Come Buy Wine and Milk Without Money and Without Price, Part 3

Mercy is such an important principle that it is one of the main messages of the Book of Mormon. At the end of the first chapter of the first book in the Book of Mormon Nephi writes, "Behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance" (1 Ne. 1:20). Jerusalem was about to be destroyed. Lehi had had a vision and started preaching the impending destruction of Jerusalem. It was not a popular message. However, the Lord was mindful of Lehi and his family. Lehi had a special calling to leave Jerusalem and work his way to a promised land. That is the Lord's mercy; He delivered Lehi's family from destruction. Their path was not easy but the Lord was merciful. Nephi explained how to obtain mercy - simply have faith in the Lord. The Lord has merciful feelings for all people. However, He can only be as merciful as people allow Him to be: "Thus doth the Lord work with his power in all cases among the children of men, extending the arm of mercy towards them that put their trust in him" (Mosiah 29:20). He cannot fully bless us with His mercy if we do not have faith in Him and if we do not pull all our trust in Him. To receive a fullness of mercy we must repent of our sins.

We can continue to trace the Lord's mercy throughout the Book of Mormon as people are freed from bondage - physical and spiritual. Even though much of the tone of the Book of Mormon is negative - it is after all, a chronicle of a civilization that destroys itself - there is always the underlying message of hope and mercy that things will work out in the end. There is repentance and forgiveness. There is mercy to be found. There is a Balm in Gilead. The Lord will "bind up the brokenhearted [and] proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.... [He will] comfort all that mourn; [and] appoint unto them that mourn in Zion [and] give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, the he might be glorified" (Isaiah 61:1-3). In these tender verses we learn of Christ's role as healer. He pours forth mercy unto those in need and comforts those who mourn: "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Rev. 21:4). This is a promise given to those who return to live with God again.

Come Buy Wine and Milk Without Money and Without Price, Part 2

In what is one of the most moving descriptions of the Lord's mercy, the prophet Micah described the Lord's feelings for the House of Israel - for all of us. Even though the people were (and are) often unfaithful wives to the Bridegroom, the Lord is merciful. Notice how justice and mercy are both served: "Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness" (Micah 7:7-9). Micah later continues with a moving and loving description of the Lord: "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnent of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea" (Micah 7:18-19). The Lord executes justice but he delights in mercy and is compassionate.

The Savior's life was filled with many acts of mercy. He gave sight to the blind; He cured all manners of infirmities; He cast out devils; He took time to bless children when He was tired and hungry; He even brought the dead to life. However, His greatest act of mercy was the Atonement. "And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam. And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day" (2 Ne. 9:21-22). This single act made it possible for all to live again and for all to receive forgiveness of sins as they repent and have faith in the Lord. The way is prepared. "Come, my brethern, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price" (2 Ne. 9:50).

Come Buy Wine and Milk Without Money and Without Price, Part 1

One quality that the Lord exhibits and encourages is mercy. We are commanded to be merciful: "What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8). One eternal principle seems at odds with mercy - justice. However, justice and mercy are usually mentioned together even though many times they seem like they are mutually exclusive of each other. On the surface, it does not seem possible for someone to be both just and merciful.

In the book of Alma we find one of the most clear descriptions of the interplay between justice and mercy. We learn that justice must be served - it is an eternal law that cannot be broken: "Now the work of justice could not be destroyed; if so, God would cease to be God.... Do ye suppose that mercy can rob justice? I say unto you, Nay; not one whit. If so, God would cease to be God." (Alma 42:13,25). However, we know that God is both just and merciful. Justice must be fulfilled but God provided a way for justice and mercy to be served: "And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also" (Alma 42:15). The Great Lawgiver, even the Lord Jesus Christ, offered himself as a merciful sacrifice so that justice would be fulfilled. The great Book of Mormon teacher, Jacob, younger brother to Nephi, called the Plan of Salvation the "merciful plan of the great Creator" (2 Ne. 9:6). The Plan of Salvation is really the Plan of Mercy. It is the way prepared for us to be able to return to the presence of God and be like His Son Jesus Christ. None of us can return on our own, we all fall short, but the Lord is merciful and provided a Way.

Pride, Part 5

Pride not only leads to sin, it keeps us from repentance. Isaiah warned, "Wo unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope" (2 Ne. 15: 18). The wicked pull their sins along behind them in cart. Notice how Isaiah described the ropes: "cords of vanity." People do not cut the ropes - do not repent - because of their vanity, or their pride. Some people are proud of the carts they pull. Others may not repent because without their cart, they feel they might not fit in with the rest of the world. Still others pull invisible carts and are too ashamed to admit they too pull a cart, so they don't repent.

Those who are able to cut off their sins are promised great blessings: "Behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God...and their joy shall be full forever" (2 Ne. 9:18). The crosses of the world the righteous bear include mocking and scoffing, which is a common pastime of those who dwell in the great and spacious building. The righteous despise the shame of the crosses of the world, meaning that they do not heed the mocking and derision; they humbly go on their way, following the Savior's footsteps, even if they lead up a lonely Calvary. The righteous know there is no shame in following the Savior. The righteous receive the promise that they will return to dwell with God and have a fullness of joy. I've felt a portion of this joy and long for its fullness.

Pride is manifest in many ways. For some, it is not repenting because of feelings of shame. Others don't repent because they feel unworthy of forgiveness. Pride is also manifest through the desire for worldly things at the expense of the Eternal. It is manifest through our refusal to forgive others or to accept their forgiveness.

[More to come as I finish the essay].

