To Sow and to Reap

Karma is not a Christian concept in any way. We do not reap what we sow. What goes around does not come around. Life is instead an all-or-nothing game with Eternal consequences. We don't have to suffer for our sins because Christ did. We forgive everyone and hope they don't have to suffer either. We can return to God in spite of our shortcomings and weakness because He has the power. We are given grace, or undeserved blessings, through Him who is mighty to save. We reap where others sow, and we sow and don't reap.

Even God does not get everything He wants, as illustrated in the Allegory of the Olive Trees.

"And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard wept, and said unto the servant: What could I have done more for my vineyard?

And now, behold, notwithstanding all the care which we have taken of my vineyard, the trees thereof have become corrupted, that they bring forth no good fruit; and these I had hoped to preserve, to have laid up fruit thereof against the season, unto mine own self. But, behold, they have become like unto the wild olive-tree, and they are of no worth but to be hewn down and cast into the fire; and it grieveth me that I should lose them.

But what could I have done more in my vineyard? Have I slackened mine hand, that I have not nourished it? Nay, I have nourished it, and I have digged about it, and I have pruned it, and I have dunged it; and I have stretched forth mine hand almost all the day long," (Jacob 5:41,46,47)

I am impressed that the Lord nurtures the trees of His vineyard, but they don't always bear fruit. He works hard, sacrifices, fertilizes and gives them everything they need, but they bring forth wild fruit which is no good. He longs for good fruit, and He grieves over the loss in spite of all his hard work.

All of life is like that. We sow, but don't always reap. Farmers since the beginning of time have prayed for rain, good weather, and favorable conditions that they may reap what they sow, but, alas, all too often it didn't help. They would work hard, but have no harvest in the end. We give, but don't always get. We work, but don't always get paid. Our efforts are given, like God Himself, out of love, unselfishly, but love may not return to us. Ever! The fruit we produce may be bad, wild, and not very tasty.

The freedom to choose

Enoch also had this experience with God. He saw God crying and asked, "How can you weep when you have everything?"

"The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency; And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood;" (Moses 7:32-33)

This is the effect of the most important principle of existence -- agency. Agency is the freedom to choose. Each entity of life is given agency by God when they are created, or else there is no existence. Each has the ability to choose what they will be. Some choose not to follow the ways of happiness, growth, and love and have a poor outcome. They are lost, and the Heavens weep. God works hard to make sure all have an equal opportunity to find joy and happiness, they can, if they desire. But he never controls their choice, the outcome is purely in their hands.

In order to assure this He gave a plan to allow both agency and the opportunity of each to choose good or evil. Every child of God would be able to return to live with Him in His Kingdom and gain Eternal Life through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It is as easy as looking at the brass serpent on the pole. However, the Devil gave an alternate plan that was preferred by many: "Here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor." (Moses 4:1) Satan wanted to control the outcome, taking away agency, and losing individuality. 

These philosophies still exist today, though Satan's plan was rejected. Many want to take away individuality, controlling the outcome, and making everyone equal by eliminating the freedom to choose. People don't like the insecurity of unpaid work, unrewarded effort, or unrequited love. Karma seems more fair.

Reaping an Eternal reward

However, as our efforts are put towards doing the will of the Lord, and we don't give up, we will find that they are not in vain. Even if our immediate expectations don't pan out, we will find blessings in the long run. The fruit that does ripen sweetly is infinite. We cannot control the outcome of each, only the opportunity, so many will choose not to follow the path of righteousness. However, those who do bring forth abundantly, and eternally!

"And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!" (D&C 18:15)

Many years ago an elder who served a mission in the British Isles said at the end of his labors, "I think my mission has been a failure. I have labored all my days as a missionary here and I have only baptized one dirty little Irish kid. That is all I baptized."

Years later, after his return to his home in Montana, he had a visitor come to his home who asked, "Are you the elder who served a mission in the British Isles in 1873?"

"Yes."

Then the man went on, "And do you remember having said that you thought your mission was a failure because you had only baptized one dirty little Irish kid?"

He said, "Yes."

The visitor put out his hand and said, "I would like to shake hands with you. My name is Charles A. Callis, of the Council of the Twelve of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am that dirty little Irish kid that you baptized on your mission." (See The Teachings of Harold B. Lee, ed. Clyde J. Williams (1996), 602-3)

That little Irish boy came to a knowledge of his potential as a son of God. Elder Callis left a lasting legacy for his large family. Serving as a mission president for 25 years and in his apostolic ministry for 13 years, he blessed the lives of literally thousands.  (2001 April General Conference, "Them That Honour Me I Will Honour")

That one "dirty little Irish kid" turned into infinite joy for what the missionary thought was a failure. Elder Callis may have personally helped bring thousands to God, but the effects of his labors go on forever as each of those converted has children, grandchildren, and so forth. Each of those may labor in the vineyard, bringing more souls unto God, who then will continue the chain.

Most of what we do is wasted effort. We spend most of our time on temporal affairs that are all lost in Eternity. We build homes, businesses, and empires, that crumble to the dust or evaporate when we leave the Earth. Even in the service of God most of our efforts seem to be in vain. However, though we are not guaranteed success for every effort we make, the parts that are successful become infinite treasures in our coffers. Though it may seem like we fail, in reality just the opposite is true -- we are rewarded infinitely for the smallest effort. The rewards of Christian service are so much better than Karma.

