The Passover (of the Israelites) & The Sacrament (or the Lord's Supper)

We read in the Old Testment, in Exodus chapter 12, starting in three:

Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house... Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year... and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening... And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it... And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord’s passover.

And then in verse 11,

And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord’s passover... (why?) For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord... And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

So, why the unleavened bread and why eat the lamb with their loins girded, shoes on their feet, and staff in their hands?

First, when you make bread, you need to let it rise before you eat it. However, without leaven or yeast, the bread won't rise. Letting the bread rise takes time. The Israelites did not have time to properly eat a meal or let the bread rise (using yeast or leven) because they needed to flee from the Egyptians. Second, get thee out of that land!

The Israelites had their "loins girded, [their] shoes on [their] feet, and [their] staff in [their] hand" so that they could flee from the Egyptians! And so, the jews would prepare for the passover in the same manner, ready to symbollically flee and the bread not raised.

The Mosaic law was a termperal law that provided temperal blessings, but it was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The Mosaic law pointed the way to its fulfilling in the life, teachings, and sacrifice of He who gave the law. Abinanadi, in the Book of Mormon, asks, "Doth Salvation come by the Law of Moses?" He answers them by saying that he knows that if you keep all of the commandments, that you will be saved, but that "were it not for the atonement, which God himself shall make for the sins and iniquities of his people, that they must unavoidably perish notwirthstanding the law of Moses

The Law of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Law of Moses. Whereas, the Mosaic Law pointed a way forward to the Atonement of Jesus Christ (where Jesus Christ's suffering in the Garden of Getsemane and His sacrificing of His life on Calvary's Cross grant unto the willing followers of His Gospel an immortal body, the enabling power that comes from His infiniate and eternal Atonement, and forgiveness of sins and the possibility of living eternally with Him, and with His Father, and all those who are sealed to us through the priesthood powers activated through covenants made in His Holy Temples.

2 Nephi 31:19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path⁠, I would ask if all is done⁠? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save⁠. 20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope⁠, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life⁠. 21 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way⁠; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father⁠, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God⁠, without end. Amen.

In Luke, chapter 22, verse 1, we read that “Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover” and He commanded His apostles to go and ask a man if he had a room readied for He and His disciples. “And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer. For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

JPS

Temptations?

Temptations is a relative term, Neil L. Maxwell says, “We set our own thermostat as to temptations.” Was Nephi, or any prophet for that matter, not bombarded with temptations—but if their spiritual thermostat is set very, very, very high, there won’t be anything tempting about their temptations…

Although, we all are stronger and weaker in different places and someone might be more susceptible than another in certain areas…

I can’t help but think that the adversary does not have the veil of forgetfulness and remembers the pre-Earth life (but not a perfect memory... “I thought I knew you...”) and therefore he knows all of our weaknesses and who to bombard with temptations (think Sacred Grove and how Joseph Smith was singled-out and almost destroyed!). Do you think that he was jist a randomly selected target? What would have happened if Joseph Smith had fallen?

Yet, what doesn’t destroy me only makes me more complete (Nietzsche), just like Jesus, the prophets get their fair share of trials and tribulations thrown at them, too… yet, it only makes them stronger!

See 2 Nephi 5

JPS

Coincidence? I think not--there are no coincidences...

Er, wait--I suppose there might be...

So, when you read Bonds that Make Us Free you will read but may gloss-over the part where C. Terry Warner writes that "self-betrayal" is his way of talking about sin in a way that you, the reader, doesn't get offended or even come to that conclusion (because you're so interested in the stories and worried about comparing yourself to those in the story (laughing at them or laughing with them or feeling sorry for them or feeling compasion for them, etc. etc.) that every single time you are reading about self-betrayal, you are actually reading about different flavors of sin!

Wait... what?

He even tells you and me that he's doing just that! Don't believe me? Just re-read it again with that insight that he's already told you about in your first reading (it's ok if you never finished it the first time through, but you might want to read it again now, right!?!).

