One troubling aspect of comparing spiritual light to normal light is that it's totally possible to have too much normal light.For example, if I stay out in the sun too long, I'm bound to get a sunburn. As a result, I try to spend most of my time indoors, which only increases my sensitivity to sunlight. However, there is a safe way to build a resistance to the sun's painful effects, and there's a way to interpret this "spiritual light" analogy that makes it clear that spiritual light isn't necessarily dangerous, just painful.
Spiritual light can be painful because God, in His desire to help us improve, often uses spiritual light to reveal our weaknesses. It's painful to acknowledge our weaknesses, and it's even more painful to try to overcome them. Some people try to spare themselves this pain by remaining in the darkness, but that makes them even more vulnerable to spiritual light, including the Light of Christ, which is in everyone. The longer one stays in darkness, the more they are pained by their own conscience, even without exposure to the harsh glare of gospel light.
Yet, exposure to that light can be a part of the solution. I've heard that, given the right amount of sunlight, people can become tan, which lowers their sensitivity to sunlight. In our analogy, this means spending time in the light of the gospel despite knowing that God will help us identify our faults. If we discover, acknowledge, and overcome our faults, that searing light will burn us less and less. Of course, it will always hurt a little bit, since we will always have areas fit for improvement, but if we keep improving, we can eventually reach the point where spiritual light doesn't burn us at all.
Of course, that doesn't mean that we should recklessly expose ourselves to as much light as possible, trusting that we'll gain a resistance to it. Getting too much exposure to light too quickly can give people painful sunburns and can turn them off from the idea of enjoying sunlight altogether. Instead, gradual exposure to light may be wiser. We can use gentle approaches, like daily scripture study and weekly church worship, to help us identify weaknesses and gradually overcome them. As we do, our regular exposure to spiritual light can help prepare us to be constantly in the presence of God's light. Normally, that level of scrutiny would be unbearable, but if we properly prepare for it, we can eventually grow pure enough to endure any amount of spiritual life.
We are nowhere near perfect, and as long as we're imperfect, spiritual light will always hurt us at least a little. We need to make sure that pain doesn't grow too great for us to endure. Instead, we should purify ourselves through regular exposure to light so we can grow comfortable even in the brightest spiritual light. As we are right now, we probably can't handle too much exposure to spiritual light, but if we expose ourselves to as much light as we can endure, we will eventually reach the point where there will be no such thing as too much spiritual light.
Saturday, August 31, 2019
Friday, August 30, 2019
All The Light I Need
In my everyday life, darkness isn't much of a problem anymore. I don't stumble around, bumping into and tripping over things. I can generally get around just fine. Previously, that was because I carried a flashlight on my person. These days, I don't even need that. Whenever I find myself in darkness, I fish my phone out of my pocket, set it to a white screen, and use the light from my phone's screen to see what's in front of me. I don't get much light from my phone, certainly not as much as I'd get from a real flashlight or from regular lights, but it's enough light to help me get by, and I'm perfectly satisfied navigating only by the light of my phone for a few minutes at a time on a regular basis.
In spiritual matters, I'm much harder to satisfy. I usually want to know the reasons for things. I want to know the whole plan, not just the next step of my part in that plan. Basically, I want more spiritual light than I really need. On its own, there's nothing wrong with that. Spiritual light is a good thing, and wanting more of it isn't bad. Still, I need to be willing to act on whatever amount of light I have, even if it's far less than I would like. I may only have a vague idea of what God wants me to do, without knowing what (specifically) would be the best thing to do or why God wants me to do that. Still, a vague idea may be enough. It's certainly enough to allow me to stumble in the right general direction. If that's all God needs from me right now, then that's all the light I really need.
When I navigate by the light of my phone, I only ever get a few steps' worth of light at a time, but that's enough to get me around the house without any issues. Similarly, when I navigate by the light of my faith, I can only see a short distance, but that's enough to get me a short distance of progress, and if the light moves with me, then I'm sure I'll be fine. Sure, I may want to see the whole path, including a detailed look at the places I'll be visiting along the way, but I don't have that much light, and, in a sense, I don't really need it. I have enough light to have a general idea of where I'm going. As long as I follow that light, that's all I really need.
