Virtue Yields to Righteousness

“The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a great whole.  It requires an overall harmony between all its parts to be understood.  Without that overall harmony it is jarring and discordant.

The problem with apostasy is that it forfeits truths which are necessary in order to comprehend the majesty of Christ’s teachings.  Those truths which get retained are not kept in balance with the rest.  Simple virtues are kept while overall righteousness is forfeited.

No one can argue with the virtue of tolerance.  But it is constrained and governed inside a larger context that prevents permissiveness and sloth.

No one can argue with the virtue of obedience.  Indeed, obedience is itself one of the bedrock requirements of the Gospel.  But divorced from the other virtues inside of which it is regulated, obedience can become a terrible weapon used to separate people from God’s Holy Spirit and drive them into submission to “Popes and Priests.”  (Any man believed to be incapable of leading you into error is a “Pope.”)

No one can argue against the virtue of patience.  But when it is urged to prevent necessary action to develop a god-like people, then it has become a tool for deception and error and not a virtue at all.

Take any virtue and remove it from its overall context within the great Gospel whole and you see how apostasy can warp a people.  They retain the conviction that they are still God’s chosen disciples, because the virtues they practice are, in fact, godly.  However, they have become distorted, bloated and swollen.  They are without harmony, capable of great evil or neglect, all the while celebrating their fidelity to the “truth” as they understand it.

You MUST understand doctrine.  You MUST study the scriptures.  But more important than anything else, you MUST seek to gain further light and knowledge by conversing with the Lord directly…” (Philosophies of men)

“Virtue is almost always passive, constraining from abrupt and improper behavior. It contains and limits. It is a strong barrier against misconduct. It has protocols and expects behavior to be mild. It is not the same as righteousness. Righteousness will often require or impose action — sometimes action that exceeds mere virtue. Nephi was constrained to kill Laban. Elijah mocked the false priests. Christ rebuked the Scribes and Pharisees as unclean “whited sepulchers” filled with rot and decay. These kinds of righteous actions are not ungoverned or spontaneous. They are carefully controlled and are undertaken only when the priesthood holder, whose thoughts are virtuous and disciplined, is led by the power of the holy ghost to rebuke sharply. Virtue can be offended by righteousness. Righteousness controls, and virtue surrenders. Whenever it is necessary to do so, virtue yields every time to righteousness.” (Glossary Virtue)

"Conformity to the Divine Law. God measures differently than does man. Being “righteous before God” may not mean the same thing one thinks “righteousness” means. Man wants outward signs, symbols, dress, grooming, and conformity. God looks at the intent of the heart. Righteousness comes by obedience. Obedience requires action. Without conforming conduct to the Lord’s commandments, it is impossible to enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Glossary Righteousness) 

“... And yet, we look sometimes at righteousness, and we say it can never be so because it is not virtuous. Because we overlay virtue atop righteousness—and it does not work and never has worked that way. Righteousness controls, and virtue surrenders. And virtue yields every time to righteousness—else Abraham could never have been commanded to slay his son. Because that was not virtuous. Therefore,

 

Melchizedek was a man of righteousness; …when a child he feared God [not man], …stopped the mouths of lions, …quenched the violence of fire. …thus, having been approved of God [not man]… (JST Genesis 14:26-27) 

In fact, to be approved of God, in many cases, will make you offensive to man. But the opinions, and the vagaries, and the fashions of men, the opinion-polling and the drifts of what is and what is not popular at one point or another are damnable. They ought not even be considered. Righteousness does not give any regard to such things. And yet, it may be virtuous… It may be virtuous to be a limp-wristed, weepy, happy-go-lucky, “have a nice day” kind of chap… But righteousness will kick his ass everyday.