My point, though, is that Dr. Warner didn't mind telling you his secret because he assumes that you will finish reading the book and then will keep living your life with the insights you've just read in mind, and will become a better person--you won't betray yourself as you had previously--a sinless person? The reason why he mentions this little gem of information is that he wanted people to have a new vocabulary to be able to use in a non-offensive way--wanted people to be able to talk about situations that they've been in or that others have been in and not have it be about what it actually is...sin!

So, Our Heavenly Father put me in the perfect situation and life where most people, or almost every person that I know, doesn't feel like they need to be offended at me or permanently think that I must be the biggest jerk ever to have lived (did you hear what that guy just said to me?). They can "endure it" beause they've already heard me speak and think they know that they only need to feel sorry for me or can't take it too seriously, after all... he's special... he must have special needs... he must be retarded! there is something wrong with that guy--did you hear him talk? Did you listen to him? Boy, if someone normal had said that, I'd be mad... Goog thing that guy is not normal!

Everything that I say is in a special meta-language and you can think of it as a "self-betrayal"-type language, where you might be calling it a sin, but it's only comind-out as "self-betrayal" or worse yet, you think that it's all just "self-bertral" talk, but it actually is sin!!!

JPS

Evil in nature? Nah…

What is it that can bring a woman to give-up and willingly abandon that which is most sacred to her--her virtue? Power? Greed? No! It is a need of acceptance and desire for love! It is man who so easily and casually can abuse woman without a second thought—or even with the second thought feeling that they must or else they will fall into obscurity—as to what they are doing and what they, themselves, will end-up paying for in the end... So, Nephi isn't saying, "Look, there were women doing bad things, but, look how bad the men are that are using women like gold and silver... like fine-twined-linen! Look how man thinks of women as a commodity or as a "thing" to be traded for and bought and sold! Look how depraved the men are in that abominable church" Are men or even I different from them? How? The virtue and chastity of women are important--maybe the most important of all--but, I think God is using this type of language to say that men need to be protecting women's virtue but saying it in a way that makes men think it must be women's fault (like it's their choice alone that has brought them into prostitution)... He must be terribly disappointed in the choices of some women, but even more so in the men who are charged with their protection and care, right? How are we, the saints of God or membe

Nicodemus asked, "What does it mean to be 'born again'? Can a man enter again into his mother's womb?"

It is recorded in the Gospel of John, in the New Testament, that Nicodemus, a ruler among the jews of during the meridian of time, came to Jesus by night and asked Him a series of questions, one of which was, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mohter's womb?"

How can a person be "born again"?

Jesus tells Nicodemus that he would need to put-off the old man, old habits, old way of living, and become a new man (President Nelson even added, from the Greek: breath differently; a new breath). The idea brings to mind the principle of repentance--turning back or turning. In other words, Jesus' teachings to Nicodemus might have been summarized by telling him that he would need to repent of his old ways and become a new man through living Jesus Christ's teachings!

I'm not so sure that those who think that they are now "born again" believe that it has anything to do with repenting of their old life and old thoughts, their old beliefs or their old way of living, yet that seems to be exactly what Christ was teaching those who woud listen to Him about becoming a saint and even how to put-off the natural man. Centuries earlier, in the Americas, the prophet King Benjamin, son of Mosiah and father of Mosiah, taught:

For the natural man is an enemy to God and has been from the fall of Adam and will be forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a little child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things that the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

So, Nico, although it is physically impossible to re-enter your mother's womb and become a child--a reverse birth?--it is very much possible to become as a little child, without becoming childlike, and taking on yourself the name of Jesus Christ. Become a new man! Even, become a disciple of Jesus Christ! Enter the waters of baptism and be prepared to take upon yourself the name of Christ in His holy temple!

JPS

Divine language: thee, thou, thine, etc.

In 1993, then elder Dallin H. Oaks, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, gave a talk entitled, "The Language of Prayer" which explains that:

"The words we use in speaking to someone can identify the nature of our relationship to that person. They can also remind speaker and listener of the responsibilities they owe one another in that relationship. The form of address can also serve as a mark of respect or affection."

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, elder Oaks, Divine language: thee, thou, thine, etc.

