We are all called - continuously to serve God, discretely to other calls and modes of service. In the allegory of the olive tree, the Lord of the vineyard tells his servant to go and call other servants. We, as those called, may respond in one of three ways (there are other nuances, I am sure, but these are the three main ways I can think of):
1) We may be unprepared and hence afraid of the call. Adam, in the garden of Eden, when called by God, was ashamed and afraid because he was unprepared to meet God (Gen 3:10 or Moses 4:16). Alma the Younger, similarly, thinking of when he would be called into God's presence cried out and wished that he might be made extinct, both body and soul (Alma 36:15; see also Mosiah 2:36-39).
2) We may be unprepared, but filled with pride. When Father asked whom He could send, Lucifer volunteered for the position (Moses 4:1, Abraham 3:27-28). Christ had be selected and prepared from the beginning to be the Savior. Lucifer had not received that same training. He was unprepared to fulfill the role as it needed to be. yet, in his pride, he thought he could best God and propose a new plan, with him at its center. President Benson in "Beware of Pride" indicated that it was Satan's prideful desire to dethrone God (see also DC 76:28). His pride blinded him to his lack of preparation, and rather than submit to God's will, he chose to rebel. You could argue that this group is not truly called, yet, but calls themselves and takes the honor unto themselves (Hebrews 5:4).
3) We may be prepared and willing. This is the response of Israel/Jacob (Genesis 46:2, 31:11), Isaac (Genesis 22:7), Abraham (Genesis 22:11), Moses (Exodus 3:4), Samuel (1 Samuel 3:10), Isaiah (Isaiah 6:8), and Christ (Abraham 3:27). And hopefully each of us. Note that Isaiah and Moses (we could add Enoch and several others) expressed their concern about their lack of preparation; the Lord made up the difference. I am sure some of the others may have felt similarly. Isaac asked to be bound that he might not interfere with what he knew to be the Lord's will.
What is the preparation of each of these servants of God and Christ? What preparation is needed of each of us as we are called?
Psalms 24:3-4 indicates we need 4 things to worthily be in God's presence and DC 121:45 adds 1.5 more.
1) clean hands - Isaiah 1:16-19 and Alma 13:11 combine to make it clear that our hands, garments, and sins are to be washed clean in the blood of the Lamb. We are to avail ourselves of the atonement at every opportunity.
2) pure heart (including virtue garnishing thoughts unceasingly) - A pure heart means that you are not dividing your attentions (Matthew 6:24), but that you have an eye single to the glory of God (DC82:19, see also Moses 1:39 for what our eye's should be single to); the Lord requires the heart and a willing mind (DC64:34).
3) no vanity - we must press forward, relying wholly on the merits of Him who is mighty to save (2 Nephi 31:19) so that we acknowledge His hand in all things and lean not unto our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6) and this, along with Charity, will help to preserve us from pride that there be no vanity in us.
4) no deceit - God will not be mocked (Galatians 6:7, DC124:71, see also Zeezrom in Alma 11-12 and Sherem in Jacob 7). We also learn in DC 121 that the priesthood and the Spirit both are withdrawn from those who attempt to exercise vanity in their calling.
5) Charity - Charity is a gift of God, through the Spirit. You cannot properly serve anyone for whom you have not developed at least a little charity. The greater your charity toward someone the easier and more joyous and more rewarding your service will be. You will also not begrudge the time spent in the service. This is more from my own experience than from a reading of the scriptures, but that does not make it less true.
Psalms 24 indicates that these attributes qualify us to ascend into the hill of the Lord and stand in His holy place, that is, to go where He is and stand with Him. DC 121:45 adds that our confidence shall wax strong in God's presence, that is, we will be comfortable in His presence, which to me means that we will be worthy and invited to be there. Ultimately, what these and other scriptures indicate is that these attributes, along with the others that you develop while in the service of God (or your fellow men Matthew 25:40, Mosiah 2:17) qualify you for Eternal Life with God. Therefore, each call to serve is a call to exaltation: the Lord calling you from the wilderness into His home.
