Today I read Doctrine and Covenants section 78 which is a revelation given to the brethren of the church to help them better manage the affairs of the kingdom here on the earth. I was struck by a couple of things that I have already talked about before, such as having a heart full of gratitude and caring for the poor.
The part of the section that stood out to me is when the Savior says that if we cannot be equal in earthly things, we cannot be equal in heavenly things. That's a really interesting phrase because I think we all take it for granted that we will have all things in common in the next life. However, what I think the Lord is saying is that if we cannot be happy here having the same as everyone else, how are we going to feel in the next life when we have the same as everyone else?
Amulek teaches us from the book of Alma that the same spirit which inhabits our bodies now, in this life, will inhabit our bodies then, in the world to come. Or as my bishop puts it, we take our problems with us when we die so we might as well fix them here. If we have a problem sharing and seeing people have the same rewards as us but they have not worked for them, in our opinion, we are going to have a problem with it in the next life too. This type of thinking always reminds me of the parable the Savior told where a man hires people to work in his vineyard. He hires some to work for the entire day and some to work only an hour but pays them the exact same wage. Now, the spiritual side of this parable I don't have a problem with. I, having been a member all of my life, have no qualms with someone who is taught the gospel on their 102 birthday receiving the same exaltation as me. But that parable has always bothered me in the temporal sense. Maybe I have too much of the natural man in me. But it has always bothered me that someone who did 12 hours of work receives the exact same wage as the person who only did 2 hours of work.
But that is exactly what Heavenly Father is telling us to get over. He's speaking to me directly or to those like me. The Lord is telling us, that despite my feelings that I would be ok with it, I won't be ok with someone who has not "put in the work" getting the same eternal reward as me. And in a sense, despite my feelings and emphatic sense that I will be ok with it, it makes perfect logical sense. I mean, if I have such a problem with people being treated by my sense of what is fair in this life for earthly things that don't matter in the slightest, how am I going to feel when it comes time to have heavenly things given out, which are eternal and truly matter? Well, Heavenly Father tells me in this section that I am going to have a real problem with it.
I suppose I have much to work on with His help to overcome this weakness of mine. And it's strange because dependent upon the situation, I truly don't mind helping those in need. If a person is truly unable to work, I have no problem helping and supporting them. It's the people who could work if they wanted to, but prefer to rely upon the charity of others that I have a real problem with. But that is my burden to bear and my mountain to move, if you will.
I need to have more charity and work more closely with my Heavenly Father I suppose to overcome this weakness in me. In theory you would think it would not be that hard. I mean after all, the things of this life do not matter at all, because as we are fond of saying, you can't take it with you, when you die, nor would we want to I think. I think when we die and look back at our life when we have the proper perspective again, we will wonder just why we bothered so much down here with material possessions. Just one more to add to the list to ask for the Lord's help in overcoming. Good thing He is always willing to help! Until tomorrow.
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