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LDS Stuff » The Triforce and the Gospel Nintendo has a video game series called "the Legend of Zelda," in which, among other things, the hero Link must rescue the princess Zelda from the evil wizard Ganon. It's jolly good fun. Within the games, there is a magical object, or three-some of objects called the triforce. Each of the three pieces of the triforce is named after a virtue: Wisdom, Courage, and Power, and the triforce is usually what helps Link save the day.
Actions, Desires, and Thoughts I find it interesting that many passages about the judgement specify that we will be judged for our actions and our desires, according to how much knowledge we have of the plan of salvation. It is clear from the scriptures that both our actions and our intentions matter to the Lord. And it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works; and if their works were good in this life, and the desires of their hearts were good, that they should also, at the last day, be restored unto that which is good. (Alma 41:3)In addition, He also measures that judgement according to how much we knew of the gospel in this life. . . . All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God. . . .It's incredible just how thoroughly just and completely merciful the Lord is. I'm glad He's the one in charge. Imagine if He judged only our actions: no one would go to heaven, because we all sin. Imagine if He judged only our desires: everone would go to heaven, even if we never summoned up the moral fiber to discipline ourselves and convert our good intentions into real Christ-like living. Imagine if He judged only our knowledge: only those who had heard of Christ and "accepted" Him would go to heaven. None of those scenarios seems fair. But with a perfect God, we have a perfect Judge, who will take all things into consideration. Perhaps the reason that God is the perfect Judge is that He has perfect attributes. In Lectures on Faith, Joseph Smith explains that God's perfect attrubutes are what make it possible for us to have saving faith in Him. Chief among those attributes are three that correspond to knowledge, desires, and action. God is omniscient (all-knowing), omnibenevolent (perfectly good), and omnipotent (all-powerful). Imagine a God who lacked one of those attributes. If He were all-knowing and perfectly good, but lacked all power, He would be unable to save us or establish just consequences. If He were all-powerful and had perfect intentions, but lacked perfect knowledge, He would make a mess of the universe and exalt and condemn the wrong people. If He were all-powerful and all-knowing, but lacked good intentions and morality, He would be an arbitrary tyrant. Thankfully, such is not the case. God is perfect in His attributes, and one of the main purposes of the scriptures is to testify of these attributes. And if we want to become like our Father some day, we need to control these three attributes within ourselves. It is probably for those reasons that many prophets and leaders have spoken about the importance of not only good actions, but good desires and thoughts. "Daily, constantly, we choose by our desires, our thoughts, and our actions whether we want to be blessed or cursed, happy or miserable."I also noticed this pattern when reading about the conversion process in the Missionary Guide, a book given to missionaries to help them share the gospel. It summarizes the process in saying that people need three things in order to become converted: As people open their hearts [desires], listen to your message [knowledge], and obey the Lord's commandments [action], they will feel the Spirit. They become converted when they begin to feel and recognize the Spirit and act on the promptings they receive. (Missionary Guide, p. 42)The Lord wants our whole self, every part of us, and so it naturally follows that becoming converted to the gospel will involve every aspect of our self.
Cause and Effect But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.To elaborate, first the adversary puts wicked thoughts in our minds to entice us. If we dwell on those thoughts, we begin to desire those things, or lust after them. If we allow those desires to develop unchecked, we will eventually act them out in sins. Without repenting and applying the atonement, the result of a sinful life is spiritual death.
I once read an article by an EFY speaker who talked about this chain of effects that starts with our thoughts (I wish I could remember who to credit). He quoted a great poem.
Sow a thought, and you reap an action;He went on to describe how celestial thoughts lead to celestial desires, which lead to celestial actions, celestial habits, celestial characer, and finally celestial destiny. He wrote it as a formula like this: He said the same goes for telestial thoughts, desires, actions, and so on. Then he suggested that we can take more control over this sequence by adding another item at the beginning: celestial stimulus. If we surround ourselves by good, virtuous things, we are more likely to have good, virtuous thoughts and all that comes with them. We can read good books, watch good movies, engage in virtuous conversation, etc. The same goes for telestial stimulus. If we read dirty books, watch R-rated movies, and have immoral posters in our rooms, we're much more likely to have telestial thoughts, which lead to a telestial destiny. Since our surroundings can shape us, we ought to take the initiative of shaping our surroundings first.
Body, Spirit, and Intelligence That said, the three elements of choice-making have a noticeable correlation to our three-fold self: actions—body (our bodies enable us to do things that we couldn't otherwise), thoughts—intelligence (cognition, knowledge), and desires—spirit (our spirit gives us life, a driving force). Put together, "the spirit [which includes intelligence] and the body are the soul of man" (D&C 88:15). Of course, there is significant overlap between the parts of the soul and the elements of choice-making. I don't think all our abilities come from our body, all our desires come from our spirit, and all our knowledge comes from our intelligence. The relation is not nearly exact, especially considering such principles as, our body has appetites and desires, "all spirit is matter" (D&C 131:7), and other such doctrines. But I just want to point out an interesting relationship: that we are three-fold beings, and there are three elements behind making choices. I think there are insights to be gained by thinking about that.
Epistemology and the Three Degrees of Glory
I see a connection between these categories of knowledge sources and our three parts. Observation is filtered through our body. Logic is filtered through our mind. Intuition is filtered through our spirit. The remaining source, authority, could be seen as an appeal to knowledge that has been filtered through someone else's body, mind, and/or spirit.