P.P. (post post :), as opposed to post script)
I wish to note that there is no such thing as prepared and unwilling. Your unwillingness to serve disqualifies you for the divine help, without which you cannot succeed. Elder Bednar taught that the Lord does not call a man because of who he is or what he has done, but because of who he may become, through the service.
Similarly, there is no such thing as unprepared and willing. Your willingness qualifies you for the help of the Spirit, which is the quintessential element in any preparation (see also DC 4:5 - faith, hope, charity (which are gifts of the Spirit) and an eye single to the glory of God (which is your willingness to serve in the Lord's way) qualify (=prepared) you for the work). What you may lack at the outset you will gain along the way, if you permit God to lead you.
Monday, December 2, 2013
A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things
Consider, if you will, the account of the creation found in the book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price (Or you could look at Moses' account in Genesis; there it is in chapter 1 instead of 2).
At the end of each creationary period, God declared the creation "good" (emphasis is mine).
I have long believe that meant that the various creations were well made. While I do not doubt that to be the case, I have found that the book of Abraham (also in the Pearl of Great Price) uses different wording that provides an additional understanding of what "good" might mean (emphasis is mine, again).
In both accounts, the first (light/dark) and second (firmament, water dividing) do not get pronounced as good or obedient. It is said that they were as they were ordered. The lights and the waters do not have living souls, perhaps, whereas the plants, all manner of animal life, and man do? Just a guess there. The beasts are pronounced good/obedient, but then after man is made, God looks over all of creation and calls the entirety very good/obedient.
The point I am moving towards is that when Moses says "good" it can be understood to mean "obedient" or that it did as it was commanded - live, multiply replenish, fulfill measure of creation, etc. This doesn't seem a very large stretch of meaning for me. Think of good v. evil - in this case, good is the opposite of evil. Synonyms for the antonym (that's fun to say) of evil include righteous and obedient and true and faithful. When God made everything, He made it in a Good, Righteous, Obedient state. Creation later fell with Adam, but that is too large of a tangent.
Keeping in mind that good=obedient, remember the famous scripture mastery verse in Abraham 3:22-23,
At the end of each creationary period, God declared the creation "good" (emphasis is mine).
Moses 2:
10 And I, God, called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters, called I the Sea; and I, God, saw that all things which I had made were good.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, every herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed should be in itself, after his kind; and I, God, saw that all things which I had made were good;
18 And the sun to rule over the day, and the moon to rule over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness; and I, God, saw that all things which I had made were good;
21 And I, God, created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind; and I, God, saw that all things which I had created were good.
25 And I, God, made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything which creepeth upon the earth after his kind; and I, God, saw that all these things were good.
31 And I, God, saw everything that I had made, and, behold, all things which I had made were very good.
Abraham 4:
10 And the Gods pronounced the dry land, Earth; and the gathering together of the waters, pronounced they, Great Waters; and the Gods saw that they were obeyed.
12 And the Gods organized the earth to bring forth grass from its own seed, and the herb to bring forth herb from its own seed, yielding seed after his kind; and the earth to bring forth the tree from its own seed, yielding fruit, whose seed could only bring forth the same in itself, after his kind; and the Gods saw that they were obeyed.
18 And the Gods watched those things which they had ordered until they obeyed.
21 And the Gods prepared the waters that they might bring forth great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters were to bring forth abundantly after their kind; and every winged fowl after their kind. And the Gods saw that they would be obeyed, and that their plan was good.
25 And the Gods organized the earth to bring forth the beasts after their kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after its kind; and the Gods saw they would obey.
