ENTRY 4 TRADITIONS

Traditions

Here is an example of good traditions, but the children turned away from those good traditions because of the hardness of their hearts:

“Now it came to pass that there were many of the rising generation that could not understand the words of King Benjamin, being little children at the time he spake unto his people; and they did not believe the traditions of their fathers.  They did not believe what had been said concerning the resurrection of the dead, neither did they believe concerning the coming of Christ.  And now because of their unbelief they could not understand the word of God; and their hearts were hardened.”

(Mosiah 26:1-3)

And here is an example of false traditions, but the Lord is merciful to the children to give them time to repent from those false traditions.

“For there are many promises which are extended to the Lamanites; for it is because of the traditions of their fathers that caused them to remain in their state of ignorance; therefore the Lord will be merciful unto them and prolong their existence in the land.  And at some period of time they will be brought to believe in his word, and to know of the incorrect traditions of their fathers; and many of them will be saved, for the Lord will be merciful unto all who call on his name.”(Alma 9:16-17)

For the most part in scripture examples, we find that the “traditions of fathers” have a tendency to oppose truth and keep people from recognizing the truth when it is presented to them.

“The glory of God is intelligence, or in other words, light and truth.  Light and truth forsake that evil one.  Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning; and God having redeemed man from the fall, men became again, in their infant state, innocent before God.  And that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the traditions of their fathers.  But I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth.”(D&C 93:36-40)

Inasmuch as the traditions of our fathers is in accordance with light and truth then we ought to embrace and hold on to those traditions.  Inasmuch as those traditions are in contradiction to light and truth, then we need to discard the old traditions.  This requires that we examine our traditions. 

This requires that we examine OUR traditions. 

People are generally very adept at spotting the flaws in the traditions of “others”.  Those others could include people of a different religion or culture. There is a great deal of pride in belonging to a group, any group.  Our team is the best!  We’re number one!  Our country is blessed! Company Spirit! Team Unity! Cultural Superiority! Racial Pride!   This is the place! This is the chosen people of God!  You deserve the best! We are a chosen generation! Every group feels that way.  With such lofty boasts, every group sets themselves up in competition with its piers to determine if it really is the best of its kind.  Very quickly, the competitors find the flaws in their opponents and proclaim the evidence of their superiority.  This creates blindness to the failings and weaknesses of one’s own beloved demographic.  And hence we go on marching in the Pride Parade, looking more like a Parade of Fools because of our own ignorance. 

“And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you:  At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and of murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them.”(3 Nephi 16:10).

The most sure way to lift ourselves up in pride above all nations and above all people of the whole earth is to proclaim how we are a chosen people, a marked generation, saved for this final inning by God, to come down and be a light to all the world.  For surely, this tradition we have received from our fathers is better than all others!  Most certainly, we should not ever suggest that maybe we were sent the gospel to demonstrate to the entire world an example of what NOT to do with that light and knowledge after it is given to a people.  You know, like the people of Moses, or the Pharisees, or the Nephites or the Catholic Church did in the past…all those “others” who just didn’t get it.  But we get it because we are in the “final dispensation” and “our leaders can never lead us astray” and this church can never fail.  Never mind that Moses was counseled by Jehovah face to face and still the people failed.  Or that the Pharisees witnessed the miracles performed by Jesus and still the people failed.  Or that the Nephites were ministered to by the resurrected Christ and still the people failed.  Or the Catholic Church received authority from Peter who received authority from Christ and had a “never broken chain of authority” and still the people failed.  And so it isn’t pride after all, because we have the truth…and we have authority…remember that!  We have authority!  Never mind that God works in one eternal round and God is Just, so maybe the test is the same for us as it was for all those other groups in the scriptures and maybe we are just as vulnerable to failure.  Never mind that because our time is special and we are not going to fail.  So after all, we really are a humble people with the burden of having to fix all those other people who just don’t listen to God like we do, and we feel so sorry for them.  I cannot think of a better example of the phrase: “lifted up in pride above all people of the whole earth.” 

 It is too easy to fall into the trap of pride.  This is why it is worth our time to examine our own traditions and repent of the traditions which are not correct.

And so when we discuss false traditions, the “others” must be swept off the examination table.  We must examine OUR false traditions.  What is wrong with our group?  How are we failing?  How do we need to repent? 

Because of the incredible skill people have in finding the flaws in others, one valuable source we can utilize to discover our shortcomings is in those “others” who know our weaknesses so well.  Those we would otherwise dismiss as ignorant because they belong to that “other” group.  Those, whom we previously considered our enemies, now become our resource for self-examination.  What is it they can teach me from their different perspective?  In what manner are they actually correct?

Look at it this way, if you are someone who has served a proselytizing mission or encouraged and supported someone to serve a mission then please think about the following idea.  That missionary that you send out there to preach the gospel is very young and inexperienced.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is now sending out eighteen year olds on missions.  These are kids who have just recently graduated high school (and often barely graduated high school).  And we have no problem with that because we know that God can speak through the mouths of babes or slay giants with youthful sheep herders.  Now, that childlike missionary is going to travel a thousand miles and knock on the door of a stranger.  The stranger will answer the door and wait for about five seconds to decide if the sales pitch should be turned away gently or forcefully.  But think about that stranger who will open the door.   He is in his late fifties, has a wife he has always been faithful to, children he has taught the meaning of integrity to, passed through illnesses that he received healing from through prayer,  been cheated by neighbors whom he forgave, all his life he studied the scriptures in his search for God.  And now here stands this kid.  This kid was a few weeks ago whining at his mother because she asked him to clean up his bedroom.  But here is this kid, asking this stranger to reconsider, rethink, and reexamine everything he has learned about God in his life.  If you can ask that stranger to do that, can you not do the same?  If you have the expectation that that stranger should be willing to at least momentarily consider the Good News you are attempting to communicate, then wouldn’t you owe that same consideration to another…no matter how much you think you “know this church is true”?

I now submit the first definition to be offered in this blog:

“Traditions of the Fathers”

The handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information and etc.  from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice.  It ought to be examined in humility and embraced if it is in accordance with light and truth from God.  It ought to be discarded if it is found not in accordance with the light and truth from God. No tradition ought to be accepted based on its own characteristic of being a tradition and therefore every tradition ought to be examined without pride.  No tradition ought to be enforced based on authority but only in accordance with its compliance with light and truth (or in other words, intelligence as received by God).