"Eternal Measures"
Sandra Rogers
February 6, 2001
Nestled among the books of the prophets called of God to preach repentance to the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah is the marvelous Book of Daniel. In chapter five we find the dramatic handwriting on the wall episode. During one of his more riotous royal parties, King Belshazzar decides that he and his guests should drink intoxicating toasts to a few false gods using the sacred gold and silver cups which his father had taken into captivity from the temple in Jerusalem. (Daniel 5:1-5)
At the height of the merriment, the fingers of a man's hand suddenly appeared and wrote upon the wall of the banquet hall. When the regular soothsayers of the King were stumped, Daniel was called to interpret the handwriting on the wall. Daniel told Belshazzar, (see Daniel 5:22-23), "you have listed up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and ... have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is...thou hast not glorified:"
Then Daniel explained God's message that Belshazzar will lose his kingdom, because he had been "weighed in the balances and ... found wanting." (Daniel 5:27) Belshazzar's life and choices had been measured by God and were found inadequate; he had been caught short and as a consequence would lose everything he had thought was important.
For those of us who believe that mortality is the time when the Lord will "prove--or measure--(us) herewith to see if (we) will do all things whatsoever the Lord (our) God shall command (us)" (Abraham 3:25), the last thing we want is to be measured by the Lord and found short of our potential, short of the eternal blessings that could have been ours if we had been valiant in our testimonies (see DC 76), short of hearing those sweet words, "well done, thou good and faithful servant." (Cf Matthew 25:21)
We live in a wonderful time when the gospel has been restored, when President Hinckley is truly leading the Church out of obscurity and into great light; a light that should illuminate our lives as well. We, as individuals and institutions, have marvelous opportunities for service and growth. And we also live in a dangerous time when Satan will do everything in his power to thwart the work of God and to bring about the misery of God's children.
I have learned that one of the most powerful strategies Satan uses to "cheat our souls and lead us carefully down to hell" (2 Nephi 28:21) is to make us forget just who is in charge of the eternal balance scale. Satan would like us to become so confused by the world's rhetoric, rationality, and relativity that we forget who it is that will measure us for eternity and what measures he will use. The importance of accurate measurements is something we can all appreciate. In my profession as a nurse I am constantly relying on instruments to give me an accurate picture of a patient's condition. Scientists, economists, engineers, and educators all want to use the most accurate measurements in their disciplines. Yet for all the scientific and practical concerns we have about accurate measurements, we often seem to be so inaccurate in how we measure ourselves and others.
We are constantly measuring the focus of our energies, or the use of our time, or the substance of our self-esteem by some very dubious instruments. I know the ones I use to measure myself aren't always eternal or divine in perspective. Let me suggest just a few examples.
How many missionaries measure the success of their missions by how many people they baptized? It is true that we really do hope to baptize many people. The question is why? Because baptism is essential to entrance into the Lord's kingdom. It is the beginning of a covenant relationship with God and the gateway to the Plan of Salvation. Though, I haven't made a dedicated LDS gospel link search on this, I have yet to find anything that indicates we baptize in order to win contests with our friends in other missions, to win contests within our own missions, or that our salvation depends on how many other people used their agency to choose to be baptized.
I had the unique experience of serving three months of my mission in Connecticut during January, February, and March. We tracted for miles in freezing weather, made phone calls in the evening when it was too dark to be on the street, and rejoiced when we were able to teach a first discussion or present a family home evening. That didn't happen very often even though we were prayerful and worked hard. In April my mission assignment was changed to the Philippines. After being in the Philippines only a week I had taught more first discussions than I ever had in Connecticut in three months. One day one of the Assistants to the mission president asked me how I liked the Philippines. I waxed on about what a joy it was to be able to teach so many people and that it was certainly different than trying to find people in the United States. The Elder then said in a very confidential tone, "well, you know, they send the weak missionaries to the States and all the strong missionaries go foreign." Let me just say I took advantage of the opportunity to share my perspectives and experiences about the error of his judgement. Imagine measuring one's faith, devotion, courage, or intelligence by the geography of their mission call?
There are other inaccurate measures we often use. What about measuring our self-esteem and worthiness by whether we are married? What about measuring ourselves by the positions we obtain in or out of the church, but especially in the church? What about using the majors we choose as a measurement....after all, aren't some majors more worthy than others?
