I can picture in my head the opening scenes of an old black and white monster movie, where we pan to a little house in a quiet neighborhood and zoom in on a family sitting peacefully around the radio enjoying their favorite evening program. Father is in his chair reading his paper, Mother is doing some knitting for the bundle of joy they are expecting, brother and sister are on the floor rapt with attention to hear what will happen next to their favorite radio hero. All is as it should be - when all of the sudden an announcer breaks in to set the stage for the horror that is about to be unleashed on their small town and unsuspecting home ...
"Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt this program to bring you a special public safety news bulletin. This just in ... Reports are coming in of escaped doctrines roaming the city.
"They have broken away and unraveled themselves from the 'fabric of orthodoxy' and are considered wild and dangerous. These doctrines are so powerful that left unchecked by the other doctrines they can ruin lives, wreck homes, and bring down whole civilizations.
"They tend to travel in packs with other dangerous vagabonds such as ignorance, deception, idleness, idolatry, pride, and fear; they are also known to carry other vices as parasites. Do not approach these renegade principles if you find them on the streets, do not feed them, and do not let them into your homes or introduce them to your family or friends.
"The authorities are advising everyone to return to their homes, lock their doors and windows, stay inside, and remain calm. We will bring you further news as it becomes available."
Well, from the words of Elder Maxwell, maybe we need to have some PSA's like this in our day and time ...
The message we bear is one in which there is a spiritual ecology. We hear a lot today about ecology in the world of biological and physical things. We are learning that some of its laws are inexorable, that when we violate them we pay a penalty; we pay a price. There is an ecology that pertains to spiritual things, to human nature, which, when violated, brings a series of consequences—just as inexorable and just as automatic as the ecology that is born of the cluster of laws governing nature. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a collection of principles woven together in the fabric of immutable law; this is the romance and the high adventure of orthodoxy: these principles, bound together, not only give us salvation, but they also give us balance, depth, and happiness in our lives.
The doctrines of Jesus Christ are so powerful that any one of these doctrines, having been broken away from the rest, goes wild and mad, as G. K. Chesterton observed. The principle of love without the principles of justice and discipline goes wild. Any doctrine, unless it is woven into the fabric of orthodoxy, goes wild. The doctrines of the kingdom need each other just as the people of the kingdom need each other.
...
May I suggest to you further that what the gospel gives us that is so precious, in terms of perspective, is also the balance that avoids fads, the fads that sweep across our society. The gospel gives us a sense of balance and a sense of proportion about the things that matter most. We can avoid the problems C. S. Lewis describes, when an anxious society runs around with fire extinguishers in times of flood; we are put on guard against the very things that we least need to be put on guard against when we listen to secular prophets.
I suppose that in the Middle Ages Christians didn’t need quite as much reassurance about the resurrection. Most believed in the teaching or accepted it. They needed other kinds of emphases from the gospel. In our time the need for hope, for belief in immortality, and for the belief in God is very pervasive. The gospel of Jesus Christ is prepared to address those very needs in any society, in any age!Elder Maxwell also comments on the interconnectedness of the Doctrines in another address:
Isn't it, of course, simply that the gospel of Jesus Christ contains all the correct principles for human conduct, but it is also the way in which these principles are interwoven with each other. Secularism so often seizes upon a single true principle and elevates it above all others. This act of isolation does not make the principle seized upon any less true, but to isolate any principle is to make it monastic. How many today live within the prison of just one principle? Elevating any correct principle to the plane of a religion is poor policy; just as one person makes a poor church, one principle makes a poor religion. Principles can become "prodigal" as well as people and can be estranged in "a far country" and be "spent" with little to show.
Most every secular cause about which I know anything at all usually focuses on a single principle or concern, but it is an act of isolation, not of correlation. It is the orthodox orchestration of the many principles found in the gospel of Jesus Christ that is necessary for human happiness. One would be amused at the so-called new "moral geometry" with its alien angles, fluid lines, and restless unfixed points, if the human consequences were not so tragic.It would seem that the whole Armor of God is held together by the chain mail of interlocking doctrine. If even one is missing, it creates a weakness in the armor that the Adversary will waste no time in taking advantage of. It is when these completely interlock with the neighboring relevant principles that they not only secure themselves, but secure their adjacent principles as well. A conviction in ones' testimony can not come from a series of unbound precepts - if they are "not one" they are "not [His]" complete Gospel.
Elder Dallin H. Oaks also has some wise counsel on making sure that we don't let certain aspects of our lives get out of balance, and the dangers that can occur then as well.
And on the subject of balance, Elder Maxwell has given us other light when it comes to proportion:
The gospel gives proportion as to both substance and style. For example, it is far more important to be morally clean rather than to be a clean-desk individual. Similarly, it is better to "speak the truth in love," as Paul counsels, than it is to simply speak the truth (see Ephesians 4:15).So it would seem the danger isn't just in "runaway" doctrines, but in those that break rank as well.