Ironically, and confusingly for many members of God's family, there is a hidden divine intimacy in biblical language (a phrase that I've borrowed from a Roman Catholic web author -- Joe Heshmeyer) that many look down-on or even disdain. "Modern English conceals the intimacy with which we can speak to God" that almost all speakers of Romance languages (Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Romanian) understand, inherantly (because that is the language that they were born speaking and continue to speak trough their childhood) that there are two differnet pronouns to expres a formal or an informal relationship.

When you are learning or grow-up speaking one of these languages (and I am familiar only with this because I speak italian) there is a "mode" of speaking to another person that is understood as defining of a level of intimacy with that person. For example, if you start a conversation with a stranger, you would never use an informal mode or speak with them informally, as if they were part of your family, just as I found that one would never address a child (small or not) with formal speach--they would not understand you and may be frightened and run away! Using a proper congugation of speech completely changes the way that speakers are understood.

This being the case, it only made perfect sense that children and young missionaries learned to talk to or address their Father in Heaven using an informal mode or tense, as a child/Father would use.

The irony, mentioned earlier, comes when misgueded prayers are formed by those wanting a more intimate relationship yet using a very impersonal language.

"Many people, especially of the older generation, have always assumed that the usage of "thee/thou" is purely for­mal, or even gold-plated formal, and that "you" is informal, or inferior to "thee." In 1951, I, too, believed that "thee/thou/thine" stood for reverential formality; after all, the venerable King James Version used them, did it not? But I had overlooked the fact that "thy" was used informally. In Luke 8:30 we read (KJV): "What is thy name? And he said Legion." In Matthew 1:20 the angel speaks: "Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife."

Contrast this usage with "you": "For the poor always ye have with you" (John 12:8). "Blessed are ye when (men) shall revile you" (Matthew 5:11). "For I say unto you..." (Matthew 5:20). The use of "you" in these cases is plural."

...it can be rightly said that when the informal/intimate usage of "thee/thou" slowly lost ground in spoken English, a few centuries ago, the formal "you" gained general acceptance at the same pace. With the loss of "thee/thou," the distinctions of the English address forms slowly faded away, and the use of "you" became more and more prevalent and generic."

JPS

Man's lifespan length changed?

Adam, the first man, lived to be 930 years old. Methusalah, in the bible was the son of Enoch, and was the father of Lamech, and the grandfather of Noah, lived to be nine-hundred-sixty-nine years old (969). He was the longest life recorded in the bible. However, in Genesis 6:3 we are told that, "And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years" and in the Book of Mormon we read in the book of 2 Nephi, chapter 2, verse 21, "And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of probation⁠, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men."

Is there a contradiction in that?

If Genesis 6:3 is a countdown to the flood, Methuselah's long life ends right before or when the flood begins (some believe the exact year). After the flood, lifespans significantly shortened. Noah's son, Shem, for example, lived for 600 years, a considerable decrease from his father's 950, Abraham's father, Terah, lived to be 205, and Moses only 120. From Shem (600) to Peleg (239): lifespan is nearly cut in half. By the time of Joseph (who only lived for 110 years!), lifespans are well below 120. Around the time of Eber to Peleg (5–6 generations after the Flood), lifespans fell below 500 years and never rose again. The nine disciples of Jesus Christ, in third Nephi in the Book of Mormom, other than the three Nephites who desired to live on Earth until the Savior returns, lived only to "the life of a tree", or in 3 Nephi 28:3 or seventy two years old. Today, in the year 2025, the life expectancy of man is 73-74 years old. The decline in human lifespans after the Flood is gradual, not immediate.

So, the truth is: each and every man or woman lives until they've been fully tested, that they can then finish preparations in Spirit prison or Paradise (see Alma chapter 42)...

And, there you have it...

