Perhaps you have read the scriptures in the New Testament that talk about cutting off the hand or foot or plucking out the eye if they offend you. Yuck. Being maimed... not my idea of a good time. Of course, Christ is speaking in yet another parable ;) and Joseph Smith made it nice and easy with the translation he gave. He stated, "And a man's hand is his friend, and his foot, also; and a man's eye are they of his own household."
Well, keeping that in mind, let me give you the actual scriptures found in Mark 9. "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched (v 43). And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell... (v 45). And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire (v 47)." Nice and graphic, right? Going into the medical field you would think that blood and amputations wouldn't bother me, but I'm really getting worse as I get older. I read Oedipus the King last week and nearly gagged when he gouged out his own eyes. Maybe it's just the pregnancy... But I digress...
The first thing that comes to mind - even knowing the true meaning of these verses - is "aren't we supposed to be friendly with everyone and be kind to all? Aren't we supposed to include everyone, especially family?" Yes. Kindness and inclusion are key principles of the Gospel, but we can also go back to Nephi having to slay Laban: "It is better that one man perish than a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief" (1 Nephi 4:13). If someone is dragging us down, dragging the light of Christ out of us through temptations, it is best that we cut off the source and try to keep ourselves and posterity on the right path. I read last week that it was better to have 4 quarters than 100 pennies for friends. Glean what you will from that; I thought it was interesting :)
The second astonishing questions one may ask is, "even family?" Yep. Even family applies here. Don't get me wrong, I completely love my family. All of them. In-laws just the same as my side. But there may come a point where it's just not conducive to be around a certain family member. I love my father. I may pity him more, but I still love him. I just cannot be around him much. It is more detrimental for myself and my family to spend time with him than to simply keep a certain distance while staying in touch. I've been working on being kind the last few years (I wasn't before; I was still pretty angry), and including him if I feel like the situation presents, but I can't offer him a home. Much of his family has unfortunately had to "pluck him out" as well in order to keep their immediate families in tact and - perhaps just as important - not allowing him a leg to stand on after he's cut off all the others (see what I did there? ;) My mother tried to make a secure family with him for years but finally had to pluck him out and leave. It was better for everyone. So, sad as it it, this principle, I truly believe, applies to anyone that can bring us down instead of lifting us up.
One thing that my assignment prompt brought up that I hadn't thought much about was the idea of being free especially regarding the Word of Wisdom and staying chaste. It's such a social norm to drink and sleep around these days. It looks so glamorous, but they don't really show you the consequences on Tv shows. I lived the consequences of an alcoholic parent and a broken family. I've seen the consequences of unplanned pregnancies outside of marriage. Our first two kids weren't planned, but we've brought them into a stable marriage and have both committed to them and their wellbeing. Without saying that all children bring with them is bondage, there truly is a certain amount of freedom that you lose when you become a parent, and when they are brought into a sticky situation, the less free you are as the situation brings even more stress and hardships with it. You can lose your freedom to alcohol, drugs, even food addictions, STDs, or a sudden pregnancy that you may not have wanted. We have the choice to cut out these temptations and the people that bring them. Harsh and sad, but I really believe it is true. Seek the things and people that edify and uplift you. Don't let anyone drag you down. You have the choice to be free.
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