…having been approved of God… (Ibid)

It is God—and God’s approval alone—that matters. It is what God regards of you. It is what is in your heart, because God can detect what is in your heart. God knows why you do what you do. God knows why you say what you say. God knows what is in your thoughts. Therefore, to be approved of God is to be weighed against the standard of righteousness and not the whims of fashion. Fashion will come and go. Ideas will be popular or unpopular. Righteousness will endure forever. This. This. This is the kind of man upon whom the words get spoken, “My Son.”” (Virtue yields to righteousness)

“There is a difference between virtue and righteousness. Virtue is laudable, required and necessary, but righteousness has priority. Virtue surrenders to righteousness, not vice-versa. 

The point can be illustrated from scripture:

It is not virtuous to kill. Nephi was repulsed at the idea, but the Lord required it, and Nephi complied. The doctrinal reasons justifying the killing are set out in The Second Comforter, and there were sufficient reasons both under the Law of Moses and the Lord’s standards of judgment to vindicate the Lord’s decision to kill Laban. The killing was offensive to virtue, but it was righteous.

It is not virtuous to mockingly taunt others. Yet Elijah was pursuing a righteous course against the priests of Baal when he did just that: “And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.” (1 Kings 18: 27.) Mocking is both unvirtuous and uncouth, and in this context would qualify only as righteous.

It is not virtuous to rail against the religious leaders of any faith. Yet John the Baptist rebuked the Scribes and Pharisees as a generation of vipers: “Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Luke 3: 7.) This term of derision, “generation of vipers” is graphic and in context it is both offensive and uncouth. Yet he was a righteous man, moreso than any other apart from Christ. (Luke 7: 28.)

It was not virtuous for Christ to rebuke His accusers: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! … for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, … ye fools and blind…” (Matt. 23: 14-17.) The language of the Lord here is quite blunt, uncouth and in the context of that language, gutteral. It was righteous, but not an example of virtuous language.

It was worse still for Christ to call Herod “that fox.” This is a term of derision comparable in our own language to calling someone a “son of a bitch.” (Luke 13: 32.) Yet it was righteous, justified and appropriate.

It was blunt and threatening for Joseph to tell his guards in Liberty Jail: “SILENCE, ye fiends of the infernal pit. In the name of Jesus Christ I rebuke you, and command you to be still; I will not live another minute and hear such language. Cease such talk, or you or I die THIS INSTANT!” (Taken from The Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, emphasis in original.) Calling another a “fiend of the infernal pit” is quite abrasive and offensive; it was intended to be so.

Those who prefer virtue to righteousness will handicap their ability to work for the Lord’s ends. He will always require righteousness to be done. When someone prefers virtue and neglects righteousness, or condemns the righteous for their lack of virtue, their inappropriate standard serves only one purpose. It gets applied against the one proposing to use it. They get to be measured by the standard they apply. (Matt. 7: 22.)

I choose to look at Elijah, John the Baptist, Christ and Joseph Smith, as well as any other person moved to rebuke me or anyone else by the power of the Holy Ghost as fully justified and Christlike. I do not resist the challenge of a righteous rebuke. I welcome them. No one should feel they cannot “damn” me. I’ll consider it important and will respond with my defense, or an apology if I think it is warranted.

It is important for you to know that I do not think Christ is a limp-wristed, lisping chap who dotes on us and has nothing but bouquets of flowers to dispense to us. I think He’s about to return in judgment, dressed in red to burn the wicked. He has said that is who He is and I believe Him. I would like to have as many people take that seriously and consider repenting. We are mistaken in our belief that we are chosen. We are mistaken when we think we are too good to be in need of continual repentance. We are nothing before God. We are about to see His judgments. I know these ideas make me irritating.

As Hugh Nibley put it, “there is nothing so irritating as being awakened from a sound sleep.” But my hope is to awaken some few. Therefore, it is worth offending a great number if the result benefit a few. That is the way things work here and I am quite realistic about it all…”  (Virtue and Righteousness) 

Hugh Nibley had this to say about repentance, “Who is righteous? Anyone who is repenting. No matter how bad he has been, if he is repenting he is a righteous man. There is hope for him. And no matter how good he has been all his life, if he is not repenting, he is a wicked man. The difference is which way you are facing. The man on the top of the stairs facing down is much worse off than the man on the bottom step who is facing up. The direction we are facing, that is repentance; and that is what determines whether we are good or bad.”

