Sabbath Day Light: A talking donkey spoke to me

This week in Sunday School, we discussed the story of Balaam, a prophet whom King Balak enticed many times to curse the Israelites.


You can read a full description of the story here. I found it very interesting and enlightening.


There are so many lessons to be learned from it, such as the need to obey God's commandments with exactness , to not be tempted by worldly treasures, and to accept and follow answers to prayer, instead of trying to get God to change His will.


The point that moved me the most, though, came  from the encounter with Balaam and his donkey, who he thought was mocking him by not proceeding forth on their journey, but rather stopping, or turning, or falling down. Balaam beat his donkey, and after the donkey was allowed by God to speak, realized that the donkey in fact was saving him from death.





I thought about how as people we often are quick to get angry and quick to be offended. Often when we choose to feel this way, we lash out irrationally, usually without knowing all the facts.


Most of the time, when someone seemingly hurts us, it isn't intentional. Most people aren't out to hurt us or bring us down. Sometimes people just have bad days, fumble something they say, forget a promise they have made, or are just speaking or doing what they usually do, not realizing it may not be the best way to communicate.


Sometimes we just don't have all the facts. We only see one piece of the puzzle, and rather than seek out the rest of pieces, we make assumptions - assumptions which lead to bitterness, lashing out, awkwardness, or gossip.


Then there are times when people really are out to hurt us. It could be a stranger, a peer, or even someone we love.
In those cases, we really have no choice but to be angry and offended, right? We aren't in the wrong if we lash out, either physically, verbally, or nonverbally because that person deserves it, correct? Isn't that just justice?


That is the common response, but in reality, anger is a CHOICE.


A leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS church), Elder Lynn G. Robbins, said: 


“A cunning part of his [Satan’s] strategy is to dissociate anger from agency, making us believe that we are victims of an emotion that we cannot control. We hear, ‘I lost my temper.’ Losing one’s temper is an interesting choice of words that has become a widely used idiom. To ‘lose something’ implies ‘not meaning to,’ ‘accidental,’ ‘involuntary,’ ‘not responsible’—careless perhaps but ‘not responsible.’


“‘He made me mad.’ This is another phrase we hear, also implying lack of control or agency. This is a myth that must be debunked. No one makes us mad. Others don’t make us angry. There is no force involved. Becoming angry is a conscious choice, a decision; therefore, we can make the choice not to become angry. We choose! To those who say, ‘But I can’t help myself,’ author William Wilbanks responds, ‘Nonsense.’


“‘Aggression, … suppressing the anger, talking about it, screaming and yelling,’ are all learned strategies in dealing with anger. ‘We choose the one that has proved effective for us in the past. Ever notice how seldom we lose control when frustrated by our boss, but how often we do when annoyed by friends or family?’ (‘The New Obscenity,’ Reader’s Digest, Dec. 1988, 24; italics added)” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1998, 105; or Ensign, May 1998, 80).


If anger is a choice, why do we choose it? Does it solve anything?


The living prophet of the LDS church, Thomas S. Monson said, “Anger does not solve anything; it builds nothing. To be angry is to yield to the influence of Satan. No one can make us angry. It is our choice. If we desire to have a proper spirit with us at all times, we must choose to refrain from becoming angry. I testify that such is possible.”

Looking at the scriptures, Jesus Christ taught,

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. …

“For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

“And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:43–44, 46–48).

It is interesting that just before commanding us to be perfect, the Lord counsels us to love our neighbors and our enemies. This is not easy, but as President Monson said, it is possible.

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the LDS church, declared, "One of the greatest indicators of our own spiritual maturity is revealed in how we respond to the weaknesses, the inexperience, and the potentially offensive actions of others. A thing, an event, or an expression may be offensive, but you and I can choose not to be offended..."

Are we mature people, especially in things of the Spirit? I personally know I need to take my own advice, as well as the counsel of these great men, especially my Savior.

Let's try to take more breaths, think more rationally, give more benefits of the doubt, seek more clarification, and love more dearly. Let us also try harder not to be the one causing the hurt, whether intentionally or unintentionally. All we have to do is try to see perspectives outside our own.

Join with me! Let's be more spiritually mature together. Let's choose the better part.

Thank you, talking donkey, for speaking to me.