From the Archive
Breaking Commandments in the Name of Loving Our Neighbors?
On Sunday June 3rd about 300 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dressed in their Sunday best gathered in downtown Salt Lake City to march in the Gay Pride Parade. Without making any reference to homosexuality I was openly critical of these members for breaking the Sabbath in such a way. My exact argument was as follows:
“It is however ironic that members are bound by covenant to keep the Sabbath day holy (though I admit few do, or even have any idea what that means), so it shows their priorities. In my opinion the covenants a saint has made trumps any temporal engagement. It is telling that many will put their temporal affiliations in front of keeping the commandment. Is it not interesting to you that the pride parade is held on Sunday (it could have been on Saturday) thus making many saints choose, keep the Sabbath as the lord asks or march in a parade?”
The point above is that commandment keeping is a much more important issue than temporal causes; and that any cause that makes one choose between keeping the Laws of God and being seen of men (as these members were) needs to be second tier in importance. Seems simple enough.
It was not long before a BYU Student, referred to my observation on Sabbath breaking as a “Pharisaical, self-righteous adherence to a fairly arbitrary interpretation of Mosaic law”. The student was also kind enough to point out that :
“It is ironic that many people will put a vaguely defined commandment like 'Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy' as a higher priority than the more clearly defined 'love thy neighbor as thyself'. Jesus was pretty explicit when he said "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matt 22:40) It is clear that the commandment to love one another supersedes all others. Jesus himself was accused of Sabbath breaking when he was out ministering. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27). Jesus spent his Sabbath with those cast out by society, those who were looked down upon as sinners. Anyone seeking to emulate his example would do well to prioritize love over Pharisaical, self-righteous adherence to a fairly arbitrary interpretation of Mosaic law.”
It must be stated that I made no reference to any ones affection for or support of homosexuals. Had these members marched in a parade on any of the other six days I would have been silent and would be silent now. Sadly the Command to love thy neighbor cannot, and simply does not, justify individuals who have taken upon them the name of Christ and made oaths and covenants to keep his commands in breaking those commandments, thereby taking the name of the Lord upon them in vain.
Well. Where do we start? Let’s start at the very beginning (it’s a pretty good place to start) with this notion and rationalization which claims that the Sabbath keeping commandment is “a vaguely defined commandment” and the reference to Mark 2:27. Joseph Fielding Smith taught the saints:
“The Commandment to keep holy the Sabbath day is just as binding upon the people on the earth today as it ever was. While it is true that man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man, we should not misinterpret this saying and ignore the great commandment, for that would incur the displeasure of the Lord.”
The Commandment is so high on the Lords list, he made it number 4 of his top 10. Elder Mark E. Peterson spoke directly to the “vaguely defined” commandment during the April 1975 General Conference saying:
“No law in all the scripture has been more clearly defined than that of the Sabbath. From the time of Genesis to our own day, there has been no subject spoken of more directly than the Sabbath.” He goes on to make it clear that this law is “…one of the laws most dear to the heart of God.” Then Elder Peterson laments openly saying “Yet it is noted far more in its desecration than in its acceptance and proper observance.”
So let’s define the Sabbath according to the Lord and his prophets. D&C 68 states that "And the inhabitants of Zion shall also observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy." What does Holy mean? Defines it is simple “exalted or worthy of complete devotion”. The Lord, speaking to the Prophet Joseph Smith clearly defined the Sabbath Day (see D&C 59:9-22):
"And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day; For verily this is a aday appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High… But remember that on this, the Lord’s day, thou shalt offer thine oblations and thy sacraments unto the Most High, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord. And on this day thou shalt do none other thing, only let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect, or, in other words, that thy joy may be full. Verily, this is fasting and prayer, or in other words, rejoicing and prayer."
Now the Lord lays out the wonderful blessings attached to the keeping of the commandment:
"And inasmuch as ye do these things with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts and countenances, not with much laughter, for this is sin, but with a glad heart and a cheerful countenance—Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fullness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth;"
Now as he always the Lord lets us know there is also a curse attached to those, who after taking his name, upon them fail to keep his commandments (this is also known as taking his name in vain):
"And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments. Behold, this is according to the law and the prophets; wherefore, trouble me no more concerning this matter."
In Exodus 31 the Lord spoke to Moses, the lawgiver of Israel (that includes the latter-day descendants of the House of Ephriam) and defined the very special value in observing the times appointed by the Lord himself:
“Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you… Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.”