“Whoever desires life must travel on the road of righteousness.” 

“Without any of us saying a word, righteousness will come from Jesus Christ.”

“Lies are oxygen to the wicked as truth is to the righteous.”

“Respond only to the righteous criticism from righteous people in a righteous way.”

John Wrested Much; More Being Wrested Today ... Few Take Notice!

Today most believe and accept John the Baptist as one sent by God. We have scriptural records and history to back up this view, but it was not until further revelations given through the Prophet Joseph Smith that we began to more fully understood and take notice of the events and the great significance of it all.

Here is what was revealed through Joseph Smith:

“Which gospel is the gospel of repentance and of baptism, and the remission of sins, and the law of carnal commandments, which the Lord in his wrath caused to continue with the house of Aaron among the children of Israel until John, whom God raised up, being filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb. For he was baptized while he was yet in his childhood, and was ordained by the angel of God at the time he was eight days old unto this power, to overthrow the kingdom of the Jews, and to make straight the way of the Lord before the face of his people, to prepare them for the coming of the Lord, in whose hand is given all power.” (D&C 84:27-28)

The Greatness and Mission of John the Baptist:

(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Pages 275-276, emphasis added)

The question arose from the saying of Jesus--"Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." How is it that John was considered one of the greatest prophets? His miracles could not have constituted his greatness.

First. He was entrusted with a divine mission of preparing the way before the face of the Lord. Whoever had such a trust committed to him before or since? No man.

Secondly. He was entrusted with the important mission, and it was required at his hands, to baptize the Son of Man. Whoever had the honor of doing that? Whoever had so great a privilege and glory? Whoever led the Son of God into the waters of baptism, and had the privilege of beholding the Holy Ghost descend in the form of a dove, or rather in the sign of the dove, in witness of that administration? The sign of the dove was instituted before the creation of the world, a witness for the Holy Ghost, and the devil cannot come in the sign of a dove. The Holy Ghost is a personage, and is in the form of a personage. It does not confine itself to the form of the dove, but in sign of the dove. The Holy Ghost cannot be transformed into a dove; but the sign of a dove was given to John to signify the truth of the deed, as the dove is an emblem or token of truth and innocence.

Thirdly. John, at that time, was the only legal administrator in the affairs of the kingdom there was then on the earth, and holding the keys of power. The Jews had to obey his instructions or be damned, by their own law; and Christ Himself fulfilled all righteousness in becoming obedient to the law which he had given to Moses on the mount, and thereby magnified it and made it honorable, instead of destroying it. The son of Zacharias wrested the keys, the kingdom, the power, the glory from the Jews, by the holy anointing and decree of heaven, and these three reasons constitute him the greatest prophet born of a woman.

At the time John acted among the Jews, the great hidden effort behind the scenes required to bring to pass John the Baptist's mission went almost entirely unnoticed. Certainly, the Jews failed to pay adequate attention to John's mission and didn't even give thought about what he was doing right before their very eyes. As John, the son of Zacharias, wrested the keys, the kingdom, the power, the glory from the Jews, the bonafide religious leaders of the Jews were oblivious and unaware of the momentous events in motion that would cause overwhelming effects to them and their precious kingdom.

God's house is a house of order. He does it according to patterns. It is not God's purpose to abandon the restoration, but it is His purpose to preserve the restoration, which at this moment is in terrible jeopardy. The restoration itself must be rescued and preserved. If you cannot detect the terrible changes it has undergone and is now undergoing, then you are blind indeed. Shall God forget the work he began through Joseph? Shall this now universally downward course be permitted without His hand being bared again? Or shall a kind and merciful God take steps to give us a chance to preserve it with His assistance, if we choose to act?

