My Starting Imagery

The Imagery That Got Me Started

“WATER” & boats

And Why Christ Might Walk Upon the Water!

As a youth I remember being taught that the reason that missionaries didn’t go swimming was because Satan had this power over water and it was very dangerous to go into the water.  But have noticed that the members still continued to swim and take showers, without the least concern for Satan.

This idea seemed to come from section 61 in the Doctrine and Covenants.  In the heading it states that Joseph along with 10 elders was traveling down the Missouri River in canoes.  During this journey Joseph’s canoe hit a submerged log and capsized and the next day W.W. Phelps had a daylight vision and saw the destroyer (Satan) riding in power upon the face of the waters.  In verse 3 the Lord stated, “that it is not necessary for this whole company to be moving swiftly on the waters, whilst the inhabitants on either side are perishing in unbelief”.  Then in 4 he states, “that there are many dangers upon the water, and more especially hereafter”. Next in 5 the Lord says he has decreed many destruction upon the waters; “yea especially upon these waters”. (Missouri River)

During the next verse 7 He goes on to say that if you are righteous you will not perish by the waters.  Then in 8 he states that you might not perish in wickedness.  One way to perish was by waters then by wickedness.  Are they the same?

Later in 13 he says,“and I, the Lord, will reason with you as with men in days of old”. (In old days he spoke much with imagery, an example is when in Isaiah 8:7 the Lord said he will “bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria and all his glory; and he shall come up over all his channels and go over all his banks”. 

Back in D&C 61:14 the Lord stated,” I the Lord, in the beginning blessed the waters; but in the last days, by the mouth of my servant John, I cursed the waters.  I was curious where John cursed the waters and found it in the Book of Revelation in the New Testament chapter 16.  This chapter contains seven angels who are going to pour out their vials of God’s wrath on the earth.  Starting in verse 3 it says; “And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man; and every living soul died in the sea”.  Then in verse 4 the “3^rd angel pours out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of water: and they became blood”.  The strange thing for me was here the angel of the waters tells the Lord that he is righteous because he did this to the waters.  Why?  What had these waters done?  Finally in verse 6, John tells what sins that the water have committed to be judged thus. “For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, (murder) and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy”.

  Later in Revelation 18 the destruction of the Devils church is outlined and in the last verse of this chapter he explains that the wicked were destroyed because, “in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth”.  These two destructions seem to be to the same group or at least for the same sins.  With a little more help from John in Chapter 17:15 he tells us, “And he said unto me, the waters which though sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues”.  Here John just tells us that the waters spoken here are people who are wicked.  There are four groups listed that relate to being of the world, or mortality.  There are several other references in Revelation that fit this thought.   see:  12:15, 13:1   21:1   Saints are asked to be in the world but not of the world.

If the waters the Lord was referring to in Section 61 are people it is easy to understand why in verse 4 says there are many dangers upon the waters, and more especially hereafter.  We know that it wasn’t the Missouri river that was so dangerous but the state of Missouri, especially later when the governor issued the extermination order and the saints were driven out of the state, during which many lost their lives.  Maybe the reason missionaries should not swim is not because of the ocean water itself, but the water dressed in bikinis that are much more dangerous to the elders than H2O.

The main thought I am trying to make is that water is used to represent wicked people who are under Satan’s power.  And there is great danger to us if we wish to accept what the wicked do, and remain unaffected by it.  Living as a natural man would be like becoming part of the sea.  Therefore when scripture stories talk about crossing the seas it may be suggesting overcoming the trials of life, or mortality and becoming a saint by putting off the natural man by rejecting the temptations of Satan.

Summary

Each symbol can have at least 2 meanings

1.    Water can represent Satan, wickedness, temptations sent to destroy us, mortality in a fallen world, and trials in our lives we need to overcome.

a.     The deeper you get in this water the less light you have until there is no light.  Light increases our understanding, and can bring us to eternal Life.

b.   If you get too deep in water, or sin, you can’t breathe and will die (spiritually).  Breath seems to represent the spirit of the Lord, also represented by the wind.  Example.  Jesus said the spirit is like the wind, you can feel it but you don’t know where it comes or goes.  However storms that destroy can be a negative use of this symbol of wind.

2.   Water can also represent Living water or the promise of Eternal Life that the Lord will give those who chose to follow him.  See John 4:14  The woman at the well.

An Example of Water Imagery

See Matt 14:24-33, John 6:16-20, Mark 6:47-50

After Jesus had fed the 5000 people, he told his disciples (apostles) to get in the ship and go across to Capernaum, while he went into the mountain to pray to his Father. While the apostles were trying to cross the sea there arose a strong wind, and the sea arose by reason of this great wind.  They were toiling because of the wind and had been doing thus from evening until the 4^th watch or between 3 and 6 am.  At this watch Jesus came unto them walking on the water, and Mark says he would have passed them by, but they saw him and cried out to him.  We know that Peter said if it is really you, bid me come unto thee upon the water.  Jesus said come, and Peter got out of the boat walking on the water to come to Jesus.

When Peter saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, called out to him saying Lord, save me.  Immediately Jesus caught him and said, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?  They both then walked back to the ship and when they arrived the wind ceased.  John records at this point that immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.

I believe that Jesus knew all this was going too happened and he used it to teach his apostles some very important principles, especially Peter who was to become the head of the church after Christ’s death.

1.    Jesus knew what was happening to his disciples even when he was not with them.

2.   He came to where they were but waited for them to ask his help.

3.   He had total control of the elements and wasn’t worried about something happening to him.

4.   He stayed above the water (symbolic of world or wicked) and it had no power or control to take him down.  I doubt if he even got wet.

5.   Invited Peter to come to him when Peter said he would like to.

6.   Peter walked on the water and stayed above it until he began to fear and doubt, then he began to become part of the water by sinking into the world losing his faith,

7.   He called out to the Master, saying Lord, save me.  We are all in need of the Lord saving us because of the hold the water or world has on us.

8.   The Lord takes him by the hand and said why did you doubt?  It was if he were saying if you kept your eyes focused on me and don’t fear the world, it can have no power over you to take you down.  Peter is brought back to the top of the water.

9.   They walk back to the boat without any trouble from the water, and join their brethren.

10.                The boat was taken immediately to the shore.  When you have the Savior in your boat the water has no power to restrict your ability to progress.

All of these events were a great training exercise to let his future leaders know that he was in control and that if they would exercise faith in him nothing doubting that he would be there to assist in fulfilling anything he had sent them to accomplish.

Thoughts about Boats in Scriptures

Several authors refer to stories that have boats as part of the experience, especially when instructed by the Lord how to build them to save them from the waters. (world or sin) As being symbolic of covenants especially those made in temples that will give us power over Satan and evil.

Noah’s ark- We are told in 1 Peter 3:20-21 that there were 8 souls saved by water in the ark. The like figure (8) where baptism also now saves us.  The story of the ark was how the Lord provided a way to be saved if they followed his word when the world was flooded as a means to cleans it from wickedness, like baptism does for us.

The Brother of Jared was instructed how to build barges, that were not made after the manner of men.  He built 8 barges (sound familiar, see my first post on Jaradites) that were tight like a dish.  They were tight to keep the living water in and to keep the sea (wicked) out.

Nephi also had a similar experience with the Lord providing instructions on how to safely arrive at the Promised Land, (Celestial kingdom) if they kept their covenants.

He will help us arrive at the same place.