vineyards in ancient Israel, so I began to explore and found my vista expanding again. 

Did you know grape cultivation and winemaking originated in Israel’s neck of the woods, so to speak?  By the time the Children of Israel marched in, it was already well established.  A heavy vine covered in grapes was part of the produce that Joshua and the Israelite spies brought back from their search of the land of Canaan.  (Numbers 13:23)  At the time of Christ, premium wine from the troublesome province of Judea was one of the luxury items that made it worth the trouble.  The Roman conquest of Europe paved the way for cuttings from prime plants to be taken and grown on Roman Estates in the far flung province of Gaul, which includes most of modern day France. Obviously, winemaking became a major industry there.  On the other hand, when Muslim rule came in the 7^th century A.D., with that religions’ prohibition on alcohol, the vineyards were destroyed.  Now, modern vineyards have been replanted in Israel on land which still boasts the remnants of ancient wine presses.  All interesting facts, but it was HOW the grapes were cultivated that really helped me understand more from Isaiah’s parable.

For instance, grapes are one of two major Israelite crops that, if properly tended to, actually grew better in the poorer, rocky, hillside soil.  The other crop was the olive.  That caught my attention because right after the Children of Israel miraculously crossed the Red Sea, Moses taught them a song of praise which taught them the Lord would “bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance….” (Exodus 15:17) And the two plants the Lord repeatedly uses as types of Israel - the grape vine and the olive tree.   Different aspects of those plants are brought out in different references, and we will discuss more about the olive in a few chapters, but right now I would like to explore their common ground – the poorer, rocky, hillside soil they thrive in IF they have the proper care to enable that growth and how that proper care, spiritually speaking, centers on (can you guess) the “mountain of the Lord’s house” - in other words the temple.

First, let’s go back to Exodus 15, because the next words in that verse shows Moses teaching the Israelites’ that the Promised Land is also one where the Lord has a “Sanctuary” to dwell in and where the Lord will “reign”. (This verse was referred to by King Solomon when he dedicated the first temple in Jerusalem.1 Kings 8:13, Also see Exodus 15:13) I think the translation in the New International Version is worth sharing, because it is clear that we are talking about the planting His people in His holy mountain. 

You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance--the place, O LORD, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, your hands established.

Next, the Lord put a lot of effort into teaching the people His way of strengthening, supporting them, and abiding among them.  He began by going “before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not… the pillar away.  (Exodus 13:21-22) When the Egyptians closed in on them, the pillar moved to the rear of the camp, protecting them from the pursuing Egyptian army, and still giving light to the camp. (Exodus14:19-20)  

When the Tabernacle was built, the pillar “covered” it and the “glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys, but if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel… throughout all their journeys.”(Exodus 40:34-38 also see Deuteronomy 1:33) 

To keep their focus on the fact the Lord was with them, guiding and protecting them, He gave them “judgments” or, as we would say it, “ordinances,” which would help them understand the Lord’s ways, and above all, the atoning sacrifice of the Savior. (See Deuteronomy 30:16 and refer to footnote ‘b’ for an example of the word translated as “judgment(s)” being better translated as “ordinance.”)

Of course, this constant evidence of the Lord’s being present and guiding the Israelites did not take the work - the rockiness - out of their journey.  The whole point of their journey - and our journey in life- was to use the combination of the “rocky soil” and the Lord’s unfailing, nurturing care to become “fruitful.”  Nephi succinctly sums up what the Lord was trying to teach both groups of wandering Israelites:  And thus we see that the comandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide a means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them. (1 Nephi 17:3) 

Now, you might think this tying together of Isaiah’s parable and the way the Lord showed his presence to the wandering Israelites was my own brainchild, but in fact Isaiah prefaces this parable with a promise in Isaiah 4:4-6 that when Israel gathers and is made pure “by the spirit of judgment (ordinance)” and the “spirit of burning” then His presence, as manifest in “a cloud…by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night,” will be not only be in the “tabernacle,” but on every dwelling and will be a defense and refuge for those who are gathered in.  What an extraordinary promise- the protecting, guiding influence of the Lord will then be in every home! And notice what needs to happen for it to be fulfilled.

The “spirit of burning” was referred to by John the Baptist when he taught, "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”(Matthew 3:11)  In turn, a modern apostle explained this “spirit of burning” more fully: 

We are commanded and instructed to so live that our fallen nature is changed through the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost. President Marion G. Romney taught that the baptism of fire by the Holy Ghost “converts [us] from carnality to spirituality. It cleanses, heals, and purifies the soul. … Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, and water baptism are all preliminary and prerequisite to it, but [the baptism of fire] is the consummation. To receive [this baptism of fire] is to have one’s garments washed in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ” (Learning for the Eternities, comp. George J. Romney [1977], 133; see also 3 Nephi 27:19–20).  Hence, as we are born again and strive to always have His Spirit to be with us, the Holy Ghost sanctifies and refines our souls as if by fire (see 2 Nephi 31:13–14, 17). Ultimately, we are to stand spotless before God.  (Elder David A. Bednar, “Clean Hand and a Pure Heart,” Ensign, November 2007)

But besides becoming pure, we are promised the Lord’s presence will provide a source of strength, refuge, and defense.  What is the source of such moral and spiritual power, and how do we obtain it? The source is God. Our access to that power is through our covenants with Him. A covenant is an agreement between God and man, an accord whose terms are set by God (see Bible Dictionary, “Covenant,” 651). In these divine agreements, God binds Himself to sustain, sanctify, and exalt us in return for our commitment to serve Him and keep His commandments. We enter into covenants by priesthood ordinances, sacred rituals that God has ordained for us to manifest our commitment…. Our covenant commitment to Him permits our Heavenly Father to let His divine influence, “the power of godliness” (D&C 84:20), flow into our lives. He can do that because by our participation in priesthood ordinances we exercise our agency and elect to receive it.  (Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “The Power of Covenants,” Ensign, May 2009)

Now, let’s return to 2 Nephi 15:1 (which is Nephi quoting Isaiah 5:1) where is restored this small, but precious wording – And then -- a connecting phrase to help us understand that this parable isn’t about an ancient them, but for every person who in mortality has the opportunity to make and keep sacred covenants and receive the ordinances of the temple. 