In spiritual matters, I'm much harder to satisfy. I usually want to know the reasons for things. I want to know the whole plan, not just the next step of my part in that plan. Basically, I want more spiritual light than I really need. On its own, there's nothing wrong with that. Spiritual light is a good thing, and wanting more of it isn't bad. Still, I need to be willing to act on whatever amount of light I have, even if it's far less than I would like. I may only have a vague idea of what God wants me to do, without knowing what (specifically) would be the best thing to do or why God wants me to do that. Still, a vague idea may be enough. It's certainly enough to allow me to stumble in the right general direction. If that's all God needs from me right now, then that's all the light I really need.
When I navigate by the light of my phone, I only ever get a few steps' worth of light at a time, but that's enough to get me around the house without any issues. Similarly, when I navigate by the light of my faith, I can only see a short distance, but that's enough to get me a short distance of progress, and if the light moves with me, then I'm sure I'll be fine. Sure, I may want to see the whole path, including a detailed look at the places I'll be visiting along the way, but I don't have that much light, and, in a sense, I don't really need it. I have enough light to have a general idea of where I'm going. As long as I follow that light, that's all I really need.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Divine Destiny
At Institute this afternoon, I saw a New Era article titled Divine Destiny. The article ended up being about a person named Destiny, but still, it got me thinking, do we have a divine destiny? If so, what is it?
I know that we all have a divine potential. Any and all of us can live righteously, follow the Gospel, and eventually become as God is. We can become divine. But there's no guarantee that that will happen. Destiny is, by many descriptions, certain. They say that one's destiny cannot be avoided. In contrast, it's so easy to avoid exaltation that most people do it by accident. We have divine potential, but we're not destined to achieve it.
However, we are "destined" to be resurrected. Everyone who has ever lived will be given an immortal body, the same kind of body God has. One might even call it a "divine" body. And everyone who has ever set foot on Earth will get one. So, in the sense that we are all "destined" to receive a "divine" body, I suppose one can say that we all have a divine destiny, but I don't think that's really what one thinks of when one thinks of having a Divine Destiny. I think we mean something more than just a body that never gets sick, injured, or tired, as awesome as that is. I want more from my divine destiny, but I know that I'm not guaranteed to get it.
There are diverging thoughts on the subject of destiny. Some say that destiny is something that is bound to happen, whether we want it to or not. Some say that whatever happens is what was destined to happen, even if it took work and/or luck to make it happen. Some say that destiny doesn't exist. I suppose I could pick a definition and start splitting hairs, but determining whether I have a "divine destiny" or not isn't going to change how the world works. We all have divine potential, but it's up to us to determine whether we live up to that potential. Sure, whether we end up getting exalted or not may have been "destined" (or rather, "predicted") since before the dawn of time or whatever, but it's still up to us to make it happen, and it's still on us if we don't. We determine our own destinies, and we decide by our actions whether our destinies are divine.
I know that we all have a divine potential. Any and all of us can live righteously, follow the Gospel, and eventually become as God is. We can become divine. But there's no guarantee that that will happen. Destiny is, by many descriptions, certain. They say that one's destiny cannot be avoided. In contrast, it's so easy to avoid exaltation that most people do it by accident. We have divine potential, but we're not destined to achieve it.
However, we are "destined" to be resurrected. Everyone who has ever lived will be given an immortal body, the same kind of body God has. One might even call it a "divine" body. And everyone who has ever set foot on Earth will get one. So, in the sense that we are all "destined" to receive a "divine" body, I suppose one can say that we all have a divine destiny, but I don't think that's really what one thinks of when one thinks of having a Divine Destiny. I think we mean something more than just a body that never gets sick, injured, or tired, as awesome as that is. I want more from my divine destiny, but I know that I'm not guaranteed to get it.
