Enough Is Enough: The Road to Apostasy
Among the many events and people involved in the Restoration of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, many of the foundational characters who devoted their all to the cause, ended up leaving it. Those of us who consider that Joseph Smith was or is a prophet, and that the church is true, find it difficult to imagine how people who saw, heard, and experienced the miraculous things, could turn away from Joseph and the church. Even the Three Witnesses found their way out and only one ended up returning. Today, I will give you my thoughts about how individuals and cultures leave behind or ignore traditional values and religion.
The statement “enough is enough” can be taken at least two ways: either, “I have had enough, and I can’t do it anymore.”, or, “We have enough, and we don’t need more.” In either case, people stop doing, speaking, listening, and trying. In short, they fail to keep up with a God who never stops speaking. It is ironic that the demands of a loving Father in Heaven improve life in every conceivable way through progress towards an everlasting reward, versus a life of chasing dead-ends. That does not mean life is easy, it just means it is easier. My mother used to say, “If you want to keep your life uncomplicated, keep the commandments.”
When Joseph Smith experienced his first vision, he was told that “…the religions of the day were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.” Think about what it means to draw near to God with your lips, but your heart is far from him. In the context of my theme today, your efforts to be near God are not quite enough.
So, here is something I have wondered about: In the Book of Revelation, it describes the number of the beast as 666. Why a number? To understand why that particular number, you must know something about Hebrew numerology. You may wonder why I am heading down this path, but it will make more sense in a minute. The number 7 is tied to the concept of completeness in both physical and spiritual realms. The Hebrew word for seven, sheva, shares a root with the word for “complete” or “oath”. Seven is frequently linked to holiness and sacredness. In biblical symbolism, seven represents divine perfection and wholeness. It combines the numbers 3 (symbolizing heaven or divinity) and 4 (symbolizing earth or materiality), signifying the union of spiritual and earthly completeness. Repeating a number three times intensifies its meaning. For instance, the number 7, which symbolizes spiritual perfection and completeness, would take on an even greater emphasis when repeated three times. The repetition underscores the idea of divine completeness or ultimate perfection. Furthermore, repeating a number three times can signify its divine confirmation or ultimate fulfillment.
Now for the number 666 and its meaning. The number 6 is connected to humanity because humans were created on the sixth day of creation (Genesis 1:26-31). While humanity is a significant part of creation, humans are inherently imperfect and incomplete without divine connection. Since 7 symbolizes spiritual perfection and wholeness, 6 represents something that is incomplete or “falling short” (or not enough), of divine perfection. It can symbolize a state of striving but not yet reaching fulfillment. The six days of creation are followed by the seventh day, which is sanctified as a day of rest (Shabbat). Without the seventh day, the work remains unfinished. Thus, 6 can also signify toil or labor without spiritual rest or completion. (Think about what hell must be like.)
While 6 may represent imperfection, it also holds potential for growth and redemption. It reminds humanity of their reliance on God’s power to achieve completeness, (“…having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”). So, 666 symbolizes ultimate imperfection or rebellion against God (Revelation 13:18). This triple repetition emphasizes incompleteness or opposition to divine perfection.
Satan’s tactics are brilliant. He convinces you that enough is enough. “I have done enough. I don’t need to do more”. Or, “A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible.” This attitude extends beyond that idea. Most Protestant denominations adhere to the doctrine of sola fide (faith alone), which asserts that salvation is granted solely through faith in Jesus Christ, independent of human works or additional requirements. This belief emphasizes that Christ’s atonement is sufficient for salvation, and no further progression or exaltation is necessary beyond being saved by grace through faith. This rejection of the possibility of exaltation further illustrates the incompleteness of traditional Christianity. The idea of 666 is not necessarily evil, it simply means to fall short. In turn, Christianity is not evil. In fact, it brings people to Christ, which is a great thing. The problem is that it falls short. It denies people belief in their divine potential.
So, what is enough? The answer is, all we can do. That is when the full power of the atonement of Jesus Christ takes over. We can never stop striving. We can never say, enough is enough.