Déjà Vu ~ Times II: Everyone Gets What He Deserves??

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Everyone Gets What He Deserves??

(Jedem das Seine = literally, "to each his own" | figuratively "everyone gets what he deserves")

Main camp gate at Buchenwald

For photo attribution see * below

This German proverb was written over the main gate of the Buchenwald concentration camp.¹

The words “Everyone gets what he deserves” may sound just and true, but let us take a brief stroll through scripture and history. Remember Abel? Isaiah? Jeremiah? Zacharias? John the Baptist? Jesus? Stephen? Peter, James, John, colleagues, & converts? Abinadi?² the believers at Ammonihah?³ the Anti-Nephi-Lehies?⁴ the thousands of other Christian martyrs like John Huss, William Tyndale, et al.?⁵ the falsely accused and convicted? the numerous genocide victims of the ages? the millions of abused and trafficked children of this 21st Century?⁶ & on and on?

YET, this proverb — Everyone gets what he deserves — seems to have become the thesis and mantra of the “Right — a “Right” that seeing, cannot yet see how its preferred economic system favors / encourages / rewards the psychopathic.⁷

Remember the phrase and professor of “You can buy anything in this world for money”? Could it be the same worldly professor of “Everyone gets what he deserves”? Could it be the same ground dweller who put these ideas into the mind and mouth of Korihor?

... that there could be no atonement made for the sins of men, but every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prospered according to his genius, and that every man conquered according to his strength; and whatsoever a man did was no crime;⁸

the same inspiration for Cain?

Truly I am Mahan, the master of this great secret, that I may murder and get gain.⁹

Do we really think that competitive, natural men and women¹⁰ — those pursuers and protectors of power and gain in this world — have any just concept of who deserves what and when? Is this really a proverb that has been co-opted to justify “conservative” opinions about the undeserving poor, needy, downtrodden, and weak of this world? a proverb, that with honest study, can be seen to counter most of what the Savior said about the poor, the needy, AND the rich?¹¹

Whether conservatives are willing to admit it or not, this proverb expresses a core tenant of their “faith” in free markets, capitalism, and Randian “objectivism.”¹² BUT, what if this proverb, in reality, is a distortion of a higher reality? What if this proverb is a celestial construct torqued into a telestial sphere where natural men earn and / or administer “just deserts” according to the dictates of their own vain imaginations?

What if this proverb is only true in the hereafter for the unrepentant? Consider:

the meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again evil for evil, or carnal for carnal, or devilish for devilish—good for that which is good; righteous for that which is righteous; just for that which is just; merciful for that which is merciful. Therefore, my [children], see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again. For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all.¹³

As for the repentant: Who of us can say we deserve what we shall be given through the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ? — the Master of gifts and giving.

20 I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another—
21 I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.
22 And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.
23 And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.
24 And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?
25 And now I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? I answer you, Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to him who created you.¹⁴

We have been warned more than once that “deserts” in this world are unlikely to conform to God's truth and justice?

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.¹⁵

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.¹⁶

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.¹⁷

In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.¹⁸

_____________________/
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jedem_das_Seine
2. Book of Mormon | Mosiah 17:9-13 ~ Now Abinadi said unto him: I say unto you, I will not recall the words which I have spoken unto you concerning this people, for they are true; and that ye may know of their surety I have suffered myself that I have fallen into your hands. Yea, and I will suffer even until death, and I will not recall my words, and they shall stand as a testimony against you. And if ye slay me ye will shed innocent blood, and this shall also stand as a testimony against you at the last day. And now king Noah was about to release him, for he feared his word; for he feared that the judgments of God would come upon him. But the priests lifted up their voices against him, and began to accuse him, saying: He has reviled the king. Therefore the king was stirred up in anger against him, and he delivered him up that he might be slain. And it came to pass that they took him and bound him, and scourged his skin with faggots, yea, even unto death.
3. Book of Mormon | Alma 14:8-10 ~ And they brought their wives and children together, and whosoever believed or had been taught to believe in the word of God they caused that they should be cast into the fire; and they also brought forth their records which contained the holy scriptures, and cast them into the fire also, that they might be burned and destroyed by fire. And it came to pass that they took Alma and Amulek, and carried them forth to the place of martyrdom, that they might witness the destruction of those who were consumed by fire. And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene?
4. Book of Mormon | Alma 24:21 ~ Now when the people [Anti-Nephi-Lehies] saw that they [the Lamanities] were coming against them they went out to meet them, and prostrated themselves before them to the earth, and began to call on the name of the Lord; and thus they were in this attitude when the Lamanites began to fall upon them, and began to slay them with the sword.
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_martyrs
6. http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/search/label/Abuse ;
  http://dejavu-times.blogspot.ca/search/label/Abuse
7. http://dejavu-times.blogspot.ca/search/label/Corporatism
8. Book of Mormon | Alma 30:17
9. Pearl of Great Price | Moses 5:31
10. Book of Mormon | Mosiah 3:19 ~ For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.
11. http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2009/12/economics-of-jesus.html
  http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2012/05/list-deja-vu-goes-on-on.html
  http://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.ca/2009/10/to-sick-and-afflicted.html
12. http://dejavu-times.blogspot.ca/search/label/AynRand
http://dejavu-times.blogspot.ca/search/label/Corporatism
13. Book of Mormon | Alma 41:13-15
14. Book of Mormon | Mosiah 2:20-25
15. New Testament | 1 Peter 4:12-13
16. New Testament | 2 Timothy 3:12-13
17. New Testament | John 15:18-19
18. New Testament | John 16:33

