I am sitting on the bus at 7:00 this morning watching the traffic and the buildings go by, and suddenly I am awash in emotions of gratitude for my life. What an incredible time to be alive! The Lord has inspired so many minds to think of so many things. There are literally thousands of ways to create value today. Even in these troubling economic times, people are doing so many different things bringing blessings into the lives of thousands of people.
I watch people file onto the bus and catch myself asking, “Are they all children of God?” And the Spirit bore such witness to me that, yes, they are all God’s children. And we are all here working out our salvation, not just spiritually (as in the sitting around thinking and talking about God and the possible aspects of life on other planets and into the eternities) but also the physical things we do. Daily work is not just mindless moving stuff around the planet; by the work we do—any real work—we are learning how to be gods ourselves. We learn this by learning how to work, to work with our hands and our bodies (by pushing our mass around), to work with our minds by coming up with creative new ways to do things; by inventing new things with which to serve our fellow children of God to help them increase their standard of living, to help them improve their stewardships. We are learning how to get along with one another, how to serve, how to work in organized efforts.
Hugh Nibley, arguably the most influential LDS scholar in history, is wrong in blasting out against those going to school to learn a profession. His continual attempt seemed to have been to make those students feel guilty for choosing a life of making money by being doctors and lawyers and accountants and businesspeople. He would condemn them for choosing such professions, like they are throwing away their eternal salvation by working in those fields. He would have us believe that in the Millennium the only work that will exist will be temple work and religious study. I think he could not be more deceived. I think he is missing a vital part of this earth life, many critical lessons that could help propel the children of God into the actual godhood we are all trying to achieve (whether we know it or not, whether we even understand our holy natures). Instead of condemning these professions, how much more effective might he have been if he would have praised the ones aspiring to those modes of value creation by saying, “What wonderful opportunities you young people have these days to serve your fellow men, to strive to make their lives better and to help enable them to serve others better themselves. By learning to work, you are learning to be gods and I challenge you to learn your professions well, to go out and serve, to create value for others and be the best you can be. I leave with you a warning, however, that you lose not sight of the meaning of life in this process. Never forget that you are a god. Never forget that those you serve are gods. And most of all, keep in your memories at all times that we are here to learn to control the elements and that we cannot do that by violating the eternal laws of nature and of nature’s God. Principles govern and I promise you, you will get much further in life by obeying those principles. Now, go out into the world, work hard at your professions, and glorify God by doing so.”
That should have been his message. I sorrow that he missed it. But how grateful I am that I have learned what I have, even through my reflections this morning.
Filed under: God/Religion, Personal Excellence | Tagged: economics, God, hugh nibley, religion, self improvement, service, work
That is an excellent article. I feel inspired. Thank you.
I’ve actually been wondering where some members of the church have been getting the idea that money will not exist during the 100 years of peace. I have a hunch it was from Elder Nibley’s writings.
GREAT post. Super. What a wonderful write up!
In regards to your comments about Hugh Nibley being deceived because he “condemned” people for pursuing money in careers such as Doctors, Lawyers, Accountants and Business people:
Your views make sense in a secular society, or even the utopia of self, championed by Ayn Rand in Atlas Shrugged. However, Dr. Nibley is speaking of approaching the principles of a Zion society where there is no place for paid doctor-craft, lawyer-craft, banker-craft, teacher-craft, or any other form of priestcraft.
By no means am I saying that people who enter these professions are wicked or selfish, that depends on the individual. But the fact still remains that these professions are not found in Zion. The issues these professions address are taken up by the Elders, the High Council and Common Judge in Israel, the Lord’s Storehouse, and in suffering no one to be your teacher or minister save he be a man of God.
Dr. Nibley is showing that instead of seeking riches through worldly professions in pursuit of money (mammon), the Lord expects His people to labor for Zion, showing that if they labor for money, “they shall perish!”
The governing principles in Zion are not given by the philosophers among men such as Payne, Smith, Locke, and Rand, etc., they are the principles of the Melchizedek Priesthood, which in the words of Joseph Smith is the “perfect law of theocracy.”
You have judged Dr. Nibley of being deceived, but beware, for with that judgment which you judge you will also be judged – beware “the deceitfulness of riches.”
You’re playing on a different field than Dr. Nibley.