31 And the Gods said: We will do everything that we have said, and organize them; and behold, they shall be very obedient. And it came to pass that it was from evening until morning they called night; and it came to pass that it was from morning until evening that they called day; and they numbered the sixth time.In both accounts, the first (light/dark) and second (firmament, water dividing) do not get pronounced as good or obedient. It is said that they were as they were ordered. The lights and the waters do not have living souls, perhaps, whereas the plants, all manner of animal life, and man do? Just a guess there. The beasts are pronounced good/obedient, but then after man is made, God looks over all of creation and calls the entirety very good/obedient.
The point I am moving towards is that when Moses says "good" it can be understood to mean "obedient" or that it did as it was commanded - live, multiply replenish, fulfill measure of creation, etc. This doesn't seem a very large stretch of meaning for me. Think of good v. evil - in this case, good is the opposite of evil. Synonyms for the antonym (that's fun to say) of evil include righteous and obedient and true and faithful. When God made everything, He made it in a Good, Righteous, Obedient state. Creation later fell with Adam, but that is too large of a tangent.
Keeping in mind that good=obedient, remember the famous scripture mastery verse in Abraham 3:22-23,
22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;
23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.
True to form, God chose those souls that were obedient and gave them further gifts and responsibilities. Those spirits who were obedient were called and chosen to preach the gospel, shepherd the flock, and lead Zion in the ways of righteousness.
I think this works well with what Alma had to say about High Priests (think Christ, Melchizedek, Abraham, Adam, Seth, Noah, Enoch among others) in Alma 13:3-13 (it is a long quote, but the whole thing worth reading - go read it). Consider also what God says about High Priests (and others) in Doctrine and Covenants 76:51-70 (57) - another long quote but one I suggest you read in its entirety.
I think there is a lot of harmony in these passages and an interesting insight into what the Lord means when He says He seeth not as a man seeth, for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. What is He looking for there? Love. The kind of love that goes with "If ye love me, keep my commandments." The kind of love that spurs you on to obedience.
"Remember... and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God." (Alma 37:35)
"O be wise, what can I say more?" (Jacob 6:12)
learning by faith
"Thou Art a Teacher Come from God", Thomas S. Monson, Conference Report, October 1970, pp. 104-108:
The goal of gospel teaching today... is not to "pour information" into the minds of class members.... The basic goal of teaching in the Church is to help bring about worthwhile changes in the lives of boys and girls, men and women. The aim is to inspire the individual to think about, feel about, and then do something about living gospel principles.
As teachers, we are to inspire students to
Think about (ask questions, wonder, study personally, ponder)
Feel about (feel and recognize the Spirit)
and then Do something about living gospel principles (apply and act on the knowledge and promptings gained)
and I would add (as a special instance of "do")
Testify (about what they have learned so that the truths can be confirmed and cemented in their minds and hearts).
As modeled by young Joseph Smith:
JSH 1:8 - mind called up to serious reflection
1:10 - reflected on what, who, which
JSH 1:8 - feelings were deep and often poignant
1:12 - never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this at this time to mine (promptings of the Spirit)
JSH 1:14 - retire to the woods to ask of God (prayer is a form of work)
JSH 1:20 - Joseph responds to his mother and indicates that he has learned for himself the answer to the question he had been pondering. He testified of the truth learned.
1:10 - reflected on what, who, which
JSH 1:8 - feelings were deep and often poignant
1:12 - never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this at this time to mine (promptings of the Spirit)
JSH 1:14 - retire to the woods to ask of God (prayer is a form of work)
JSH 1:20 - Joseph responds to his mother and indicates that he has learned for himself the answer to the question he had been pondering. He testified of the truth learned.
rise, kill, and eat.
http://lds.org/scriptures/nt/acts/10?lang=eng
9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
I have occasionally wondered why the Mosaic law would indicate that some animal were unclean and not to be eaten. One theory I had was that some types of animals were more prone to carrying diseases which were less likely to be destroyed by the cooking habits of the time. There may or may not be truth to that. However, since the Lord giveth no commands that are physical/temporal (Doc & Cov 29:34), there must be something more.
