Accept life’s injustices gracefully

Photo taken last week of the Sunrise coming up over the Wasatch Mountains.

"And behold, it is written, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth; 

but I say unto you that ye shall not resist evil, 

but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, 

turn to him the other also." 

3 Nephi 12:38

A close friend of mine shared some insight on this verse: 

"When Jesus said that when you are smitten on your right cheek, turn and give your left cheek to be smitten as well—that is not a peace-making act. That is an act of defiance. In first century Judea, a slap to the face was an act of public humiliation. It was a technique to enforce superiority. Romans would do it to Hebrews, masters would do it to slaves. This is not an act meant to injure. Instead, it is a public display of superiority. 

When Jesus says to offer your left cheek, that is an act of rebellion. That is not a passive, peaceful act. You are saying to your master or abuser, “hit me again because I recognize a higher power than you.”

That same verse is written like this in the Covenant of Christ, a modern English version of the Book of Mormon. Here is another beautiful insights to that verse:

"Accept life’s injustices gracefully,

 and when someone hits your right cheek, 

turn to him the other also."

3 NEPHI 5: 26 CoC

Our world would be a better place if all of us tried to live by the principles found in this Sermon. I am trying to at least take one verse at a time to apply it in my life until I am ready to move on to the next one.
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Sidenote:

I received the following advice this past weekend.

"I think it would be wonderful for you to write a blog post about why you continue attending church as an active member, even though you disagree with some things that happen there. That could genuinely help others who are wrestling with similar questions. I agree there’s much that’s good in the church — my daughters, for example, love girls’ camp and the youth programs, even though they haven't been baptized into the LDS Church."

 I hope you’ll consider putting your name to your words on your blog. You have many good things to say, and standing behind them would be a powerful example. If you truly aren’t afraid of being known by your congregation, perhaps allowing them to discover your writing naturally — with your name and face behind the words — could open the door for honest conversation when they’re ready."

This is me, David Christenson,  taking this advice to heart. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I enjoy waking up early in the morning to reach a mountain summit to see the sunrise. If you have been a reader of this blog, I try to be balanced in what I write, from posting photos from my hikes to things that I see happening in my religion that I was raised in.  My mom is my biggest fan and supporter of my blog. She is my main audience who I write for. We discuss a lot of my posts. On occasion, she has asked that I edit some of what I write.  I appreciate her insight. She is currently serving as a temple worker. We both miss my dad who passed away last year.