To further emphasize and point to the temple and its ordinances, Isaiah uses some interesting word choices in that first verse.  The phrase “fruitful hill” in particular was a surprise - not in the English- but I felt compelled to look up the Hebrew words.  I resisted a bit because I had just done a bit of research on mounts, hills, and mountains, and knew the words translated as “hill” were pretty consistent.  (Maybe my subconscious had picked up on the fact that there was an anomaly in that list, and it was the word used in this verse.) This verse is the only time in the Old Testament the word Isaiah uses here is translated as “hill.”  Given the context, it is a good translation, but you miss the nuance of Isaiah’s parable.  The word he uses here is usually translated as “horn.”  As in a symbol of God’s power and authority.  As in the “horns” the Lord commanded be put on the corners of the altar of the temple (Exodus 27:2) As in the “horn” filled with oil used to anoint those called to serve the Lord. (1 Samuel 16:3, 1 King 1:39) As in the “horn” of the altar blood was smeared on in performing the mosaic ordinances pointing to the Savior’s atoning sacrifice. (Exodus 30:10, Leviticus 9:9) 

Well, after discovering that, I didn’t resist the idea of looking up “fruitful,” and was not overly surprised to find it too was an unusal choice.  It is a, at least within the Old Testament, a uniqu combination of two other distinct words.  The first means literally “to build” and “tent panel.”  It is also THE word for “son” and conveys the idea of “seed of the tent” or the continuation of the family. The other word means literally “oil” as in the olive oil used in the temple ordinances and to anoint those called by the Lord.  It also came to mean “fat” as in having abundance.  Another word for “abundance” is translated as “multiply” and used in the Lord’s promises to Abraham concerning him becoming a “father of many nations.” It comes from roots that literally mean “the head of the tent.”  With that in mind I looked again at the phrase “choicest vine” and immediately thought of Isaiah’s other admonition, “Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.” (Isaiah 51:2)  Add to that this restoring and clarifying revelation:
Abraham received all things, whatsoever he received, by revelation and commandment, by my word, saith the Lord, and hath entered into his exaltation and sitteth upon his throne.  Abraham received promises concerning his seed, and of the fruit of his loins... and as touching Abraham and his seed, out of the world they should continue; both in the world and out of the world should they continue as innumerable as the stars; or, if ye were to count the sand upon the seashore ye could not number them. This promise is yours also, because ye are of Abraham, and the promise was made unto Abraham; and by this law is the continuation of the works of my Father, wherein he glorifieth himself.  Go ye, therefore, and do the works of Abraham; enter ye into my law and ye shall be saved.  But if ye enter not into my law ye cannot receive the promise of my Father, which he made unto Abraham. (Doctrine & Covenants 132:29-33)

It seems so important to understand that Isaiah is talking to all, both ancient and modern, who are “planted” in a place and time where they can affirm their willingness to “enter ye into” the Lord’s law by making sacred covenants through receiving the ordinances in the house of the Lord as the Lord has directed.   And then – and this part is even more critical – striving to live according to that law. As Christ so pointedly taught, “all the law” and “all the prophets” “hang” or “hinge” on obedience to the commandments to love and serve God and, working hand in hand with Him, love our “neighbor.” (Matthew 22:40) In other words, Isaiah is addressing all those who have the opportunity to “do the works of Abraham.”

With this in mind the rest of the chapter (not to mention the whole book) opens up.  The grape vine he used in the parable does thrive best in the hill’s rocky soil, but it cannot survive in a manner to produce good fruit without the care of the Lord of the vineyard.  The ground on the hill is too hard for the tender roots to penetrate on their own; it must be dug up to make way for the vine to grow deep, healthy roots.  The large stones, too, would prevent its growth and the loosened soil would be washed away in the first heavy rainstorm. So the Lord laboriously gathers the rocks, and uses what used to be obstacles to the vines growth, to create terraces to prevent the soil washing away and allow the rain water to soak deeper into the ground, again to encourage deep roots.  Tender young leaves are tasty and a cutting from the “choicest vine” would not be an inexpensive acquisition.  Critters of both the two legged and four legged variety would be tempted to prey on the tender vine.  So the wise Lord, with great discomfort to himself, used the thorny brambles cleared from the land to make a hedge- a strong deterrent - and adds the expense of a wall and a watchtower. One other step, which Isaiah mentions only when the Lord talks about what is going to happen to the unfruitful vineyard, is pruning.  Not something the plant enjoys, but absolutey essential on an annual basis if the vine is to bear fruit.  Finally, he builds a press, which would ensure that none of ripened fruit would be wasted to spoilage.  All is in place for the vine to become all it has the potential to become. 