JPS

Jesus Christ’s compassion and mercy

It is easy to feel sorry for those that have sinned; they are essentially sick (and who doesn't or can't feel sorry for anyone who's sick?)! No matter what they've done or are even continually choosing to do, they are just choosing or have chosen to be sick/infected... "Bigotry manifests itself, in part, in unwillingness to grant equal freedom of expression to another", Elder Dale G. Renlund. We must understand and emulate our Heavenly Father's eternal separation between the sin and those who commit sin. As we become closer to Jesus Christ, "... we learn to treat others as He does, regardless of any outward characteristic or behavior." Look at Elder Renlund's analogy from April 2017 to Les Miserables: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/04/our-good-shepherd?lang=eng Jean Valjean is the sick/sinner and the Bienvenu Myriel, the bishop of Digne, is Christ. “All the same, should the scabs of the sheep cause the shepherd to recoil?” The bishop asks, metaphorically! "The Savior’s mortal ministry was indeed characterized by love, compassion, and empathy. He did not disdainfully walk the dusty roads of Galilee and Judea, flinching at the sight of sinners. He did not dodge them in abject horror. No, He ate with them. He helped and blessed, lifted and edified, and replaced fear and despair with hope and joy. Like the true shepherd He is, He seeks us and finds us to offer relief and hope. Understanding His compassion and love helps us exercise faith in Him—to repent and be healed." "... our genuine conversion brings 'meekness, and lowliness of heart,' which invites 'the Holy Ghost [and fills us with] perfect love,' an 'unfeigned love' for others." We need to go to those who need help--rest-homes, care-centers, homeless-shelters, soup-kitchens... We need to be willing seek-out missionary opportunities as directed by the Spirit--also need to remember that we're not full-time missionaries or general authorities... Be out-of-comfort-zone!!! Till it becomes our comfort zone... "Understanding His compassion and love helps us exercise faith in Him—to repent and be healed... Our role is also to help and bless, lift and edify, and replace fear and despair with hope and joy." We can motivate people to change by our compassion and mercy, just as the Savior did! "The Savior’s compassion, love, and mercy draw us toward Him... [And] through His Atonement, we are no longer satisfied with our sinful state. As we understand His role, through doing as He has done, we become more like Him and naturally do more of His work, which helps us become more like Him. ... The fastest way to become like our Savior is to do His work--as we do His work, we will repent more and understand Him and our Heavenly Father more... “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” "She was motivated to change because of His compassion and mercy." "And the woman glorified God from that hour, and believed on his name.” JST John 8:11 "God is clear about what is right and acceptable to Him and what is wrong and sinful. This is not because He desires to have mindless, obedient followers. No, our Heavenly Father desires that His children knowingly and willingly choose to become like Him and qualify for the kind of life He enjoys." "Our role is also to help and bless, lift and edify, and replace fear and despair with hope and joy." JPS

Covenant Power

How do we access God's Power through making and keeping our covenants?

God has an infinite amount of love for His children. Because Our Heavenly Father's love is infinite, He can and does have an infinite love for each one of His children. He wants to share the infiniate power that He has, as God of the Universe, with us. How can He share that power with us? The only way that we can share in and be able to use that power is through the covenants that He makes with us infividually and as families.

In his talk, given in October of 2011, then Elder Russell M. Nelson, explained: "It is a sacred promise with God. He fixes the terms. Each person may choose to accept those terms. If one accepts the terms of the covenant and obeys God’s law, he or she receives the blessings associated with the covenant. We know that 'when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.'"

The most obvious example of this principle is when God, throughout the ages has made covenants with His children. His covenants occur throughout the entire plan of salvation and are therefore part of the fulness of His gospel. For example, God promised to send a Savior for His children, to be acle to return to live with Him, and He has asked us, in turn for our obedience to His law.

What about day-to-day power and blessings? It, actually, comes through the exact same method: His Son. We are given access to His power, through that blessing of Jesus Christ!

What power do they give us?

Through His atonement, we are each given Power over Death, Power over Sin, and Power to Do-More-than-we-otherwise-would-be-able-to-without-His-Power. So, we would each be resurrected in the final judgement and given perfect, immortal bodies--never to die again. We would be given the blessing of forgiveness and thus be able to become clean and able to enter into reive forgivness for our sins and mistakes as we show our Savior and Redeemer that we have repented and ask for His forgivenes.

