Ezra 4-6

(September 23, 2014)

                Those who demand things of the Church, and of the believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, are often enemies.  Nothing in the Gospel, in our families, or in any other important aspect of our lives is done through demand.  We do not demand the right to hold this calling, or that office, or anything else of the sort any more than the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin were justified in demanding that Ezra allow them to work on the temple.

                In anything Celestial (or potentially Celestial), agency and stewardship are preeminent aspects.  Those given stewardship are given agency within their spheres.  A member demanding from their Bishop, a child demanding from their parent, a spouse demanding from their spouse, an organization demanding from the Brethren – all of these things show a similar ignorance to the importance of stewardship and agency.

                When we disregard the agency of others (especially that agency operating within the bounds of stewardship), we set ourselves as enemies to the Lord.  We see this all the time with children who have parents that disregard their agency – in the end, these children often turn from the Lord.  It is a hard thing when we see something that we think is good – it was inarguably a good desire to want to work on the temple – but when we attempt to force something (even a good result) we are acting contrary to the Lord’s methods and His plan.