I have come to love this parable as a beautiful illuminating illustration of how much work –infinitely beyond any sacrifice or work I have done in my life – is meant when the Lord says, “This is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”(Moses 1:39)  And the relationship of the Lord of the vineyard to the vine is so hands on, so invested, so personal.  Even though I am not a keeper of a vineyard, as most of Isaiah’s original listeners would have been, I can still understand how unthinkable would be the possibility of the vineyard producing “wild grapes.”  I think that is one of Isaiah’s objectives, to get us to stop and “consider the work of the Lord… and the operation of his hands.” (Isaiah 5:12)  And to check our own lives for the production of “wild grapes,” which are identified as filling our lives with the pursuit of wealth and pleasure, often at the expense of the welfare of our “neighbor” and at the expense of taking the time and effort to “feast upon the words of Christ.” (Compare Isaiah 5:12,24 and 2 Nephi 32:3)  

In verse 24 Isaiah brings us back to the theme illustrated by Isaiah’s word choice in verse 1, this time talking about the eternal consequences of growing “wild grapes,” or casting “away the law of the Lord of Hosts” and despising “the word of the Holy One of Israel.”   He says that “their root shall be rottenness, and their blossoms shall go up as dust.”  (Isaiah 5:24)   You might notice a similarity between this pronouncement and the one given by Malachi and quoted in full by Christ to the Nephites:  “For behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea and all the do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” (Malachi 4:1) 

This prophecy immediately precedes the prophecy of Elijah coming to “turn the heart of the father to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.” (Malachi 4:5-6, 3 Nephi 25:5-6, Joseph Smith History 1:37-39, Doctrine & Covenants 2)  Which brings us back to the temple.  In fact, a lot of what Isaiah says doesn’t make much sense without an understanding of the power of priesthood keys to bind on earth and in heaven.  It is also so important to understand that the work done in the temple is one of most glorious - available here and now- gifts to help us gain eternal perspective and begin to understand more deeply the infinite nature of the atonement of Christ.  I have discovered this theme is so prevalent throughout Isaiah that I think I will leave a more detailed exploration to later, but I must quote a couple of my favorites because I think I see these promises happening a bit in my life-

Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your (ordinances) we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you.  When your (ordinances) come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness. (Isaiah 26:8-9)

And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. (Don’t forget 2 Nephi 32:3) And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. (Isaiah 25:6-8)

It is when I think of my father, who is no longer here in mortality and do not doubt that our separation is temporary; or when I find myself treasuring people over books and being amazed and the strength and goodness I see in them; or when I remember that I know, really know, that what God has in mind for me is far greater than I could ever imagine and that if the veil were removed in full I would again kneel in humble awe and gratitude and affirm again my firm defense of His plan; or when I hear others voice,  in different words, the same conviction, that I feel my heart burn within me and then I know these promises are already being fulfilled.

Threads, Cords, and Chains or Freedom, Strength, and Peace- Isaiah 5:18

"Woe unto them that pull iniquity with words of falsehood, and sin with a cart rope.”  (Isaiah 5:18)

With this verse Isaiah painted for me one of the first vivid word pictures I understood; one that affected me so much I came back to see what else he might be able to help me understand.  At first, I saw a picture showing that a person with access to the truth, like Israel, who decides on iniquity (a twisting of the truth to justify what they want to do) is doing spiritually to themselves the equivalent of a person tying themselves, or yoking themselves, to a heavy cartload and pulling it around with them everywhere they go.  That was my first picture, and it was very useful, but thanks to Nephi, a person very close to the language and culture, I was able fill in some eternally important details.  He refers to this verse in 2 Nephi 26, where he is talking about how people are entrapped by the adversary, the devil: (H)e leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever. (2 Nephi 26:22) 

It helps to understand that a “flaxen cord” is literally a thread and “strong cords” happen when many threads or strings are woven together to make what we would call a rope.  Nephi is likening spiritually something recognized in most cultures.  For instance a Spanish proverb says, “Habits are first cobwebs, then cables.” (http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=6811)  I found it enlightening to learn that ancient rabbi’s reflect a similar interpretation of Isaiah 5:18.

The Septuagint renders it, 'Woe to those who draw sin with a long cable;' that is," one sin is added to another, until it comes to an enormous length, and the whole is drawn along together. Probably the true idea is that of the ancient interpretation of the rabbis, 'An evil inclination is at first like a fine hair string, but the finishing like a cart-rope.' At first, they draw sin with a slender cord, then they go on to greater deeds of iniquity that urge them on, and draw them with their main strength, as with a cart-rope. They make a strong "effort" to commit iniquity. (Barnes' Notes on the Bible as quoted in http://bible.cc/isaiah/5-18.htm)

The verses immediately following this one tell us a lot about how the “flaxen cord” that leads to this “strong cord” is formed.  It has primarily to do with the how we approach the Lord, as reflected in our words to and about Gods. In verse 19 God is accused of not proving himself to them-  if God is real, he should prove it in a way obvious to their eyes.  In the next verse the “fact” God did no show Himself as instructed is then used to justify replacing His commands with their own self-proclaimed cleverness. The long and short of it, a steady theme we see throughout Isaiah, is a prideful insistence on not being a student, or child, of the Lord- but, at the very least, seeing yourself like an equally wise, if not equally powerful, partner who has every right to insist the Lord prove his worth, or get out of the way. (See also 2 Nephi 26:20,29 2 Nephi 9:28-29,45,51, see also themes 1 and 3 in “Prefacing Isaiah,” 3/22/2012)

Alma, another Book of Mormon prophet who knew the words of Isaiah well, calls these “strong cords” the “chains of hell” and describes how” they form- note how it all begins with hardness (bitterness, anger, it doesn’t apply to me) towards some portion of God’s word:

It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full.  And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell.  (Isaiah 12:9-11)

Immediately two scriptural examples come to mind that really illustrate the kind of iniquity or “twisting” that leads to a hardening of the heart and to being chained down.  The first is the Lord’s answer, in Isaiah 58, to Israel’s accusation that though they “afflict their souls” with fasting and doing what he said, he is not giving them the prosperity he promised. (Isaiah 58:3) This prosperity, in their minds, includes using fasting as a tool to order up His power, despite the fact they are paying very little attention to the first two commands- to love God and their fellowman.  (This picture illustrates how the Lord describes them in Isaiah 58:9) In short, if they are contending with (fighting) and accusing each other and God (remember Satan is The Accuser), they might be depriving their bodies of food, but they are not fasting according to the Lord’s fast.  The Lord’s fast was meant to focus them on making sure all are provided for with the resources the Lord has given them- to work with the Lord to “break the yoke ” for all men - including the yoke these angry, hungry children are laboring under in accusing each other and taking delight in the idea of God smiting someone else . To answer their fast and prayers the way they demand would be to strengthen their chains of spiritual bondage, and that is something the Lord will never do. 

