Denying the Cross: Niceness edition

At one point in the New Testament, Peter tries to give the Savior a pep talk, telling him he didn’t need to die on the cross. Perhaps he just didn’t want Jesus to be so pessimistic. The Good Shepherd replied with,

23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
24 ¶ Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Matt 16:22-26

Now, why am I posting this? I was angry when I last posted about Brandon Sanderson and his apostacy. Stages of Grief, perhaps. If the pattern of LDS artists who make it big holds, he will dwindle into obscurity and become a footnote. But I should be less contentious… while still speaking the truth boldly.

But this has given me much to ponder. One person pointed out, it may be he has a child who is struggling with this. There are many members who throw their beliefs and covenants away at the first sign of LGBTQ+ struggle or questioning in their children.

This is a level of Niceness that is Abhorrent Sin. As CS Lewis said, The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men.
In coming days, we are going to need both charity and faith guiding hardness. If we are this soft and weak, we will merely be puppets for any man or devil to manipulate. So easy to manipulate. We can not be a light to the world, if we are shaken by every wind. We need to be kind like the Savior and CS Lewis, not the World.

One of the talks in the most recent General Conference, talked about flying a kite. A child wished to see the kite fly higher, so he suggested they cut the string. But the Father saw the folly in that, because it was only that string that held it up. Our difficulties are not our enemies.

I remember a story from Conference not long ago, about a man who drove into the mountains to get firewood, but his truck got stuck in the snow. Since he was already there, he cut wood and loaded his truck. Then he tried again to drive in the snow, and was successful. The weight of the truck made him able to get through the snow he could not have otherwise. We do ourselves and others a grave disservice if we deny others their struggles and weights.

Abraham could not have become the Father of the Faithful, without first sacrificing Isaac. That seems a bit paradoxical, but it is no less true. Nor could Jesus have sat down next to the Father, without first undergoing Gethsemane and Golgotha. Our desire to follow Jesus must also include bearing our crosses, and not stealing them from others. It is taking the Atonement away from people. They need the power of the Savior in their lives.

The Savior said he can make our burdens light. Do we believe in Jesus? Do we believe Jesus? It is easy to believe Him when nothing is on the line. When things are difficult, is when the rubber meets the road, and we learn what we really think.

Of course, we should comfort the afflicted, but we dare not deny them the Cross they so desperately need. There are some who are too nice and too comforting, to where they will deny all crosses, to make things easier. They are damned souls who do such things. Utah in particular, is especially vulnerable to this kind of apostacy.

In the climax of one of Sanderson’s Stormlight books, Dalinar (a repentant Warlord) is offered to have all his pain and guilt taken away by a demigod Odium (Divine hatred, without context or restraint). Dalinar replies with a defiant shout, “You can not have my pain!”.

May we all understand this, and bear our crosses, and not take them from others.