One person always comes to my mind when I think of rebellion. He is smart and loves to argue. He is also well known for pushing the boundaries, sometimes openly going the other way, and doing all he can to convince us that his way is right, that we've been fools to desire/believe anything else. He is a member of my church and has a strong testimony. His biggest issue comes down to obedience and he has some great arguments for not being a traditional member of my church, or student at the university he attends. He passionately rebels from the norm, and knows why he does what he does. I don't know how he does it as I've never been much of a 'traditional' rebel. It would be foolish to say that rebellion is never right. Remember that these cases are not founded in pride or egocentric motives. These cases are grounded in truth and light, calling people back to what they know to be true.
There was one time where I seriously considered pursuing my own goals and my own desire for a glorious adventure, where I would be admired in the eyes of the world. I planned on leaving everything, jumping on a plane, and moving to England. It would have been a grand adventure. And then, I changed. I found that I had been rebelling and didn't have the trajectory I really wanted in life, so I stopped rebelling. And now I am at peace. I still am off on my own, on a different, grand adventure. We just drive on the right side of the road and I'm working instead of being in school. One dream changed, and though some in my position would feel held back on their journey of progression, this is the right path for me. I am where I need to be.
How are you rebelling? Are you living in a way to learn by the Spirit or are you trying to forge your own way to your own version of happiness? Rebel when and how it is right, not just when it suits you, and be humble enough to follow the traditions of your fathers when they are of God.
Isn't it enough "rebellion" to go against the grain of our amoral society and stand up for what's right and wrong? I get so tired of listening to people who think they're "rebelling" when in actuality they're simply following the crowd that's headed toward a cliff. And then they'll get upset when they're told that there's a cliff ahead.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean, and that's why understanding things like rebellion is so hard to know and remember. The balance is tricky, at least for me. How do we justify Little Mermaid being a rebel and following her heart, but not others'? I mean, I know how, but, it can be hard to explain and understand all the meanings. My friend wrote on my wall a good comment, so I'm going to put it over here, which helps clarify points that I missed. (I've been trying to be briefer... but I'm wordy so it's quite a challenge)
DeleteNot written by me, put on my FB wall, I just liked it and so i'm putting it here for you to read too!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! I've always had a hard time being a rebel without having personal side effects. It's hard to stand apart from people sometimes without feeling resentful or condemning.
That being said, my observation is that in order to have faith centered in God, sometimes you must rebel against man. Jesus certainly did during his life, and we are told that "he spake not as other men, neither could he be taught." (JST, Matthew 3:25). Furthermore, Jesus did not have a lot of good things to say about traditions, and had several critical comments on the subject. We are also told that in the last days the majority of people would be wicked and corrupt, and that by comparison the Lord's people would be "peculiar."
It would seem that to do something because a parent, leader, friend organization or society says you should is never a good enough reason. For example, we should not do anything simply because President Monson says so, regardless of his status; rather we should do things based on what information we receive through the Spirit.
If we feel within our souls that we should do something, and that something would be considered "rebellious" or even commandment-breaking (like slaying Laban or preaching in the street against the reigning political/religious leaders), maybe it is still the right thing to do.