Which brings me to the words of the oft quoted words of the Savior; - Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

These verses come at the end of a discussion prefaced by John the Baptists’ disciples coming to Christ with an request from the imprisoned John than Christ affirm whether he is, indeed, the promised Messiah.  Christ does affirm he is the Messiah, and testifies that John was sent to prepare the way for him.  He then says, “Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.” (Matthew 11:6) 

The word “offended” means literally to “trip up” or “to cause to stumble” or “to entrap.”  In other words, “blessed is he, whosever” does not do as Luke describes, “laying in wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth that they might accuse him.” (Luke 11:54)  Although the “him” in that scripture clearly refers to the Savior himself, I love the use of a general pronoun because the Savior also taught “inasmuch as you have done it to the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40)  And, just for good measure, lets add Isaiah’s clear words (also quoted in Nephi’s commentary on Isaiah)- “All they which watch for iniquity will be cut off.” (Isaiah 29:20, 2 Nephi 27:31) In other words, if you see yourself in an exalted enough position to judge and accuse others, you are being bound by The Great Accuser.  You might say the great choice in this life is whether you want to walk the path of The Advocate of mankind to eternal life, or the many paths leading to nowhere which all have one thing in common- savory, self-righteous accusations. 

Which explains why those who find “rest unto (their) souls” are those who seek to learn of the Savior and accept his help and atoning strength in learning how to become, like him, meek and lowly of heart.  I find that “rest,” as it pertains to navigating life perfectly captured by Elder Neal A. Maxwell:

The meek are filled with awe and wonder with regard to God and His purposes in the universe. At the same time, the meek are not awestruck by the many frustrations of life; they are more easily mobilized for eternal causes and less easily immobilized by the disappointments of the day.  (“Meekness-A Dimension of True Discipleship,” Ensign, March 1983)

I love that quote because it illustrates for me that meekness and repentance are irrevocably intertwined.  As I noted before, the actual word “repent” doesn’t occur much in the Old Testament, but phrases like “return” or “turn back.”   However, the word repent is used frequently in the New Testament, and looking at what it means in Greek is powerful.

When Jesus said “repent,” His disciples recorded that command in the Greek language with the verb metanoeo. This powerful word has great significance. In this word, the prefix meta means “change.” The suffix relates to four important Greek terms: nous, meaning “the mind”; gnosis, meaning “knowledge”; pneuma, meaning “spirit”; and pnoe, meaning “breath.  Thus, when Jesus said “repent,” He asked us to change—to change our mind, knowledge, and spirit—even our breath. A prophet explained that such a change in one’s breath is to breathe with grateful acknowledgment of Him who grants each breath. (Russell M. Nelson, “Repentance and Conversion,” Ensign, May 2007; Mosiah 2:20-24)

In my experience the moments I do “breathe with grateful acknowledgment of Him who grants each breath” are also the moments I am “filled with awe and wonder with regard to God and His purposes in the universe.”  And the more moments like that I have, happening with, I admit, increasing frequency, the more I am drawn to and find importance in things, like the words of Isaiah that used to just frustrate and anger me.  The more I am filled with further awe as those words open up for me and expand my still limited view of the infinite depth and breadth of all that has been done for mankind. The more I comprehend the tragedy of rejecting God’s infinite gifts- even in part.  And the less I disregard the Lord’s chastisements as meant for others, something I now see as a thread of accusation - and instead see them meant for all his fallible children, including me.   Now my greatest concern is how much I want to ponder and organize and remember in each chapter.  I mean this note only covers one verse!  Perhaps I am glimpsing what the Lord calls the “riches of eternity.”  Perhaps Isaiah’s great message is just illustrating, expanding and illuminating this promise:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you; And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.  And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more. (Doctrine & Covenants 78:17-19)

Cause and Effect - Isaiah 2-4

Cause and effect.  It is one of the first things we learn.  We drop a toy off our high chair and it falls- every time.  We shake the rattle and it makes a noise.  We fall down and it hurts.  We smile and other people smile back.  It is how we learn to navigate the world and it is the underlying principle for how we discover what we consider scientific truth.  However, our experiences here are finite and often we come up with stories for explaining cause and effect that later, when we’ve gained more information, prove to be untrue.  For instance, in the mid-19^th century, scientists and doctors “knew” that infections were caused by miasmas in the air.  So hospital wards were aired out periodically to try and mitigate infection spreading.  However a doctor by the name of Ingnaz Semmelweis noted in the 1840’s a marked difference in mortality rates between the two maternity wards he oversaw.  One, run by midwives had a much, much lower rate of infection and death than the one run by student doctors.  In fact, he noted, women who gave birth on the streets had a better chance of not getting an infection!  He began looking for any differences between the two wards that might be the cause of the higher infection and mortality rate.  He isolated each difference to see if it was the cause, but the disparity in mortality rate continued.