Dark Matter

There is no such thing as "space" per se; there is no emptiness. There is no vacuum. Everything is full because, "all nature abhors a vacuum;" that's why vacuums suck. Therefore, it stands to reason that something must be filling the vastness of space like water fills the sea, or air fills the atmosphere.

Photons

The study of physics tells us that photons fill the immensity of space, collectively known as "dark matter" or the "ether." We cannot detect individual photons unless they are charged or excited. Exciting a photon propagates a wave through the ether the same way dropping a pebble initiates a wave in water, or speaking causes a wave through the air, and we perceive it as light. This is why light has both "wave" and "particle" properties. The type and amount of energy that initiates the wave determines its properties, such as color and intensity.

Photons are matter, but they do not interact with the matter we detect with our senses. It only becomes detectable by our senses when it is charged or excited, such as the light we see. It fills all things, is in all things, through all things, and 'round-about all things. There is no empty space that is not filled with ether. It can only be displaced, as the fish displaces the water it swims in. This is why gravity exists. Photons can be made into what we detect as matter by changing its energy state, or becoming organized. These photons must come together in such a way as to create subatomic particles, atoms, molecules, and so forth. Thus, by a simple organizational change, matter can seem to be created where there was none. 

The joke is made that to a European, all Chinese people look alike. In the same sense, though they possess many of the same properties, there are infinite varieties of every particle of matter; no two are exactly alike. Each photon is an individual. Each has intelligence. Each is a separate being, but has no power to act. The power to act comes from organization. This is true on any level -- organization brings power. A single person has little power unless he can organize a lot of people to his cause. A single carbon molecule has no power, but putting it together with other carbons, oxygen, nitrogen and so forth can make it become an enzyme that has power to act. A single atom of iron has no power, but organizing huge numbers of them can create powerful springs, tools, cars, and so forth. These have power. However, just like tools, photons only have intelligence, but no power to act; they have no way of organizing themselves. There needs to be an outside source of power to organize and wield them. Nothing happens by itself, randomly, or by chance.

Power

The power to act can only be given through another who already has this power. For example, the gift of life can only be given by a man and woman who already possess it. Likewise, only an entity with power can organize photon particles into atoms, molecules, and ultimately life with the power to act. All other matter is acted upon. Photons can passively propagate waves of energy, the "electromagnetic spectrum," in their original state, or they can be useful tools in an organized state, such as electrons,neutrons, atoms or molecules. However, only when they are organized in a certain way can they become life. The more power one has to act, the greater the ability. The highest power is the ability to create, or organize, worlds where life can reproduce.

Each level of life gives more power to act. The "lower" forms have some power to move and reproduce. Higher forms can think and learn, deciding when and how to act. The highest forms have power over the lower forms of life and all matter. There is a hierarchy in all things. The Highest of all has power over all levels from the single photons that fill the immensity of space, to the creators of worlds. The entity with the highest intelligence knows all the rules of engagement. He knows all the ways to combine photons, he knows how to organize them, he knows what they can and can't do, and because he always plays by the rules the intelligences respect him. He respects their inalienable right to choose. He always motivates with love, acting in the best interests of others so they follow him. This is God. 

God

God is an organized being that has all power because of obedience. Being "one" with the Universe, is having power over all forms of matter, living or not, because each has intelligence. The power of God is His word because all the photons obey him. Obedience is the first law of power. A king has no power if he has no subjects to obey him; his subjects give him power. There is no power without obedience. God has infinite subjects -- the photons that fill all things and make up all things -- that obey His every word. Thus, God can speak and worlds can be organized, or He can speak and worlds can evaporate, becoming part of the "ether" that they are made of. He tells them what to do, and they do it. This is the ultimate power to act.

Those that don't obey God lose their powers and abilities. Each has choice. You might say that the ability to choose is the first law of the Universe because without agency there is no variety. Existence is found in contrast. You cannot know sweet unless you know bitter. You cannot understand warmth unless you've experienced cold. You might as well be blind if all things are exactly the same color, and deaf if everything makes the same sound. Variety can only be found in agency. Thus, nothing could exist without agency, or the ability to choose. Because of this agency, some of the photons, electrons, atoms, molecules, and living creatures may decide not to obey God. If they choose not to, he has the power to cast them out of His kingdom. They then just remain as they are without the ability to organize or control anything -- dead matter. They have no power to act, only to be acted upon. 

gods
Like all other forms of life, God is ultimately reproducing Himself. Those that continually obey, subjecting themselves to His will gain more and more power until they ultimately possess the very power of God -- power over the elements. Only those who prove themselves can have this power because the photons that make up all things will not obey them unless they have proven themselves worthy of it. Each must gain the respect of all the elements by learning, and obeying, all the rules. God tells us how so if we obey his every word, and subject ourselves to Him we can be heirs to all the Father has. We are his children. We are his heirs. His hope is in us. He loves us. He wants to give us all He has. He suffers for us. He sacrifices for us. He has prepared all things for us to choose Him; every single one of His children has this ability -- the ability to be gods! 

Our Father in Heaven wants us to grow up to be like He is. But... just like with every single entity in the Universe, it's our choice. Every moment of every day we are choosing to act, or to be acted upon. We can choose to learn, grow, and be powerful and full of light, or to become selfish and impotent -- like the dark matter.