I had the opportunity and privilege of attending the Temple with one of my former YW who will be reporting to the MTC in September for her mission. I was out of town when she went through for the first time which made me very sad. When I got back in town she set up a time for us to go together because she really wanted to go with me, how sweet is that? As a teacher you look around the room and wonder which of your girls will make it and which will fall prey to the teachings of man, or as the scriptures like to refer- the arm of flesh. You hope and fervently pray on their behalf that your class will be the exception while knowing the odds. Knowing these odds makes the times when you get to celebrate all the more special.
While T and I were sitting in the chapel of the Temple I was talking with her about how she could spend that time. I showed her where the creation was explained in Moses so she could start there if she wanted to. I took the opportunity to read in Moses while I was there and was pulled into chapter 5. I couldn't stop thinking about Cain.
There are so many exciting things happening in the church right now with missionary work. There are 58 new missions this year bringing the total missions up to 405. 173 new mission presidents were called this year, which is more than have ever been called at one time.
While all of these exciting things are happening there are many who are falling away. There are many who are getting torn away with all the controversy of sexual orientation. We've had the boy scouts controversy and now DOMA being overturned, but even before those things I was hearing something eerily familiar to something Cain said, "I am free," after he slew his brother Abel.
I would say that a pretty common reason I hear when someone decides to leave the church is freedom. "I am now free from feeling guilty." I have heard that same thing in many forms and varieties. They want freedom from not feeling like they have to attend church, not feeling guilty about wanting to play sports on Sunday, not feeling guilty about not being perfect, not feeling guilty from needing to change, wanting freedom to support (by marching or putting equal signs on everything) my friend or loved one who is struggling with same gender attraction- it's really about the argument of making laws, or a variety of sins that the world doesn't categorize as sin.
This freedom IN sin is as old as Cain and Abel. In reading chapter 5 of Moses you can see how it happened. Cain loved Satan more than he loved the Lord. He gave a sacrifice that he thought would be good enough, but it wasn't.
"Satan commanded Cain, “Make an offering unto the Lord.” For his sacrifice Cain brought crops from his field. God could not accept Cain’s offering because Cain did not have faith in God. In giving his sacrifice, Cain was obeying Satan, not God. Satan knew Cain’s offering would not be accepted, and he was pleased that he had led someone to do wrong." 1984 Liahona "Cain and Abel"
Really what it came down to is Cain being jealous of Abel. He couldn't understand how his sacrifice was not acceptable. He didn't like feeling bad about himself. He didn't like that his brother was perfect. How often do we hear today that "God is a God of love. He doesn't make imperfections. I can do whatever I want because of His love. He wouldn't want me to feel bad about myself. etc......" Of course Cain felt free.
He was - according to his understanding -and to what he had been tricked into believing.
He was free from having to repent and make a change.
Woohoo!
I bet he felt amazing for a minute because he "gloried in his wickedness."
What he didn't realize is that this freedom was actually his bondage and his cursing.
I think that today, just like Cain, many find solace in the modern and progressive views of the supposed majority to excuse themselves from being obedient to God......because there isn't one, right? Cain thought he could hide killing Abel from the Lord. It doesn't matter if everyone is doing it or trying to make laws to make sin acceptable. You are still accountable.
The hard and confusing part is showing love and compassion to those who say "who is the Lord that I should know him?" Or those that think they do know him and he is OK with their sin. We are being divided and ripped apart as a nation and I know that the Adversary is loving it. We have to continue to learn to love the sinner and not the sin. To have compassion, but not condone.
Isn't it interesting that those screaming the loudest for tolerance and love are showing forth the most hatred for anyone wanting to be obedient to God's laws?
And, it's about to get a lot worse.
But, rest assured, this same battle has been waging on this earth since the beginning of time. Even farther back than that, our pre-mortal life, and we know who wins!
Below is the account found in Moses 5.
You can also find it in Genesis 4.
16 And Adam and Eve, his wife, ceased not to call upon God. And Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bare a Cain, and said: I have gotten a man from the Lord; wherefore he may not reject his words. But behold, Cain b hearkened not, saying: Who is the Lord that I should c know him?
17 And she again conceived and bare his brother Abel. And Abela hearkened unto the voice of the Lord. And b Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
18 And Cain a loved Satan more than God. And Satan commanded him, saying: b Make an offering unto the Lord.
19 And in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of thea fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.
20 And Abel, he also brought of the a firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had b respect unto Abel, and to hisc offering;
21 But unto Cain, and to his a offering, he had not respect. Now Satan knew this, and it b pleased him. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
23 If thou doest well, thou shalt be a accepted. And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door, and Satan b desireth to have thee; and except thou shalt hearken unto my commandments, I willc deliver thee up, and it shall be unto thee according to his desire. And thou shalt d rule over him;
24 For from this time forth thou shalt be the father of his a lies; thou shalt be called b Perdition; for thou wast also c before the world.
25 And it shall be said in time to come—That these abominations were had from a Cain; for he rejected the greater counsel which was had from God; and this is a b cursing which I will put upon thee, except thou repent.
26 And Cain was wroth, and listened not any more to the voice of the Lord, neither to Abel, his brother, who walked in holiness before the Lord.
27 And Adam and his wife a mourned before the Lord, because of Cain and his brethren.
28 And it came to pass that Cain took one of his brothers’ daughters to a wife, and they b loved Satan more than God.
29 And Satan said unto Cain: a Swear unto me by thy throat, and if thou tell it thou shalt die; and swear thy brethren by their heads, and by the living God, that they tell it not; for if they tell it, they shall surely die; and this that thy father may not know it; and this day I will deliver thy brother Abel into thine hands.
30 And Satan sware unto Cain that he would do according to hisa commands. And all these things were done in secret.
31 And Cain said: Truly I am Mahan, the master of this greata secret, that I may b murder and get c gain. Wherefore Cain was called Master d Mahan, and he gloried in his wickedness.
32 And Cain went into the field, and Cain talked with Abel, his brother. And it came to pass that while they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and slew him.
33 And Cain a gloried in that which he had done, saying: I am free; surely the b flocks of my brother falleth into my hands.
34 And the Lord said unto Cain: Where is Abel, thy brother? And he said: I know not. Am I my brother’s a keeper?
35 And the Lord said: What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s a blood cries unto me from the ground.
36 And now thou shalt be a cursed from the earth which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand.
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