Does your mission seem impossible?
“You spend too much time reading all those textbooks. Why don’t you read Harry Potter?” advised my mom.
“You don’t read much fiction do you?” observed my sister.
“Those topics would interest YOU,” my friend said to me with a hint of condescension. (We had just seated ourselves for a Relief Society meeting when I noticed three words written on the chalkboard from a previous meeting. I pointed out the words to my friend. The words on the chalkboard were: sexism, racism, and doctrine.)
My mom, my sister, and my friend—they all have a point when it comes to my reading material and interests. Below is a sample of books I’ve read on my iPad. (And there’s not a fictitious work among them):
- The Strange Death of Europe by Douglas Murray
- The Gnostic Gospels of Thomas, Mary, and John translated by Thomas Edmonds
- How Britain Created a Terror State Within by Melanie Phillips
- Shame: How America’s Past Sins Have Polarized Our Nation by Shelby Steele
- The Intimidation Game by Kimberley Strassel
- Cynical Theories by Helen Pluckrose & James Lindsay
- Panics and Persecutions: 20 Tales of Excommunication in the Digital Age edited by Claire Lehmann
- The Parasitic Mind by Gad Saad
- The Art of the Argument by Stefan Molyneux
- The Vision of the Anointed by Thomas Sowell
- Joseph Smith: Rough Rolling Stone by Richard Lyman Bushman
- Women of the New Testament by Camille Fronk Olson
- The Infinite Atonement by Tad Callister
- End of Discussion by Mary Katharine Ham
I don’t think I’ll ever get around to reading Harry Potter. And, admittedly, I feel a twinge of guilt knowing I’m the only one in my family who hasn’t read any of Jane Austen’s writings—even my brother has read Pride and Prejudice! (But I love the movies based on Austin’s novels.) Historical and contemporary non-fiction, religious books, and the scriptures will always be my reading staple.
Truthfully, it took me a long time to come to terms with my proclivities. I also had a hard time figuring out my seemingly inherent inclination to study philosophy and argumentation. As a younger woman, I honestly thought something was wrong with me because so many of my interests were outside traditional Latter-day Saint “womanly” realms.
Many years of starts and stops accompanied by much prayer, contemplation, and scripture study, helped me to piece together crucial components concerning my mortal assignment. It was like assembling the pieces of a vast lifelong (or eternal) puzzle. These particular puzzle pieces pinpointed my careers as a mother to four children and as a college instructor. My college degrees and subsequent career in academia (teaching critical thinking, persuasion, argumentation, writing, and communication) have served to hone my skill sets in advocating, discussing, debating, and writing about various philosophies, ideologies, and world views. I have no doubt that divine intervention has led me to this point in my life where I am able to teach and write while utilizing various avenues and opportunities to influence and persuade.
Our Pre-mortal Existence Was a Battle of Ideas
“Julie, why do you care so much about all of this?” a friend recently asked me. I responded, “I think I’m supposed to care. I think it’s part of my life’s calling to care. I can’t remember not caring.”
Here’s what I care about:
- The often cynical postmodernist theories coupled with critical and intersectional theories focus on deconstructing and eventually dismantling the basic institutions of Western civilization. I’m also concerned with their theoretical emphasis on “socially constructed” truths, identities, and public policymaking.
- The increased civil unrest and anarchy (particularly in the United States due to increasingly balkanized identity politics and group think). As the United States’ ongoing cultural and political “cold civil war” becomes more divisive, I believe our society can expect more violence; when we run out of words, we pick up weapons. (As we know, 3rd Nephi, in the Book of Mormon, gives descriptive parallels to today’s society.)
After that conversation with my friend, I thought about what she said. So, I asked myself for the millionth time, “Julie, why do you care so much about all of this?” The divine answer was swift and sharply clear. In that moment, I knew that God had planted these sociological, philosophical, and spiritual concerns within my heart. He is the one who had lit this fire in my soul while prompting me to pursue higher education in communication studies and in my career as college instructor. Surely, my academic career has positioned me within the arena regarding the “battle of ideas” in reasoning, persuasion, and argument.