What if the LDS church has, in fact, gone far enough astray from the restoration through Joseph Smith that God has now determined it best to order His house differently before His return (second coming)? What if God has already called a servant today that He has entrusted with a divine mission of preparing the way before the face of the Lord? What if the servant He has called today is the only legal administrator in the affairs of the kingdom here currently on the earth? What if the servant is holding the keys of power? What if the gentiles today have to obey his instructions or be damned, by their own law? What if God's servant has been ordained and received authority from God unto this power, to overthrow the kingdom of the gentiles (LDS church specifically), and to make straight the way of the Lord before the face of his people, to prepare them for the coming of the Lord, in whose hand is given all power? What if the servant of God today has already commenced his important mission? What if he has faithfully heeded the word of God and thereby wrested the keys, the kingdom, the power, the glory from the LDS church, gentile religious leaders, and the entire hierarchy of power, by the holy anointing and decree of heaven? What if the bonafide religious leaders of the gentile LDS church are presently oblivious and unaware of the momentous events in motion here and now that will cause overwhelming effects to them and their precious kingdom?

If this has indeed happened and proceeding forward under the direction of God, would your perspectives change? Would this cause you to reconsider your beliefs, actions, and focus? Would it be apparent to you and even necessary to repent, change and face God, and pay close attention to His word, declarations, and instructions as you hear His voice coming to you, “whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same”? Are the gentiles today much different than the Jews were two millennial ago? God ordered His house differently among the Jews preparing them for the coming of the Lord (first coming) and now He is reordering His house among the gentiles preparing for His second coming. Is this particular pattern of God plain and obvious to you now or do you suppose it is just by chance?

If you are interested in reading the words of the servant about this very issue, here is a link, from which this post is based and partially quoted:  

(Lecture #10 – Preserving the Restoration, Pages 6-8 … and more)

Truth … Anything More or Less is Evil

“There is an alarming statement in D&C 93. It follows the definition of truth found in D&C 93:24: “Whatsoever is more or less than this is the spirit of that wicked one who was a liar from the beginning”(D&C 93: 25); meaning that we are all required to find the truth. Anything more or anything less is evil and means we have been deceived. In addition, the follow up to the parable of the Ten Virgins found in D&C 45:56-57 warns everyone that the five foolish virgins who will not take truth as their guide are going to be hewn down and cast into the fire.

These decisions about what truth you must accept are important, but can only be made by trusting the Spirit. You should look to the Spirit for the answer to where and what is truth in this day of so much deception. Marketing, by its very nature, is deception. (See, The Marketing of Evil: How Radicals, Elitists, and Pseudo-Experts Sell Us Corruption Disguised As Freedom, by David Kupelian) All of modern commerce is based on deceiving you. Making you think you need something when you do not. Exciting your envy to get you to purchase something you really don’t need. So when it comes to the truth, you will need to demonstrate some “sales resistance” to Satan, and not be fooled into rejecting truth although it comes from a lone voice, crying from the wilderness (as has been so often the Lord’s pattern in the past)." (DS 2-23-10)

“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judæa, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” (Matthew 3:1-3) 
 

“For he was baptized while he was yet in his childhood, and was ordained by the angel of God at the time he was eight days old unto this power, to overthrow the kingdom of the Jews, and to make straight the way of the Lord before the face of his people, to prepare them for the coming of the Lord, in whose hand is given all power.” (D&C 84:28)

Since John the Baptist was ordained by the angel of God to overthrow the kingdom of the Jews and to prepare the people for the coming of the Lord the first time (2,000 years ago), would you expect a man today to be ordained to overthrow the kingdom of the Gentiles, to say, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”, to make straight the way of the Lord before the face of his people, and to prepare them for the SECOND coming of the Lord?

Does the Spirit ratify the things that are taught and comes from a lone voice presently among us today, crying from the wilderness and declaring that the heavens are open for business? What if the Lord's work is again underway and His offering to you is valid and in force today, as His voice clearly declares, “... how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart.” (3 Nephi 10:6)

If this, in fact, is the case today (and I believe it is), would it seem reasonable to take notice and study God's message given through His messenger, who is His mortal angel and a modern John the Baptist? If this is indeed true, why would anyone doubt or fail to give strict heed to the message and gratefully receive precisely what God offers today?