Forgiveness (version 1.0)

One of the most important parts of this study is Joseph's forgiving of his brethren. It was what Lemuel R. Pace used as the catalyst to my studying. This is attempt number one.

When I think of how Joseph spoke about the way his brethren had treated him as the will of the Lord I always think of how crazy that sounds. But today in New Testament I thought of a connection. This is like when Christ on the cross begged the Father to forgive his accusers and executors and said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do," (Luke 23:29) Did they know what they did? I contend they did not. In his letter to the Corinthians Paul said, "for now we see through a glass, darkly" (1 Cor 13:12) referring to our understanding of charity and others. Without the pure love of Christ we don't see others in the proper context. We only think of self and don't really comprehend the actions and feelings of those around us.
Joseph's brethren were angry and jealous. We know from a letter to the Corinthians that charity "envieth not...seeketh not her own..." (1 Cor 13:4,5) so they didn't have charity and that means they didn't see Joseph in the right light. So their actions were not with full understanding.
What does this mean for us today? Elder Jeffrey R Holland tells us that "true charity, the absolutely pure, perfect love of Christ, has really been known only once in this world - in the form of Christ Himself, the living Son of the living God," (BYU Speeches of the Year, Feb 2000). Therefore we cannot honestly say that anyone has the proper perspective on anyone else. So when others do us harm we must step back and remember to, "forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Rising Above Our Trials

I am so tired sometimes. The weight of my responsibilities (small as they may be) falls down on me, almost crushing me at times. It is as if all hell has come against me to keep me from those things that I should be doing. While they do not win any great battles (immorality, murder, etc.), they seem to conquer dozens of the smaller ones.

This is certainly one way Joseph has outclassed me by a mile. That man was unconquerable. He didn't ever quit. He didn't let the devil and his soldiers pin him down. Time after time he was confronted by the temptations of the world (Potiphar's wife, depression in slavery/jail, etc.) and continued in righteousness. We know he did because God continually blessed everything he did.

Every now and then I wish I could talk to him. He seems so untouchable at times and I so weak and foolish. I know he faced comparable trials and has good answers on how to overcome those I face, but I also know that isn't the way of things. Joseph wasn't given a guide through life to stand next to him and walk him through it all. The Lord said "it is not meet that [he] should commanded in all things," (D&C 58:26). No, Joseph was expected to discern and to discover like the rest of us.

I suppose the major difference is how he approached life. He was humble. He recognized that all the good in his life came from God - whether it was the end result of being thrown in a pit or the ability to interpret dreams and so forth. He attached this principle to his very soul and it showed in all he did. Even in the face of Pharaoh, Joseph told him that it was God whose hand was in his dreams.

If we, or more specifically I, were to employ ourselves better at living the gospel to its fullest; remembering all good things come from God; perhaps we would find ourselves a little better off, a little less tired, a little more spiritual and able to handle the trials and tribulations that come our way.

Out of Touch - Not out of Place

Sometimes I find my efforts to live the gospel are met with resistance, not only from the world and its colorful views of life, but also from those around me. As a youth I would often force myself into molds I felt better conformed to people around me. I would bend and flex my actions and speech to be more in touch with my peers - inside and out of the church.
A little older and hopefully a little wiser, I look back and wonder what I was thinking. At the time I was sure my standing with friends and fellow classmates was absolutely essential. I had obviously missed something important when learning about the gospel.
Throughout his life, Joseph was an exemplar of living what he believed. When Potiphar's wife accosted him he ran. When the prison guard had him in their possession, he did what he'd always done and followed his religion. What I find amazing is what happened during his formative years.

Joseph was only 17 when he told his brothers and family about his dreams, which we later find to be divinely appointed. He wanted to live the gospel as he understood it. God had spoken something special and beautiful to his soul and he wanted to share it with others. Now lets pause and think about this.

He was 17. He was in his teenage years. He had a peer group of 11 brothers, 10 who were older than he. They were part of the covenant of their grandfather Abraham. They were what equates to being members of our church.
Some of these brothers had attacked a city and destroyed it using the covenant of circumcision to trick the inhabitants. Another, his eldest brother, had defiled his father's wife Bilhah by sleeping with her. Judah tries to make money off of Joseph's demise at the pit and later reveals more of his character by sleeping with a harlot.
With these examples and "friends" how does Joseph behave? Does he conform to their standards and start what we do so often today - telling dirty jokes, following only that which he felt was needful from the gospel or pretending to be something he wasn't? No. He was true as always. He made a decision to follow the Lord and shared his visions and faith with his family. He did not bend to the whims of slave masters, prison holders, even Pharaoh, when these things conflicted with his belief in God.
We must be firm in our faith. The Lord had great things in store for Joseph and has great things in store for us. We must believe that while we are out of touch with the ways of the world, we are not in the wrong place when we stand with God and do our part to follow his ways. That is where we are supposed to be and only then are we what we are supposed to be - disciples.