Bound

 This morning I was thinking about boundaries and being bound. Some hear the word  “boundaries” and immediately think of limitations;  You can’t do this or that or our natural aversion to the word “no”.  In a world full of “Yes you can!”  Boundaries seem to counter the claim,” I manifest all with my awesome biology of belief.”  Boundaries tend to impede on our God given agency.

Historically, in order to exercise this agency, God put in place a boundary-you can eat of any tree in the garden, do whatever you want but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou mayest not eat. This boundary created the perfect conditions for Adam and Eve to actually exercise their agency.  The violation of this boundary resulted in separation and disconnection.  Their spirit body would be disconnected or separated from the physical body at death and God’s children would be separated from his presence during their mortal journey.

Many spiritual practices seek to restore this once had connection with our maker.  We pray, we express gratitude, we ponder scriptures, we go to church , we serve, we obey commandments with the intent of feeling the spirit of the Lord. We strive to be connected with Him and be connected with other humans.

Back to the first humans in the Bible, Once they violated the boundary with the tree of knowledge of Good and evil,  God put another boundary to prohibit them from eating from the tree of life.  This time with cherubim and the flaming sword to guard the tree and protect the way of life.  Now  that’s a firm boundary!  initially, they could eat of it and now they couldn’t

circumstances had changed.  

At the same time God set up a special kind of boundary called a covenant.  It’s main purpose is to bind us to him-to tether us to him.  We can still be connected even with the incredible forces of separation swirling around us and the swirling forces within us…our appetites and passions.

We covenant to keep our appetites and passions within the bounds the Lord has set.  This includes sexual relations only with those we are legally and lawfully wedded to. This includes appetites related to the word of wisdom.  This includes the payment of tithes and offerings when perhaps passions would dictate spending money on wordly pleasures first or make them the first priority. All is done to protect this bond between us and the Lord. 

“I the Lord am bound when you do what I say, but if ye do not, ye have no promise.” Instead of viewing being bound as a restrictive negative concept, I can view it as a positive , secure attachment. something I can bet my very life on-life line!  Think of the actress Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton in the final scenes of “Twister” in the eye of the tornado.  They definitely would not be together forever or whatever if their chain or strap didn’t hold to the pole they were bound to.  They would have just gotten sucked up into the tornado. 

 Covenants are the chains binding us to our loved ones past and present.  Covenant chains bind us to God. Under the proper authority, these chains hold.  God designed then to hold-a welding link. 

 

I don’t think I’ve ever thought of my covenants as boundaries but I suppose they are things I can or cannot do ( obey, sacrifice, consecrate) I gladly use my agency and choose to bind myself,  to forge an unbreakable bond with him, the author of my salvation.

It just doesn’t make sense to me to resist and complain about boundaries like sex or drugs or other lifestyle commandments and in the same breath say we.want to go to the temple.  For we are really saying we want to make covenants in the Temple to bind ourselves more fully to God.  

First we need to be comfortable with the chains that safely bind us to Christ now.  We will realize these covenant chains safety secure us to the only true bedrock foundation of Jesus Christ. May we cherish the commandments. and see then as our way to connect with God.  Remember, these binding covenants represent a two-way street between each one of us and the all powerful, unlimited God . He is bound to us too!  We are connected.