I attended the temple this evening and was surprised to see that the administration of ordinances beyond the presentation of the endowment had changed in significant and powerful ways. I felt a renewed understanding and clarity listening to the different words and knew the changes were inspired by God. I liked the new wording better than before; it was clearer and more truthful. I also saw many people on the internet, both friend and stranger, who asked many questions about how temple ordinances could be changed. I was struck by some who asked a very good question, "Why wasn't these changes made sooner or implemented from the outset?" I think that is a great question, for if this is the true and living Church of Jesus Christ, shouldn't the revelation that was given to Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and others be foolproof?
The question is further complicated when the current social context is accounted for. Are Prophets just bowing to social pressures? The easy answer to the first question would be to argue that The Restored Church of Jesus Christ is just always slow to adjust to social pressures and that all progress or "leap's forward" come about by external pulls and pushes. Or in other words, we make adjustments as PR or political moves. As I said, these are the easy answers but they have no bearing in scripture, president, or modern prophetic teaching.
All I have are my own answers to these questions. Firstly, I am convinced that the Restored Church of Jesus Christ does not progress in the traditional sense of the word. Institutional, cultural, and civilizational progress is an idea developed by Georg Hegel and his pupil Karl Marks in the aftermath of the enlightenment about the same time as the Restoration of the Gospel. They argued that all of society is moving towards true freedom and enlightenment, that progress is inevitable and it is up to us as to whether we are on the right side of history or not.
So what is happening? If it is not a "leap forward" what is going on? Reading the Old Testament and its parallel, the Book of Mormon a clear pattern emerges. God, makes covenants with specific groups of people and blesses them in a variety of ways depending on their collective obedience to the commandments they are given. At times the flow of revelation is like the "Missouri River" when they are righteous or a “famine" when they have forgotten their covenant. The covenant people of God do not progress in their intellectual, moral or ethical sensibility by casting off outdated norms as advocated by Hegel. Rather, they progress towards the Savior and his teachings through repentance (Alma 4:10).
The pattern continues with individuals. The Book of Mormon has tons of examples of this happening. The pattern with Nephi, Alma, Jacob, Moroni, Mormon, Enos, and others is that through faith, repentance, obedience, and effort, greater truths can be found. This also means that things you know to be true could be revealed to be less true than a more true truth you receive through revelation. Or in other words, "precept upon precept."
In short, the best way to advance, progress, change, transform, push the Restored Church of Jesus Christ forward is to repent. Here are a few scriptures that talk about this.
- Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen (2 Nephi 4:35).
- Behold, I am God and have spoken it; these commandments are of me, and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding. And inasmuch as they erred it might be made known; And inasmuch as they sought wisdom they might be instructed; And inasmuch as they sinned they might be chastened, that they might repent; And inasmuch as they were humble they might be made strong, and blessed from on high, and receive knowledge from time to time (Doctrine and Covenants 1:24-28).
- Ye are not able to abide the presence of God now, neither the ministering of angels; wherefore, continue in patience until ye are perfected (Doctrine and Covenants 67:13).
The Savior's words to the Nephites are especially interesting because he makes a comparison to a group of people who are not as righteous.
- So great faith have I never seen among all the Jews; wherefore I could not show unto them so great miracles, because of their unbelief. Verily I say unto you, there are none of them that have seen so great things as ye have seen; neither have they heard so great things as ye have heard. (3 Nephi 19:35-36)
I’m sure there are a lot of other scriptures that I can’t think of or don’t know about but what I hope is clear is that greater truths, knowledge, insight, and light comes from God to those with greater faith. This happens to individuals and to whole peoples as we saw with the Nephites and the Jews. The Nephites saw and heard things that cannot be uttered because they were so great and marvelous, things that were withheld from the Jews. So will things like temple ordinances change from time to time? And will the new form be better than the previous? Absolutely. But the mechanism widening the windows of heaven is our righteousness, repentance, and faith in the Savior Jesus Christ.