In 1847 a friend and coworker died from an infection after cutting himself with a scalpel used to autopsy a patient who had died from what appeared to be the same infection.  There was no doubt the cut itself was the origin of the infection.  It occurred to him that the scalpel had somehow transferred the infection, and if so, hands could also be a medium for transferring infection.  The one difference between the two wards he had not considered or changed was that student doctors did dissections on deceased patients as part of their medical training.  He had those student doctors wash their hands with a solution with similar properties to our chlorine bleach prior to tending to the patients in the maternity ward.  Mortality rates immediately dropped to below 2% and, as long as the washing procedure was followed, did not rise.

Of course, Semmelweis was excited to share his discovery- just think of all the patients that could be saved!  But, despite the evidence, the idea that there were “corpse particles” too small to be seen on unwashed hands was considered ludicrous by the medical community.  He wrote letters asking doctors to just try hand washing and telling them they were, in fact, murderers if they insisted on ignoring his findings.  Semmelweis’s frustrated insistence and the derision it drew, eventually led him to breakdown and his wife and contemporaries committed him to an asylum where he died, ironically, from an infection.  After his death, others, including Louis Pasteur and Joseph Lister were deeply influenced by his work.  But despite the fact that everyone who experimented on what Semmelweis’s conclusions found them to be accurate, it was well over half a century before the medical community in general accepted that their hands could indeed be the cause in transmitting infection.  Which brings me to another important concept, rhetoric.

Rhetoric is effectively using language to persuade.  It can be an effective tool for sharing discoveries and truth, but it can be just as effective in spreading lies or fighting against the acceptance of an unexpected or unwanted truth.  For instance, there have been several philosophers over the years that have written quite persuasively that if a person seeks their own happiness above all else society will prosper.  People who aren't restricted by duty and commitment are free to be creative and that creativity will mean a vibrant, increasingly powerful society.  Interestingly, most of these philosophers lived in what anthropologists call declining societies and they overwhelmingly blame the decline on traditionalists who stifle, or hold back, the society and cause conflict – in today’s rhetoric they are less evolved.  Perhaps one of the most interesting individuals to espouse this type of theory was an English anthropologist by the name of Joseph Daniel Unwin.  Prior to 1935, he espoused, very persuasively, that marriage was an antiquated social construct that at best was irrelevant, and at worst harmful to the building a truly powerful and vibrant society.  Being an anthropologist he decided to use evidence from past civilizations to prove his point.  He studied 86 civilizations and when he stood before the British Psychological Society to present his findings he said,

“The evidence is such as to demand a complete revision of my personal philosophy; for the relationship between the factors (man/women marriage with complete monogamy and cultural prosperity) seemed to be so close, that if we know the sexual regulations a society has adopted, we can prophesy accurately the pattern of its cultural behavior...This type of marriage has been adopted by different societies, in different places, and at different times.  Thousands of years and thousands of miles separate the events; and there is no apparent connection between them.  In human records, there is no case of an absolutely monogamous society failing to display great (cultural) energy. 

I do not know of a case on which great energy has been displayed by a society that has not been absolutely monogamous….If during or just after a period of (cultural) expansion, a society modifies its sexual regulation, and a new generation is born into a less rigorous tradition, its energy decreases…If it comes into contact with a more vigorous society, it is deprived of its sovereignty, and possibly conquered in its turn.”  (Sexual Regulations and Cultural Behavior, Joseph Daniel Unwin, Ph.D., in and address given to the Medical Section of the British Psychological Society.  Library of Congress No. HQ12.U52)

What I found most fascinating when I read Dr. Unwin findings was that I was well aware of the type of theory he wanted to prove- I had read it as “proven” with great rhetoric in academic writings, taken for granted in sitcoms and dramas, and praised as a sign of our society being evolutionarily advanced. What surprised me was to realize how far back there was truly credible, empirical evidence that it wasn’t a new, untried theory and that in every case it had proven false.  The first time I saw Dr. Unwin mentioned, it was to credit him with being one of the European liberal thinkers who helped start the cultural and sexual revolutions in Europe.  He wrote two books in an attempt to make his findings more widely known.  But, if not for groups who have formed to present a unified defense of the traditional family, what is contained in those books would be unknown.  However, the persuasive rhetoric he originally, freely espoused before and during his study- that was so appealing to what the scriptures call the “natural” of “fallen” man that it flourished- just like it flourished in many of those “less advanced” societies, until shortly after the third generation (roughly 75-100 years), when a combination of internal economic and social turmoil and outside pressure led to what historian’s refer to as the “fall” of a civilization.  However, Dr. Unwin also noted that the reverse would also be true- three generations of a “return to virtue” could bring vibrancy back to a civilization. (See "A Return to Virtue," Elaine S. Dalton, Ensign, November 2008) 

For instance, did you notice the amount of time that passed between Dr. Semmelwies findings and the medical community accepting what he had discovered as truth?  The established elite of the medical community shunned and ridiculed him.  But he had student doctors, who had participated in his study, and they quietly adopted the practice of hand washing in their practices.  Other young doctors paid more attention to his study, and some, like Joseph Lister, were able to use social influence to weather the abuse of the establishment when they became convinced he was right.  It helped that those, like Lister, who did try Semmelwies’s methods didn’t have as many patients die.  After all, patients prefer a doctor with a low mortality rate.  The next generation heard lectures and read academic works by these untraditional, but successful doctors and – well truth prevailed. 

