“When the winds of adversity come, remember one thing—kites fly the very highest against the wind. Kites don’t fly in spite of opposition, kites fly high because of opposition. In fact, they couldn’t fly without opposition.” —John Bytheway
Would that we could all say as did Job of old, “Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying, I am clean without TRANSGRESSION, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.”( Job 33:8–9) Unfortunately, most of us succumb to one temptation or another, even many temptations during the course of our sojourn on earth. Some may look down their long nose and say, “Not I!” By saying such, they are only adding to their multitude of sins. Paul, writing to the Romans said, “Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” (Romans 5:12) Can sin or transgression of the law be all bad or always bad for us? Is there no value at all in any of our transgressions? It has been said that “Conscience is what hurts when everything else feels so good.” Is there or can there actually be joy found in any of one’s transgressions?
This is likely the most controversial thought that I may have ever written about. If it is read carefully and seriously, it probably will serve to tickle your intellect, as it is mine in the writing. Most people have never really studied the idea of sin or rather transgression. From the Standard Bible Encyclopedia: “…In the Old Testament pesha occurs 80 times, rendered in all versions as “transgression.” meaning “rebellion.” “Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). It is hard to understand how an act of rebellion (transgression) may become a joyful experience until it has been examined and/or measured carefully in respect to its width, its length, as well as its girth. Are there not times when one is constrained from growth, from freedom to act and to be acted upon in life, and in such circumstances, is rebellion against that restraint placed on people always a transgression with no value? The scriptures tell us that there is by necessity an opposition in all things. That probably means life follows somewhat the laws of physics, which states that for every force applied on body “A” by body “B,” body B then receives an equal force in the exact opposite direction. When we view all the rules and restraints people have been placed under, are there none that might justify our pushing back, even rebelling against? When we understand the joy or relief that may be felt when we are able to escape from certain restraints, then the act of rebellion may appear less unholy, and joy may be associated with that freedom. For there is joy in freedom and the unrestrained ability for one to explore, to find one’s place in the world. Adam, for one, rejoiced in the result of his transgression. “And in that day Adam blessed God and was filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.” (Moses 5:10)
Adam and Eve had been constrained by the commandment to “…not eat of the fruit of the Tree of Good and Evil, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” That commandment is what kept Adam and Eve restrained, tied to a small, though beautiful plot of ground, limiting their ability to explore and become acquainted with the world, be it cold and dreary or whatever. Latter-day knowledge of that restraint placed by God on Adam and Eve came with the expectation, even the sure knowledge by God, that they would sooner or later rebel, or transgress, the Lord’s commandment. Had they not, they never would have had children nor the joy of experiencing this life. By the same token, does it not make sense that the Lord expects us to transgress in order to learn and to grow? The world that Adam and Eve were thus introduced to was a world of adversity, of experimentation and growth. It was a world where they could feel alive. Yes, chances would be taken, and challenges would be many, but they were no longer constrained. Like Adam, might we, too, find joy because of our transgressions? Is that what is meant by the statement that this world is a place of opposition, a place of constant temptation and a school of hard knocks? It is hard to understand how an act of rebellion can be a joyful experience until we look at all the various kinds of restraints people are placed under. The story of the prodigal son is an example of one wanting freedom, and he went and lived a life free of restraints, for a time, but with that freedom, he lost his inheritance through a life of wild living. Then the scriptures tell us that one day, “He came to himself.” The story of the Prodigal son could apply to any one of us, for it is a common story among youth. A son or daughter goes off with a group of like youth, and, with their newfound freedom, do some very inappropriate things. They may wreck a car, and one gets killed, or they may do other inappropriate things, and subsequently are caught and thrown in jail. While there, they “come to themselves” and realize that what they have done was not such great fun after all.
I remember many years ago while in the army at the Presidio, in San Francisco, California, I had gotten off duty from my eight hours as an M.P., patrolling the base, and I was very tired. I laid down on my bunk thinking to nap for a few minutes before going down to the dining area to get something to eat. I put my folded hands, fingers interlocked, behind my head while being on my back, just staring at the ceiling, when I fell asleep. Approximately an hour later, I woke up, and I was unable to move. My arms had fallen asleep behind my head, and I could not feel them nor see them. Because I could not move them with my fingers interlocked, I had imprisoned myself in shackles of my own making. It took me several minutes to realize what had happened to me. To free myself from my self-imposed prison, I had to make my body jump up and down as if the mattress were a trampoline, until, at last, my arms were bounced free from behind my head. Once free, they flopped down, still without feeling, beside my body. Jiggling my whole body for a few minutes, the blood began circulating through them again, and I was soon back to normal. My only transgression was falling asleep in an awkward position. There was great joy as the restraint was lifted and the feeling came back into my arms.
As a youth, I smoked cigarettes (and anything else I could draw smoke out of). That was a form of rebellion (transgression/sin) against my God- given physical body that was created for me in order to experience this life. It was a constraint that I was eventually able to overcome, and when I did, I was free—free of a filthy habit, and that freedom brought great joy to me.
Is it not possible that a person may find joy in a habit or a behavior that is contrary to one’s religious beliefs and yet be a faithful attender of church? May I suggest that it is probably more often the case than it is the exception. There may be a fine line between the joy of transgression and the joy of innocence from transgression. That does not mean to say a believer will look for opportunities to be contrary, and because he may be contrary in some ways, does not mean he should cease his attendance and fellowshipping with his fellow saints, because his attendance and his partaking of the sacramental symbols may be the only thing that is helping him to be as good as he is. Whereas, if he were to cease attending, his life may become consumed in various other wrongdoings. Having faith in Jesus Christ is likely to become more passionate as one practices that faith in outward behavior. The stronger his faith, the more likely he is to one day overcome all his transgressions. Transgressions come easily to mortals, especially without a true understanding and belief in the Savior. I said especially without that faith. Even with faith, transgressions come but not so easily. As long as we are mortal, the enticements of mortality will be working on mind, body and soul as a constant barrage. Will we always be strong enough to resist the barrage? Not so! That is precisely why we go to church every Sunday and partake of the sacrament. We have the chance to resolve and re-commit, not just at the beginning of a new year, but at the beginning of every week. The Lord must have anticipated our frequent inclination to transgress, or He would not have provided a weekly opportunity to confess and repent.
Christ’s words should always be ringing in our ears, “Let he that is without sin cast the first stone.” There was no one who remained with their arm cocked back to throw. As we try each day to be good, kind and loving people, let us also have great compassion for our fellow travelers—travelers who are also being barraged with temptations. Someone has said in jest, “We should not judge another until we have smelled his moccasins after he had walked a mile in them.”
Agency comes with freedom, and freedom works both ways. We are free to allow ourselves to be enticed, and when we do so, we become shackled and sometimes imprisoned by it. With that same freedom of agency, we can free ourselves from those shackles and find the greater freedom. With this greater freedom comes greater joy.
Would that we could all say as did Job of old, “Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying, I am clean without TRANSGRESSION, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.” ( Job 33:8–9) Job was a special man, but in the Lord’s eyes, we are all (you and I) precious beings. Don’t you ever forget that! Yes, we are going to transgress from time to time, and in some cases, we are going find joy in it. Let us at the same time repent just as fast, so that one day we can experience a fullness of joy.