Comandments

I am convinced that within each of the commandments lies a spiritual component that once understood and embraced, add a depth of spirituality to our lives. God is not arrogant and I believe does to give his commandments for the sole purpose of just ordering people around. The commandments and laws by which he lives and imparts to us are given not just to help us avoid pain and suffering. While they certainly do accomplish that, I believe that they have a much deeper component to them, the spiritual component. When a commandments spiritual component is understood and embraced, it adds in measure a depth to our sense of peace, compassion and love or in other words, our sense of spirituality.

For example, many of us know the do's and don'ts of the word of wisdom. We know that as Latter-Day Saints we should abstain from Coffee, Alcohol and harmful substances. However, what about eating meat sparingly? In 1842 the church Patriarch Hyrum Smith the brother of Joseph wrote in the Times and Seasons that "God...knows what course to pursue to restore mankind to...pristine excellency and primitive vigour, and health; and He has appointed the Word of Wisdom as one of the engines to bring about this thing, to remove the beastly appetites, the murderous disposition and the vitiated taste of man, to restore his body and vigour, promote peace between him and the brute creation, and as one of the little wheels in God's design, to help to regulate the great machinery, which shall eventually,revolutionize the earth, and bring about the restoration of all things." (Times and Seasons 3:799-801) He went on to say "let them be sparing of the life of animals, it is pleasing saith the Lord that flesh be used only in times of winter, or of famine."

Now I ask, what does it mean to be sparing? Clearly Hyrum meant that we should be sparing to and spare of the life of animals when possible. We should eat meat only when there is nothing else to eat. To do this means that we should have in our hearts a measure of compassion for them. A love for them. I don't think that anyone would doubt that God does. For not even a sparrow falls to the ground without him noticing. Joseph Smith once found a group of brethren in the act of harassing some rattle snakes during Zions Camp. Upon Joseph finding them he stated "Let them alone—don’t hurt them! How will the serpent ever lose his venom, while the servants of God possess the same disposition and continue to make war upon it? Men must become harmless, before the brute creation; and when men lose their vicious dispositions and cease to destroy the animal race, the lion and the lamb can dwell together, and the sucking child can play with the serpent in safety." (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2:71-72) Joseph went on to say that "I exhorted the brethren not to kill a serpent, bird, or an animal of any kind during our journey unless it became necessary in order to preserve ourselves from hunger.” Clearly what else could Hyrum and Joseph have meant.

How does this view and understanding change our nature? When we love the animal race as the Lord does, and only take from it when needed, truly we then can do so with the spirit of thanks giving as the word of wisdom commands. It's hard to do that when the animals we eat are nothing more than an ingredient. When we learn what is in the word of wisdom, and follow it in the spirit that the Lord intended, I brings us closer to his heart. It changes our disposition, our very nature and enriches our spirituality. I believe all commandments can do the same. As we seek for the spirit of the commandments we follow, we begin to put off the natural man as King Benjamin taught and become the people God would have us be.

So it Begins

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon). Like many of my faith I often ponder for ways to gain a closer relationship with my Father in Heaven. Over the years I have been blessed by others who have had a tremendous impact on the way that I view the world and my place in it. They have helped me to understand the way one gains greater understanding and peace in life. All in all, those who have influenced me have come primarily from inside my faith however, there are many from outside my faith who have deeply enriched my life and spirituality. It is my hope that some of the insights I have been fortunate to glean from these wonderful people will bless your life as they have profoundly blessed mine.