This personal prompting seems to reflect some of the scriptural teachings and the doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Namely, the doctrine of our pre-mortal existence, and how it culminated in a philosophical battle to win eternal souls. Michael the Archangel led the charge against Lucifer’s authoritarian proposal of forced compliance devoid of individual free will. LDS doctrine teaches that those in mortality had rejected Lucifer’s idea of a micro-managed earthly existence. Instead, mortals had decided in pre-mortality to put their faith in Jesus Christ’s ability to achieve perfection and atone for our sins while during His time on earth. And Christ delivered! He willingly, faithfully, and perfectly fulfilled His foreordained mission. And, hopefully, we, too, can deliver in our individual mortal missions.
The late Apostle Neal A. Maxwell spoke specifically about our pre-mortal activity in connection with our mortal missions:
There is another type of foreordination…labeled ‘foredesignation’ to distinguish it from a priesthood ordination. Mary, the mortal mother of Jesus, is an example of one who was foredesignated to a significant and sacred mission in life (see 1 Nephi 11:18). Many other women through the ages and throughout the nations of the earth have shaped the history of the world and furthered the works of God through their service to their families, the Church, and society. Surely many righteous daughters of God were foredesignated to missions of secular as well as spiritual significance. Though not ordained to priesthood callings, their foredesignations to such vital missions in mortality are no less important. President Spencer W. Kimball emphasized that ‘we had full equality as his spirit children. We have equality as recipients of God’s perfected love for each of us… Within those great assurances, however, our roles and assignments differ. These are eternal differences… Remember, in the world before we came here, faithful women were given certain assignments while faithful men were foreordained to certain priesthood tasks. While we do not now remember the particulars, this does not alter the glorious reality of what we once agreed to. Here’s the link to his talk:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1985/10/premortality-a-glorious-reality?lang=eng
I again emphasize the scriptural references and Latter-day Saint doctrine that detail Lucifer’s narcissistic philosophy or plan of salvation focused on his desire for power, control, and self-aggrandizement. His method for “saving our souls” involved forced compliance while in mortality, as compared to Christ’s plan focusing on mortals’ free will and choice. Additionally, Christ selflessly offered sacrifice Himself in atoning for the sins of humankind as the Savior and Mediator between God the Father and mortals. Lucifer’s philosophy would rob mortals in varying dimensions: As mortals, we would have no knowledge or experience with choice, uncertainty, self-actualization, free will, or faith and no wisdom. I wonder how anyone or any group could achieve any sort of utopia or nirvana or celestial glory without these fundamentals? Moreover, we can read and observe for ourselves similar Luciferian traits in many historical and contemporary tyrants: Controlling, power-hungry individuals and/or groups who, like Lucifer, disguise themselves as “saviors” advocating for love and justice using false promises of some sort of equitable utopia. Don’t get me wrong, like everyone else, I desire a higher level of compassionate humanity and decency in our global society. However, the methods used in trying to attain such a society have historically always involved grinding others into subjugation, bondage, and ultimate death using coercive threats, intimidation, suppression of free will and basic human liberties such as free speech, freedom of assembly, the right to dissent, and the right to self-determination. History also shows that dissenters have been imprisoned, tortured, and often executed.
In any case, my personal prompting and subsequent pondering of my pre-mortal existence, brought an additional impression (or perhaps, a forgotten “memory” of my pre-mortal existence or part of my pre-mortal role). I seemed to have “remembered” my activity or “role” as an orator in advocating Christ’s Plan of Salvation. Apparently, I had communicated and reasoned with other souls regarding the philosophies of free agency, individual choice, the worth of each individual soul, the right to self-determination, and personal accountability. While pondering, I wondered if my pre-mortal activities of advocacy and persuasion might have been a precursor to some of my earthly activities—including my work as a college educator in critical thinking, argumentation, and persuasion. Thus, could my pre-mortal existence have been some sort of “type and shadow” of mortal life? If so, talk about a parallel universe. I also pondered the idea of having been specifically tutored in these aspects of communication before coming into mortality; sort of like being “pre-packaged” at birth; thus, growing into adulthood, I could partake of the gospel’s living water through faith and prayer to help these pre-packaged seeds grow and bear fruit.
