Today I read Mark 12 which starts out with the Savior telling the parable of the wicked husbandmen to the Pharisees, which we have already covered. This chapter also has the question the Sadducees asked the Savior about marriage and the resurrection. I have never understood why they even bothered to ask the Savior that question since they don't believe in the resurrection in the first place. Why bother to ask Him such a question?
The Savior's answer however gives us perspective about the workings of heaven and the things that have to be done here on earth. I have been asked many things about Latter-day Saint theology in my years on this earth. Many of my friends have asked me just about every question you can think of. The question I get asked the most is actually about polygamy followed up by the nature of God. However, the one question I almost never get asked is why we do work for the dead. Which is interesting to me because I would think that would be the most confusing thing to other people, but I almost never get asked about it.
But the reason we do the work for the dead, is because it cannot be done once the person is out of their body and it has to be done before they can be resurrected. So for the people that fall into this category, that means the work has to be done vicariously for them by those who are still inside their bodies and alive to do the work. We believe God is bound by laws, just like we all are. And God cannot break those laws or He will cease to be God. Part of those laws include that no unclean thing can enter into His presence or He will cease to be God. That means that no one can go back to live with God, no one. Because everyone has committed a sin, except for little babies who die before having a chance to do anything. But the Atonement of Jesus Christ makes it possible to be cleansed from sin and to make it back to live with God. He vicariously paid the price for our sins so that we would not have to.
But we must still make certain covenants with God and participate in certain ordinances to be able to return to live with God. Included in those ordinances are baptism by immersion and marriage for eternity. Neither of these, along with others, can be done by someone without a body. They must be performed in this life and thus if someone died before they had a chance to do it themselves, we have a chance to perform those ordinances on their behalf, much as Jesus performed the Atonement and paid the price for sins on our behalf. That is what Jesus meant by His answer of those out of this world are neither given in marriage or marry.
The other part of this chapter that I was impressed with today was the story of the widows mite. Jesus and His Apostles were standing near the treasury where offerings are made. As they sat there several wealthy men came by and put lots of money into the treasury. I can only imagine what kind of pomp and ceremony accompanied such donations. But as they sat there, Jesus noticed a widow quietly walk up and cast in 2 mites into the treasury. Jesus took this opportunity to teach a lesson to His disciples. He told them that the widow had cast in more money than all the rest, because they had much and had cast in plenty, whereas she had almost nothing and proportionally had cast in more percentage of her worldly wealth than the others had.
I also have always looked at this story as not only did she cast in a greater percentage of what she had, but I am willing to wager that she did it with a more appropriate attitude too. I imagine that the rich men who came in and cast in their large piles of money did it with great care so that everyone would see how much they were putting into the treasury. I can almost see them being very extravagant, being loud so as to draw more attention and relishing the praise of men. Then I picture this poor, humble widow, quietly walking up in the midst of it all, putting in her her meager offering, and then walking away again without any fanfare. I imagine almost no one besides the Savior even noticed or paid her any mind at all. Jesus Himself told us in the Sermon on the Mount that this is the type of attitude we should have when making our offerings. We should care more about what God thinks of us than we should what others in he world think about us. This humble widow was a perfect example of caring more for the Lord and His opinion than others.
As we strive to increase our own spirituality and become more like the Savior, we will find that the praise of men holds less appeal for us than it once did. We will also find that we relish the Lord's work even more than we do the reward. As we grow and progress, we will find ourselves being happy just knowing that we have done what is right in the sight of God. I imagine some of you are already there. And the rest of us are striving the best way we can, one day at a time. Until tomorrow.
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