God Is Not Omnipotent

In my notes on Elder D. Todd Christofferson's October 2016 talk, I go off on a mini-tangent about how God is not actually omnipotent. Here are two examples, taken from said talk:

"God will always love us, but He cannot save us in our sins."

"Indeed, God does rain down upon all His children all the blessings He can—all the blessings that love and law and justice and mercy will permit."

It's odd to think that there is anything that God cannot do. I'm so used to thinking of Him as omnipotent that the idea of Him having limitations, inabilities, seems impossible. But I believe that there are laws which govern the universe, much like the laws of physics do, which God literally cannot break.

Heck, I'm not even sure He can break the laws of physics. Whenever He seems to, it could simply be that we don't fully understand the laws of physics and that He's using a special trick we haven't figured out yet. I'm sure that if we went back to the 1700s and told people that we'd figure out a way to keep huge, metal contraptions in the air for hours at a time, they'd tell us that that defies the law of gravity. But this is all beside the point.

There may be Eternal laws, like the law of justice, which God cannot break. Or, it may be that, if God did break such a rule, He would "cease to be God," which possibility is hinted at in Alma 42. It could be that God could break some of those "Eternal laws," like the law of justice, but He would face consequences if He did. Which means, at the very least, that He cannot escape the consequences of doing something that He may or may not be able to do. Any way you look at it, if any of this is true, God's power is limited.

Yet, I think I can be okay with that. It's still true that God has great power, even if He doesn't technically have all power. And His limitations don't detract at all from His other traits. He can still be omniscience, for example. And any reference to God as being "almighty" could be a slight exaggeration, as the few things He may not be able to do are things He probably wouldn't want to do anyway. Besides, in terms of this universe, God is powerful enough that we could consider Him all-powerful, and we'd be close enough to being right, even if it's not technically true. Calling God omniscient may be like saying that pi is equal to 3.14159265359. Technically, the digits go on much longer, so that figure isn't perfectly accurate, but still, it's close enough.

So God may not be omnipotent. There may be some things He can't do. But that's okay. God's supposed omnipotence is not part of His core identity. I don't consider Him any less godly for having a few limitations. And I am sure that God still has all the power He needs to keep His promises and do almost anything else He could ever want to do. It was surprising to realize that God may not be omnipotent, but His non-omnipotence doesn't really matter. God is still God, whether He's omnipotent or not.

A Power in the Book

In Elder Gary E. Stevenson's October 2016 talk, he spoke of the Book of Mormon. In doing so, he shared a partial quote from President Ezra Taft Benson of thirty years prior. Titled The Book of Mormon—Keystone of Our Religion, President Benson's talk included the following paragraph:

It is not just that the Book of Mormon teaches us truth, though it indeed does that. It is not just that the Book of Mormon bears testimony of Christ, though it indeed does that, too. But there is something more. There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called “the words of life” (D&C 84:85), and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance.

Both Elder Stevenson and President Benson listed many more blessings that come from studying the Book of Mormon. In truth, there are countless blessings that can come from reading it. I should do that more often. And Elder Stevenson gave me a no-excuses suggestion for how I could. He noted how much time young people, like myself, spend in front of TV, Smartphone, and computer screens, and he recommended spending 10 fewer minutes pursuing electronic entertainment and spending 10 more minutes pursuing the blessings of the Book of Mormon. I've decided to renew my decision to follow that advice. Starting tonight, I'm going to try to go to bed a bit earlier and spend a few minutes reading the Book of Mormon when I get there. I'm not sure what all blessings I'll get through doing that, and I'm not even sure what all blessings I want to get from it, but I know that there are many blessings that one could get from studying the Book of Mormon, and I intend to get a few of them.

Universal Values

In his recent talk, Elder Cook spoke of how difficult it is to establish universal values about proper behavior, particularly when there are so many conflicting thoughts on the subject. As part of an exploration of those thoughts and others, I have been watching a Youtube series called Crash Course: Philosophy. (This is where I learned about the Euthyphro Problem that I blogged about a while back.) While watching this series, I've learned that the are many, many different ways of thinking, and there are great merits to most of them. Many of them seem reasonable and almost convincing, which is troubling because, as Elder Cook said, many of them conflict with each other.

