July 1, Three Types of Sin, and the Way to Overcome Them

We were translating 1 Samuel 7:6, and came to an interesting word חטא, which launched the following discussion:

1. There are three types of sin. Exodus outlines them like this: "Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty;" (see Exodus 34: 7). 
1. INIQUITY: עָוָה (Avah) means to crook, or twist. Often translated "Pervert". These are sins where truth and righteousness are twisted. NSC says "Iniquity, perverse, amiss, turn, crooked,bowed down, troubled, wicked, wrong". It continues, "The perversion or distortion of nature that is caused by evildoing is represented by this word..."
2. SIN: חטא (Chatah) means to "Miss the Mark". It is used in regard to hunting or spiritual failings. Denotes that the correct path is not followed. The first Commandment: "Thou shalt have no other Gods before me", was not followed by the Israelite's at this time, so they missed the mark of following the true and living God.
3. TRANSGRESSION: פשׁע (Peshah) denotes two ideas of rebellion or revolt:
1. A goal of independence
2. The state of rebellion in which there is no end of the rebellion in view; it is no longer goal-oriented. When committed against the Lord is usually translated "Transgress" and is an expression of an apostate way of life [NSC]
3. This was the sin committed by Adam and Eve, who crossed a known boundary.
2. The Law of Moses provided a way whereby cleansing of sins could occur through sacrifice. As a basic reminder, sacrifices didn't really clean the person, since sacrifice is only symbolic. Certain events rendered someone unclean, like touching blood, or touching a corpse, or eating certain types of meat, etc. The following cleansing process took place following sins, and was a Sweet Savor to the Lord. This process was followed in what we know as the "Tabernacle of the Congregation", but a better translation is "Tent of Feast"

	God's Feast	| Priest's Feast	| Offerer's Feast
JUSTICE Sin Offering (Chatat)	X	X	O
CONSECRATION Burnt Offering (Olah)	X	O	O
RECONCILLIATION Peace (sometimes "Thanks") Offering (Shilom)	X	X	X

1. The Book of Mormon records three ordinances (Sacrifices) performed by Lehi:
1. The first came when they arrived in the borders by the Red Sea. NOTE, No sin offering made here, just burnt sacrifice and a thanks offering. There was no uncleanness. (see
   1 Nephi 2: 5-7)
2. The second came when the sons returned from killing Laban, and retrieving the Brass Plates. NOTE: Nephi would have been considered very unclean having killed a man. All three sacrifices were made. (see 1 Nephi 5: 8-9)
3. The third time came when their sons returned with Ishmael and his family. NOTE: Laman and Lemuel, and the sons of Ishmael beat Nephi (likely to the point of bleeding) and sought to murder him. His brothers felt sorry, repented, and sacrifices were performed when they returned (1 Nephi 7: 22).
2. All these Rites and Rituals of old times find symbolism in LDS chapels today.
1. The Chapel is the "Tabernacle of Congregation", or the "Tent of Feast". 
2. The feast is the sacrament, offered upon the holy altar
3. God is represented by the presiding officer, who oversees the ordinances
4. Aaronic Priesthood holding Priests represent the High Priest who interceded on behalf of the offerers (offenders). 
5. We, like ancient Israelites, bring our offering (an animal) to the altar, but we offer a broken heart and contrite spirit. I have learned that an unsatisfying sacrament meeting is evidence that I brought no sacrifice with me to the altar. Satisfaction comes when all three, God, the priest, the presiding officer, and ourselves are reconciled. 
3. When the Angel asked Nephi if he knew the condescension of God, and the meaning of the tree he saw, he was immediately shown a young virgin. He then saw the virgin but miraculously bearing a child - the Lamb of God. The tree is a symbol of Christ, the Lamb of God, the Condescension of God. 
1. Modern day definition of "Condescension": the attitude or behavior of people who believe they are more intelligent or better than other people
2. Webster's 1828 definition: Voluntary descent from rank, dignity or just claims; relinquishment of strict right; submission to inferiors in granting requests or performing acts which strict justice does not require. Hence, courtesy.
4. Instructor used the recent gay marriage events to signify the kind of sin we have made as a nation. We have missed the mark, which is the traditional family, as defined by the Family Proclamation. We have crossed known boundaries. We have twisted the truth. Like Israel, we have sinned against God. We have lowered his position and relevance in our lives. We must have a changed view.

April 1 - Intelligence, Visions, and Intergalactic time travel

1. Genesis 22:12 - The Lord says "Now I know that...", wait a minute! Doesn't God already know all things? Yes, but He speaks to us according to our understanding, and according to our time reckoning. God can SEE the timeline, he does not MAKE the timeline. The Hebrew name, יְהוָה (Jehovah) has the imperfect verb form meaning it has never had a beginning or and end. Like as in "I AM", rather than "I WAS". Yes, God always knew Abraham would make the choices he did, but NOW he is seeing it. A slightly missed translation here points out that Abraham did not only prove that he learned to fear God, but God recognized that Abraham actually IS the Fear of God. 
2. Big discussion on Fear, and what that means in English vs. what that means in Hebrew. In short, they really are very much the same. There really is a bit of the English "FEAR" in the real Hebrew word, meaning, if you are afraid of a certain consequence, then you don't do that thing. Elder Christofferson has a talk on Fear "A sense of the Sacred" (Part 5 entitled "Godly fear". When you fear God, you depart from evil. We don't' naturally want bad consequences in our lives.
3. There are many scriptural synonyms terms for light: Glory, Intelligence, Power, Light, Truth, Power, Life, The Light of Christ.Gods learn to control this perfectly and completely, and have FULL CONTROL over it. (As a side note, I recently read a talk by Cleon Skousen who taught that these particles of intelligence respect God, and God respects them). The Lord is ALL POWERFUL within parameters/natural laws. D&C 88 - Light is in everything, priesthood, ordinances, etc.
4. We have had a lot of light infused into this world, especially since the 1700's. This light will continue to grow until we make this world the Terrestrial Kingdom, and Christ's light will be added through the Millennium until this world becomes the Celestial Kingdom. The purpose of this dispensation is to PREPARE FOR THE MILLENNIUM!! 
5. The Andromeda Galaxy is the nearest galaxy to our Milky Way galaxy, at 2.5 Million Light years away. This means, as we look and behold the galaxy with our naked eyes, we are literally beholding it as it was 2.5 M years ago, in the present. Energy/Light/Intelligence/Power/Truth/Etc left that sphere all that time ago, and we are now seeing what was recorded on those energy particles with our mortal eyes in the present. This is how God can use light to show things past, present, and future. If he wants to give someone a vision of the Savior's atonement, he controls the light/energy/etc, etc which directly witnessed that event and calls it to the attention of the person beholding the vision. 
6. Abraham was faithful to all the tests presented to him. If WE want to be as Abraham, and be promised all that was promised to him, then WE must be tried as Abraham!
7. The Holy Ghost Administers the Light of Christ
8. Marion Romney spoke of light coming to us in three phases. The first is the light that comes to us at birth; the second is the Gift of the Holy Ghost; the last phase is The more sure word of prophecy, and is directly administered by Christ. (The Light of Christ - Marion G Romney, April 1977)