Emerging Godhood & Appointed Missions
I have been reading The Infinite Atonement, by Tad R. Callister, and I came accross a passage so sublime, which has left me with much to ponder, that I have felt inspired to share it here. From page 65, referring to the Savior:
One wonders about his emerging godhood, as he grew from infancy to boyhood, and boyhood to manhood. What were his feelings? What was it like to be a god among mortals? With whom did he discuss his burdens? True, the bodies of other men walked by his side, but none was his intellectual and spiritual equal. None could see and feel and understand as he saw and felt and understood. What was it like for Christ to walk the dusty trails of his own creation, to see his divine works through mortal eyes? When did he come to know that the birds that sang music to his ears, the flowers that scented the air, the hills and valleys on which he loved to run and play, the sunsets and stars upon which he longed to gaze and ponder were his creations? He was their designer, their architect, their framer—yes, their very creator.
On the one hand, I should like to end it there, to let the fascinating aftertaste of such questions infuse your thoughts, but Callister’s very next paragraph has also captured my mind, though in a slightly different way. Still from page 65:
We do not know with exactness when Christ became aware of his divine mission, but a consciousness of his godhood was emerging at an early age. With every breath of every day his divine qualities were manifesting themselves until his mortal frame was immersed in godliness. Then came the time of his appointed mission. All that could be remembered had been recalled; all the powers that could be summoned had been retreived. The designated hour had arrived. The long anticipated moment of confrontation was here. Godhood and evil had traveled their diverse roads. Christ was ready to save his children; ironically, they “sought how they might kill him” (Luke 22:2). This was the showdown—the climax. It was focused on the power of the Infinite One versus the power of the Evil One.
Callister’s words imply that there were two phases to Christ’s mortal life—a ‘preparatory’ phase and the mission itself. I find myself wondering if there is such a duality in each of our mortal sojourns. We all have much to learn; we have better, more perfected selves to become. Is there a quota–a point wherein we are fully seasoned, where we become truly ready to assume our missions in this sphere? Granted none has a mission so great as the Savior’s, but we know that we have work to do in this life. Is there a “designated hour” that arrives for each of us? Are there many? Do we have missions as children and missions as adults? As our knowledge, experience and wisdom grow and change are we charged with proportional tasks? Are we actively seeking to prepare ourselves for those moments? Are we learning, praticing, and doing all that we must do to be ready?
July 27th, 2007 20:28
Mary was told by an angel that her son was the Savior and Son of God. I’ve sometimes wondered what she told Christ of her experience and his divinity and at what point she told him.
July 28th, 2007 03:46
Naiah, thanks for sharing this–it is very thought-provoking. I like all your questions. I do feel we all have at least one mission in this life of some kind, and it is possible that we have more than one. Much to think about here.
July 28th, 2007 08:05
I think we go through different “appointed mission” periods in our lives. My concern is that we don’t adequately prepare ourselves — or that we stifle others from preparing themselves.
Two instances I commonly reference:
- Employment
- Where we live
All too often, I see Church members use the dollar sign as the single biggest criteria for where they work or the career we pursue. It’s hard to argue with “personal” choices — and I don’t think that person X should be telling person Y what to do for a living. But Y needs to prayerfully consider the company and the career the Lord wants him/her to have. I firmly reject the notion that employment is NOT of interest to the Lord — an argument used by some who claim that the Lord leaves that up to ourselves. Where we work and what we do at work helps mold us for Church sevice. It offers opportunities for missionary service. And yes, we can support our families.
As to where we live — the common thought is that we should just go live by our families. Many arguments are given by LDS members in particular — families are forever and we want to be by them, we want our children to be able to spend quality time with the cousins and aunts/uncle and grandparents, etc.
I find the “forever families” argument curious. We believe families can be together, forever — for eternity. It’s not a mandate for living across the street from Mom or Dad. I’m not opposed to people living where they grew up — but I think that you arer POTENTIALLY (key word) limiting yourself in your temporal and eternal growth.
