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The Brass Serpent: An Archetype of Jesus Christ

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  The Brass Serpent John 3 14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: 15. That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. The Lord Jesus in discourse with Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, alluded to Moses raising the brass serpent to illustrate how it was a prototype or foreshadowing of His crucifixion. Moses Raising the Brazen Serpent Why was the brazen serpent raised up by Moses in the wilderness? How is it a foreshadowing of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ? The explanation has to deal with the House of Israel, and their constant murmurings, blasphemous statements against Jehovah, and evil speaking of His anointed servant. Moses is a prophet of God, afterall! Numbers 21 5. And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread [i....
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The Seven Deadly Sins

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"And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them." -Mosiah 4:29
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Stoic Principle: Temperance

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"Therefore, cease from all your light speeches, from all laughter, from all your lustful desires, from all your pride and light-mindedness, and from all your wicked doings." -Doctrine & Covenants 88:121
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Letter of the Law & Spirit of the Law

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  Living the Higher Law (This is a topic which has weighed upon my conscience for some time, and figured it would be better to write these impressions down.) In His message from the Sermon on the Mount, as found in the Gospel of Matthew, the Lord Jesus calls for us to live the higher law. What is the higher law? And how are we to live that way? In my experience I have come across people who claim they "live by the spirit of the law", when it turns out they're using that phrase as an excuse to break the rules or commandments that are fully established. The Lord Jesus Christ commands us to live the higher law, because living by the lower law (or the letter of the law) is not enough! What's an example of the letter of the law? Let's go to the Ten Commandments. The Lord said specifically in the Mosaic Law not to commit adultery, not to murder, not to bear false witness, or steal, as well as to not worship other gods before Him. (See Exodus Chapter 20) The Tenth Comman...
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Stoic Principle: Justice

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"Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" - Micah 6:7-8
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Stoic Principle: Courage

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Courage "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." -Joshua 1:9 Fear, the Counterfeit "And it came to pass that Moses began to fear exceedingly; and as he began to fear, he saw the bitterness of hell. Nevertheless, calling upon God, he received strength, and he commanded, saying: Depart from me, Satan, for this one God only will I worship, which is the God of glory." -Moses 1:20 Three Christ-like Attributes: Faith, Hope, and Charity To begin with these attributes it's appropriate to pose the following questions: What is faith? What is hope? And, what is charity? To the first of these three, faith is defined thus: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the proof of things not seen." -Hebrews 11:1, with the Joseph Smith Translation and Greek Mark 5, with the Greek A good illustration of this comes from the story of   Jairus, w...
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The Virtues and Principles of Stoicism

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 What is Stoicism? Stoicism has been exaugurated to be defined as one who is without feeling or emotion. But this is simply not true. It means to compose oneself. To regulate one's thoughts and emotions. In the Book of Mormon, Alma shares the following counsel with his second son, Shiblon, who had was "stoned for the word's sake". Alma 38:10-12 10. And now, as ye have begun to teach the word even so I would that ye should continue to teach; and I would that ye would be diligent and temperate in all things. 11. See that ye are not lifted up unto pride; yea, see that ye do not boast in your own wisdom, nor of your much strength. 12. Use boldness, and not overbearance; and also see that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love; see that ye refrain from idleness. The list of these four cardinal virtues of stoicism: 1. Wisdom 2. Courage 3. Justice 4. Temperance This blog is the beginning of a new series wherein I will address these virtues.
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