Pride, Part 4

The proud try to forge their own way and light their own paths. Isaiah stated: "Behold all ye that kindle fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks, walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks which ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand - ye shall lie down in sorrow" (2 Ne. 7:11). When people try to walk by the light of their own conceit, they will always stumble. The light of Christ is perpetual while the sparks of the proud are merely ephemeral. "Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine. The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him" (Job 18:5-6). The proud do not turn to the Lord for strength. Their sparks are short-lived. The prideful "[turn] out of the way of righteousness, and...trample under their feet the commandments of God, and...turn unto their own ways, and...build up unto themselves idols of their gold and their silver" (Hel. 6:31). Turning to another analogy from Isaiah, "shall the ax boast itself against him that heweth therewith? Shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it?" (2 Ne. 20:15). We axes and saws have no reason to boast. The Book of Mormon king Benjamin spoke much on that subject: "Of what have ye to boast? And now I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? I answer you, Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to him who created you" (Mosiah 2:24-25).

Another facet of pride causes us to be focused inwardly on ourselves. Those who are prideful do sometimes turn their thoughts outward. However, when the prideful turn outward they merely look down their noses at others, seeing only the worst in others while viewing themselves as better than those around them. Pres. Benson stated: "Pride does not look up to God and care about what is right. It looks sideways to man and argues who is right. Pride is manifest in the spirit of contention" (Ensign, May 1986, p.4-). Pride is not about having things or talents or money, it's about having more than others and making sure they know that. C.S. Lewis explained this concept: "Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man.… It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone" (Mere Christianity, New York: Macmillan, 1952, pp. 109–10; as cited in Benson, Ensign, May 1989, p.4-). There is a condition called anosognosia that is occasionally occurs after brain injury or in conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. Anosognosia literally means without knowledge of disease. People with this condition are not aware of their deficits and usually deny any problems. Specific areas and connections in their brains are damaged, destroying the ability for them to have that self-insight, or self-awareness of their deficits. The proud have a similar problem. They cannot see their faults or their sins. They deny any problems and only see faults in others. However, unlike those with anosognosia, the proud do not have an excuse for their lack of self-awareness - it is a choice they make.

Pride, Part 3

I turn now to another example of pride. Alma gave counsel to his three sons, which counsel comprises chapters 36 through 42 in the book of Alma. Alma starts out his discussion with his son Corianton (who is known for leaving his missionary work to chase after a harlot named Isabel) with these words: "Now this is what I have against thee; thou didst go on unto boasting in thy strength and thy wisdom" (Alma 39:2). Alma continued and talked about sexual sin but it's important to note that he started with the sin of pride - Corianton's boasting in his own strength and wisdom. At the end of his discourse to his son, Alma tells Corianton to let the justice, mercy, and long-suffering of God "bring you down to the dust in humility." (Alma 42:30). Alma starts out with pride and ends with humility. I believe Corianton's underlying problem was pride. This is similar to the cities of Sodom and Gomorra. We tend to focus on the wickedness of those cities as being sexual. However, to Ezekiel the Lord stated: "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness [it's interesting to note how often pride and idleness are mentioned together] was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good" (Ezekiel 16: 49-50). The sin of Sodom was pride, which led the people also to not share of their abundance with the poor. The people had other sins, of course, but the Lord in this instance condemned their pride.

Pride is when we put our will before or above the will of God. It states in Genesis that the Lord created man and woman in his own image. Many of us, in our pride, try to create God in our own image. Joseph Smith said, "They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall" (D&C 1:16). When we are prideful we think that only we know what's best for our lives. The Psalmist wrote: "The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts" (Ps 10:4). Pride keeps our thoughts from turning to the Lord. Sometimes we also might try to rationalize our sins away saying that God understands. He might only beat us with a few stripes but then we'll be saved. In essence, we sometimes try to form God into who and what we think He should be. This occurs more often when we repeatedly pray for things and seek to change the will of God instead of trying to understand and accept His will. Heavenly Father blessed us with moral agency and allows us to exercise that agency, even when the choices we make are self-destructive: "Because of...their great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength, they were left in their own strength; therefore they did not prosper" (Hel. 4:13). When we are too prideful to acknowledge the Lord's hand or to lean on His strength, He allows us to make our choices and rely on our own strength. We will not ultimately prosper if we do so.

Pride, Part 2

The most-quoted prophet by Book of Mormon prophets is Isaiah. He wrote much about pride. When describing the wicked he stated that "they worship the work of their own hands.... And the mean man boweth not down, and the great man humbleth himself not.... And it shall come to pass that the lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down.... The proud and lofty, and...every one who is lifted up...shall be brought low" (2 Ne. 12:8-12). I don't believe it's a coincidence that one of the first complete chapters of Isaiah that Nephi includes is about pride and the fate of the prideful in the last days. Isaiah further reveals the insidiousness of pride when he writes about Lucifer's fall from heaven and some of Satan's thoughts: "For thou hast said in thy heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High" (2 Ne. 24: 13-14). His ultimate fate is to be "brought down to hell, to the sides [or depth] of the pit" (2 Ne. 24: 15). Many will stare at him in that day and say with astonishment: "Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms?" (2 Ne. 24: 16). All of Satan's pride, all of his self-made glory, will be gone, leaving behind merely a shattered shell of his former self.

Pride puffs up the wicked; they seek to exalt themselves by whatever means they deem necessary. The Lord described the proud: "They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall" (D&C 1:16). Lehi and Nephi saw in vision the dwelling-place of the wicked - the great and spacious building. Lehi saw that the building "stood as it were in the air, high above the earth" (1 Ne. 8: 26); this sounds very similar to the Tower of Babel. Lehi also noted that those in the building were wearing exceedingly fine clothes, which the wicked and prideful commonly wore throughout the Book of Mormon. That building that Lehi and Nephi saw in vision represents the pride of the world: "I saw...that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world; and it fell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great" (1 Ne. 11: 36). Those who are puffed up with pride will fall, leaving them dejected and defeated, not exalted.