(And I don’t want to make this sound like I am necessarily Utah-bashing. It’s not meant to be, although I realize that the worst proponents of the “I just wanna live where I grew up” mantra are Utahns. But this isn’t an anti-Utah rant by any means.)
I think that couples should prayerfully and consider all possible opportunities when they look for employment and residence. The Lord needs people in Iowa, in Texas, in South Carolina, in Florida, in West Virgina. He needs trained members — BYU graduates, life-long SLC members (e.g., people who know the gospel and how to run the Church) — to be His leaders and spread his gospel. I’m not sure that adding a few more people to the population of Orem or West Jordan accomplishes that.
Now, I think that a lot of people, when they graduate from college (particularly BYU), are at least open to the thought of living somewhere else. But then their parents get in the way, particularly if they are married and/or have kids. “Oh, how great you’re graduating! You can move back to Mesa and I can see my grandbabies every day!” What? You have *eternity* to see your grandbabies. Let your children go where the Lord really wants them to go.
I’m a firm believer that the Lord will allow anyone to move where they decide to, and the Lord will have a calling for them, and he’ll support that move. If you really want to move back to Orem, he’ll find a nice job for you in His Church. But maybe He’s privately disappointed that you didn’t take the job in Kansas, where in 5 or years you would have been in the bishopric or the relief society president in a ward with 20 convert baptisms a year.
The same goes for the 30- or 40-something who decides to change jobs or change careers. Are you looking at all possibilities? Or are you going to stay in San Diego *just* because that’s where you have *roots*? Maybe the Lord wants your children to be uprooted — maybe it’s part of His plan for them. Do you dismiss the recruiter who calls from Houston because “Ick. That’s too far away/Too hot/Mummy won’t like it”?
Yes, I do think some people are supposed to live in Orem. And Mesa. And SLC. And Boise. But I think the needs of the Church are greater in other areas.
So to the poster’s point — I think sometimes we may feel that we’re not being prepared for — or haven’t experienced — the appointed mission, because the real mission we were meant to receive is located 1000 miles away.
July 28th, 2007 08:07
(In my comment above — I wasn’t singling out BYU graduates or SLC members. Those are just examples. I see examples of the thinking I cited amongst members in AZ, CA, Texas, UofUtah grads, and New Yorkers).
July 28th, 2007 17:40
This gave me chills, Naiah. Such great questions you ask!
Thinking of my patriarchal blessing and how it stays a bit vague about what my specific mission is (while stating that I indeed have one!), I have felt it important that I prayerfully seek guidance toward understanding what it is.
I also have this sneaking suspicion that we will be amazed how many experiences that just seemed like normal ebbs and flows of life really contribute to us being able to help the Lord accomplish His work.
July 28th, 2007 17:44
It’s not meant to be, although I realize that the worst proponents of the “I just wanna live where I grew up” mantra are Utahns.
Have you ever met a Texan?
Seriously, though, I think that we might be surprised how often this happens. I ran into it a lot when I lived back East, and off the top of my head I can think of other people from various places who just longed for their home (usually childhood home).
I think that we shouldn’t underestimate the fact that it may be that people in fact are living close to family, or where they grew up for the very reason that they felt inspired to do so. I totally agree that the Lord needs members all over the place, but having lived in various places and then having felt directed to come back “home,” I’d sure hate to have someone assume that we made this choice without seeking the Lord’s guidance, and simply did it because we wanted to be back where we grew up. Not so. (In fact, when I married my husband, he made it clear that we would never move back. Ha. Famous last words.)
August 1st, 2007 03:45
I find this post particularly interesting because I have been told very specifically of my “errand of the Lord”. At the time I received that errand, my mindset was not in that direction. Gradually, I feel that my experiences in life have guided me towards and prepared me for this errand. That isn’t to mean that I don’t have other duties and errands of the Lord, just that this is my main one. It also doesn’t mean that if someone hasn’t been told as specifically as I was that they don’t have one. Sometimes the Lord wants you to figure it out. I think I was told because had I been left alone to figure it out, I would never have been able to prepare myself in time.