Priestcraft is a different sort of occupation altogether. The scriptures tell us that priestcraft is to preach and to set oneself up as a light unto the world, that [he] may get gain and praise of the world. Prophets of our day have explained that state-controlled educators fall into this category. They teach Marxist ideals instead the true principles of God.
It is an error to claim that legitimate earthly occupations of any sort fall into that category.
Nibley was deceived because he allowed his occupation and the praise he received as a quasi-prophet to cloud his vision of what this life is all about. This life is the time to improve upon one’s stewardships, which include many things: physical, spiritual, emotional, interpersonal, and occupational. To pretend that one occupation, legitimate and necessary for this mortal life is inappropriate because we perceive that it will not be necessary in the next is not consistent with revealed knowledge.
You say I have “judged” Nibley of being deceived, and perhaps rightfully so. It is with great caution, care, and concern that I make such a claim. One must tread lightly when considering the teachings of a perceived prophet. But by their fruits ye shall know them. And Nibley’s use of Marxist statements and misused, out-of-context scripture to define his perception of Zion is fruit enough to recognize where he is deceived.
Note also, I do not say that Nibley was a deceiver. I do not think he deliberately chose his point of view. Rather, is was a progressive slide into which he fell by restricting his experiences to the four walls of the educational institutions that embrace the heart of the priestcraft that engulfs our society today, which we have been warned not to allow them to get above us. I do not say that Nibley was a wicked man. I believe he was sincere in his attempts. A man is not wicked for being deceived. A man is wicked for being a deceiver, which is to know and recognize the truth and to preach directly against that. I do not put Nibley into that camp. But at the same time, I cannot allow his misuse of scripture to cloud what the prophets have said about Zion.
*It is an error to claim that legitimate earthly occupations of any sort fall into that category, just because they may not exist in the next phase of the earth’s existence as we understand it.
Well, let’s suppose that you read something Nibley said that sounded to you like a “Marxist Statement.” You haven’t given an example, so let’s just take some ideas that Marx actually wrote about:
“… to every man according to his need.”
“The poor shall be exalted in that the rich are made low.”
“it is not given that one man should possess that which is above another.”
And then let’s realize that these are in fact the words of Christ and not Karl Marx, and that they were given years before Karl Marx put them forward.
Dr. Nibley points out that the people of the Lord do not take sides in the war between Capitalism and Communism because both are materialistic (they seek Mammon) and both deny the gifts of God. He notes that Satan has taken principles from God’s system and divided it into two camps and pitted them against each other, and in this way he cheats the souls of men.
Neither of them is the Lord’s system and both lead ultimately to destruction.
Joseph Smith gave us “a key – Every principle that proceeds from God is eternal, and any principle that is not eternal is of the Devil” TPJS 181.
We also need to realize that not every true principle is eternal. One example of this is the principle taught to Cain by Satan: “that I may murder and get gain.” This is true enough, and both Capitalism and Communism are based on that principle in differing degrees. Whether in actual bloodshed or taking away quality of life by pollution, or poor wages, long hours away from family, or putting our own interest above that of our neighbor (see D&C 82:19).
Then Cain asserts another principle thought by some to be true: “I am free, surely the flocks of my brother falleth into my hands.” The Lord tells us that He has made us free, therefore we are free indeed, and this has nothing to do with property.
In both systems the elite feed upon the misfortune and hardship of the laboring poor while they feed on the bread they’ve “earned” off of them. In the Lord’s words, there are but three kinds of people when it comes to wealth:
“Wo unto you rich men, that will not give your substance to the poor, for your riches will canker your souls; and this shall be your lamentation in the day of visitation and of judgment, and of indignation: The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and my soul is not saved!”
These are the elites of both systems.
“Wo unto you poor men, whose hearts are not broken, whose spirits are not contrite, and whose bellies are not satisfied, and whose hands are not stayed from laying hold upon other men’s goods, whose eyes are full of greediness, and who will not labor with your own hands!”
These are the ones the socialists sucker into communism.
“But blessed are the poor who are pure in heart, whose hearts are broken, and whose spirits are contrite, for they shall see the kingdom of God coming in power and great glory unto their deliverance; for the fatness of the earth shall be theirs.
“For behold, the Lord shall come and his recompense shall be with him, and he shall reward every man, and the poor shall rejoice;
“And their generations shall inherit the earth from generation to generation, forever and ever….”