How about measuring ourselves by something more practical....our college GPA? Or by how much money we earn once we graduate from college, or by our looks, or the looks of the person we are dating, or the kind of car we drive, or heaven forbid, by whether our football or basketball teams win.
Money, power, influence, grades, majors, sports, baptism contests....ask yourself if any of these measurements are the ones the Lord uses to judge our fitness for his kingdom?
Some things may be a reasonable measuring device but not one the Lord uses. GPA is at least some measure of academic performance. But, if we let GPA be the sum total of how we measure our worth or another's worth, value, or progress in sacred things then we have made an grievous error. The best analogy I have is this: If I want to take a person's temperature, I don't use an engine oil dipstick. On the other hand, if I want to see if I am a quart low, I don't use a thermometer. If I want to bake a cake, I don't scurry to the desk and grab a ruler, a compass, and a t-square. If I am finishing my basement I don't measure the 2 X 4s with a blood pressure cuff or a teaspoon.
The important thing to remember, as we examine and choose what we want to build, to accomplish, to learn, and to do with our lives, is that when we select the measurements, or the standards, or the balances by which we want to be weighed, we are also selecting the master of the scales. We can not choose the measurements of one master and hope they will be sufficient for the other. Rulers don't measure temperature. Plumb lines will never tell us how fast someone runs the 100 meter dash.
Like Belshazzar, we can wile away our hours doing well in the wrong race. And, then the only eternal answer is, "you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting." Satan couldn't be happier with such a verdict.
Satan would love to have us believe that his measures are the only ones that really count. He would love to deceive us into believing that we are putting our energies in the right direction when we are not. Korihor, of Book of Mormon infamy (see Alma chapter 30), was someone who was very confused about measurements. He came under the influence of the Devil and taught his words because they were pleasing unto the carnal mind, even until he believed that they were true; and for this cause he withstood the truth (verse 53). Unfortunately, like many who choose incorrectly, Korihor learned too late "that the devil will not support his children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to hell." (Verse 60)
The Lord has repeatedly counseled the members of His Church to choose well how they measure their lives. In section 121 (verses 34-46) of the Doctrine & Covenants we learn that many are called but few are chosen because their hearts are set so much upon the things of the world and (they) aspire to the honors of men. And though women do not hold the priesthood as individuals but share in the blessings of the priesthood with their husbands and fathers it is important for women to understand that their eternal weights and measures are also discussed in the next verses. First the Lord explains false measures: he calls them the things of the world, the honors of men, covering our sins, gratifying pride, having vain ambitions, exercising dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, exercising unrighteous dominion, hypocrisy, and guile. Contrast those with his eternal measures that follow in the next verses: Maintaining influence by persuasion, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, love unfeigned, kindness, reproving when needed but showing an increase of love, charity, faith, virtue.
Moroni saw our day very clearly and describes well our use of incorrect measurements (Mormon 8:35-39). "... behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing. And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts, and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities.....For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted....Why are ye ashamed to take upon you the name of Christ? Why do ye not think that greater is the value of an endless happiness than that misery which never dies---because of the praise of the world. Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life..."
Unfortunately, many in society seem to be frantically running out to buy the measuring devices needed to construct the complete, deluxe, modern version of the natural man. And Satan is laughing all the way to the bank. Especially, when it is one of the Lord's covenant people who makes such a mistake. I know that many in our society couldn't comprehend this, but God, who is all powerful, all knowledgeable, all everything would like to help us become just like him and to inherit everything he has. There is no secret heavenly will that limits the number of his inheritors or the size of the inheritance. Anyone, who takes on the Lord's measurements, his weights and balances, can inherit a fullness of the Lord's glory.
Let me share some suggestions about keeping ourselves focused on the Lord's measures.