There have been times when I felt myself spiritually stagnating and have actually asked for an assignment by the Lord. Those have been some of the most interesting times. I doubt it is easy to parse “this is where I was being prepared and this is where my mission begins.” The two parts of life flow in and around each other.
As for where to live - as a permanent itinerant, it is easy to go where the Lord sends you. He happened to send me to Utah to be around extended family (though not immediate family, much to my and my mother’s sorrow.) There is a strength in being surrounded by family, and a challenge (particularly if you haven’t lived around them before.) Not everyone is prepared to consult with the Lord on every detail of their lives. Though that is an ideal state, it is equally important not to judge people for not being there yet.
August 1st, 2007 09:11
Thank-you everyone for your excellent comments! This was such a stirring passage for me, and I’m glad that it seems to have been for you, as well. I highly recommend the book, though I shoudl mention that it’s been a slow read. It’s not difficult or anything, but often, as each layer is laid in, I am left so thoughtful by it that I can’t pay attention to the next section, even though my eyes are passing over it. I’ve learned to take it chapter by chapter, only one a day or one a sitting, and even occasionally just section by section.
A note about the physical book, itself:
The link that I included above to the book at deseretbook.com, is the nice leatherbound version. The copy that I am reading was loaned me by a member of my bishhopric, and I have to say that I am loving it. It is tactilely reminiscent of the scriptures, printed on the same fine paper, and I’ve just really been able to ‘curl up’ with it in a way that would not be possible with the hardback edition. I thought that such a volume would certainly be insanely pricey, but it’s only $3.00 more than the hardback. While the information is the same, my experience reading it has been much more ‘intimate’ than a big hardback usually affords. That may seem ethereally irrelevant to some people, and to them I apologize for the differences in our reading experiences and beg their patience, but to those who understand what I mean, I do heartily recommend this edition. I was at my local DB this weekend, and I noticed that there’s a similar printing out of Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. I plan to acquire my own copies of this one & that one shortly, as well.
August 1st, 2007 19:26
Mary was told by an angel that her son was the Savior and Son of God. I’ve sometimes wondered what she told Christ of her experience and his divinity and at what point she told him.
The scriptures are also clear that she did not understand a number of things, but treasured them up. I find that interesting.
As for money = “will of God” I can only note that in the last couple months I turned down a transfer that would have meant promotion and more money in fairly short order. There are more important things.
The problem is, of course, that neoCalvinism equates God’s grace with wealth, much like Calvinism equated being a member of the elect with good fortune.
Sigh.
Finally, I’ve wondered at Christ’s transfinite nature and how it relates to the atonement and infinite grace.
Still thinking.
August 2nd, 2007 09:41
Stephen, I am curious about your thoughts on “Christ’s transfinite nature and how it relates to the atonement and infinite grace.” I will confess that I don’t quite know taht transfinite means, and therefore have no idea how such an aspect of Christ’s nature relates to the Atonement. Care to share?
September 18th, 2007 16:47
For what it is worth, I finally blogged on the topic.
I’m using transfinite in a secondary meaning, one that implies that things that have an extra dimension to them are transfinite as to those things without the dimension.
Consider a plane. Now, consider a globe (a spherical solid) that intersects the plane. The globe is transfinite, and you can map a curve in the globe to every curve in the plane (while each of the plane sections that can be fitted into layers on the globe are finite, there are an infinite number of them, giving a planar space equal to the infinite plane the transfinite globe intersects).
November 22nd, 2007 05:24
wow! thanks for sharing,will definitly stay with me,makes me
think. as a child I felt I was on the wrong planet and someone
had made a big mistake placing me here. anyone elese have a similar experience? [ was not LDS] I am a convert