Whenever I think about these things, I marvel that a loving God reveals significant truths to those who ask in faith. And revealed truths can come packaged as glimpses of eternal memories. Indeed, a revealed memory of our eternal past can help us fulfill our earthly mission. My children’s patriarchal blessings admonish each of them to pray diligently to find out who they were before they were born, and to apply this knowledge to help them achieve their divine assignments here in mortality.
When we know who we were, we can know who we are to be.
Have you too, dear readers, struggled with your life’s purpose or mission? Do you know where you’re going? Do you know where you’ve been? Do you know how to get to your destination? Have you ever wanted to give up? Have you run off course? Do you feel too old to “start again?” Perhaps your life’s map reads similarly to mine.
What does your life map look like?
My life’s map contains many detours and a couple of unfulfilled dreams (and that’s ok). I’ll share a few of the countless detours I’ve taken so far:
As a 20-year-old woman, I began my junior year of college at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah after having graduated from my local community college with an A.A. degree in English. Detour: After my first semester at BYU, I changed my major to history and worked toward a career teaching history. (I come from a family of educators. My father was a college instructor who taught English, and my four siblings work in education.) Naturally, a career in teaching made sense to me. Detour: However, during my second semester at BYU, my college plans took another turn when I met my future husband and got engaged. Marriage and four children became my new focus. When my youngest child entered kindergarten, I returned to school.
I once again changed my major to pursue my true love: watercolor painting. I had hoped to attain an M.F.A. (Master’s of Fine Arts) degree from the nearby university and then set up my own studio and sell my paintings. Detour: Returning to school after a 12-year hiatus meant new G.E. courses in ethnic studies, science, and math. And with math came great personal anxiety; I loathed math. Changing to an art major also meant lots of lower-division art classes. Consequently, I was back at the community college level for another two and a half years. Detour: New California G.E. requirements meant passing an upper-division math course: algebra. Two weeks into the course, I was completely lost and had to drop the class. Detour: I took remedial math courses to prepare for the algebra course. (To this day, I shudder when walking past a classroom and hear the professor lecture about math equations.) The math courses set me back three semesters. Still, I plowed through.
Armed with new knowledge of algebra, color theory, and painting styles, I was finally ready to transfer to to the local university. I looked forward to honing my craft. I was especially intrigued by realistic floral paintings. I hoped to inspire others through my art. To this day, beautiful watercolors like these painted by Soon Y. Warren make my heart sing. I marvel at her skill in creating such beautiful imagery on a blank piece of paper!
Transferring to a California State University
I will never forget that day. Sitting in his office, my advisor and I examined the university’s catalog and course schedules. My hopes faltered while my dread surged. To earn one unit of credit, the university required my attendance for lab work two days a week (not counting class time) at three-hour intervals. In the afternoon. When my kids come home from school. For one lousy unit of credit. And that’s just for one art class. Why hadn’t I anticipated these obstacles before choosing art as a major?! On the verge of tears, I told my advisor, “I have four children. They have homework and after-school activities. There’s no way I can attend all these labs.” His shocked look was my answer. “So what do I do now?” I asked him. Almost immediately, he answered, “Communications.” I’d never heard of communications as a major. Still, it was one of those light bulb moments. “And,” he said, “you already have the needed credits to transfer to the university.” Feeling a wobbly but growing peace, I said, “Ok, let’s do it.”
That was nearly 25 years ago. I haven’t picked up a paintbrush since. And I have no regrets. I never did leave the university. After earning my degrees and being trained in classroom teaching, I have taught at the same university for 22 years now. I have also taught at local community colleges and at a private Catholic university.
Every now and then, I stare wistfully at beautiful paintings. I still would love to be a professional skilled watercolorist. Still, I feel great peace and joy knowing that God has been “a lamp unto my feet, and light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105) in revealing my life’s purpose.
What were you foreordained to do?