I spent almost a year in Nigeria doing the research for my doctoral dissertation. The northern Nigerian city of Kano is a unique blend of Africa and the Middle East. When I was about to leave Kano, a good friend Dauda Sule took me to the market to look for souvenirs. I found what I wanted: a blanket dyed in the ancient indigo vats of Kano. Dauda did the negotiations because I did not speak Hausa. Dauda and the owner of the blanket business went into a deep discussion that I didn't understand. The conversation went back and forth for several minutes. Then there was silence. At last the owner said something and the transaction was complete. Dauda then explained to me what had transpired. He had told the man that I was not a rich tourist, but a poor nursing student who had come to Nigeria to try to be helpful to people. He told the owner of the shop that I would pay whatever price he named because I trusted him. However, Dauda also said to him, "because she will pay whatever you say, if you cheat her, God will know it." The owner of the shop meditated long and hard on Dauda's words and finally said, "I love money but I honor God more. This is the fair price."
Imagine our integrity if every time a difficult choice or a mortal test came to us, we could say, "I honor God more." Regardless of the issue--whether it be a test of our virtue, a test of our honesty, a test of our charity, a test of our humility-- imagine the strength we could have in simply saying, "I honor God more." The world tells us to do what everyone else is doing because morality and values are relative. Can we say, I honor God more? The world tells us that if being unethical is not illegal, we should always try to gain an advantage over others. Can we say, I honor God more? The world tells us to do what ever we want to do regardless of our previous commitments and covenants. Can we say, I honor God more? The world tells us that popularity is better than integrity. Can we say, I honor God more?
Knowing that God is my father and that the atonement crafted by God's son, Jesus Christ, is true and real gives me perspective, purpose, direction, pattern, hope and helps me know which measurements of my performance have enduring worth.
Satan may momentarily convince us to use the wrong measuring tools for our lives. But, what would be even worse for us would be if he were able to deceive us about the finality of those measurements and our inability to change to new ones. I believe that Satan's greatest lie, of all the lies he's fathered, is to convince us that once we have been dumb enough, or misled enough, or stiff-necked enough to try to measure temperatures with a yard stick that we are stuck there forever, never to be able to trade that yard stick for the thermometer we really needed all along. The atonement makes it possible to trade measuring sticks as it were; to turn away from false Gods and return to the one true and living God. Repentance, the laying down of the wrong and the picking up of the right, is possible because of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Ezekiel (33:14-16) describes it this way, "If he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; if the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him, he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live." With such a gift, the gift of life and the forgetting of our sins, no wonder we would trust and honor God more than the measures of the world.
One of the most important blessings the Lord has given us to keep us on his scales is the gift of the Holy Ghost. If we, in our somewhat ignorant mortal state, are shopping in the great measurement mall of mortality, what better blessing than to have the Holy Ghost who teaches all things that we should do and bears record of the truth, whisper directions when we are making critical decisions. The Lord really doesn't want our blind obedience. He wants sighted, visionary, and chosen obedience. We can test every doctrine and instruction read in the scriptures, or heard from the pulpit in general conference, or spoken by any of those we sustain as prophets and revelators. We can test them through prayer, through a trial run at obedience (see Alma 32) and the Holy Ghost can confirm what is true. We can receive answers to our deepest prayers Section 121 teaches us (verses 45-46) that the more we try to put our measurements of self in harmony with the Lord, the more we will be taught what else we should do. If we have charity, faith, and virtue then the Holy Ghost shall be our constant companion. And when we have been answered and directed by the Holy Ghost, we can feel sustained in knowing and in doing what is right.
Let me share two examples. I was raised in a home where my father treated his sons and his daughter equally. I never felt that I was less important to him, or less capable than my brothers. Despite this positive childhood and adolescence, I had a period of worrying about the position of women in the church. Some of society's measuring devices made me wonder about my value and place in the Church. I eventually decided to take this concern to the Lord. I pleaded to know what my value was to the church, to the Lord, being a woman first of all, and worse yet, a single one at that. I just needed to know how the Lord was measuring things. The answer I received was very simple and yet very powerful. It was, "Sandra, I love my daughters as much as I love my sons. My daughters are as important to the kingdom as are my sons. I value my daughters as much as I value my sons." Those simple words were a mighty revelation to me. I was never worried again. I am at peace with the management of the kingdom because I know how the Lord measures my value. I have no need to be confused by the world's measures. I had personal revelation and that was all that mattered.