The third power is what is oftentimes called "grace" in this world (although, each and every gift that is given to us by our Heavenly Father through His Son, Jesus Christ, can be called, "grace": Power over Death, through the grace of Jesus Christ, Power over Sin, through the grace of Jesus Christ, and Power to Do-More-than-we-otherwise-would-be-able-to-without-His-Power, through the grace of Jesus Christ).

Way back in 2014, Elder David A. Bednar gave a memorable talk regarding a friend who had decided he would cut and haul a supply of firewood for their home from a nearby forest with a newly purchased truck. Remember that talk? It is one of my favorites!

I quote from the talk:

"... [My] friend wanted to demonstrate the utility of the truck and validate his reasons for wanting to purchase it. So he decided he would cut and haul a supply of firewood for their home. It was in the autumn of the year, and snow already had fallen in the mountains where he intended to find wood. As he drove up the mountainside, the snow gradually became deeper and deeper. My friend recognized the slick road conditions presented a risk, but with great confidence in the new truck, he kept going.

Sadly, my friend went too far along the snowy road. As he steered the truck off of the road at the place he had determined to cut wood, he got stuck. All four of the wheels on the new truck spun in the snow. He readily recognized that he did not know what to do to extricate himself from this dangerous situation. He was embarrassed and worried.

Can't we all see ourselves in this or a similar situation? I know that I can!

My friend decided, “Well, I will not just sit here.” He climbed out of the vehicle and started cutting wood. He completely filled the back of the truck with the heavy load. And then my friend determined he would try driving out of the snow one more time. As he put the pickup into gear and applied power, he started to inch forward. Slowly the truck moved out of the snow and back onto the road. He finally was free to go home, a happy and humbled man."

It was the weight from the load that enabled the friend of Elder Bednar to escape his dire predicament. Without the weight from the wood that he'd just cut down from the trees, his truck would not have and could not have found the traction needed to move forward, to drive out of the forest, and to get back onto the road that would take him home.

I quote again from the talk: "Our individual load is comprised of demands and opportunities, obligations and privileges, afflictions and blessings, and options and constraints."

We all know that the obstacles of death and sin will keep us from returning to live with our families and with our Savior and Heavenly Father. All will be resurrected. All who want and have faith enough will receive forgivness as they ask for it. The power of Jesus Christ is essential and necessary for that. Elder Bednar reminds us or maybe points-out another obstacle that would keep us from returning to God, Christ, and our families, though (and for me, this was the first time I had actually recognized this obstacle): Christ's atonement gives me Power to Do-More-than-I-otherwise-would-be-able-to-without-His-Power!

In Matthew 11:28–30, the Savior said:

“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”.

Haven't we all, me included, felt our individual loads of demands from school and work and family obligations and financial stresses other obligations, afflictions from stress, other mental illnesses or fatigues, and even the weight that comes to us from our blessings and options? The weight that comes from constraints and even opportunities and privileges? Social weight?

Elder Bednar says, again,

A yoke is a wooden beam, normally used between a pair of oxen or other animals that enables them to pull together on a load. A yoke places animals side-by-side so they can move together in order to accomplish a task.

Consider the Lord’s uniquely individual invitation to “take my yoke upon you.” Making and keeping sacred covenants yokes us to and with the Lord Jesus Christ. In essence, the Savior is beckoning us to rely upon and pull together with Him, even though our best efforts are not equal to and cannot be compared with His. As we trust in and pull our load with Him during the journey of mortality, truly His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

How have you felt power from your covenants in your own life?

JPS

Are you fluent in the language of the Spirit; the language of God?

In first Nephi, chapter 11, verse 11, we read, "And I said unto him: To know the interpretation thereof—for I spake unto him as a man speaketh; for I beheld that he was in the form of a man; yet nevertheless, I knew that it was the Spirit of the Lord; and he spake unto me as a man speaketh with another."

Nephi had already learned the language of the Spirit and knew how to communicate with him... And, now, in a dream or vision, they are able to speak and have a conversation just as you would have in person, on Earth (or in person on God’s planet [Kolob?]).

JPS