I do not suppose it is everything more, but at least one thing more is as a reminder to Israel of the need to be clean and pure and separate from the world.
The unclean animals represent gentile or unbelieving nations (see verses above).
The clean animals must therefore represent Israel or covenant nations.
The thought bears pondering - what else can we learn from Israel being represented by clean animals? We should only take clean things into our bodies; we should not mix or mingle or defile ourselves with the unclean. I a sure there are more, but that is enough for now.
9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
I have occasionally wondered why the Mosaic law would indicate that some animal were unclean and not to be eaten. One theory I had was that some types of animals were more prone to carrying diseases which were less likely to be destroyed by the cooking habits of the time. There may or may not be truth to that. However, since the Lord giveth no commands that are physical/temporal (Doc & Cov 29:34), there must be something more.
I do not suppose it is everything more, but at least one thing more is as a reminder to Israel of the need to be clean and pure and separate from the world.
The unclean animals represent gentile or unbelieving nations (see verses above).
The clean animals must therefore represent Israel or covenant nations.
The thought bears pondering - what else can we learn from Israel being represented by clean animals? We should only take clean things into our bodies; we should not mix or mingle or defile ourselves with the unclean. I a sure there are more, but that is enough for now.
a few notes
We are told to stand in holy places, places where we are within the light of truth, illuminated by the Spirit; where we are fed and nourished by the good word of God; where we commune and communicate with the Lord through prayer; and where we prepare ourselves to enter the presence of the Lord.
How do you get to the Holy Place? You enter in by the door (gate? - I bet it is strait); offer sacrifice on the altar; are cleansed in the laver of water; and then you enter the Holy Place. In our lives, to stand in holy places, to approach the Lord, some sacrifice is always required, as is being washed and cleansed. Always.
Divide and Fill with Life
A speaker I heard yesterday (September 2011) pointed out a pattern that I would like to share.
Doctrine and Covenants 95 and Exodus 25 both give rough outlines of how the temple (tabernacle) is to be constructed.
1. The building/tent is to be constructed as directed
2. No unclean thing is to be permitted to enter (it must be cleansed should it be defiled)
3. It is to be dedicated to the Lord
4. The Lord fills it with His Spirit.
1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1. Our bodies are constructed, patterned after our Spirits, after the likeness of the Only Begotten of the Father.
2. We are repeatedly urged to not allow any unclean thing to enter through our minds, eyes, nose, ears, mouth, heart, skin, etc. (we must also be cleansed after defiling ourselves)
3. When baptized, we take upon us the name of Christ. We further dedicate ourselves to him through sacred covenants.
4. The Lord promises to fill us with His Spirit. Most obviously is in the words of the sacrament prayer, that His Spirit may always be with us.
This pattern of dividing/dedicating/sanctifying something to allow it to be filled with the Holy Ghost is often repeated. Moses and his sons were washed, clothed (symbolizing a new person), anointed, and sanctified (does that sound similar to baptism? more on that in a sec, if I remember) preparatory to their serving in the tabernacle where they would be acting in the name and stead of Christ.
The creation is outlined as three sets of dividing and filling with Spirit (or life, light).
Doctrine and Covenants 95 and Exodus 25 both give rough outlines of how the temple (tabernacle) is to be constructed.
1. The building/tent is to be constructed as directed
2. No unclean thing is to be permitted to enter (it must be cleansed should it be defiled)
3. It is to be dedicated to the Lord
4. The Lord fills it with His Spirit.
1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1. Our bodies are constructed, patterned after our Spirits, after the likeness of the Only Begotten of the Father.
2. We are repeatedly urged to not allow any unclean thing to enter through our minds, eyes, nose, ears, mouth, heart, skin, etc. (we must also be cleansed after defiling ourselves)
3. When baptized, we take upon us the name of Christ. We further dedicate ourselves to him through sacred covenants.
4. The Lord promises to fill us with His Spirit. Most obviously is in the words of the sacrament prayer, that His Spirit may always be with us.