This teaching goes against the "Pareto Principle" or "80/20 rule" that is prevalent in business and time management circles in this world. 20% of the Gospel may in fact be relevant to 80% of what we deal with on a daily basis. However, if once we reach what we believe to be a "critical mass" and stop seeking to understand and live by all doctrines then we are not striving to meet the commandment to "Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect". In Greek, the word for "perfect" includes the meanings for "complete" / “finished, fully developed", so it would seem that one of the ways we are commanded to be "perfect" or "complete" is to understand and live by all the doctrines of Jesus Christ. We are even told directly that "It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.” (D&C 131:6.), and I believe that to include being ignorant in any of the doctrines; if "No success can compensate for failure in the Home", then can we not then reason that "No subset of doctrine lived can compensate for failure to live them all"?
And as far as our children go, are we really being loving parents if we give them just enough of the Doctrines to "be dangerous", or are we instilling in them the knowledge that they are beginning a life-long journey and helping to foster a conviction to seek out all those things which our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ knows we must know and do? Are we instilling the same incomplete "critical mass" that may have served us well enough, and marked "teach my kids the gospel" off our to-do list? Do we give our children a gift without warning them about the dangers of knowing "just enough" to have fun? Do we give them a motorcycle with only one tire and missing the handlebars, or give them an air rifle without a safety mechanism or without proper protection or training? Do we give our newly baptised son or daughter a sharp tool without instruction on how to use it safely? Are we not doing the same thing if we teach them to settle for an incomplete understanding of the Gospel of Christ?
So it would seem that those seeking for happiness must go on a quest to catch and collect all the doctrines of Christ. This is easier said than done. We are told that we learn, (and collect), “Line upon Line, Precept upon Precept” (2 Nephi 28:30). And this is not simply an intellectual collection of facts or concepts. As much as we would like to think that we can figure out the mysteries of the Lord on our own, we are told directly that “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:8–9). In President Henry B. Eyring's book, "Because He First Loved Us", he explains that while we do progress in small measures, we must change our lives and live according to the "lines" we already have in order to have our minds open and receptive to the next "line", or else our disobedience will hide it from us, "because that darkness hath blinded [our] eyes", (1 John 2:11).
I believe this quest is what Elder Maxwell was talking about above when speaks of "the romance and the high adventure of orthodoxy". What greater adventure could there be than a tale of Princes and Princesses, ripped from their parents at birth and raised in a foreign kingdom with no memory of their birthright or their royal home, sojourning in a strange land where they do not belong. At the mercy of pains and hungers and miseries and time, being hunted by invisible foes who are bent on nothing but their utter destruction. Narrowly escaping traps and snares, tempests and armies, sidetracks and diversions, setbacks and betrayals, yet ever pressing onward. Heroic deeds of valor and honor, great bravery and sacrifice, putting their very lives on the line to defend the defenseless from the evil forces that prevail in this world, and yet enduring the scorn and mockery from those same souls they vowed to protect. All the while searching for keys and clues left by a man who was executed thousands of years before their time and thought to be a heretic and a madman; only with the complete collection these clues can they unlock the gate and traverse the sole narrow passage back to a kingdom they do not remember and a father who they only know though fables and tales and whisperings in the wind. Yet they have a memory of the love of their parents in their souls that resounds to the very core of them and compels them forward in their journey. These are the tales that resonate within us. These are the legends that hold the attention of both the young and old. These sagas are so poignant, so touching, so moving, because they are our sagas. These fables so frighteningly familiar, because we live them. What greater romance or adventure could there be, and what greater danger could there be. We must seek out these clues to show us the way back - the only way back.
Luckily, we are not left alone on this quest. We have the opportunity to have a companion travel with us on our great quest. And not just any companion - one that knows where the missing clues from our collection are hidden. However, this companion is very temperamental, and we must be very careful not to offend him or he will depart from us and leave us alone on our journey. And, even then, he's not just going to build a big neon sign where the next artifact of truth is hidden, or draw us a treasure map leading do it's location. We are told that we must seek these out by the processes of seeking diligently, pondering, and praying. Simply asking isn't enough, as we have learned from the story of Oliver Cowdery when he tried to translate the Book of Mormon, but was rebuked by the Lord - "Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right. But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought.” (D&C 9:7–9.) However, if we do these things, and do not offend the Spirit through sin or disobedience and diligently seek, he will lead us to understand not only these truths, but will also help us to liken the trials we go through and our experiences to gain a greater understanding and a testimony of these truths, and help us to understand what part it plays in the great orthodox orchestration, and gain a greater understanding and love for both our Heavenly Father, but also his Son, Jesus Christ, as we slowly begin to become like them.
