It has been some time since I have posted here. The Lord has moved us from one state to another geographically. The change is stark in comparison to societal cultures from one region to another. Where we lived for most of our married life there were two kinds of "fences". One fence separated our homes, the other separated families. Where we live now a different type of fence exists, one of religious origin. This barrier of a religious belief system, its economy and structure is profoundly large. Mormonism the barrier or fence.

I considered many things before I posted this piece. Shall I speak of DNA evidences that refute the Lamanites ancestral claims to have come from Israel? Perhaps the many claims of prophetic knowledge that have not come true by Joseph Smith? The changes in the Book of Mormon that reflect the times? The many "Gods"? The list of topics are many, the details of them are almost too exhaustive to tour through. Families?

Families are such an integral part of the Mormon community. The larger homes per population are found here to accommodate the family size. The outward appearance to the world is the sense of love for the family and for each other. When we first moved to the particular neighborhood in which we now live of 142 homes. There are only 2 homes not of this faith, ours being one of them. The family atmosphere is everywhere and yet there is an undercurrent detected that at first I could not fully understand. A sense of fear, resentment, mistrust, guilt and interestingly arrogance. How could this be? I began to observe "fences" within some of the Mormon family structure.

http://members.shaw.ca/blair_watson/ From this link are the following quotes:

"Mormon psychological conditioning interferes with self-assertion in a variety of ways. Many Latter-day Saints dilute their personality because it doesn't fit the LDS concept of being nice, meek, long-suffering, and placating to Mormon authority figures (including God, as defined by Mormonism). Many members hide their assertiveness because they fear confrontation and conflict and the disapproval and possible rejection by LDS family members, leaders, and friends if they assert themselves and speak their truth (e.g., talk about aspects of Mormonism that don't make sense).

For example, there are young men raised in Mormonism who do not want to go on a mission, but are afraid of asserting their right to refuse to go because of the stigma in the LDS community of not going. Likewise, many girls raised in Mormonism do not assert their right to go to college or university and finish their degree (and get an advanced degree, if they so desire) and work in their chosen field before getting married and starting a family. There are many ways in which Latter-day Saints do not assert their right to always think for themselves and act according to what they deem to be best for their lives. Fear of self-assertion that might result in confrontation and conflict is common among Mormons.

To live purposefully is to use our powers to achieve our goals. We have the right to establish goals for ourselves based on what we think and feel is right and good. Whether anyone else approves of our goals or not truly does not matter. Living purposefully involves living productively. To live productively is to support our existence by translating our thoughts into reality. Living purposefully also involves taking responsibility for formulating our goals and purposes, identifying the actions required to achieve them, monitoring our behaviour to check that it is in alignment with our objectives, and paying attention to outcomes.

Mormonism indoctrinates Latter-day Saints to believe that their main purposes in life are what the LDS Church and its leadership say is the will of God (e.g., fully participate in the LDS Church, get married in the temple, work and raise a family in the LDS religion). Mormon boys and young men are indoctrinated to believe that serving a full-time mission for the church is what 'Heavenly Father' wants them to do when they reach 19 years. LDS girls and young women are indoctrinated to believe that their primary purpose in life is to grow up to be a 'wife and mother in Zion'. These things are not God's will for young people, just what adult Mormons believe is God's will for young people.

Latter-day Saints have the right to decide for themselves what their main purposes in life are. For some, it may be the more traditional experience of getting post-secondary education/training, marrying and raising a family (husband working; mom stays at home), and participating in the LDS Church throughout their life. However, this Mormon nuclear family mold does not suit everyone, particularly in the 21st century in which 6.6 billion humans are placing unprecedented demands on limited natural resources and damaging and destroying the planet as never before. Some individuals feel a passion to devote their time, energy, and other resources to protect the environment, work in the Third World to alleviate suffering, or do something else. Many people feel that marriage is not for them; they participate in family and community in other, less traditional ways.

Being 'on purpose' has nothing to do with living the type of life that other people believe is right for you, or doing what a religious organization, family members, or other individuals say is the will of God for you. It's about being psychologically free enough from others' beliefs and in-tune with yourself to you know what your destiny is and to live it."

A very large "fence" indeed exists within the family structure of Mormonism. The wife of one family in our neighborhood expressed her desire to continue her college and enter the workforce. A sadness envelopes her spirit as she reflects on the impossibility of her circumstances now that prevent the fulfillment of her desire. She hides in her home rarely coming out. Many of the wives here have expressed a different desire of a life different than the one they now possess.