I think it would be nice if everyone believed in God and His teachings (and interpreted those teachings in the same way) so we could establish some universal values and a common moral code. But that's not the way God made the world, and that's not the way He made us. He sent us to Earth with blank slates, so to speak, to figure out what we can on our own and to learn how to learn from revelation. He also gave us the freedom to believe what we wish to believe and reject the beliefs that we wish to reject. Still, I believe that God's values are universally applicable, whether they're universally accepted or not.

The world we live in is a tricky one, mostly because most people behave according to different sets of moral rules. Sure, it would be nice if everyone would accept the same values, but what we value is part of what makes us unique as individuals. We each have our own beliefs about what we and others ought to do, and that can be a beautiful thing, assuming we can all still manage to work together most of the time. None of the values a person cherishes may be universally accepted, but many core values are widely accepted, such as the values of freedom and of life. Perhaps if we, as individuals and as societies, placed more emphasis on these core values than we place on some of the less widely accepted ones, we could get more people to accept those values until they become truly universal. Elder Cook said that it is hard to establish universal values, but he didn't say it was impossible. If we all accept a set of values, and encourage others to do the same, perhaps they could become universal values.

"If I Die Tonight..."

This afternoon, an elderly lady handed me a card which reads "'If I die tonight, my soul will be in H__________ tomorrow morning!' If you are not sure, visit the website on the other side of this card!" I have no intentions of visiting the website on the back of the card, but I thought that the question raised by the card was worth considering. How sure am I that I would go to heaven if I were to die right now?

Before having heard Elder Cornish's talk, I don't think I would have been sure at all, and even now, I'm not completely sure. Everyone sins occasionally, and I try to repent continually, which should answer the "will I make it" question, but I can't say whether or not I rationalize or rebel. Doing either of those things could be a deal-breaker, and I'm not 100% sure how those terms are defined. Elder Cornish never made it clear. But from what I gathered, rationalization and rebellion basically both mean saying "I don't need to keep trying to get better." As long as we acknowledge our need for spiritual improvement, and keep trying to act on that need, we should be alright.

It's hard to imagine getting into heaven being that easy. All we have to do is keep trying, and not claim that we don't have to keep trying? It seems too good to be true. But, if I'm interpreting Elder Cornish's message correctly, it is true, and we can be certain of entering the Celestial Kingdom as long as we're pointed in that direction. That kind of confidence is something we should all strive for. Even in this world of uncertainty, God's laws are constant, and if we obey them, the outcome is sure. We can become sure that we will go to heaven when we die, and we don't have to visit BBNradio.org to gain that surety.

Stumbling Blocks Into Stepping Stones

One of the best things about the gospel, which Elder Cook mentioned in his talk, is that God can turn our stumbling blocks into stepping stones. The things that are currently holding us back can be used to propel us forward. This is largely done by our overcoming our obstacles. If, say, a person struggles with strong feelings of anger, God can help them overcome that emotion and actually grow to become an especially patient person. Similarly, any vice we struggle with can be used as training weights to help us develop its opposing virtues.

There are certainly some vices you struggle with. Use them. Use your vices as opportunities to develop the opposite traits. God will help you. With His help, you can grow beyond the point of merely overcoming a vice to the point where you possess a good measure of the opposite strength. Those who are selfish can become generous. Those who are proud can become humble. Those who are miserable can become joyful. Working on overcoming your challenges will make you a better person. By helping you recognize and overcome your stumbling blocks, God will help you take the steps you need to take in order to come closer to Him.