The second example. I had only been in the Philippines for two weeks when I was assigned to a new companion and a new area. On my first day in the new area we were accompanied by our zone leaders. We went to visit a man who had received the first two discussions several weeks before. I had never met him. When we arrived at the humble home, Brother Flores seemed disheveled. His long hair was uncombed and his eyes were bloodshot. I really believed he had a hangover or was on drugs. Nevertheless, we proceeded with our visit. We were giving the third lesson, which at the time was a review of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. In those days, the memorized dialogue was on one page and on the facing page were instructions to the missionaries. In this particular lesson there was a place where the missionary instructions stated, "at this point, if moved by the spirit, challenge Brother Brown to be baptized." We missionaries took turns in reciting the discussion. As I went ahead in my mind to the rest of the discussion, I could tell that my next paragraph would coincide with the "if moved by the spirit" instructions. The minute that thought came into my mind I was overwhelmed by the feeling that I should challenge Brother Flores to be baptized. I fought this feeling. I had just met him and didn't know him very well. Besides, I thought he was hungover and I should just keep my mouth shut about a baptism. I felt a swelling fullness in my chest and even though I argued with this feeling, it only became stronger. When my turn came, I could only follow that feeling.
At that time, the baptismal challenge was a two page dialogue. It was the first thing all missionaries memorized. The minute I said, "while translating the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith and his scribe, Oliver Cowdery, were very impressed with its teachings about baptism" the other missionaries knew exactly what I was doing. The zone leader sitting next to me gave me a message with his foot and his eyes that said, "You're crazy." My poor companion was stunned. I, being overwhelmed by this powerful feeling, yet fully aware of the judgment of my fellow missionaries, could do nothing but continue with the challenge. Brother Flores said he wanted to be baptized as soon as possible.
The next two weeks were a flurry of activity. We had to teach four remaining lessons and Brother Flores had to be interviewed. The interview process went better for him than it did for me. The zone leaders who did the interview told me that they didn't think he should be baptized and that they were only going through with it because I was recommending him. One of them told me that Brother Flores' sins committed after baptism would be on my head because I was the one making a terrible mistake. By the way, I haven't found that doctrine in any gospel link search either.
To tell the truth, I don't think I experienced a fullness of joy at Brother Flores' baptism. I was too worried about compounding my sins with his sins. Yet, I also knew what I had felt and I couldn't deny the source because the feeling was too positive, too good to be anything but the Holy Ghost. Brother Flores's joy was full. He had fasted nearly two days before his baptism to, as he said, "show the Lord how much I love him and am grateful to be baptized."
After Brother Flores was baptized we taught his sister and brother. We taught his parents and he was able to baptize them. I still keep in touch with the Flores family. They are active and happy in the Church and love the Lord. The light of the gospel changed their lives. I am grateful that I had that sweet experience with them. How I love that family.
When the Holy Ghost inspires and teaches us we can rely on his wisdom. At the beginning I was measuring Brother Flores by my natural eyes and my mortality clouded my judgement of him. The Holy Ghost had to quickly teach me how the Lord was measuring Brother Flores and what the Lord wanted to have happen in that discussion. I know he will do the same with you in your lives and callings.
Another of Satan's tricks and temptations is to make us believe that truth is relative, or if not relative then completely unimportant. He wants us to believe that the Lord's measuring sticks--like honesty, virtue, integrity, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, and accountability--are passe'. He shows us many people who are not living the commandments and who still have power, financial security, the praise of others, and get off without punishment. He would like us to believe that religious devotion is foolish and has no return on our investment. Sometimes when we are trying hard to be obedient yet experience great difficulties we are vulnerable and can be fooled that our obedience isn't worth it. But which measuring scale is driving our judgement? Do we see what is eternally important?
Let me share with you an experience that taught me this lesson very well. My mission call was originally to Brazil. When I arrived at the old LTM in Provo, I was the only sister who would be learning Portuguese. The biggest problem was studying the language. The rules forbade elders studying with sisters and I didn't see how I was ever going to learn to speak Portuguese if I couldn't practice with someone. Finally, as a compromise, I was allowed to study with an elder if we sat in the cafeteria. Generally though, I spent much of my study time alone. One day I was studying the discussion about the Savior's role as Creator and Redeemer. I was alone with my thoughts and with the truths of the lesson. In that tiny classroom I had one of the most significant testimony building experiences of my life. The sweetness of redemption and the love of the Savior filled my heart and I felt his encouragement.