And God is truth and he is the same yesterday, today and forever.  He knows what builds and destroys both individuals and societies.  He also knows perfectly what deadly spiritual infections are highly contagious and exactly how we can purify ourselves so that we don’t become instruments in spreading them to others.  Helping us understand and act on truth is why he calls prophets.  It is a main reason we have the words of Isaiah.  Like many prophets, Isaiah teaches us what actions we need to take (the cause) to obtain joy, hope, and knowledge in this life and eternal life in the world to come (the effect).  He uses a mixture of historical examples (which anyone can verify with the basic 5 senses) and prophetic promises (which do require humble inquiry of the Lord in order to receive spiritual confirmation of their truth.) Isaiah 2-4, if looked at as one “conference talk,” is a perfect illustration.  It opens and closes with a hopeful true glimpse of the most vibrant and successful society possible- Zion.  (Isaiah 2:1-5, Isaiah 4:2-6)  One of the most important “plain and precious” insights from the Book of Mormon on this topic is found in Nephi’s commentary on Isaiah in 1 Nephi 22:26:

And because of the righteousness of his people Satan has no power; wherefore he cannot be loosed for the space of many years; for he hath no power over the hearts of the people, for they dwell in righteousness, and the Holy One of Israel reigneth.

 Did you get that?  The effect is the Satan has no power and the cause is the righteousness of his people.  That is why Zion in not just a place or a people, but it is also an individual state.  The scriptures do give us a couple of tantalizing glimpses into civilizations that, at least temporarily, reached this state, but the Book of Mormon also gives us several examples of individuals who lived through war, civil strife, and persecution because of their faith in Christ – in short, times when the choices of the others around them meant Zion as a nation they were not!  But such circumstances didn’t prevent one such individual, Moroni, from becoming such a man the“if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.” (Alma 48:17)

I feel such a deep conviction that the example of Moroni, as well as those “no less serviceable unto the people,” are meant by the Lord to be considered, no devoured and deeply internalized, in conjunction with verses like Isaiah 3:10- Say unto the righteous, that it shall be well with him for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.” (Alma 48:18)

The rest of the material in Isaiah’s “talk” lists the causes (the wicked choices of the people) and the increasingly growing evidence of the effects of those choices.  As, I wrote a few weeks ago, Isaiah 2 is all about “Jacob” delighting in worshiping “his” own wisdom, the work of his hands, riches, and those more sensually pleasing gods next door.  The first two words in the King James Version of Isaiah 3:1 read, “For Behold.”  In other translations it is translated as “Even, now” or “See, now.”  In other words: you don’t have to wait until “the day of the Lord” to experience the effects of these choices; (but everyone who intentionally chooses evil will feel the full effects then) you are even now experiencing the chaotic effects of evil choices. 

First, they lose “stay and staff.”  The “stay,” as it illustrates in verse 1 are the most basic necessities of life- food (bread) and water.  Weather (yea, they did tell the Lord to keep enough distance they could party in the groves like a Philistine and when he withdraws so does the organizing power that brings the rains, which in turn affects the harvest), war and pure greed on the part of the “upper class” has combined to rob many in the population of any temporal security. 

Next, the choice of previous generations to encourage a  “less rigorous tradition” as far as what was considered  moral and obedient to the commands of Jehovah, meant there are no Moroni’s to rise to the occasion and serve their people.  Moroni is described as “a strong and a mighty man of perfect understanding; yea, a man who didn’t delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery…a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people.” (Alma 48:11-12)  Those are the type of individuals who are described as the “staff” (symbol of legal, righteous power and authority) that is also being taken away.  (Isaiah2:3)  Instead positions of political, legal, military, and religious leadership are held by childish and selfish men.  They use their authority to “eat up the vineyard” or use the resources of the nation for their own selfish ends, which includes “grinding on the face of the poor.”(Isaiah 3:5,9,14-15)  Things are getting so bad that someone with a decent set of clothes is begged to take on leadership, but he refuses, stating he can hardly take care of his own house.  (Isaiah 6-7)

Nor is it just the men.  After all, women are generally half of the population and, as Ghandi noted “when you educate a women you educate a nation.”   Nor is he alone in noting this.  Brigham Young was once asked if he could only educate boys or girls, whom would he choose.  His reply was, in essence, that he would choose the girls because they would be the mothers and teachers of the next generation and then only one generation would suffer the effects of lacking education. But, that only holds true if that education, both temporal and spiritual, runs hand in hand with motherhood, whether they marry and have biological children of their own or not, being a worthwhile and honorable goal for women. 

No wonder Isaiah spends almost half the verses in Isaiah 3 talking about how women valuing being proud (stretched out necks), sexy,(wanton eyes) and beautiful (Isaiah 3:17-18 are a list of beauty and fashion accessories) as primary life goals is an equally contributing cause in the collapse of their society.  Historically speaking, Isaiah is pinpointing the primary effects of that collapse on the women.  More men than women will die in both civil war and foreign invasion (Isaiah 3:25).  More women will become captives and slaves, with all that it can entail- including their fine clothes being ripped away to be replaced with slaves clothing and the customary shaving of the head.  (Not only was glorious hair a great source of pride, so shaving a captured slave humiliated them, but it was also practical because a bald head doesn’t make a good home for lice. )

Isaiah 4:1 is a continuation of this list.  It deals with those not taken in slavery.  Those who survive now do desperately want to focus on building a family, but there is a dearth of men. They promise to take care of all the responsibilities of raising a family if a man will just give them his name (give them a standing in society so they are not considered low or base) and take away their reproach (this refers to being childless).  Isaiah uses that phrase “in that day” at the beginning of this verse and again at the beginning of verse 2.  This is the signal that he has presented the “case studies” so to speak and we now can apply it to our day.   A few weeks ago I heard two statistics on the evening news that made me think of this verse and think of these effects and how they are already showing up in our society.  The first was that over 40% of women under 40 in our nation have never been married.  Women interviewed in connection with this story commented that not marrying is now a choice with no stigma attached and that there is a dearth of acceptable marriage partners.  The second one was that over 50% of children born in our country last year were to unmarried women. (Also see M. Russell Ballard,"That the Lost May Be Found," Ensign, November 2012, p.98)

