I wrote previously about Les Miserables, the power of repentance, and the purpose of sacrifice. I would now like to talk a little bit about spiritual journeys, and the story that has existed, in many forms, since the beginning of the world. This is a story that brings clarity and peace to my outlook on life, and I am trying to understand it better. I am hoping that by attempting to write it down, I will be able to sort through my thoughts on the subject.
The story of which I speak is that of man's journey towards reaching his divine potential. It was brought to the forefront of my mind as I watched Les Miserables and Jean Valjean's transformation from an angry, bitter thief to a loving, selfless man who had devoted his life to God and others. My thoughts on his story are written here. As I was thinking about his spiritual journey, it reminded me of the ultimate spiritual journeys that have been preserved through myth and scripture, and what those journeys can tell us about our potential.
In many of the religious traditions throughout history, there is a central figure, usually part-mortal, part-immortal, who must undergo several trials and ultimately overcomes all to join the ranks of the divine. The first of two that I want to discuss here is Heracles, who is widely considered to be the greatest of the Greek heroes. Heracles, as the semi-divine son of Zeus, was blessed with both exceptional gifts and mortal weaknesses. He was asked to fulfill twelve tasks, each forcing him to overcome incredible odds to succeed. Finally, he was forced to visit the underworld and confront Hades, the overseer of the dead. It was only after he descended to the underworld and subsequently returned to the realms of the living that Heracles had fulfilled his tasks. At the end of his journey, Heracles was able to join the ranks of the gods. This honor was not granted to most heroes, but it was justified in his case because he had descended lower than any other, and thus had earned the right to be one of the Gods.
There are two aspects of his journey that strike me as important. The first is on the importance of sacrifice, which I will come back to later. The second is best described by this New Testament verse: "And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." (Matthew 23: 12) In the case of Heracles, he was exalted not because of his courage or his heroic deeds, but because he had lowered himself all the way to the underworld, and confronted Hades, and returned triumphant to the realm of the living.
The second figure of which I will write is not steeped in myth, as Heracles is. Quite to the contrary, I believe this second figure to be the only real manifestation of the ultimate spiritual journey, the one upon which all other heroic stories are based. That figure is Jesus Christ. He was born the son of an immortal, exalted Heavenly Father and a mortal, natural woman. He was likewise asked to fulfill certain tasks during his life on the Earth, including the performance of many miracles, and the establishment of a church and a gospel upon which to build that church. Finally, he was asked to suffer for the sins and pains of the world, after which he was condemned to death, and executed by crucifixion. His death was necessary, though painful and unjust, for His Atonement to be complete. After three days spent teaching the dead in the spirit world, Jesus the Christ rose from the dead, having triumphed over sin, pain, and the very death that had taken Him. Upon His rising, He became like unto His Father, having fulfilled all that His Father had sent Him to do, and having returned to Him in glory.
This story is the original and most important spiritual journey that has every taken place. As I stated earlier, I believe that this story is the story upon which all heroic tales are based, and the pattern by which men may reach their divine potential, which is salvation and exaltation in the kingdom of God. What I mean to say is that we are each on a spiritual journey. We have tasks placed before us, and we must follow the example given to us by Christ if we are to reach the end of our journey successfully. The tasks that we are given are not easy. We are all given commandments to follow, which sometimes test our character and our diligence. Likewise we are each given trials that require patience, understanding, and faith to overcome. The tasks and trials that we are given help us to prove ourselves and to develop our talents, knowledge, and character. All of these are essential parts of our spiritual journey, but they are not sufficient by themselves.
The most important aspect of a spiritual journey is found in the necessary transitions between life and death. In myth, Heracles performed many valiant tasks, but he was not admitted onto Mt. Olympus to be with the gods until he was willing to sacrifice his life by venturing into the underworld, unsure if he would be able to return to the land of the living. Also, as is written in scripture, Christ performed many might miracles, but His spiritual journey could only have been complete through His suffering, death, and subsequent resurrection. His sacrifice and ascension to glory was a fulfillment of prophecy, and the only way by which men could ever hope to do the same.
So what does this mean for us during our spiritual journey. Surely we cannot be expected to follow exactly in Christs footsteps, for he was the Only Begotten of the Father, and He alone could fulfill the task that was given him. Yet in a way, the final aspect of our spiritual journey does mirror His. He was asked to suffer and die before he would be able to rise again in Glory. In like manner, we are asked to kill off the natural man within us, and become a new creature in Christ. It is for this reason that we are symbolically buried in the water during baptism, and immediately lifted up again into new life. Through the atonement, we can be perfected in Him (see Moroni 10:32-33), and eventually return to live with our Heavenly Father, in His kingdom. That is the ultimate end of our journey, and that is what should motivate us to live even as Christ did, with understanding, sacrifice, and love.
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