Because we were unable to get visas to travel to Brazil, my district was sent to the New York City Mission. When we arrived the mission president told me that I was creating severe problems for him because he now had an uneven number of sisters and no apartments in the mission would accommodate three sisters. After a few days of pondering, however, he sent me to Manchester, Connecticut.
It wasn't long after arriving in Manchester that I met Jane, a young woman who was investigating the Church. Unfortunately I had replaced her favorite sister. She even wrote to the mission president about having me exchanged for her favorite sister but the mission president denied her request. One night Jane had come to our apartment for a lesson. It just happened to be that lesson on Jesus Christ, the Creator and Redeemer. From the minute we started the lesson something was wrong. Jane was acting flippant, almost rude. She wouldn't answer questions except with silly or inane answers. I tried to be patient, but finally, I could stand the mockery no longer. I slammed the flip chart shut and said, "this is too important to me to continue with you acting this way. Either cut the smart stuff and listen or get out."
Jane accepted my gentle invitation and got out. We didn't see her for days. My companions were sure that I had offended our golden contact and driven her from the Church. I was almost sure I had. It was gloomy. I wondered why the Lord had called me to Brazil, sent me through an intensive language course, just so that I could go to Connecticut and offend people in English.
After what seemed forever, but I think was really only about two weeks, Jane called and invited us to her home for a slide show. We arrived somewhat wary but Jane launched into a history of her family vacations. Jane's travelogue covered most of the eastern seaboard and then headed west. Suddenly, a slide of Temple Square in Salt Lake City flashed onto the wall. Jane said, "This is Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, the headquarters of the Church I want to join."
We were amazed and thrilled. Jane was baptized and two months later I was reassigned to the Phillippines, the Church having given up on getting me a visa to Brazil. Jane served a mission in Arizona a few months later. After her mission she called me. She said that on that night I had told her to listen or get out she had made up her mind to try an experiment before she came to the discussion. She had read the Book of Mormon completely and knew it was true. She knew what we were teaching her was true. But, she said, "I didn't know if it was important." She decided to test us by being obnoxious. She told herself that she would know whether the truth was important by how we responded to her rude behavior. She then told me that she knew that the sister I replaced would probably have been so afraid of hurting her feelings that she would have let her be rude all night. She then said, "you made me know how important the gospel was and the reason I had to get out of the room was that I knew I had to make a life-changing decision."
Did I waste my time in the LTM learning a language I never used? Were my three months in the New York City mission a waste? Maybe if I were to use the world's measures the answers would be yes. How inefficient to study a language I would never use. How ridiculous to send me to Connecticut in a frozen winter dressed in my tropical Brazilian wardrobe when the Church could have just sent me straight from the LTM to the Philippines instead. But, if measured by what the Lord considered to be important for my learning and growth and for Jane's learning and growth, every experience I had better prepared me to be the Lord's instrument. Would he do all that for one soul? Or two souls? Yes, I believe he did.
I began today by referring to the Book of Daniel. The story of Belshazzar, the King who was weighed in the balances and found wanting, is contrasted in the same book with young men who knew exactly who the master is and what his measurements are. Daniel understood God's dietary laws and the significance of eating the King's food which might have been part of ritual worship of the gods of Babylon. He and his friends honored God and would not eat. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego also understood that the consequences of their choices would lead them to a fiery furnace. Still they chose the eternal measurement and honored God and stepped into the flames. Daniel knew what was really important when he chose to continue to pray to God despite a royal edict. How important could the measurements of the King of Babylon be in comparison to the measurements of the Most High God?
I pray that we might choose the correct and eternal measurements of our worth and our direction; that the importance of the Lord's perspective will distill on our minds and hearts, and that we will be worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost to help us evaluate ourselves with eternal instruments. I testify that the atonement makes it possible for us to change, to become new, to have new measurements in our lives. I testify that the Kingdom of God will fill the earth and that the Lord needs us to be instruments of light and truth in proclaiming all that is right, and good, and honorable about the gospel by living it well. May the Lord bless us and help us to love, honor, and serve him, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.