The Sabbath is a sign to the Lord, and may I add to other men, that his covenant people are willing to do all he asks of us despite any other options presented for our consideration. It is a sign that we, his people are dependent upon him for all things. Finally the Sabbath and the sacraments attached to it is a sign from Lord that he is keenly aware of us and has prepared all things for our good.
Lastly, the BYU student quoted above also commented on the Lord and the Sabbath. He is right that the Lord did spend time among those who were called sinners. In fact the Lord made it clear that they were sinners and King Benjamin makes it clear that all are sinners save the Lamb of God. All of the Lord’s activity was to teach the gospel, call sinners unto repentance and to invite them to follow him and his teachings. At no time do we ever hear of the Christ celebrating with those individuals who sought to live and affirm their sins as was the case on Sunday June 3rd.The pride parade was not a meek recognition of the Lords Laws and it certainly was not a repentant party of individuals seeking greater light from on high. No one at the Pride Parade was teaching the pursuit of righteousness, Law of the Lord and above all no one was calling any kind of repentance. To do those things would be to do the acts of the Christ. The Christ never celebrated with the people he called to repentance, he celebrated after they came to him and followed his teachings, otherwise he was rejected and killed by those who sought their own desire over his pleas for their souls.
The BYU student, and all those who marched on Sunday speak of loving thy neighbor. To teach the gospel of Christ is the upmost expression of love for our neighbors, yet these members of the church did no teaching at the parade, they affirmed all those who saw them. While it is no sin to have inclinations toward homosexuality, the lifestyle is sinful and the Pride Parade was a celebration of the lifestyle. Can we truly love others when we deny that the laws of God are binding upon them? No. We cannot say we truly love anyone if we deny to testify the truth of Jesus Christ and his laws. We cannot be an example if we openly break Gods laws to show our love.
The teachings of Christ as found from the time of Adam to our own include very strict prohibitions on personal conduct no matter what. Thus we see the difference between the love of the lord, which is free to all and the approval of the lord which is reserved only for those who strive, despite all other options, to keep the commandments (If you keep not my commandments, the love of the Father shall not continue with you, therefore you shall walk in darkness D&C 95:12). That is to say that to love Christ, is to keep his Commandments no matter what. Our keeping of the commandments in our own lives shapes our love for our neighbors, becuase by keeping the commanments we become more like christ in our relation to others. Remember how deeply the Lord loved Laman and Lemuel. His hand was constantly stretched forth to them, he manifest his power to them, he plead with them though their kindly and agonized father Lehi, but in his love, he could not deny the law. Lehi is our example here becuase he is an example of Christ.
Nephi teaches us a very specific law "Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; he that is righteous is favored of God."(1 Nephi 17:35) well what does righteous mean? Is the lord also vague on that? No. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf defines righteousness as follows: “We increase our love for our Heavenly Father and demonstrate that love by aligning our thoughts and actions with God’s word. His pure love directs and encourages us to become more pure and holy. It inspires us to walk in righteousness—not out of fear or obligation but out of an earnest desire to become even more like Him because we love Him. By doing so, we can become ‘born again . . . [and] cleansed by blood, even the blood of [the] Only Begotten; that [we] might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory.’ ”( Ensign, Nov 09, Pg 22).
individuals who have taken upon them the name of Christ and made oaths and covenants to keep his commands in breaking those commandments, thereby taking the name of the Lord upon them in vain.
Well. Where do we start? Let’s start at the very beginning (it’s a pretty good place to start) with this notion and rationalization which claims that the Sabbath keeping commandment is “a vaguely defined commandment” and the reference to Mark 2:27. Joseph Fielding Smith taught the saints:
“The Commandment to keep holy the Sabbath day is just as binding upon the people on the earth today as it ever was. While it is true that man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man, we should not misinterpret this saying and ignore the great commandment, for that would incur the displeasure of the Lord.”
The Commandment is so high on the Lords list, he made it number 4 of his top 10. Elder Mark E. Peterson spoke directly to the “vaguely defined” commandment during the April 1975 General Conference saying:
“No law in all the scripture has been more clearly defined than that of the Sabbath. From the time of Genesis to our own day, there has been no subject spoken of more directly than the Sabbath.” He goes on to make it clear that this law is “…one of the laws most dear to the heart of God.” Then Elder Peterson laments openly saying “Yet it is noted far more in its desecration than in its acceptance and proper observance.”
