Spirit and Flesh | 1 Nephi 22

Isaiah has shown the difference between the natural man and the spiritual minded man. He has taught me how to put off the natural man and subdue the flesh to become a child of Christ. Nephi continues this discussion by talking about the journey of becoming like Christ. He is telling me not to discount this temporal life and the importance of the daily temporal choices that are placed before me. Nephi shows how the scriptures pertain to things both spiritual and temporal, and how they go hand-in-hand.

Spiritual Preparation, Temporal Responsibility

The Lord prepares His people spiritually by providing them with eternal laws and statutes that will bring joy and happiness. He inspires His prophets to prophesy of temporal consequences through the Spirit.

“Behold they were manifest unto the prophet by the voice of the Spirit; for by the Spirit are all things made known unto the prophets, which shall come upon the children of men according to the flesh.”

The Lord is reminding me to take spiritual responsibility for my actions and that temporal consequences whether good or bad will be my reward. Nephi provides several examples from the context of Isaiah's prophecies. Here is an example where rigorous spiritual preparation leads to temporal safety:

“And because of the righteousness of his people, Satan has no power; wherefore, he cannot be loosed for the space of many years; for he hath no power over the hearts of the people, for they dwell in righteousness, and the Holy One of Israel reigneth. And now behold, I, Nephi, say unto you that all these things must come according to the flesh. But, behold, all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people shall dwell safely in the Holy One of Israel if it so be that they will repent.”

Elder Bednar, a modern day apostle, further develops this principle into an example of how it can be applied to everyday life:

“Meaningful morning prayer is an important element in the spiritual creation of each day—and precedes the temporal creation or the actual execution of the day. Just as the temporal creation was linked to and a continuation of the spiritual creation, so meaningful morning and evening prayers are linked to and are a continuation of each other.”  Elder Bednar, October 2008

Temporal Preparation, Eternal Justification

All temporal experiences prepare the souls of mankind for eternal life or eternal damnation. Mortality is a necessary stepping stone in the eternal progression of life, thus temporal symbolically creates spiritual. Nephi uses covenants as an example of this and specifically the Abrahamic covenant:

“Nevertheless, after they shall be nursed by the Gentiles, and the Lord has lifted up his hand upon the Gentiles and set them up for a standard, and their children have been carried in their arms, and their daughters have been carried upon their shoulders, behold these things of which are spoken are temporal; for thus are the covenants of the Lord with our fathers; and it meaneth us in the days to come, and also all our brethren who are of the house of Israel.”

Just as spiritual choices lead to temporal consequences so do temporal choices lead to eternal consequences. For instance, baptism is an ordinance or covenant that is performed in mortality, the Savior Himself came down so He could fulfil all righteousness by being baptized. It represents putting off the old self and being raised anew as a child of Christ. However, it does not just have implications for this life, it also represents the transformation to the next—temporal death being raised unto eternal life. In another example, marriage becomes more than a temporary contract or bond between husbands and wives but becomes of eternal duration with rewards of more than earthly lands of dominion but eternal power, dominion, and happiness.

Lehi explains how this eternal justification is possible:

"And the law is given unto men. And by the law no flesh is justified; or, by the law men are cut off. Yea, by the temporal law they were cut off; and also, by the spiritual law they perish from that which is good, and become miserable forever. Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth. Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered."  2 Nephi 2:5-7

Conclusion

Will I use my agency to submit my flesh to the will of God or choose to allow the natural man to dictate my actions?

Nephi has taught me to be mindful of the flesh because if I focus too much on the eternal reward, I may miss out on the journey. I may come to a point in my life where I wonder how I have wander off the spiritual path. I have but to look back at my daily temporal choices to see how I have gotten there. On the other hand, if I have strayed spiritually, do I see difficult temporal circumstances which are a sign of a loving Savior inviting me to come back and to bring my burdens unto Him.

I have learned from this that when reading the scriptures that I need to apply them both spiritually and temporally by asking questions:

▪	What does it mean to my spirit, my eternal destiny, and my relationship with my Savior?
▪	What does it mean to me in the flesh, or in my temporal circumstances?
▪	How will my spiritual preparation affect my daily temporal choices?
▪	And, how will my daily temporal choices affect my eternal destiny?

As I look a little harder, I will begin to see the deeper spiritual and temporal meaning of even the most mundane mortal experiences.