There are diverging thoughts on the subject of destiny. Some say that destiny is something that is bound to happen, whether we want it to or not. Some say that whatever happens is what was destined to happen, even if it took work and/or luck to make it happen. Some say that destiny doesn't exist. I suppose I could pick a definition and start splitting hairs, but determining whether I have a "divine destiny" or not isn't going to change how the world works. We all have divine potential, but it's up to us to determine whether we live up to that potential. Sure, whether we end up getting exalted or not may have been "destined" (or rather, "predicted") since before the dawn of time or whatever, but it's still up to us to make it happen, and it's still on us if we don't. We determine our own destinies, and we decide by our actions whether our destinies are divine.
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Should Kharagon Kill the Carrots?
D&D is weird. Apparently, a wizard enchanted some carrots to enhance their flavor, but the enchantment had a side effect of making the carrots sentient. Seemingly, these carrots distributed themselves to various restaurants and got themselves eaten. Many of the people who ate the carrots subsequently transformed into rabbits, which was a major inconvenience. We have found a cure for the carrot-eaters' rabbitiness, so they'll all soon go back to normal, but the question remains of what to do with the remaining carrots. The wizard who made them strongly suggested burning them so they couldn't cause any more problems, and I initially agreed, but given more time to reflect, I'm no longer certain that my character, Kharagon, should help destroy the remaining sentient carrots.
The carrots that got themselves eaten are, arguably, worthy of punishment. They deliberately put themselves in a position where they knew it was likely that they would be eaten, and the result of being eaten was that those who had eaten them were magically transformed. This is similar to drugging a person, for which the eaten carrots should be punished, but they are no longer around. Besides, I'm not sure we can assume evil intent on the carrots' part. They knew they were likely to be eaten, but I don't know if they knew that they would transform those who ate them. Also, some responsibility falls on the restaurants for serving carrots that clearly had not been sufficiently tested, but I imagine that most of those restaurants were unaware that the carrots were magical. The carrots seemed to intend to be eaten, and I believe that it's partly their fault that they succeeded.
Yet, the eaten carrots are not the ones currently slated to be burned. It is the uneaten carrots that remain to be punished. Attempted drugging is certainly worthy of punishment (if we assume malicious intent), but how much punishment would be just? What punishment, if any, should the uneaten carrots face? Death by fire is too extreme a punishment for all but the worst crimes. I think that it's morally wrong to burn to death carrots who may not have intended to transform anyone into rabbits and, in fact, did not. And now that we know that the transformations are caused by eating those carrots, the transformations can be prevented simply by refraining from eating those carrots. All we have to do is spread the news about the carrots, and the transformations will probably stop. We don't really need to destroy the carrots until and unless they prove harmful even to those who know better than to eat them.
Of course, I'm probably overthinking this. There are weird, magic carrots transforming people into rabbits. We are obviously supposed to destroy them. But I like thinking through these odd moral situations and considering what should be done, even if it isn't what the characters will actually do. I suppose, then, that the best thing to do (besides not eating carrots) would be to put the carrots on trial, determine if they had malicious intent, potentially punish them (though probably not fatally), and find a place where the carrots can live in peace and harmony with their neighbors. If the carrots prove incapable of living in harmony with others, then more drastic measures may be considered, but burning the carrots alive shouldn't be our first choice. So, no, Kharagon should not kill the carrots, at least not in this way or at this time. There may yet be a peaceful solution to the problem with the carrots.
The carrots that got themselves eaten are, arguably, worthy of punishment. They deliberately put themselves in a position where they knew it was likely that they would be eaten, and the result of being eaten was that those who had eaten them were magically transformed. This is similar to drugging a person, for which the eaten carrots should be punished, but they are no longer around. Besides, I'm not sure we can assume evil intent on the carrots' part. They knew they were likely to be eaten, but I don't know if they knew that they would transform those who ate them. Also, some responsibility falls on the restaurants for serving carrots that clearly had not been sufficiently tested, but I imagine that most of those restaurants were unaware that the carrots were magical. The carrots seemed to intend to be eaten, and I believe that it's partly their fault that they succeeded.