For myself, Mormonism is the coercive bondage to a religious belief system out of fear. The fear of exclusion from a form of "salvation", as it is a sin to leave the system or not join the system. This belief system is a contradiction to the NT values described by the authors in the Bible. It builds "fences" not in alignment with a loving God, Who, does not save anyone out of fear. Who, gives all the desires of their hearts.

So, how does one decide what is a parable, what is literal or metaphorical? The answer is exists within the very book itself. I have found that the Bible is a book written for our “spiritual nature”, the non-physical self and has been provided for that purpose to bridge the gap between God, by God and us. A book written in a style to enlighten us to a more spiritually centered life away from a more natural, materialistic centered life; a style using historical events, allegories, parables, imagery and literal statements to convey to us a spiritually centered life. 2 Cor 3:6 “as ministers of a new covenant-not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (NIV) That is i.e. Spiritual Life as opposed to spiritual death. A book of “uses” applied to us first and foremost. As we look into the deeper meanings of the Bible, we also look deeper into our hearts. Who and what do we love, have affection for? Live for? The sharp two-edged sword that divides the thoughts and intents within our heart.

The Bible’s literal printed pages are full of types and shadows of spiritual things. Parables, allegories, comparisons and proverbs are some of the vehicles as types and shadows. These vehicles have been and are problematic for the literalists in their understanding of scripture since the beginning of scriptural exegesis and hermeneutics. For me not “brain surgery” but “heart surgery” is the crux of the problem to the understanding of scripture. God wants all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. To share His Glory or mind with us in a manner that compels not only our minds but also more importantly our hearts towards reciprocal love with Him. To this intent, the Bible was produced for man by the Spirit in a form compatible to our nature of comprehension; speaking to our “spirit” and waiting for our spirit to respond back to His.

God is a Spirit and to approach Him must be through the “spirit” contained within the literal printed word. Much like viewing a home and wondering who lives inside from the outside. One must open the door, go inside, to see and hear. That requires the individual’s choice from the heart (will, affections and desires) and the revelation in and from the Spirit, who, judges or knows the heart.

“Within the printed Word is a ‘wellspring of life’ to those who hunger and thirst after His righteousness, whose source is the Spirit of God. To those who do not seek His righteousness within the printed Word, it is a ‘well of opinion’ from which they are the source”. © 2004 rdlb


“Although the style of the Word seems simple in the sense of the letter, it is such that nothing can ever be compared to it in excellence, since Divine wisdom lies concealed not only in the meaning as a whole but also in each word; and that in heaven this wisdom shines forth.”
E. Swedenborg


Paul often pointed to deeper meanings in the Old Testament. For example, he took Adam as a symbol of Christ, (Romans 5:14) and his marriage with Eve as a symbol of Christ's marriage with the Church. (Ephesians 5:31, 32) He saw the story of Noah and the Flood as an antitype of baptism and regeneration. (1 Peter 3:20, 21) The Tabernacle of Israel with its furnishings and all the rituals and sacrifices performed in it pictured Jesus' work of salvation. These earthly things were the "copy and shadow of heavenly things...symbolic for the present time.” (Hebrews 8:5, 9:9, Colossians 2:16, 17) The story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar and their sons is also an allegory, in which Hagar's son represented the Lord's covenant with the Jews and Sarah's son symbolized the New Covenant in Christ. (Galations 4:22-31)

The Exodus story tells how the children of Israel escaped from Egypt, trekked through the wilderness for forty years, and finally made their home in the Promised Land. Many have seen this as symbolic of our spiritual journey out of slavery to sin, through trials and temptations and into heaven. However, does the Bible itself suggest that this is a parable, or a story with an inner meaning? In fact, it does. Psalm 78 opens with the words, "I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old.” The "parable" that follows is the story of the plagues on Egypt, crossing the Red Sea, bringing water from the rock, receiving manna from heaven, and other stories of the Exodus. Thus, the whole story of Exodus is a parable.

Jesus explained that the commandment about murder should not be taken just on a literal level. On a deeper level, it prohibits hatred and contempt. "You have heard that it was said to those of old, `You shall not murder,'...But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.” (Matthew 5:21, 22) Likewise, the deeper meaning of the commandment against adultery prohibits lust. "You have heard that it was said to those of old, `You shall not commit adultery,' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27, 28)

Jesus frequently showed that the Old Testament contained deeper meanings than were first apparent. For example, He told His disciples that the Old Testament contained many prophecies about His own life that they had not understood. "Beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” (Luke 24:27) "He opened their understanding that they might comprehend the Scriptures.” (Luke 24:45)