So, what about the righteous rich? Well, these are the same as the poor who are pure in heart, for according to the scriptures, after consecrating everything to the Lord, and working out with the Bishop what is needed for their support and the deeding to them of their stewardship, they pay one tenth of their yearly increase for tithing and the rest goes into the storehouse even by fives, or tens, or twenties, or fifties, or hundreds. And if anyone needs anything to improve upon their stewardship, all are obliged to approach the bishop and ask, not just the poor.
These are eternal principles and there is no interim system that is acceptible to God, and therefore, if we want to receive the promised blessings we must live these principles.
Joseph said that “all must be saved on the same principles.” Zion is not merely “the next phase of our earthly existence as we know it.” It is a state of the heart and is expected by the Lord of all who expect to inherit eternal life. Zion cannot be redeemed until there is a people who are worthy of her by living these principles. The Lord never rescinded these commandments.
This is why Dr. Nibley chided students for seeking riches in such professions – they are not based on eternal principles.
Priestcraft comes in many forms and from many pulpits. Every song you hear is preaching a message, and it is either preaching eternal principles or it is of the devil. Every talk radio host is preaching a message and is either preaching eternal principles or the principles of deception and the devil. That is the key Joseph gave us. Every advertisement, every tv program, every book we read. Priestcraft is the reason why many are called, but few are chosen – they seek so much for the things of this earth (gain) and the honors of men (priase of the world).
The brethren apparently didn’t share your discernment for Dr. Nibley’s deceived state. In the beginning of the book The Majesty of God’s Law, Cleon Skousen relates that the reason for writing the book was that a “prominant ecclesiastical leader” had called him in and asked him what the founding fathers had said could be done to restore the constitution if we strayed from that document. He was assigned to find out, and the book was the result of his research. In private conversations Dr. Skousen disclosed who this leader was and more details as to the nature of the assignment. In private conversations Dr. Nibley also disclosed that the afformentioned leader’s successor called him in for a similar assignment on the principles of establishing Zion and the addresses and essays contained in Approaching Zion are the result.
The brethren also invited Dr. Nibley to teach them in the Temple on a regular basis throughout his life, even in the later years. Do you know something they don’t?
I think your explanation of a deciever is good, it fits in so many cases in this world these days. It doesn’t however take away the responsibility that we each have to use the talents (gifts of the spirit) given to each man to discern truth and error. So, if a man is decieved it may be that he has pinned his salvation on the sleeve of another – a percieved prophet, as you say – but in reality the responsibility is upon each of us to take “the holy spirit for [our] guide” and not be decieved, just as the five wise virgins mentioned in D&C 45. In the end this is the difference between those who abide the day and those who are decieved and perish.
1 Kings 13 (especially JST) gives us an excellent example of this principle, and shows how the Lord can direct a prophet to lead astray in order to see if they will follow the Lord or a man, though he be a prophet.Joseph condemned relying on a prophet:
“President Joseph Smith read the 14th chapter of Ezekiel – said the Lord had declared by the Prophet, that the people should each one stand for himself, and depend on no man or men in that state of corruption of the Jewish church – that righteous persons could only deliver their own souls – applied it to the present state of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – said if the people departed from the Lord, they must fall – that they were depending on the Prophet, hence were darkened in their minds, in consequence of neglecting the duties devolving upon themselves, envious towards the innocent, while they afflict the virtuous with their shafts of envy.”
The principles taught by Dr. Nibley can only be judged by the word of the Lord, which is the standard by which all things must be judged. Judging them by principles that are not eternal just won’t do.
Hmm. Yes, this explains a lot. Thank you, Sam.
You are correct that man must guide his life according to eternal principles, and not man-made principles. You are also correct that one’s personal relationship with the Holy Spirit is paramount in that individual’s life. And you are correct that Dr. Nibley’s (or anyone’s) ideas can only ultimately be judged by the word of the Lord.
And the point of my response to you was that exactly _here_ (in this third point) is where Nibley falls sadly short. Some of the points you make here are the very essence of Nibley’s deceived nature and I intend to answer those points; however, time being the run-away train that it is, I will not do that in this response.
Also, the points you bring up in your second response are side issues to the point I made in the original blog posting, which was to say that “this time is the time to prepare to meet God.” When we finally do meet Him, we will give an accounting of our stewardship here in mortality. One of those accountings, according to the word of the Lord in probably every dispensation is whether we learned to work and how profitable of a steward we have been. Please look for subsequent blog postings as time allows me to post them.