The Truth; Me and You
This week we read or should read, the stories of Stephen and Paul (Saul) in The Acts of the Apostles. Like all other archetypal stories, these stories are only impactful if we compare ourselves to the characters and make them relevant to our day and age. That is what I will attempt to do now.
Let’s start by identifying each of the characters or groups:
1) Stephen: a person who knows the truth and is willing to stand and proclaim it at any cost.
2) Saul: a zealous person (activist) who thinks he is justified in his actions to stand by and watch the persecution and destruction of his ideological enemies, with the blessing of those in power.
3) “Certain of the synagogue of the Libertines”: These were a group of freedmen (descendants of former enslaved Jews from Rome) who were more tenacious defenders of Judaism than the general Jewish population. They may be better described as militants who stirred up the people, the elders (leaders), and the scribes (masters and arbiters of Hebrew law), to anger against anyone who dared upset their social construct.
4) The Elders: The people who held the power; those who set and controlled the narrative. Today, these would be those who control media, influencers, and popular voices.
5) The Scribes: Corrupt lawyers who interpret laws to fit the agenda of the Elders.
6) The people: Ignorant followers of activists, whether militants or corrupt leaders and lawyers. These are those who seem not to have a mind of their own and become mobs who will destroy and even kill the enemies of corruption once riled up.
7) Paul: A person who sees the error of his ways (discovers Jesus Christ) and then devotes his life to standing up for the truth, like Stephen.
8) Those who stand idly by and do nothing (the problem).
It is safe to assume that we all fit somewhere on that list. There are only two on the list that we should want to emulate; Stephen and Paul. Considering their demise, it is hard to want to be them, but it is harder to be any of the others because their ultimate end is far worse than dying a horrible death.
Jesus had a problem with hypocrites and those who were lukewarm because they were the least likely to accept the truth. I know we all swerve into one of those two camps at times, but the path of truth has no turnoffs into comfortable campgrounds where we can rest. All we can do is try to discover the truth, bend to it, and stand up for it like Stephen. If we become a martyr for its cause, we will look steadfastly into heaven and see the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. I know that’s a little dramatic because most of us won’t suffer martyrdom, but I can guarantee that if you make your voice heard, you will make enemies, and no one wants that.
Who am I, anyways? Does anyone care about the opinion of an uneducated man? I don’t have any particular qualifications or degrees from institutions of higher learning. I am not in a position of leadership. I am nobody. Why would anyone listen to me?
Who was Stephen before he became the first Christian martyr, and who was Saul before he became Paul? Stephen was “a man of faith and of the Holy Ghost.” Saul was a troublemaker and a zealot, but after a vision and hearing, the voice of Christ was blessed and filled with the Holy Ghost. Paul’s conversion happened because he was confronted with the truth about himself and his actions. Jesus told him, “It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” Saul was faced with reality and changed because it was hard to go against it once he learned the truth.
I have been thinking for a long time about whether I should say what I believe because I know it will ruffle some feathers. I have been confronted with the truth, and now the fear of not speaking up is overcoming the fear of silence. I could say that faith is overcoming fear. So in that vein, I will say what I know to be true and what I believe is right.
First and foremost, God lives, and Jesus is his Son. Jesus lived, died, and was resurrected. It is only through Jesus Christ that we are saved, both spiritually and physically. It is through living the commandments that we experience an abundant life. We must make solemn covenants with God and keep them to become like him. We must have sacred and holy things that remind us daily of Jesus Christ and our covenants made in His name. We cannot function correctly without personal revelation and inspiration given through the Holy Ghost. It is impossible to receive the grace of Christ without works of faith. We cannot expect salvation if we are half-hearted in our love for God and others.
Next, the world is full of iniquity. Nature has become the god of some, while others deny it. Science is a god to others that must be obeyed. Popular opinion is wrong all the time. People are full of mischief and malice. Power is constantly abused, making people subservient to those in control. Life is devalued by selfish motives and evil institutions. Hate is preached against by those who exhibit it towards any who disagree. There is tolerance and acceptance of sinful behavior and intolerance for the truth. Human beings are reduced to objects by pornography. Nothing is sacred if it is associated with God, but it is sacrilegious to profane someone’s stated identity. It is an affront to call what is evil, evil, and what is good; good.
Some say that we have to accept a new reality because things are changing, and that is the way people are. I say NO!! Reality is what it is. It cannot be new because it is not old or affected by time. Some say they have their own truth, but the truth cannot be a possession and cannot be changed. “All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself.“ (Doctrine and Covenants 93:30). Truth is knowing what is real in the past, present, and future.
We are the children of God. We are his creations, spiritually and physically. We do not understand everything about the creative processes that made us who we are, nor does it matter. We have a spark of the divine within each of us. God made us male and female. How we perceive ourselves is irrelevant to that fact. We are co-eternal with God, meaning that our essence has always existed in one form or another in realms of successive progression to where we are now. We will continue to other realms that ultimately result in us being like God if we follow the Savior, Jesus Christ.
We have agency. Some call it free agency, others moral agency, and others free will. It is free because it is a gift from our creator, but it is only effective if we apply moral ethics in our choosing. Agency is only present in our lives if three conditions exist. These conditions are consciousness, knowledge, and options. We are powerless to use it if any of these conditions are not met. For example, infants are extremely limited in agency because they are innocent and helpless. Babies are not held accountable for their actions because they have limited self-awareness, no knowledge of anything outside of their immediate environment, and they have no options because they are at the mercy of others.
Those who want to control others or limit their moral agency outside imprisonment for crimes are servants of Satan’s plan. It is incumbent upon all of us to stand against these controlling powers, and we must do it without infringing upon the liberty of others. This means we cannot be silent witnesses of oppression in any form. If we want to change the world, we must do it by persuasion and debate. We must learn to communicate effectively and tell the truth. That is what I am trying to do.
We need to be Stephen and Paul. We need to be fearless in declaring the truth. We must live the truth; if we don’t, we are the hypocrites Jesus despised. If we are ambivalent, we are lukewarm, and God will have nothing to do with us. We must be filled with the Holy Ghost to speak the truth without fear.