BYU professor Jeffrey A. Thompson gave October’s BYU devotional talk entitled, “What Is Your Calling in Life?” His professional journey sounded like mine. Again, I emphasize this point: Our calling may be a professional and/or life’s calling. Professor Thompson states:
What is your calling in life? If you don’t know yet, how do you find out? For many, deciding what to do with your life can feel like a personal crisis that doesn’t go away. I want you to understand that finding my calling in life was not easy. My career path was circuitous, and I often felt great anxiety. I wanted to care passionately about my work, but for years I had no idea what that work should be. Several times I felt utterly adrift, as if I had somehow missed the path I should have taken and could never get back on it. In hindsight, those moments are important parts of the tapestry of my career. Each thread that felt out of place at the time now provides structure to the pattern of my life. They helped me distinguish and define my calling. I learned to quote Romans 8:28, that all things do indeed ‘work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Professor Thompson continues by delving into the notion of our life’s calling:
John Calvin [taught that] it wasn’t our position in the social structure that determined God’s calling for us. Rather, he argued that God endows each of us with particular talents and gifts, and that it is our calling to discover those gifts and to seek out ways to use them in the service of our fellowmen. So the very roots of the idea of a professional calling are distinctly religious. Ironically, the world still embraces the notion of a professional calling, but it has almost entirely abandoned the spiritual roots of the idea.
He further discusses the scripture in D&C 58:28 regarding the “power within” to “be anxiously engaged in a good cause…”
You personally are full of divine capacities to do good that you probably don’t even fully appreciate. These verses testify that you are not part of a lottery system for life callings. You have a calling in life: to pursue good causes. And you have been given power to do just that. But knowing that you have power to do good works is one thing; knowing specifically what you ought to do is quite another. How do you find your particular calling? That’s the burning question for many of us.
Dr. Thompson describes some of the spiritual gifts illustrated in D&C 46: 11-12:
There is another type of foreordination…labeled ‘foredesignation’ to distinguish it from a priesthood ordination. Mary, the mortal mother of Jesus, is an example of one who was foredesignated to a significant and sacred mission in life (see 1 Nephi 11:18). Many other women through the ages and throughout the nations of the earth have shaped the history of the world and furthered the works of God through their service to their families, the Church, and society. Surely many righteous daughters of God were foredesignated to missions of secular as well as spiritual significance. Though not ordained to priesthood callings, their foredesignations to such vital missions in mortality are no less important. President Spencer W. Kimball emphasized that ‘we had full equality as his spirit children. We have equality as recipients of God’s perfected love for each of us… Within those great assurances, however, our roles and assignments differ. These are eternal differences… Remember, in the world before we came here, faithful women were given certain assignments while faithful men were foreordained to certain priesthood tasks. While we do not now remember the particulars, this does not alter the glorious reality of what we once agreed to.
Here’s the link to his talk:
A BYU Idaho General Conference index offers some interesting perspectives from former LDS prophets:
In the October 1973 General Conference, President Harold B. Lee utilized D&C 121:34-36 to illustrate the point that earthly faithfulness is required for the fulfillment of pre-mortal foreordinations. He taught that ‘many are called [foreordained], but few are chosen [foreordination fulfilled]’ the revelation then asks, ‘And why are they not chosen?’ In other words, why are some pre-mortally foreordained and yet fail on earth to live up to the blessings, responsibilities, and missions that were conferred upon them? The scripture, President Lee explained, suggests two answers. First, ‘Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world,’ and second, because they ‘aspire to the honors of men’ (D&C 121:35). The doctrine of foreordination carries with it heavy responsibilities. We cannot neglect those responsibilities but must be constantly vigilant in living so that our foreordinations, whatever they may be, can be fulfilled and God’s work may be furthered.
President Wilford Woodruff counseled:
We have been raised up of the Lord to take this kingdom and bear if off. This is our duty; but if we neglect our duty and set our hearts upon the things of this world, we will be sorry for it. We ought to understand the responsibility that rests upon us. We should gird up our loins and put on the whole armor of God…then let us do our duty. Let us keep the commandments of God, let us be faithful to the end, so that when we go into the spirit world and look back upon our history, we may be satisfied.”To access the sources and footnotes, here’s the link: https://magazine.byu.edu/article/lds-general-conference-scripture-index-launched/
I love this quote from Mahatma Gandhi: Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.
Here’s to making our “mission impossible” possible!
Julie