These stories, stuck with me because I grew up the oldest daughter in a family of 10.  I loved books and learning and had some resentful feeling about being called away from my books to help with family responsibilities.  I found much of the rhetoric that has influenced these trends in our society inviting.  In fact I know I was very clear with my young women leaders and parents that I had better things to do with my life than change diapers and wipe snotty noses.   In short, I know if I hadn’t grown up surrounded by the gospel, and if others in my life hadn’t made the choices they did- especially the incredible man I married and some very special "sisters" – I have no doubt I wouldn’t have the joy in the gospel and my family I do now.  I have watched the same miracle happen in lives of women from a variety of backgrounds.  And I begin to see what Isaiah meant when he taught of the Lord “wash(ing) away the filth of the daughters of Zion.” (Isaiah 4:4)  To me it means a conviction that has grown bone deep that, as President Gordan B. Hinckley declared “mothers can do more than any other group to reverse todays sobering trends.” (As quoted in “Are We Not All Mothers,” No One Can Take Your Place, Sherri Dew, Deseret Book 2004) 

And, as Sister Dew, an educated, successful business woman who has never married or had children, wrote, I too am sure:

As mothers in Israel, we are the Lord’s secret weapon.  Our influence comes from a divine endowment that has been in place from the beginning.  In the premortal world, when our Father described our role, I wonder if we didn’t stand in wide-eyed wonder that He would bless us with a sacred trust so central to His plan and that He would endow us with gifts so vital to the loving and leading of His children.  I wonder if we shouted for joy (see Job 38:7) at least in part because of the ennobling stature He gave us in His kingdom.  The world won’t tell you that, but the Spirit will.

Climbing Up

Along the border between the country of Nepal and China lie the Himalayan Mountains, and the world’s highest mountain, which we in the western part of the world refer to as Mount Everest.  Its summit is over 29,000 feet high and was first reached, with the aid of scuba tanks, in 1953.  Since that time, attempts numbering in the several thousands have been made to reach the summit.   Most succumb to the high altitude and have to turn back before the final ascent. Over 2000 individuals have succeeded, some several times, and most within the last 10 years.  Government regulations, high fees (estimate for the budget contentious start at $40,000), small portable oxygen, and expert expedition organizers have made it much less dangerous to try and make the climb.  Still there has never been a year without at least a 4% mortality rate.  Most of those who do die, die above 26,000 feet, where the oxygen is so thin expert mountaineers often need oxygen tanks, so many who have died on the mountain remain there.  One thing is certain, those who sign up to climb Mount Everest do not expect it will be cheap or easy. In fact they expect it to be, physically and mentally, one of the hardest and most time consuming things they will ever prepare for and do.

So how did I get from the words of Isaiah to climbing Mount Everest?  Well it all started three weeks ago when I found myself on the floor, unable to move without excruciating pain beginning in my lower back, waiting for the rest of the house to wake up and help me.  Having experienced it before, though not quite so extreme, my first thought when I felt the pain and my legs giving out, was “Please, no, I have too much to do!”  And then I sincerely prayed for help and listened, and almost immediately, much to my dismay, there came into my mind’s eye the picture of Nephi, hands bound, praying for increased strength to handle his circumstances.  It was an illustration used in the April issue of the Ensign, for the reprint of Elder Bednar’s address on “The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality.”  I also remembered, as clearly as if I was rereading it, the words I had underlined,

It is especially interesting to me that Nephi did not pray to have his circumstances changed.  Rather, he prayed for the strength to change his circumstances.  And I believe he prayed in this manner precisely because he knew, understood, and had experienced the enabling power of the Atonement….

(The Savior) felt and bore our burdens before we ever did…He can reach out, touch, succor—literally run to us – and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do through relying only upon our own power.

I also thought of President Monson’s expressing the same principle in a quote I have memorized and often pondered, "Do not pray to tasks equal to your abilities, but pray for abilities equal to your tasks.  Then the performance of your tasks will be no miracle, but you will be the miracle. (“Three Goals to Guide You”, Ensign, November 2007)

I admit, for many of my waking hours I have been hard pressed to see the eternal benefits of the last few weeks.  As I’ve said, I’ve had something like this happen before, and I have worked hard to not let it happen again.  So, I admit to battling intense feelings of fear, frustration and anger as the days passed by and the pain and my lack of ability to do for myself or others was more extreme and lasted longer than ever before.  But those first few moments of this particular “celestial training session” have combined with my past experience, which has taught me that those feelings are best thrown out as quickly as possible. One of the best tools to accomplish that, and open my mind and heart to the Lord’s teaching and purpose, is to spend time in His words. It did not change the pain, nor how slowly this healing process seems to be going.  But it did change the way it feels- at least part of the time.

It was a few days after my back gave out, and I could, with a lot of huffing and puffing make it the short distance by myself.  I had been optimistically preparing a lesson for the next Sunday- which I didn’t get to teach.  But as I slowly made my way, I was thinking, tongue in cheek, that to hear my breathing you would think I was climbing an “exceedingly high mountain” and it hit me. (1 Nephi 11:1)  There is one very obvious, readily understood meaning behind the symbol of the temple being called “the mountain of the Lord’s house” that we are often culturally inattentively blind to.  My labored breathing indicated that I was working- working hard, like I have on some steep hikes I’ve taken in better days.  Bottom line--nobody “ascends” a mountain without effort.  And the more “exalted” the mountain the more time, resources and labor that is required.  And this is very much an aspect of the ancient symbol of mountains being temples – I’ve read it several times, but never once talked of it or passed it on.   Why?  As I mentioned, I think it was a bit of spiritual inattentional blindness.

