171: POLAR OPPOSITES

Part of our mortal experience is comprehending that everything has an opposite. For example: good and evil,  light and darkness, health and sickness, pleasure and pain. Another part of living in this world is discerning between truth and deception.  What is real and what is an imitation.

A few days ago, I was down in the Mojave Desert. Below are a few photos I took in a conservation area called Red Rock Canyon. It is a beautiful protected area of land including the wildlife. It is not uncommon to see tortoises roaming the trails as well as other endangered species.  I took my daughers out here on an evening hike and took a few of these photos. If I had to describe it, I would use words like: serenity, peace, beauty, calm, and tranquil.

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After our hike we drove through Las Vegas, which is only a few miles away from the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. These two locations are polar opposites of each other. The one appeals to the spirtual man, the other to the carnal/physical man.  Nature elevates the spiritual man,  Materialism appeals to the carnal man with the over indulgence of money, food, and other pleasures of the flesh.  One is Zion like.. the other is Babylonian.

Polar opposites are found all through the scriptures for example the Tree of Life versus the Great and Spacious building. While the list could be extensive, here a few other pairs of opposites.

• Spiritual and Ascend       vs    Carnal and descend
• Clean and Reborn           vs    Impure and Dying
• Blessed and Annointed    vs    Cursed and Cut off
• Multiply and Replenish     vs    Desolate and Perish
• Faith and Hope                vs    Fear and Despair
• Love and Charity             vs   Envy and Selfishness
• Miracles and Healing        vs   Terror and Sickness
• Humble and Repentant     vs   Prideful and Wicked
• Gathered and Preserved   vs   Bundled and Destroyed
• Natural and God created   vs   Counterfeit and Man Made

  

From a familiar blog to many of you, the difference between two men in the Book of Mormon is described. Lehi and Korihor. A true prophet vs a false prophet

• Lehi followed Christ. Korihor did not.
• Lehi was a disciple of the Lord's. Korihor was an enemy of His.
• Lehi propounded a true message, Korihor a false one.
• Lehi was Christ-like. Korihor was an anti-Christ.
• Lehi spoke the truth. Korihor was a liar.

"They were polar opposites. But the question illustrates that the god of this world is immitative. The difference between truth and error does not lie in the difference between religion and irreligion, but instead between true religion which will save, and false religion which cannot save. If it were any less a test, the very elect would not be deceived in the last days. Unless there are false prophets claiming they are authorized by God to preach false and idle messages, God cannot send true ones to declare the truth. The opposition of the one is required for the other. The enemy of your soul does not create a new religion, but immitates the true one. The Lord's messenger will be mirrored by the adversary's, but the reflected image will be reversed. Those who follow the image will find themselves descending, while they think they are ascending to God. Hence the name: "the Deceiver." He deceives, and even mirrors God's angels by the claim to be an "angel of light" while spreading darkness. The Deceiver's false prophets will point you to themselves, to their great works, wonderful accomplishments, and the pride you should take in following them. The Lord's will point you to Him and preach repentance. The false prophets will speak of riches here, and suggest God's favor can be measured by success in this world. The Lord will speak only of riches in another world which are only obtained through the sacrifice of all things here."  LINK