Divine Attributes and Their Counterfeits

"We believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far as it is translated correctly. We also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God." ¶

I think I may safely add that we also believe the book of Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price to be the word of God. The scriptures have been given to us by our Heavenly Father for our guidance, for our instruction. The great work of the Lord is one of educating his children, and these are the text books from which we are to learn the ways of the Lord. ¶

I think we may also say that salvation is rather synonymous to the term education, for we read in our scriptures, in the inspired words of the prophets, that we can gain salvation no faster than we obtain knowledge. It should be our purpose, then, to grow in the knowledge of God and in good works, day by day. ¶

The Bible and these other scriptures are the words of eternal life, concerning which it has been said that "Heaven and earth may pass away, but my word shall not pass away." All shall be fulfilled. For this purpose they are given unto us. A great many people, in investigating the scriptures and searching in them, do it rather for the purpose of wresting them, and putting upon them private interpretations, or endeavoring to disprove them. It ought to be remembered that the Bible and the books of the inspired word are not given to us for the purpose of teaching us astronomy, geology, chronology, or any of these particular sciences. But they do have a specific purpose of educating us in the things of God. Education is important to all mankind. No man can be saved in his ignorance. How grateful we ought to be for that army of men and women who are engaged in our public school systems, our teachers, the teachers of our children, for our professors, for our scientists, for our inventors and discoverers; for these too are servants of God, engaged in the great task of educating mankind. ¶

If we are, however, to be educated in the higher branches of education—and by that I mean those particular ones that are of necessity excluded from our public schools on account of our differing opinions—if we are to be educated in those things particularly that pertain to the things of God, we need a particular kind of teachers. For this purpose we need apostles and prophets. We need inspired teachers—men who speak as they are moved by the Holy Ghost, for "no man knoweth the things of God but the Spirit of God." As well might a man try to teach chemistry or algebra without knowing them as to undertake the teaching of the things of God without the Spirit of God. It cannot be done in either case. ¶

The Apostle Peter tells us something of the importance of this truth. Says he: ¶

"We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts; ¶

"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. ¶

"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." ¶

That is what we believe, and that which they spoke under that divine power and influence is the word of God. Such should be our teaching and such should be our teachers in these higher branches of education. ¶

Education, then, is the purpose of the Almighty, and we are here in God's great school. Our education did not begin when we entered the school rooms, neither does it end when we emerge from these institutions of learning. And as we come forth from them we very appropriately celebrate the affair by commencement exercises, for it is another commencement for which we have been preparing ourselves. ¶

When I speak of education I mean that all-round education which contemplates the full development of all our faculties—physical, mental and spiritual—that we may indeed become like God. It is for this purpose he has sent us here. We are in attendance at God's Great School—a school of experience in bodies of flesh and bones—the earth life school with all of its potentialities for development and growth. And when we emerge from this great school and are called hence, let us hope that we will have so far advanced in our education and training that we may receive our diplomas, and then, that suitable commencement exercises may also be given; for this is indeed still another commencement as we enter into that still higher institution of learning, God's Great University, wherein we may continue to learn until we shall attain to that perfection which is contemplated in the words of the Savior: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." ¶

Is this secular education which we receive in our public schools an essential part of our education? Most assuredly. If we have any rational idea of God we must conceive that he is a great scholar, a scientist, an inventor, a discoverer, with full knowledge of the forces of the universe, a chemist, a mathematician. He who framed the universe is surely educated along all these lines. ¶

Fortunately for us we have been formed and fashioned in his image, not only in his physical image but also in his divine attributes; and these attributes may be developed to their God-like proportions. But they may also be distorted and perverted until they become vices. The attributes that we have inherited are all good—there are no bad ones, but we may pervert, distort and counterfeit them until they appear as vices. The thing then to do is to cultivate the genuine and reject the counterfeits, for these are the devil's counterfeits and he has counterfeited every one of them. Let me illustrate for a few moments. ¶

Economy is a divine attribute. In the economy of God there is no waste. A God-like attribute, but men have distorted it until it does not resemble the divine attribute at all. And what is that distorted form, that devil's counterfeit? It is stinginess. God isn't stingy but he is economical. There are some people who think they are economists when in fact they are only stingy—too stingy to educate their children and send them to places of learning, places, particularly, where they can be taught the things of God. They are too stingy sometimes to send their sons and daughters out into the mission field, sometimes too stingy to properly clothe them and give them the proper nourishment, too stingy to pay their tithes and their offerings. That is not economy. Don't be stingy but be economical. ¶