* Image attribution:
By Motorfix at the English language Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0,
Link By Motorfix at the English language Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18156970

Revolving Accounts

"The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us." (Old Testament Ecclesiastes 1:9-10)

"Dwell in the past and you'll lose an eye. Forget the past and you'll lose both eyes." (Old Russian Proverb)

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This Déjà Vu ~ Times II blog is devoted to my religious / spiritual musings (sometimes political), mainly concerning the recycling of our follies since the world began.

Over time, it will contain:
thoughts
observations
poems
quotes

Déjà Vu ~ Times II blog © 2009 - 2020 by SMSmith (unless otherwise noted). Some Rights Reserved. See Creative Commons License at the end of this column/page.

Déjà Vu ~ Times II blog was established August 17, 2009 while the author was living in Canada helping caregive an aged mother.

“No Comments” Rationale

1) Time & more needful priorities;
2) Problems observed with many open-comment blogs as so bluntly expressed at http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/comment-policy/
3) People are free to post divergent or convergent views on their own blogs;
4) Learning from comments here would be preferable, but— (see 1, 2, & 3).

Brief note to the OFFENDED: Just because allowing "comments" is a blogger's option, it does not mean every blogger must conform to the "expectations" of others. Every soul can consult the Spirit and decide what is best and right in their circumstance. And if one has a blanket policy not to read another's work because there is no opportunity to comment, it seems one has closed oneself off to potential guidance of the Spirit. Besides, in this world of "overwhelm," the guidance of the Spirit is the best resource we have to lead us to things of importance in our unique life. So, if you have found your way here, perhaps there are a few things of import for you here. I try to trust the Spirit to lead me likewise to things of import within my purpose and priorities.

My World / TransWorld View

▪ Truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come; (Doctrine and Covenants Section 93:24)
▪ If we have the truth, it cannot be harmed by investigation. If we have not the truth, it ought to be harmed. (J. Reuben Clark)

▪ Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (New Testament 1 Thessalonians 5:21)

▪ No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.(New Testament Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13; 3 Nephi 13:24)
▪ See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.(New Testament 1 Thessalonians 5:15)
▪ For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored; ... (Book of Mormon Alma 41:15)
▪ Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend. (Book of Mormon Mosiah 4:9, emphasis added)
▪ ... the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (New Testament 1 Corinthians 1:25)
▪ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Old Testament Isaiah 55:8 - 9)
▪ ... the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true. (Book of Mormon Alma 29:8)
▪ The Bible is true, as far as it is translated correctly. Some things are to be understood literally; others metaphorically or symbolically.
▪ God is neither a Republican nor a Democrat; a Liberal nor a Conservative, just as Christ was neither a Pharisee or Sadducee. [For God doth not walk in crooked paths, neither doth he turn to the right hand nor to the left, neither doth he vary from that which he hath said, therefore his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round.(Doctrine and Covenants Section 3:2)]
▪ Life is an escalating series of tests.
▪ “...we will be asked again and again to release the parts of our lives that mean the most to us.” (Caroline Myss, Sacred Contracts, p. 76; also preview lives of the prophets and saints.)