Yet, the eaten carrots are not the ones currently slated to be burned. It is the uneaten carrots that remain to be punished. Attempted drugging is certainly worthy of punishment (if we assume malicious intent), but how much punishment would be just? What punishment, if any, should the uneaten carrots face? Death by fire is too extreme a punishment for all but the worst crimes. I think that it's morally wrong to burn to death carrots who may not have intended to transform anyone into rabbits and, in fact, did not. And now that we know that the transformations are caused by eating those carrots, the transformations can be prevented simply by refraining from eating those carrots. All we have to do is spread the news about the carrots, and the transformations will probably stop. We don't really need to destroy the carrots until and unless they prove harmful even to those who know better than to eat them.
Of course, I'm probably overthinking this. There are weird, magic carrots transforming people into rabbits. We are obviously supposed to destroy them. But I like thinking through these odd moral situations and considering what should be done, even if it isn't what the characters will actually do. I suppose, then, that the best thing to do (besides not eating carrots) would be to put the carrots on trial, determine if they had malicious intent, potentially punish them (though probably not fatally), and find a place where the carrots can live in peace and harmony with their neighbors. If the carrots prove incapable of living in harmony with others, then more drastic measures may be considered, but burning the carrots alive shouldn't be our first choice. So, no, Kharagon should not kill the carrots, at least not in this way or at this time. There may yet be a peaceful solution to the problem with the carrots.
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Creative Limitations
I have an interest in writing in writing fiction, especially fantasy because I like the idea of writing characters and worlds into existence. I like the idea of having an image in my head, describing it, and having that image appear in others' heads as well. I like the idea of having others explore those worlds and those characters and the questions they raise. I want to create things and watch others interact with them.
If I become a god, I may or may not be able to do that.
Naturally, gods can create worlds. However, gods may have to limit their creations to worlds that are physically possible. I don't know if God could create worlds with floating mountains and dragons and magic. God created our world within certain physical limitations. Other creations may have the same limits, making some worlds impossible to create.
Also, God can create people, but I don't know if He can create specific people, according to a mental image in His head. I don't know if He can make people exactly the way He wants them to be, with all the abilities, weaknesses, backstory, and characteristics He wants them to have. Seems to me like He creates people and then lets them have whatever experiences they have and turn out however they turn out. God does not (maybe cannot) create specific people to fill specific roles in fabricated narratives.
And even if He could create whatever worlds and characters He could dream of, I'm not sure how well He can share His creations with others. Can gods visit each other and look at each others' creations? We never hear about God interacting with other gods. Maybe it can happen, and we just don't know about it, but my point is that we don't know.
We don't know if God has as much creative freedom with His creations as the average fantasy author has with his. I don't know if God can create worlds that defy the laws of physics. I don't know if God can create characters with personalities that perfectly fit the stories He wants to tell. And I don't know if God can share His creations with anyone other than His creations.
But I know I can. So, I'm going to enjoy this while it lasts. I'm going to create whatever convoluted worlds I can dream of and characters designed to tell the stories I want to tell, and I'm going to share them with whomever I want to share them with, because I know I might not be able to later. I know that Godhood grants greater power than I can imagine, and I look forward to exercising those powers when I can, but those powers may have limitations that the average mortal fantasy author doesn't have. So, while I strive to prove worthy of greater powers, I also plan on using the powers I have now while I still can, especially in ways that take advantage of my current relative lack of limitations.
I'll create whatever worlds I can when I can, but in the meantime, I'm going to write into existence whatever worlds I want to write into existence, whether or not they could ever actually exist.
If I become a god, I may or may not be able to do that.
Naturally, gods can create worlds. However, gods may have to limit their creations to worlds that are physically possible. I don't know if God could create worlds with floating mountains and dragons and magic. God created our world within certain physical limitations. Other creations may have the same limits, making some worlds impossible to create.
