WmLaw Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 From D&C 130: 20 There is a alaw, irrevocably decreed in bheaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all cblessings are predicated— 21 And when we obtain any ablessing from God, it is bybobedience to that law upon which it is predicated. Is there an analogous law regarding cursings? Are blessings and cursings opposite sides of the same coin?
CV75 Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 From D&C 130: 20 There is a alaw, irrevocably decreed in bheaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all cblessings are predicated— 21 And when we obtain any ablessing from God, it is bybobedience to that law upon which it is predicated. Is there an analogous law regarding cursings? Are blessings and cursings opposite sides of the same coin?I would think so. There are several OT scriptures that tie curses to breaking the law. I suppose where some may limit their reference to the Law of Moses (as indicated in some New Testament teachings such as Galatians 3:10), I think the same concept would hold for the law of the Gospel. Moroni 8:24 teaches that sinners “are under condemnation and under the curse of a broken law,” referring to the curse of Adam. I would think that the powers granted to the Prophet in D&C 132:46-47 can only be exercised in relation to laws that are kept or broken.
thatjimguy Posted February 1, 2014 Posted February 1, 2014 Even though I know I have heard this, I cannot recall if one of the main leaders has ever said it. I know it sound good for motivatiion not to sin, but somehow, I doubt that that sins gets punished, at least the majority of the time, in which some ironic twist of fate directly cooralates to the sin itself.
WmLaw Posted February 2, 2014 Author Posted February 2, 2014 (edited) Even though I know I have heard this, I cannot recall if one of the main leaders has ever said it. I know it sound good for motivatiion not to sin, but somehow, I doubt that that sins gets punished, at least the majority of the time, in which some ironic twist of fate directly cooralates to the sin itself.I suppose that not all blessings and not all cursings would necessarily have tangible/visible manifestations. When the Lord says "I, the Lord, am abound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no bpromise." It makes we wonder if in regard to cursings, if there is a lot more latitude and room for discretion. It's a fascinating topic to me. Edited February 2, 2014 by WmLaw
CV75 Posted February 3, 2014 Posted February 3, 2014 It makes we wonder if in regard to cursings, if there is a lot more latitude and room for discretion.Well, if my experience is any indication, yes: I was in a situation as a missionary where the work and the small group that met in our area was severely falling apart on many levels. On top of that, our landlord (who had just told us that he killed communists for a living--an issue in our area) said we couldn't stay there any more. In frustration I said to my companion, "I hope ants take over the place." I had no reason to say that; it came out of the blue; there hadn't been an ant problem--scorpions, cockroaches, fungi, parasites, yes; ants, no. When we returned an hour or so later to retrieve our bags after saying goodbye to a few investigators, guess what was literally crawling everywhere throughout the house (except our room) and biting the landlord?
WmLaw Posted February 3, 2014 Author Posted February 3, 2014 Well, if my experience is any indication, yes: I was in a situation as a missionary where the work and the small group that met in our area was severely falling apart on many levels. On top of that, our landlord (who had just told us that he killed communists for a living--an issue in our area) said we couldn't stay there any more. In frustration I said to my companion, "I hope ants take over the place." I had no reason to say that; it came out of the blue; there hadn't been an ant problem--scorpions, cockroaches, fungi, parasites, yes; ants, no. When we returned an hour or so later to retrieve our bags after saying goodbye to a few investigators, guess what was literally crawling everywhere throughout the house (except our room) and biting the landlord?Excellent. How would you assess what happened? Was the place cursed - If so, how long do you think it persisted? Was the landlord cursed? Would this follow him forever, just 'til he moved, just 'til he turned his life around? I'd love to hear your further thoughts about it.
CV75 Posted February 3, 2014 Posted February 3, 2014 Excellent. How would you assess what happened? Was the place cursed - If so, how long do you think it persisted? Was the landlord cursed? Would this follow him forever, just 'til he moved, just 'til he turned his life around? I'd love to hear your further thoughts about it.It could have been a coincidence for all I know, but I did learn to take better care of what I say since I really don't have the heart to curse anyone. I'm sure the ant infestation/attack was temporary, just enough to teach the landlord an equally valuable lesson (I can only hope--when we returned he was very circumspect; I'm sure he overheard me). We never went back to check. My feelings at the time were frustration that our efforts to make a go of the area had been thwarted--the next possible rental was 45 minutes away by bus. His evicting us was the last straw after a number of setbacks among the small membership and the increasing violence alluded to by the landlord. As it turned out, a few people were baptized from that area, and they attended the ward in the other community (the group and the area were shut down). Maybe there is more to the story that I don't know about; there could be a great backstory to it all. For example, many years after another event, a fomer missionary told me how the bus she was going to take had a bomb that went off; had she not been delayed because she sought us out for a blessing before her trip (she was nervous about a spate of recent bus bombings), she would have been on it. So all I can say is enjoy the ride, and seek blessings not cursings!
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