This pattern of dividing/dedicating/sanctifying something to allow it to be filled with the Holy Ghost is often repeated. Moses and his sons were washed, clothed (symbolizing a new person), anointed, and sanctified (does that sound similar to baptism? more on that in a sec, if I remember) preparatory to their serving in the tabernacle where they would be acting in the name and stead of Christ.
The creation is outlined as three sets of dividing and filling with Spirit (or life, light).
First the light is divided from the dark; the waters above are divided from the waters below; and the earth (land) is divided from the water (seas). Going back around, the light is filled with life-giving light of the sun and the dark is filled with the lights of the moon and stars; the waters above are filled with fowl and the waters below are filled with fishes, etc.; the earth is filled with beasts (water already filled).
Wheat is separated from the tares and filled with Eternal Life. So are the sheep from the goats.
The Lord calls His people peculiar because they are to be separate from the world, divided from it, and then permitted to be filled with life and light.
Wheat is separated from the tares and filled with Eternal Life. So are the sheep from the goats.
The Lord calls His people peculiar because they are to be separate from the world, divided from it, and then permitted to be filled with life and light.
...
Going back to baptism and the setting apart of Levites, Exodus 28, 29 outlines that the priests were to be anointed, consecrated, and sanctified. This process is outlined in 29.
Anointing is washing (with water), being clothed with the garments of the priesthood (a new man), and anointed with oil. Olive oil was used to symbolize the Spirit. Its mundane purposes were for cooking food and being burned for light. Thus it provides nourishment and light (like the Spirit) and, not coincidentally, oil sinks in through your skin very readily. So, to become a priest the sons of Levi were washed with water, became a new man, and given the Holy Ghost.
Consecrating was done by smearing the blood of the sacrificial ram on the right ear, thumb, and big toe. This is to symbolize that what we hear/think, do, and where we go will be dedicated to the Lord. This parallels nicely the law of consecration, where we promise our selves and possessions to the Lord.
Sanctification was symbolically done by the priests ingesting the meat of the burnt offering. They ate the meat (body) of the animal that was sacrificed in similitude of the Lamb of God, not unlike how we weekly ingest the body of Christ in the sacrament. While we do not believe in transubstantiation, we are promised that through the keeping of our covenants, as renewed through the sacrament, the Holy Ghost may always be with us. The temple, sacred grove, various mountain tops (Sinai and burning bush, i.e.), and our bodies are able to be sanctified, purified, made holy by the presence of a member of the Godhead. This is to be sanctified, to have the Spirit of Christ dwell within you. This is done in response to our being cleansed, divided from evil, and dedicated to the Lord in what we hear/think, do, and where we go.
Going back to baptism and the setting apart of Levites, Exodus 28, 29 outlines that the priests were to be anointed, consecrated, and sanctified. This process is outlined in 29.
Anointing is washing (with water), being clothed with the garments of the priesthood (a new man), and anointed with oil. Olive oil was used to symbolize the Spirit. Its mundane purposes were for cooking food and being burned for light. Thus it provides nourishment and light (like the Spirit) and, not coincidentally, oil sinks in through your skin very readily. So, to become a priest the sons of Levi were washed with water, became a new man, and given the Holy Ghost.
Consecrating was done by smearing the blood of the sacrificial ram on the right ear, thumb, and big toe. This is to symbolize that what we hear/think, do, and where we go will be dedicated to the Lord. This parallels nicely the law of consecration, where we promise our selves and possessions to the Lord.
Sanctification was symbolically done by the priests ingesting the meat of the burnt offering. They ate the meat (body) of the animal that was sacrificed in similitude of the Lamb of God, not unlike how we weekly ingest the body of Christ in the sacrament. While we do not believe in transubstantiation, we are promised that through the keeping of our covenants, as renewed through the sacrament, the Holy Ghost may always be with us. The temple, sacred grove, various mountain tops (Sinai and burning bush, i.e.), and our bodies are able to be sanctified, purified, made holy by the presence of a member of the Godhead. This is to be sanctified, to have the Spirit of Christ dwell within you. This is done in response to our being cleansed, divided from evil, and dedicated to the Lord in what we hear/think, do, and where we go.