Another thing is acquisitiveness, that quality whereby we are enabled to acquire property and surround ourselves with the comforts of life. What a splendid thing it is! Think of what the Lord has acquired! "The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof." But this too may be perverted, and it becomes, under the power of diabolical influences, one of the greatest vices. And what is that? It is greed, it is avarice, that soul-cankering vice; it is the love of money, that thing which lies at the very root of all evil, for which men will lie, will cheat, will misrepresent, will steal, will kill. Read the newspapers, and you will find abundant proof of this. It is the leading cause of strife, of bloodshed and all the horrors of war. Surely "the love of money is indeed the root of all evil." And yet, after all it is only a perversion, distortion or a counterfeit of the divine attribute—acquisitiveness, more commonly called frugality or thrift. ¶

Again, fear is a divine attribute. What, fear a divine attribute? Yes, indeed! Even God would fear to do evil. Burnt children very properly fear the fire. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Fear is that wholesome attribute which inspires the prayer, "Deliver us from all evil." But the devil has his counterfeit. And what is it? It is cowardice. Don't be a coward. Be not afraid of the face of man but fear God and keep his commandments. ¶

This, however, is not the greatest of attributes. The greatest attribute of all is love. Love is the biggest thing in the world. It is a panacea for every ill, a cure for every malady. And love casteth out fear. Conceive if you can, the great love of God. "God so loved the world that he gave his Only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life." Think of that pure love of Christ. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." The nearest approach that we see to this divine love is, I think, the unselfish love of a mother for her children. The more exalted and glorious the attribute is, the more contemptible and vicious is its counterfeit. Lust is the devil's counterfeit, the very embodiment of everything that is vile. "And now abideth faith, hope and charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity." Charity which is the pure love of Christ. ¶

Let us now consider Faith. A sectarian minister—I don't think he was orthodox—once said to me: "Mr. Wells, I don't like that doctrine of yours that you call faith. Just think, to believe everything you hear. It is a positive weakness—a vice." Very true, so it is; but this is not faith; it's the devil's counterfeit—credulity. Where would this not lead us if we were to believe everything we hear? What does faith require? What shall we believe? The answer is: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." Believe in his Gospel which has within it the power of God unto salvation. Believe the truth. His Gospel is the truth. Don't believe liars or deceivers. Faith is that inherent divine attribute which is cultivated by doing his will and which enables us to discern the truth. The Savior tells us that his sheep hear his voice and follow after him but a stranger they will not follow. Then what is faith? The Apostle Paul tells us in his epistle to the Hebrews: "Now faith is the substance (or assurance) of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." What are the things we are hoping for? Are we hoping for the sordid things of this world? For the gratification of evil desires? Then do we hope in vain. But if our hope is that inspired by the teachings of our Lord, the hope of life beyond the grave, of a reunion with loved ones that have gone before, a life of joy and happiness in the realms above, eternal life in the presence of God, then are our hopes founded upon the truth. Faith then is the assurance that God gives us that our exalted hopes shall be realized. It is one of those divine attributes which we have inherited with all the others from our divine parents. It is a part of his image in which we were created and should therefore be cultivated but its counterfeit should be rejected. ¶

Many illustrations of the divine or genuine attributes which under evil influences are counterfeited and distorted into vices might be elaborated but I will merely cite a few for your reflection: ¶

Pride becomes vanity. Self esteem becomes egotism. Praise becomes flattery. Courage becomes foolhardiness. ¶

All good things are counterfeited. Our government issues currency as a legal tender, in various denominations—one, two, five, ten, twenty, fifty and hundred dollar bills and of still larger denomination—but some devil will make counterfeits and endeavor, sometimes successfully, to palm them off as genuine. The government also issues coins of gold and silver from its mints but some devil will take a baser metal and gild it over with gold and likewise palm it off for genuine. ¶

Some people say they are not religious; they are not religiously inclined. They don't mean what they say, they are thinking of the devil's counterfeit. Don't despise the pure gold of religion because the devil makes a counterfeit of it in hypocrisy. Be religious but don't be a hypocrite. Our higher education consists then in developing the genuine, the divine attributes and casting out the false, the counterfeits. To do the former is an exercise in faith, the latter is one in repentance. That we might obtain this education our first parents partook of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. We are still partaking of that forbidden fruit notwithstanding the dire consequences of earth life, its trials, its tribulations, its sorrow, its suffering and finally death. "For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." But also with the full assurance of an unconditional redemption from that fall and an exaltation predicated upon our diligence in this preparatory school during the period of our mortal existence. Blessed are we then if we have accepted the good and rejected the evil, or, in other words, developed the genuine and cast out the counterfeits. God help us to do so. Amen. ¶