The Power Pole Perspective

In the Saturday Afternoon Session of the October 2016 General Conference,  Elder Quentin L. Cook spoke of a power pole on his father's ranch. This power pole was given a rather prominent position in the center of one of the main vistas of the ranch. Elder Cook noted this to his father, complaining that the power pole ruined the view. His father replied "Quentin, that power pole is the most beautiful thing to me on the entire ranch!" He then explained that the power pole meant that we wouldn't have to light candles or oil lamps and that he could use electricity to cook his food and pump water to the cabin. That power pole was a reminder of his blessings, which is probably a big part of why he said "I want to see that power pole right in the middle of the view window."

We, too, have things that seem unpleasant to us, but which bring great blessings. Many of our trials meet that description, as do some of our callings and/or service opportunities. These things are ultimately of great benefit to us, but temporally, they seem to merely get in the way. Instead of seeing our trials as eyesores spoiling our views of life, we can use them as reminders of the blessings we have that make life easier. Seeing our trials as blessings, or at least as means by which we can obtain blessings, can help us improve our attitudes about them.

Since we are all going to have trials and obstacles in our lives anyhow, it is a good idea to find ways to look at them more favorably and to learn to see them from a more positive perspective, thinking not of how ugly they are or how much they get in the way, but of how beneficial they are and how many blessings they bring into our lives. No one is exempt from trials. We will all have power poles on our ranches. However, those power poles and the energy they bring into our lives can be wonderful things. We just need to practice looking at them that way, so we can improve our perspectives and see our trials in a more positive light. Elder Cook's father had the right idea. Rather than focussing on the negative things in our lives, we need to focus on the positive things they bring into our lives, so we can be grateful, even for the power poles that spoil our vistas.

Guilt Isn't Gas - What Is?

In the concluding talk of the Saturday Morning Session of the October 2016 General Conference, Elder Neil L. Andersen spoke of the limitations of guilt:

Guilt has an important role as it awakens us to changes we need to make, but there are limits to how far guilt will help us.

Guilt is like a battery in a gasoline-powered car. It can light up the car, start the engine, and power the headlights, but it will not provide the fuel for the long journey ahead. The battery, by itself, is not sufficient. And neither is guilt.

But what is? I understand that feeling guilty will only get a person so far. To experience enduring change, a person needs something else. But what? If guilt is the battery, what is the gas?

It must be some motivating force, since it provides the fuel to drive change. It must be powerful enough to actually bring about change. And its effects have to be long-term, since a lack of longevity was the main problem Elder Andersen had with guilt.

There are many feelings and conditions that could meet those criteria. Of those many, the first two that come to mind are duty and love. Our duty to God can compel us to repent of our sins and endure on His path, while our love of God can make us want to repent and follow Him, even to the ends of the earth. Of these two, I think that love makes a better "gas," but I would think that either one, or any combination of the two, would work.

There are other forms of spiritual gasoline, I'm sure. If you find that a sense of duty isn't very compelling, or that your love for God isn't strong enough to bring about the changes you know you need to make, perhaps you need to find another form of fuel. God can help you do that, if you want Him to. We're a long way away from where we need to be; we're going to need some kind of fuel to get us there.

But more to the point that Elder Andersen was trying to make, guilt is not the fuel that we need. It may help motivate us at first, but it won't make for good motivation forever. Either it'll stop working on us, or we'll get sick of it and reject it. We need a fuel that we won't grow to resent. In that case, duty may not be the best answer, but perhaps love is.

Whatever fuel we end up relying on, it'll have to be something that can last. It'll have to be something that sticks with us, something we can refresh regularly. It'll have to be something strong enough to motivate us, but something that doesn't leave a bad taste in our mouths. Guilt doesn't work for that because it's a negative emotion; it wouldn't be healthy to use guilt as our motivation constantly. The same goes for any negative emotion, and it may extend to duty as well, depending on how you feel about it. Love is a good motivator, but it may not be the only one. Find a fuel that works for you, and that keeps working for you, and use that as your motivation.

We all need some kind of motivation to help us make the changes we need to make, and since we can't make all those changes overnight, we're going to need a motivator that'll last. Guilt doesn't meet that requirement, so we're going to need some other fuel that does.