There seems to be a connection between trusting and following the inclinations of the body, the mind, and the spirit, and receiving a telestial, a terrestrial, or a celestial glory in the next life. Of course, I would hesitate to draw a definite and distinct relationship between the three kingdoms and our soul parts. In fact, I think someone who goes to the celestial kingdom will, like Heavenly Father, attain a perfect balance and embrace all things that lead to perfect happiness. But I think it is a valuable connection on which to ponder.
Triforce Scriptures . . . I have not commanded you to come up hither to trifle with the words which I shall speak, but that you should hearken unto me, and open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand, and your minds that the mysteries of God may be unfolded to your view. (Mosiah 2:9)It seems that King Benjamin is asking his audience to listen at all three levels, to devote every part of their capacities to truly absorb what he is about to teach them. I think that's how we should try to listen when we read the scriptures or listen to General Conference: with our bodies, spirits, and minds. For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed;In contrast to listening at all three levels, the Savior quotes Isaiah 6:10 to describe a group that refuses to listen to the truth at any level. They refuse to hear with the body (ears), understand with the spirit (heart), or see with the mind (eyes). Notice that the Savior says that if the people were to heed him at all three levels, they would be converted. The process of conversion is described elsewhere as including these three components, too. "As the people you teach open their hearts, listen to your message, and obey the Lord's commandments . . . they will be converted" (Missionary Guide, p. 1). . . . Now, if ye give place, that a seed [the word of God] may be planted in your heart . . . ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me. (Alma 32:28)Alma seems to be saying that we will recognize the truth of the word of God at all levels. It will enlarge our spirits, enlighten our minds, and even feel good in a physical sense. It's interesting how the Holy Spirit manifests itself to people in many different ways—thoughts, spiritual feelings, physical warmth—and sometimes in a combination of ways. Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day. (D&C 4:2)Here we are told to serve without holding anything back. Have you ever talked to someone whose mind was elsewhere? Or given a gift without really wanting to? (see Moro. 7:8–9). Or had good intentions but not acted on them? We need to serve with our mind (intelligence), our heart (spirit), and our strength (body). I also find it interesting that in Spanish, "might" is translated "soul." Serve with your whole self. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. (Luke 2:52)The Savior has mastered His mind, spirit, and body. He thinks only good thoughts, wants only good things, does only good deeds. Luke describes the way Jesus developed as a youth, growing mentally ("increased in wisdom"), physically ("in stature"), spiritually ("in favour with God"), and socially ("and man"). Social development could be described at the bonds that grow between individual souls. It is important to our growth and happiness, too. The next verse shows just how much our spiritual growth is connected with our favor in the Lord's sight. And when Enoch had heard these words, he bowed himself to the earth, before the Lord, and spake before the Lord, saying: Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant? (Moses 6:30)Enoch couldn't understand why the Lord had called him to the ministry. He enumerated several reasons why he considered himself unqualified. In his own view, he was deficient physically ("I am but a lad."), socially ("The people hate me."), and mentally ("I am slow of speech."). But while those things are important in making us effective instruments in His hands, what matters most to the Lord is our spiritual condition. In the next verse the Lord promises to make up for Enoch's physical, mental, and social weaknesses. And the Lord said unto Enoch: Go forth and do as I have commanded thee, and no man shall pierce thee. Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled, and I will give thee utterance, for all flesh is in my hands, and I will do as seemeth me good. (Moses 6:31)Remember President Monson's powerful and oft-repeated teaching, "Whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies" ("You Make a Difference," Ensign, May 1988, 41) I have found many verses that deal with the parts of the soul, but these are the ones that have obvious connections with that balance. I'm sure there are more. I'll keep looking if you will.
Conclusion
Copyright © 2004 by Nathan Richardson. All rights reserved. You can read more, non-gospel-related stuff about this idea in an essay called The Philosophy of the Triforce. There is a brief and only mildly interesting appendix. | |
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Comments and Feedback I eagerly welcome comments and feedback (nathan000000@yahoo.com). |
So what's all this got to do with the gospel? Over the years—through seminary, a mission, Sunday school, and personal study—I've noticed a certain pattern that comes up within several different gospel topics. I couldn't really find a name for this pattern in the topical guide, though. After I'd noticed this pattern, I thought that a convenient label for it would be "triforce." Please note that this pattern has nothing to do with video games and everything to do with the scriptures and teachings of the living prophets. I just used the term "triforce" because it's a useful term for grouping all these related thoughts—and it makes for an attention-grabbing title. My main purpose is to share some insights and applications with you.
In reading section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants, I wonder if there isn't also a connection between what parts of the soul we trust in most and the glory we receive in the afterlife. The telestial are described in part as "they who are liars, and sorcerers, and adulterers, and whoremongers, and whosoever loves and makes a lie" (D&C 76:103). In other words, the telestial followed first and foremost the desires of the flesh, the appetites of the body. They could be governed only by physical restrictions and enforcement.
The terrestrial are described in part as "they who are honorable men of the earth, who were blinded by the craftiness of men. . . . they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus" (D&C 76:75, 79). In other words, people who had heard and felt spiritual witnesses of the Savior's mission, but who chose to believe more in crafty counter-arguments and smooth words that persuaded them to continue on their broad, descending path.
The celestial are described as "they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name . . . and receive the Holy Spirit . . . and who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise" (D&C 76:51–53). In other words, people who not only learned and obeyed, but also trusted in the spiritual witnesses they had received when times got tough.