The 23rd Psalm

My neighbor asked me to substitute for him today as the teacher of the 12-13 year old Sunday School class. The lesson was on courage, and our text was the incomparable 23rd Psalm:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

The commentary on this short passage is voluminous, but I will venture a few observations in relation to the central task of this blog: to inquire diligently to know more concerning the kingdom of God.

As many have observed, this Psalm has two primary metaphors for the Lord. He is a shepherd in verses 1-4 and a host in verses 5-6. The author of the Psalm is presumed to be King David, but we can imagine ourselves as the speaker.

In the first verses, we are sheep, and we are content under the Lord's care. The phrasing of the first verse -- "I shall not want" rather than "I do not want" -- suggests that this contentment is contingent on our willingness to follow the shepherd. Those who follow Him are rewarded with green pastures and still (fresh) waters. We can probably assume that the reference to green pastures and still waters is not a promise of material wealth, but rather a promise of spiritual rest (peace) and wisdom. If we are faithful, our souls will be restored, through repentence and the atonement.

Verse 4 was the focus of our lesson on courage. Even though we follow the Lord ("he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness"), we will encounter trials. But if we are faithful, we will not fear those trials because we will trust in the Lord to protect us. Thus, courage is a function of faith.

In the last two verses, we are prospective guests in the Lord's house. The "house of the Lord" often refers to temples, but given that David was not allowed to build the temple and the fact that the last verse mentions living in the house of the Lord for ever, I suspect this is a more general reference to heaven or the kingdom of God.

The reference to anointing in verse 5 is interesting. Coupled with the reference to a cup running over, the anointing probably was intended to suggest that the Lord is a generous host. But anointing is also done in blessing the sick (perhaps a prelude to our entering into His house is that we become spiritually whole) and to set someone apart for a special calling. For example, Jesus is sometimes referred to as the "anointed" in reference to his special calling as the Christ or Messiah, both of which are derived from words meaning anointed. Thus, the anointing in Psalms 23 could refer to the setting apart of those who enter His kingdom.

Taken as a whole, Psalm 23 is not merely an expression of gratitude for blessings received in this life, but also an invitation to enjoy the blessings of eternal life. In response to Zeezrom's inquiry concerning the kingdom of God, the Psalmist would admonish Zeezrom to become part of the Lord's flock and to follow Him in paths of righteousness.

"O remember, remember"

In several passages in the Book of Mormon, prophets urge the people to remember. Consider this beautiful passage in Mosiah 2:41 from King Benjamin's address:

And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.

And this passage in Alma 37:13, which features Alma speaking to his son, Helaman:

O remember, remember, my son Helaman, how strict are the commandments of God. And he said: If ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land—but if ye keep not his commandments ye shall be cut off from his presence.

In both passages, prophets urge people not only to remember the commandments of God, but also to remember the blessings that follow from living according to those commandments. Without a written record, remembering these things is surprisingly difficult. (Cf. Nephi and the plates of brass: "I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the Lord according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law").

The foregoing thoughts come to me with a bit of irony because I was reminded of these ideas by watching a videotape of President Henry B. Eyring's talk on this subject from the October 2007 General Conference:



This is only a snippet from a powerful talk. You can read the whole thing here or watch it from this page.

On listening to President Eyring again, I focused on this paradoxical idea: "As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day." Obviously, President Eyring understood the paradox: "I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done."

This reminded me of that passage of scripture quoted in my welcome post: "And Zeezrom began to inquire of them diligently, that he might know more concerning the kingdom of God." If the goal of this blog is to pursue Zeezrom's inquiry, that is, to enhance my knowledge of the kingdom of God, it's hard to think of a better place to start than remembering.

On first hearing that talk over a year and half ago, I resolved to follow President Eyring's counsel to write in my journal daily. And I did. It was a wonderful, uplifting experience. Nevertheless, as time has passed, I have allowed various distractions to stand in the way of keeping a daily record. Seeing President Eyring's talk again has rekindled my resolve.

Welcome to Zeerom's Inquiry

In the spring of 2003, without much forethought, I launched a blog. Within a week or so, people were linking to my blog, even though I had done nothing to publicize it. And, though it may seem strange, I didn't want the attention. I was just goofing around with a new communication medium.

Once I realized that people were actually reading my blog, I almost stopped blogging. But I realized very early in my blogging career that writing for an audience had the potential to change me. In a good way. Blogging forced me to articulate a view. And the fact that I was blogging changed the way I interacted with the world. Whatever I was reading or doing had the potential to become a blog post, so I thought more deeply and more creatively about what I was reading and doing. It even enhanced my scholarship.

That early blogging was a "quirky mix of entries about business, law, Wisconsin, legal education, and whatever else strikes [my] fancy (including, of course, cheese)." But my blogging didn't include religion. Then, in the fall of 2003, some young lawyers asked me to join their new Mormon blog, Times & Seasons. Together we built one of the most popular sites in the Bloggernacle (a term coined at T&S), but after several years of blogging there, I ran out of things to say to that audience.

Since leaving T&S in 2007, I have largely avoided blogging about religion. Until today. I am launching Zeezrom's Inquiry for the same reason I decided to continue blogging in early 2003, namely, because I want to learn by writing. This time, my focus is Mormon scripture.

If all goes according to my mental plan, this blog will be much different than T&S. I will not be commenting on all things Mormon, but hoping merely to supplement my study of the so-called "Standard Works": The Bible, The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine & Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price.

The title of the blog makes reference to my favorite character in the Book of Mormon, whom I described in a 2004 post at T&S:

Zeezrom was a lawyer, who is described as "a man who was expert in the devices of the devil." (Alma 11:21) At one point in [an] exchange with Amulek, Zeezrom attempts to purchase Amulek’s testimony against God, and Zeezrom fails. (Alma 11:22) But when Amulek describes spiritual death, "Zeezrom began to tremble." (Alma 11:46) Then Alma jumps in, calls Zeezrom a liar and reads his mind — "Now Zeezrom, seeing that thou hast been taken in thy lying and craftiness, for thou hast not lied unto men only but thou hast lied unto God; for behold, he knows all thy thoughts, and thou seest that thy thoughts are made known unto us by his Spirit." (Alma 12:3) At this point, Zeezrom changes from adversary to student as he "began to inquire of them diligently." (Alma 12:8) Eventually, he is totally converted and confesses his sins to the people, who "spit upon him, and cast him out from among them." (Alma 14:6-7) Zeezrom takes ill with a "burning fever," and he is healed by Alma. (Alma 15) Ultimately, Zeezrom becomes a missionary. (Alma 31)

The bolded passage serves as my inspiration for this blog, but I left out an important part. The first sentence of that verse reads: "And Zeezrom began to inquire of them diligently, that he might know more concerning the kingdom of God." That is the motivation for this blog, and I hope you will read it in that spirit.