Also, God can create people, but I don't know if He can create specific people, according to a mental image in His head. I don't know if He can make people exactly the way He wants them to be, with all the abilities, weaknesses, backstory, and characteristics He wants them to have. Seems to me like He creates people and then lets them have whatever experiences they have and turn out however they turn out. God does not (maybe cannot) create specific people to fill specific roles in fabricated narratives.
And even if He could create whatever worlds and characters He could dream of, I'm not sure how well He can share His creations with others. Can gods visit each other and look at each others' creations? We never hear about God interacting with other gods. Maybe it can happen, and we just don't know about it, but my point is that we don't know.
We don't know if God has as much creative freedom with His creations as the average fantasy author has with his. I don't know if God can create worlds that defy the laws of physics. I don't know if God can create characters with personalities that perfectly fit the stories He wants to tell. And I don't know if God can share His creations with anyone other than His creations.
But I know I can. So, I'm going to enjoy this while it lasts. I'm going to create whatever convoluted worlds I can dream of and characters designed to tell the stories I want to tell, and I'm going to share them with whomever I want to share them with, because I know I might not be able to later. I know that Godhood grants greater power than I can imagine, and I look forward to exercising those powers when I can, but those powers may have limitations that the average mortal fantasy author doesn't have. So, while I strive to prove worthy of greater powers, I also plan on using the powers I have now while I still can, especially in ways that take advantage of my current relative lack of limitations.
I'll create whatever worlds I can when I can, but in the meantime, I'm going to write into existence whatever worlds I want to write into existence, whether or not they could ever actually exist.
Monday, August 26, 2019
Party Balance
In D&D and most other Role-Playing Games, there are a variety of classes one might play, including Fighters, Wizards, Clerics, Rogues, Druids, Paladins, etc., and each class has their own sets of abilities. Each class excels in different areas. Some specialize in combat, some wield potent magic, some do well in social encounters, and so on. Since each class has different skillsets, many adventuring parties try to have members in a variety of classes, so, no matter what comes up, they'll have at least one or two party members who can handle it. Having a balance of different classes is the key to some groups' success.
We have something similar in the church. Instead of classes, we each have different Gifts of the Spirit. Some prophesy, some preach, some teach, some do service, some coordinate and/or supervise the doing of service, and so on. We don't all have the same role in the church, just as not all adventurers have the same role in the party. The system works when we all use our gifts, fulfill our roles, and work together.
The key is to have unity in spite of our differences and to use those differences as a strength. A party of all arcane spellcasters might be interesting, but they could quickly get into trouble if a physical fight broke out and they all started needing healing. Similarly, having a church or a ward whose members all have the same spiritual gifts might lead to interesting results, just probably not productive ones. In the church and in role-playing games, we need different kinds of people fulfilling different roles so we can, together, handle the various problems that come our way. We don't all have the right tools for every job. We need different people with different tools to make sure we can get the job done.
We have something similar in the church. Instead of classes, we each have different Gifts of the Spirit. Some prophesy, some preach, some teach, some do service, some coordinate and/or supervise the doing of service, and so on. We don't all have the same role in the church, just as not all adventurers have the same role in the party. The system works when we all use our gifts, fulfill our roles, and work together.
The key is to have unity in spite of our differences and to use those differences as a strength. A party of all arcane spellcasters might be interesting, but they could quickly get into trouble if a physical fight broke out and they all started needing healing. Similarly, having a church or a ward whose members all have the same spiritual gifts might lead to interesting results, just probably not productive ones. In the church and in role-playing games, we need different kinds of people fulfilling different roles so we can, together, handle the various problems that come our way. We don't all have the right tools for every job. We need different people with different tools to make sure we can get the job done.
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Hymns
Today, I was reminded that I love hymns. There are some hymns that I don't love, hymns that are sung too slowly or go on too long, but there are other hymns that have a lot of energy in them and that invigorate me when I sing them. I should probably make a list of hymns I love and make a point of singing them occasionally. I find that life is better with good music in it, and good hymns are about as good as music gets.
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