So let’s define the Sabbath according to the Lord and his prophets. D&C 68 states that "And the inhabitants of Zion shall also observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy." What does Holy mean? Defines it is simple “exalted or worthy of complete devotion”. The Lord, speaking to the Prophet Joseph Smith clearly defined the Sabbath Day (see D&C 59:9-22):
"And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day; For verily this is a aday appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High… But remember that on this, the Lord’s day, thou shalt offer thine oblations and thy sacraments unto the Most High, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord. And on this day thou shalt do none other thing, only let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect, or, in other words, that thy joy may be full. Verily, this is fasting and prayer, or in other words, rejoicing and prayer."
Now the Lord lays out the wonderful blessings attached to the keeping of the commandment:
"And inasmuch as ye do these things with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts and countenances, not with much laughter, for this is sin, but with a glad heart and a cheerful countenance—Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fullness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth;"
Now as he always the Lord lets us know there is also a curse attached to those, who after taking his name, upon them fail to keep his commandments (this is also known as taking his name in vain):
"And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments. Behold, this is according to the law and the prophets; wherefore, trouble me no more concerning this matter."
In Exodus 31 the Lord spoke to Moses, the lawgiver of Israel (that includes the latter-day descendants of the House of Ephriam) and defined the very special value in observing the times appointed by the Lord himself:
“Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you… Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.”
The Sabbath is a sign to the Lord, and may I add to other men, that his covenant people are willing to do all he asks of us despite any other options presented for our consideration. It is a sign that we, his people are dependent upon him for all things. Finally the Sabbath and the sacraments attached to it is a sign from Lord that he is keenly aware of us and has prepared all things for our good.
Lastly, the BYU student quoted above also commented on the Lord and the Sabbath. He is right that the Lord did spend time among those who were called sinners. In fact the Lord made it clear that they were sinners and King Benjamin makes it clear that all are sinners save the Lamb of God. All of the Lord’s activity was to teach the gospel, call sinners unto repentance and to invite them to follow him and his teachings. At no time do we ever hear of the Christ celebrating with those individuals who sought to live and affirm their sins as was the case on Sunday June 3rd.The pride parade was not a meek recognition of the Lords Laws and it certainly was not a repentant party of individuals seeking greater light from on high. No one at the Pride Parade was teaching the pursuit of righteousness, Law of the Lord and above all no one was calling any kind of repentance. To do those things would be to do the acts of the Christ. The Christ never celebrated with the people he called to repentance, he celebrated after they came to him and followed his teachings, otherwise he was rejected and killed by those who sought their own desire over his pleas for their souls.
The BYU student, and all those who marched on Sunday speak of loving thy neighbor. To teach the gospel of Christ is the upmost expression of love for our neighbors, yet these members of the church did no teaching at the parade, they affirmed all those who saw them. While it is no sin to have inclinations toward homosexuality, the lifestyle is sinful and the Pride Parade was a celebration of the lifestyle. Can we truly love others when we deny that the laws of God are binding upon them? No. We cannot say we truly love anyone if we deny to testify the truth of Jesus Christ and his laws. We cannot be an example if we openly break Gods laws to show our love.
The teachings of Christ as found from the time of Adam to our own include very strict prohibitions on personal conduct no matter what. Thus we see the difference between the love of the lord, which is free to all and the approval of the lord which is reserved only for those who strive, despite all other options, to keep the commandments (If you keep not my commandments, the love of the Father shall not continue with you, therefore you shall walk in darkness D&C 95:12). That is to say that to love Christ, is to keep his Commandments no matter what. Our keeping of the commandments in our own lives shapes our love for our neighbors, becuase by keeping the commanments we become more like christ in our relation to others. Remember how deeply the Lord loved Laman and Lemuel. His hand was constantly stretched forth to them, he manifest his power to them, he plead with them though their kindly and agonized father Lehi, but in his love, he could not deny the law. Lehi is our example here becuase he is an example of Christ.
Nephi teaches us a very specific law "Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; he that is righteous is favored of God."(1 Nephi 17:35) well what does righteous mean? Is the lord also vague on that? No. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf defines righteousness as follows: “We increase our love for our Heavenly Father and demonstrate that love by aligning our thoughts and actions with God’s word. His pure love directs and encourages us to become more pure and holy. It inspires us to walk in righteousness—not out of fear or obligation but out of an earnest desire to become even more like Him because we love Him. By doing so, we can become ‘born again . . . [and] cleansed by blood, even the blood of [the] Only Begotten; that [we] might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory.’ ”( Ensign, Nov 09, Pg 22).