For anyone who doesn’t know,  inattentional blindness is the failure to notice a fully-visible, but unexpected object because attention was engaged on another task, event, or object.  Experiments have been done which show a majority of people if given an assignment, like counting how many times a jogger in front of them touches his hat, will focus so much on that task they will miss a knock down drag out fight happening in plain sight.   Likewise, we live in a culture that defines “prosperity” as “thriving, successful, especially in economic success.”   It focuses on outward circumstances being pleasant.  And in our scriptures the Lord repeatedly promises that prosperity is what those who obey him will have.   So, when we are really trying to obey the Lord and live righteously, but our success, or health, or financial well-being is damaged, we are naturally tempted to cry foul.  Our focus is so solely on the idea of promised blessings and prosperity meaning the fulfillment of the “American dream” that we just block out all the evidence to the contrary.

In hindsight, I see that it was just that kind of reasoning that led to that very dark time in my life.  When I came to understand that the real problem was that I “lacked wisdom” and began to really study what the Lord teaches, I couldn’t help but notice that those who have loved the Lord have not had easy lives – fantastic, meaningful lives, yes, but not easy.  Some, like Mormon and Moroni, died alone in poverty.  Others like Abinadi, Isaiah, John the Baptist, and even the Savior himself, died gruesome deaths.  I could go on and on in naming scriptural characters whose righteous lives do not coincide with our cultural definition of prosperity.  It occurred to me that our current definition of prosperity didn’t quite match the Lord’s definition.  The word used in the Old Testament, like so many others I’ve brought up, is rooted in the idea of following the Lord’s straight and narrow path.  It literally means “to move ahead” or “to move forward on the path.”  The Lord’s promise is that if we obey him, he will send his enabling power to ensure that no obstacle, problem, choice of another, injury, illness or anything else will do other than move us forward on the path towards eternal life.    

Now, I’ve known the meaning of that word for some time, and if you’ve ever heard me speak or read what I’ve written, it’s pretty obvious I think of life as a journey.  I even once used the analogy of my mortal journey being a hike.(From Where I Stand) But for all that, I’d never put it together with the imagery of the “mountain of the Lord’s house,” or “the Lord’s mountain” or “my holy mountain,” and somehow this insight opened up the Lord’s promises like never before. 

King Benjamin’s admonition that our part is to “become as a little child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father,” melded with image the Lord uses of Him being “as an eagle (which) stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings; So the Lord alone did lead “Isreal.”  (Mosiah 3:19, Deuteronomy 32:11-12, Also see “On His Wings”, April 16,2010) 

And, because that image was part of the song every Israelite was to have memorized, the learned Isaiah knew it, and he brings it together with the imagery that those who follow the Lord are those who “scale the mountain heights” and “wait upon the Lord,”  and they will eventually become beings  who “mount up with wings as eagles.”  (Isaiah 40:9,30-31)  See the progression on the path?  When Israel was led out of Egypt, he compared them to tiny eaglets – unable on their own strength and ability to ascend to the heights that their parents call home, but not without the potential to become creatures just as at home in the heavens.  The “flight” they tasted was to encourage them, when the path felt steep and difficult to “be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the lord they God is with thee withersoever thou goest.” (Joshua 1:9) 

“It is as if men and women are given, as part of their next step in development along the path to godhood, raw physical and spiritual ingredients—“natural” resources, if you will.  Those resources are not to run rampant but are to be harnessed and focused so that their power and potential…can be channeled…(Jeffery R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant, p.207)

Our choosing to “channel” those resources is our earnest attempt to do what is so difficult now and strive to keep his commands—to stand firmly in defense of the Lord’s plan and affirm that we do want to be His children and receive His instruction.  That choice is our use of agency affirming we want the Lord’s grace to strengthen and enable us to become what he, in his infinite love for us, always hoped we would choose- to be transformed through his power from beings for whom such heights are unreachable, alien and dangerous, to beings for whom such heights are a natural habitat. Like John taught:

Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”  (1 John 3:2-3)

The scriptures are filled with mere mortals who followed this path and came to know what I think I have barely tasted. Take Paul for example. Considering the beatings he took, I think it safe to say he knew physical pain well.  But, despite the fact that after his conversion his life reads like a constant cliff climbing expedition he wrote things like:  “For all things are for your sakes…for which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”  (2 Corithians 4:15-17)

I have particularly thought about that phrase “light affliction” over he past few weeks.  Particularly as I’ve continued to read Isaiah, and the “afflictions” he prophesied were coming, which would affect the righteous as well as the wicked, are heavy indeed.  But despite the heavy wading of the material, the only day I really lost it- all over my hardworking and supportive husband- was a day, when in an ill-advised rush to get my life back in order, I kept putting off my time with the Lord.  At the end of the day I was in agony (again) and so frustrated with how little I had accomplished.  I saw my open scriptures lying near and suddenly knew that this pain and the limitations it brings are obstacles, but not deciding factors in whether I can experience real joy in life.  In those moments when I forced my thoughts away from how much I don’t like this, and instead directed them to the things I was learning, my perspective widened to consider a fuller picture and purpose.  Peace replaced frustration, and, for a moment the pain actually seemed swallowed up in the joy.  I might still have been flat on my back, but my soul took flight.

It leads me to consider what life would be like if I were more diligent in my part to “always remember him,” so that I would “always have his spirit to be with” me.  (D&C 20:77,79) What an exciting—no that is far too mundane of a word—magnificent, awe inspiring, hope filled, joyous thought!