There is, however, opposition in all things. The Adversary seeks to lead us astray, and one of the tools in his arsenal is false doctrine. These are close approximations to true doctrine, and at first glance are strikingly similar to the truth and are many times hard to tell the difference between the two. The Adversary knows a few tricks up his sleeve, and one of his favorites is to lead them "by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever” (2 Ne. 26:22). He keeps these deceptions just close enough to the real thing that they pass the all-to-common "good enough" / "not that bad" tests, appeals to our understanding of things, or distorts truth in a way that doesn't require us to live up to the Lord's high standards. False doctrine also intertwines with other false doctrine, and does so in a way that is faster, tighter, and harder to remove. False doctrine can intertwine and bind other people, friends, families, and whole civilizations together, but does so in a way that mimics caring relationships and can easily be confused with real love and compassion. When Missionaries find people to teach and commit them to baptism, some of the hardest hurdles for converts to overcome is the destabilization that comes from detangling themselves from false ideas that not only make up a big part of their own lives, but also link them to their friends, families, and whole social and cultural networks. This can be more than a bit scary to suddenly realize that the "sandy foundation" you had built your "house" upon was starting to shift and give way; no wonder that one of the things that President Gordon B. Hinckley said that every new member needs is a friend - someone else needs to try to help keep the "house" from falling down while the foundation is replaced with truth.
False doctrine also acts, in many ways, like the illegal drugs used today. They block out truth when it comes along, just as drugs block out many of the body's natural chemicals and mechanisms. False doctrine is insidious enough and expertly crafted to link to some of the adjoining doctrine that the real truth would, but rather than yearning to be linked to more doctrine, it would say, in essence, "That's the end. There is nothing else to learn here. You are done searching for the truth, so let's go have some fun!!!" President Henry B. Eyring gave us a little insight into this mechanism when he told of a friend who was entangled in sin who:
"... could not sense the difference, but I could. The light in his eyes and even the shine in his countenance was dimming. He could not tell, since one of the effects of disobeying God seems to be the creation of just enough spiritual anesthetic to block any sensation as the ties to God are being cut. Not only did the testimony of the truth slowly erode, but even the memories of what it was like to be in the light began to seem to him like a delusion."I believe this is the same effect with false teaching - they block the sensation that there is something missing, while at the same time creating "chinks" in the chain mail that leave one open to attacks.
When I had my wisdom teeth removed before my mission, the dentist warned that the hole left in the absence of the tooth needed special care to prevent an infection or severe pain from the exposed nerves. I think missing doctrine is like this - the gaping hole left can harbor vices or false doctrine, and the "exposed nerves" can make us more vulnerable to the "fiery darts" that we are being bombarded with on a daily basis. These "dry pockets" of missing or out-of-order doctrine can make a perfect breeding ground for false doctrine, which can, if left unchecked, grow into spiritual abscesses, and if allowed to progress may require a "root canal" of repentance. (Not a pretty picture...)
What a cruel joke it will be at the Second Coming when all of the lies are exposed for that they are, and those who fell for it will suddenly see the things that once fulfilled their lives and bound them to the ones they loved turned into nothing but a pile of sand. I wouldn't wish that one anyone.
The only remedy is to replace any incorrect or missing understanding, no matter what the cost. We have available to us the Grace of Christ, which will help us in the costs any "remodeling" or "reconstruction" we must go through, but there will still be a great cost to pay and a great journey we must to through. As we have been told, the Lord didn't say it would be easy, but he said it would be worth it. It seems like a very daunting task, but President Eyring offers these words of encouragement:
There is a danger in the word someday when what it means is “not this day.”
The thought “Someday I will” can be a thief of the opportunities of time and the blessings of eternity.
For most of us the temptation to delay will come from one or both of two feelings. They are polar opposites: one is to be complacent about what we have already done, and the other is to feel overwhelmed by the need to do more.
The temptation will be to believe that you will return to serve again, someday.
It is hard to know when we have done enough for the Atonement to change our natures and so qualify us for eternal life. And we don’t know how many days we will have to give the service necessary for that mighty change to come.
In the hardest trials, as long as you have the power to pray, you can ask a loving God: “Please let me serve, this day. It doesn’t matter to me how few things I may be able to do. Just let me know what I can do. I will obey this day. I know that I can, with Thy help.”
For those who are discouraged by their circumstances and are therefore tempted to feel they cannot serve the Lord this day, I make you two promises. Hard as things seem today, they will be better in the next day if you choose to serve the Lord this day.
The other promise I make to you is that by choosing to serve Him this day, you will feel His love and grow to love Him more.
You would not want to delay receiving that blessing. And feeling His love will draw you back to His service, wiping away both complacency and discouragement.So, as we go about our business, drive around town, and occupy our homes, let us be "on the lookout" for those principles which have "gone rogue", or have staged their own coup and have risen above their station. We may be keeping watch against an outward enemy, but out biggest peril may come from those same individual doctrines that we look to for salvation.
And as we turn back to our classic movie, the announcer delivers a ray of hope:
"... The only remedy is to consult your scriptures and the words of the Lord and his servants, and surround these maverick principles with the complete set of doctrines necessary for salvation. Only when contained within the bounds of complete orthodoxy can these powerful forces be harnessed for our exultation.
"This is KBYU signing off. Good night, and Good Luck."
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