The importance of Earnest
Mel would often playfully mention how nerdy (adorably, I hope) it is of me that I often get sucked into reading the dictionary. I will go and look up a word (gasp - yes I do that, and gasp-gasp I still do it in a book on occasion) and end up reading a number of surrounding, preceding, and following words. While I find this a worthwhile experience, Mel finds it quixotic.
I have recently (perhaps I am late to the game) found that the same exercise in the Bible Dictionary is an exceptionally worthwhile experience. What follows is a recent example. I went to the dictionary to see what it had to say about Ecclesiastes and ended up also reading the entry on earnest.
Honestly, I was surprised that there was even an entry in the Bible Dictionary for earnest. I would expect it in the Topical Guide, but to find it in the Bible Dictionary was intriguing. Until I read the entry. Then it made perfect, wonderful sense.
When we are baptized, we witness (among other things) that we wish to be cleansed of our sins and be found worthy of Celestial glory. In effect, we are telling our Heavenly Father that we wish to do what is necessary to become like Him and to live with Him. The Holy Ghost, specifically, the Gift of the Holy Ghost is Heavenly Father's "earnest money", as Paul explains (see link or entry in BD).
In accompaniment to our covenant and witness, Heavenly Father provides a member of the Godhead (who, being One with Heavenly Father is identical to Him in will and purpose) to be our constant companion. In effect, we have entered in God's presence and are given, from time to time, contingent on our acceptance and obedience, direction and instructions (i.e. personal revelation, whispering of the Spirit) on becoming more like God. Covenant, Witness, Ask and ye shall receive. At that point, we are enabled to live in God's presence and to become like Him, just as we wished. It is then incumbent on us to remain in that presence. We learn though trial and error, and often sad experience, to differentiate between good and evil. Quite simply, we learn the good because we notice that we remain in God's presence and the evil because we have withdrawn ourselves from God's presence with the act. Thus we learn the nature of God and how to become like Him, by learning what may and may not be done in His presence.
To prevent repeating myself too many times I will stop there.
I have recently (perhaps I am late to the game) found that the same exercise in the Bible Dictionary is an exceptionally worthwhile experience. What follows is a recent example. I went to the dictionary to see what it had to say about Ecclesiastes and ended up also reading the entry on earnest.
Honestly, I was surprised that there was even an entry in the Bible Dictionary for earnest. I would expect it in the Topical Guide, but to find it in the Bible Dictionary was intriguing. Until I read the entry. Then it made perfect, wonderful sense.
When we are baptized, we witness (among other things) that we wish to be cleansed of our sins and be found worthy of Celestial glory. In effect, we are telling our Heavenly Father that we wish to do what is necessary to become like Him and to live with Him. The Holy Ghost, specifically, the Gift of the Holy Ghost is Heavenly Father's "earnest money", as Paul explains (see link or entry in BD).
In accompaniment to our covenant and witness, Heavenly Father provides a member of the Godhead (who, being One with Heavenly Father is identical to Him in will and purpose) to be our constant companion. In effect, we have entered in God's presence and are given, from time to time, contingent on our acceptance and obedience, direction and instructions (i.e. personal revelation, whispering of the Spirit) on becoming more like God. Covenant, Witness, Ask and ye shall receive. At that point, we are enabled to live in God's presence and to become like Him, just as we wished. It is then incumbent on us to remain in that presence. We learn though trial and error, and often sad experience, to differentiate between good and evil. Quite simply, we learn the good because we notice that we remain in God's presence and the evil because we have withdrawn ourselves from God's presence with the act. Thus we learn the nature of God and how to become like Him, by learning what may and may not be done in His presence.
To prevent repeating myself too many times I will stop there.
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