FEASTING UPON THE WORDS OF CHRIST
What makes us different from most other Christians in the way we read and use the Bible and other scriptures, are not the ultimate source of knowledge, but what precedes the ultimate source. The ultimate knowledge comes by revelation.
The idea that scripture reading can lead to inspiration and revelation opens the door to the truth that a scripture is not limited to what it meant when it was written, but may also include what that scripture means to a reader today. Even more, scripture reading may also lead to current revelation on whatever else the Lord wishes to communicate to the reader at that time. We do not overstate the point when we say that the scriptures can be a Urim & Thummim to assist each of us to receive personal revelation.
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, January 1985
PRESSING FORWARD WITH A STEADFASTNESS IN CHRIST
Steadfast may be a less familiar word today, but we know steady. To be steadfast is to be fixed and solid, stable and not shifting (Colossians 1:23). To be immovable but also abounding (1 Corinthians 15:58) — not just defensive, holding fast against the tides, but also active, advancing, on the offensive. “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it” (Colossians 4:2).
Every word from God is gold — and how much more so when he adds an oath, as in Psalm 110:4: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind . . .” This, says Hebrews, we have “as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.” Bet your life on this anchor. It will not move.
The virtue of steadfastness presupposes waves, big and small — trials, conflicts, difficulties, pressures that would move the ship, and even send her out to sea, were it not for the steadfast anchor, holding the vessel firmly in place. Peter, Paul, and James mention the waves that threaten to carry us away: “our sufferings” (Romans 5:3), “trials of various kinds” (James 1:2) , “the corruption that is in the world” (2 Peter 1:4). Steadfastness isn’t a virtue that shines in comfort but in conflict — under trial (James 1:12), in persecutions, afflictions, and sufferings (2 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Timothy 3:10–11).
Such an unshakable, reliable, firm guarantee — such an anchor for the soul — will make us more steadfast in time. The steadfastness of Christ makes us want to be more steadfast. To not be flighty, fickle, impulsive, and momentary in our love for what matters most, but settled and stable, fixed and firm. There is an order. His steadfastness comes first, then ours. We can become steadfast because he is steadfast.
The steadfastness of Christ — rugged, firm, solid, unshakable — comes with great joy, as Paul prays for the Colossians, “for all endurance and patience with joy” (Colossians 1:11). “We rejoice in our sufferings,” he says, “knowing that suffering produces endurance” (Romans 5:3). Knowing that testing produces steadfastness, we “count it all joy” even as we meet with various trials (James 1:1–3).
Some things benefit from shocks; they thrive and grow when exposed to volatility, randomness, disorder, and stressors and love adventure, risk, and uncertainty. Yet in spite of the phenomenon, there is no word for the exact opposite of fragile. Let us call it antifragile Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the antifragile gets better and better.
Crucially, if antifragility is the property of all those natural and complex systems that have survived, depriving these systems of volatility, randomness, and stressors will harm them. They will weaken, die or blow up. We have been fragilizing the economy, our health, political life, education, almost everything…by suppressing randomness and volatility. Just as spending a month in bed leads to muscle atrophy, complex systems are weakened, even killed when deprived of stressors
Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder, pg. 3, 5
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