Jesus showed that stories in the Old Testament were symbolic of His own life, even when the symbolism was not apparent in the literal meaning. For example, the story of the manna is symbolic of Jesus as the bread of life: "Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.” (John 6:32) Another story with an inner meaning referring to Jesus is the brass serpent: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” (John 3:14) It is similar with the story of Jonah and the whale: "As Jonah was three days in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matt 12:40) The temple in Jerusalem, which was the scene of many stories in the Old Testament, was also a symbol of Jesus. (John 2:19-22)

Paul also encourages us to go beyond the literal meaning of the Old Testament. He asks us to obey the spirit of the law, not just the letter. "He is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, and not in the letter.” (Romans 2:29) "We should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.” (Romans 7:6) "The letter kills, but the spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:6) This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:13-14)

The Bible is an imaginative book

“Nowadays we have highly developed philosophical and theological languages for conveying this message in abstract terms. We have a mistrust of imagery because, by comparison with the languages of science or even of formal theology, it seems undisciplined. It makes suggestions; it invites the mind to imagine and seems to exert little control over the imagination that it has let loose. Yet, I would insist, the Bible is an imaginative book. There are very few "abstract" terms in biblical Hebrew; and while Greek had developed a philosophical vocabulary by the time of Christ, the Gospels make little use of it. Jesus told stories, used imagery. (Parables) For him, the concrete was the vessel of the intangible. He did not define "the neighbor" but told a story of a man who fell among thieves. He did not write an essay on justice but told stories about stewards and landlords. He did not draw up a job description for the Messiah but talked about sheep and shepherds. In good Eastern fashion, he paid his disciples the profound compliment of provoking their minds rather than satisfying them. He turned them loose to figure things out for themselves. If literalists were as literal about pastoral responsibility as they are about hellfire, there would be a lot more people out on the hills with their sheep than there actually are. We would be big into vineyards and olive groves, lamps on lamp stands, and cups of cold water. There would surely be some who had cut off an offending hand or plucked out an offending eye.”
George F. Dole, Freedom and evil: A pilgrim’s guide to hell, 2001

Here are three very important MUSTS that are in the Bible.

The Greek dictionary/lexicon meanings: for the word MUST using Strongs numbers.
*NT: 1163
dei (die); third person singular active present of NT: 1210; also deon (deh-on'); neuter active participle of the same; both used impersonally; it is (was, etc.) necessary (as binding):

*KJV-behoved, be meet, MUST (needs), (be) need (-ful), ought, should.

NT: 1210
deo (deh'-o); a primary verb; to bind (in various applications, literally or figuratively):

KJV-bind, be in bonds, knit, tie, wind.

Webster’s dictionary defines MUST (1) used to express compulsion obligation, requirement, or necessity. (2) to express probability. (3) used to express certainty or inevitability.

The first important MUST is found in the following scriptures and is stated by Jesus.

John 3:1-8
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews;
2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."
3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?"
5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born 'of' water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 "That which is born 'of' the flesh is flesh, and that which is born 'of' the Spirit is spirit
7 "Do not be amazed that I said to you, "You MUST (NT: 1163 dei) be born again.'
8 "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born 'of' the Spirit.” (*NASBU)

One key word here is "of", that which you are born "of" is what you become, water and Spirit. The water is a symbol for the word of God and the spirit is a symbol in this case for life or living. You become living water or a life of the word.

The second important MUST is found in the following scriptures and again is stated by Jesus.

John 4:20-24
20 "Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship."
21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.
22 "You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.
23 "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.
24 "God is spirit, and those who worship Him MUST (NT: 1163, dei) worship in spirit and truth.” (NASBU)

Worship connects our affection, desire and love to the Father, and is a personal, living relationship. This relationship is a life in, of and from the Word of God, or in spirit and truth; the word “spirit” in many cases from the Hebrew and Greek contains the meaning “life”. Hence, God is life and we must act with Him in life and truth.
(See John 15:1-10)

The Apostle Paul writes the third important MUST in the scriptures to the Hebrews.

Heb 11:1-3 and 6
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God MUST believe that HE IS, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (*NKJV)

These scriptures from Paul to the Romans can help us to see how to determine our belief.
Rom 10:10-11 for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth, he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” (*NASB)

Our belief comes from our affections, desires or love (heart, our will). Our mouth confesses it or we act upon it. Jesus said that out of our innermost being will flow “rivers of living water”. If one does not believe that HE IS, they will not act on it from a true heart. A hypocrite can act upon what they do not believe, because they do not have any affection, desire or love (the true heart) for what is good and true (what HE IS), but only love for themselves and the things of the world. (e.g. Ask anyone if he or she should quit smoking) These spurious loves will take the Bible and use scriptures to support the end of the love of self and love of the world. When one does believe that HE IS, self takes a back seat and our heart is changed. His will, affections and desires become ours and we begin to love God and one another. We are set free from the power and effects of sin, i.e. salvation.

“Within the printed Word is a ‘wellspring of life’ to those who hunger and thirst after His righteousness, whose source is the Spirit of God. To those who do not seek His righteousness within the printed Word, it is a ‘well of opinion’ from which they are the source”. ©rdlb 2004

Here are some more relevant scriptures that might be interesting to review.

Isa 28:16 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD,
"Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone,
A costly cornerstone for the foundation firmly placed.
He who believes in it will not be disturbed, (i.e. disappointed, NASBU).

Jer 31:33-34 "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. "They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, "Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." . (NASBU)

Six times, in these two verses, "I will" is used; (six is the number for man, for on the sixth day man was created), this is something God wants to personally, (I will) do in His New Covenant. Remember John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that, whomsoever believes on Him shall have eternal life".

Heb 8:10-13 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. (KJV)

Here the Apostle Paul uses "I will" five times in his quote from the OT; five is the number for grace and mercy.

In my study of churches and their doctrines and making comparisons between them and the scriptures, I find it interesting that conclusions drawn from the letter (literal print) of the Bible does create a wide variety of opinion about the “MUST” born “of” the water and of the spirit. Some believe in baptizing (birthing) with water as infants, some when a child reaches twelve or thirteen, after one becomes “saved” and many other thoughts and ideas that lift up the material ritual and miss the point. The methods vary from sprinkling water on the forehead, emersion in a tank of water in a church building, to any river or lake, to only at the river Jordan in Israel. Yet all of these ways to perform a ritual cannot provide a true “born of” water and of spirit experience. Point, an individual does not become a sprinkling, a tank, lake or even the river Jordan. Point, when an individual immerses oneself into the Bible, (baptized into Christ and has put on Christ) they are allowing the Spirit to manifest or reveal itself to them. Then the individual begins to take on the characteristics of the living Word of God, a true birthing takes place. This “birth” creates the beginning to know the Father even as the Father knows us. (John 17:21-25) We must be born again, we must worship God in Spirit and in Truth, and we must believe that He Is and that He Is a rewarder to them that diligently seek Him.

*NT (New Testament), KJV (King James Version), NJKV (New King James Version), NASB (New American Standard Bible), NASBU (New American Standard Bible Updated)

Jas 2:14-26
4 Faith and Works
What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, " Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. 18 But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works." 19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," and he was called the friend of God. 24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. NASU

When one is living the life in and from the heart, there is no need of a defense. When one has to continually defend a "church" because of impropieties from one or more individuals or groups within, where is the true "Faith"? One begins to defend sand and tries to shore up the very "sands of impropiety" and thereby rebuilding the very thing that needs to be destoyed.

2 Co 6:16-18
For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."
17 "Therefore come out from them
and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you."
18 "I will be a Father to you,
and you will be my sons and daughters, (NIV)

It is hard to separate from those who play in thier sand boxes and join those who cling to the "Rock". Three decades ago I had one of the first of many dreams (still have them now), very real and pointed.
In this dream I was walking with many "christians" along a dirt road in a valley with the full sun shine on us, between two long ridges full of dry grass. I wanted to see where everyone was going to and climbed to the top of the ridge to my right. When I got to the top and looked to where the crowd was going I was supprised to realize it was towards the edge of a precipice with a deep canyon of darkness. No one seemed to stop at the edge, they just walked off it. I understood that this was not the way to go and turned and looked from the top of this ridge to look in the opposite direction and saw a lush green valley. A river was flowing through it and along the edge of this river were trees and other green plants. I found myself drawn to the other side of the river and to what I came to realize was my house. The outside of this house was all neat, freshly painted and proper. When I went inside I discovered my wife trying to make up our bed. As I wandered around the inside of my house, I also realized how dusty, dirty and full of cobwebs all of the furniture and belongings were.

It is still interesting to me the reality that that dream gave to me today. I can still vividly recall even the smells from the dry grass, the green valley, the river and even the dust in my house. I have found how many lend themselves to extroversion and introversion, rather than to introspection on matters of "Faith". The principal of the "beam and mote" come readily to mind, those individuals that you have reminded us of must have removed much of their "beam" and thereby allowed their lives to remove the "mote" from the eyes of others. I will continue to clean my house as the Lord points out those "spots of flesh", those grains of sand from my sand box playing days.