![\"\"](\"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_3419.jpeg\")
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We are all rebels in some way or another, just like we are all sinners. Any sin is a kind of rebellion. As a result, we do things that are against the counsels of the Lord willingly and intentionally, often justifying it through the scriptures. And too often we dismiss statements like \u201cRebel Not Ye against the Lord\u201d as counsel meant for those others who are sinning. So then what does it mean to rebel against the Lord?<\/p>\n
I suspect this idea of rebellion is often tied up with human development, and the natural course of relationships. As we develop as people, we naturally want to differentiate ourselves from our parents and care givers, and this development often appears as rebellion. Likewise, in relationships, we often at first try to assimilate, to be appealing to others, and as that relationship develops and we become more secure, we try to differentiate from others, asserting our independence. This differentiation doesn\u2019t have to be rebellion, and it certainly doesn\u2019t have to include sinning or offending the other \u2014 but we don\u2019t always distinguish between differentiation and rebellion.<\/p>\n
Is this also true with our spiritual development? I\u2019m not sure. While I\u2019m sure that we do not need to rebel against our Heavenly Parents, I am attracted to the idea that we do need to differentiate to some degree. Perhaps that is what mortal life is for \u2014 a place for us to safely learn how to differentiate without rebelling, or maybe a place where the effects of rebelling can be safely contained?<\/p>\n
Regardless of this speculation, we should recognize our need to differentiate from others, and work on how to do that without rebelling against the Lord.<\/p>\n
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Our teachings about revelation actually encourage differentiation from others in our community. We teach that the prophet receives revelation for the whole Church. And we also teach that each member can receive revelation for themselves. So while we follow the prophet, we also do what the Lord tells us to do ourselves. We resolve conflicts between these two by recognizing that the revelation comes from the same source \u2014 and that individuals may have exceptions to general rules. What isn\u2019t acceptable is anyone besides the prophet receiving revelation for the whole church.<\/p>\n
Our poetry has emphasized the idea that we, as individuals, can receive revelation for ourselves. In this example, Mirla Thayne prays for revelation today \u2014 and while her \u00a0poem-prayer is now nearly 70 years old, it seems very relevant to life today. While it is not revelation through the prophet to the whole church, it seems to me to be something many of us will agree with.<\/p>\n
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by Mirla Greenwood Thayne<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
1958<\/p>\n
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The idea of meekness seems contrary to any kind of rebellion, and perhaps even against differentiation. Can we be meek, submissive and lowly of heart and still differentiate from others? How exactly do we resolve the paradox of being meek but also being forthright in the gospel? Perhaps the answer to this paradox will help us figure out how to differentiate without being rebellious.<\/p>\n
The scriptures we are reading now focus on Moses and his difficulty speaking in public. Was this meekness? Does a prophet need to be meek in his own feelings to communicate the word of the Lord instead? The following poem is one of a few that discuss Moses\u2019 life, part of a genre of poetry that re-tells scripture stories. Hannah Tapfield King, an English convert who became prominent in 19th century Utah, was also the author of the first complete epic poem about the LDS Church.<\/p>\n
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by Hannah Tapfield King<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
1879<\/p>\n
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Resolving the conflict over rebellion and differentiation may simply require faith in the Lord. Often the idea that we must be meek, and follow what the Lord teaches comes down to revelation and having faith that doing so will work out for the best. We might well say that faith leads to hope for the future, in this sense.<\/p>\n
The following poem is part of the genre of New Year\u2019s poems, which has a long and frequent presence in our culture. These poems usually feature both a reaction to the previous year and a prayer for the year to come \u2014 and in this case, Annie Malin suggests that faith\u2014\u201ctrusting in His guidance\u201c\u2014gives hope for the new year.<\/p>\n
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by Annie Malin<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
1924<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Rebellion can, of course, cause spiritual harm. I think other things, such as the actions of others who we admire or follow, might also cause spiritual harm. And often this harm takes time and effort to heal.<\/p>\n
In the following poem, Maria Berry, echoes the hymn \u201cWhen upon life\u2019s billows\u201d and suggests that having faith in Christ is how we can be healed and led to the promised land.<\/p>\n
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By Maria Berry<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
1913<\/p>\n
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Rebellion also doesn\u2019t happen in a vacuum. Sometimes we are persuaded to act against others. Other times we are trying to get closer to friends and that attempt pushes us against our parents, other friends, culture and authority. This push and pull between different relationships can also be true for whole groups of people, whose attempts to become closer to one group lead them to distance themselves from another. The history of the LDS Church has been read as in tension between differentiating from U.S. culture and assimilating to that culture. And I suppose that to the degree these changes are making us closer to God, its all the better.<\/p>\n
Here, poet Henry W. Naisbitt sings the glories of Zion, focusing on its relationships with those around it \u2014 their persecution and persuasion that tries to move Zion away from (or perhaps towards) God in some way.<\/p>\n
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by Henry W. Naisbitt<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
1886<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We are all rebels in some way or another, just like we are all sinners. Any sin is a kind of rebellion. As a result, we do things that are against the counsels of the Lord willingly and intentionally, often justifying it through the scriptures. And too often we dismiss statements like \u201cRebel Not Ye against the Lord\u201d as counsel meant for those others who are sinning. So then what does it mean to rebel against the Lord? I suspect this idea of rebellion is often tied up with human development, and the natural course of relationships. As we develop as people, we naturally want to differentiate ourselves from our parents and care givers, and this development often appears as rebellion. Likewise, in relationships, we often at first try to assimilate, to be appealing to others, and as that relationship develops and we become more secure, we try to differentiate from others, asserting our independence. This differentiation doesn\u2019t have to be rebellion, and it certainly doesn\u2019t have to include sinning or offending the other \u2014 but we don\u2019t always distinguish between differentiation and rebellion. Is this also true with our spiritual development? I\u2019m not sure. While I\u2019m sure that we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":111,"featured_media":53451,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2895,2906,2462,1323],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-come-follow-me-currculum","category-old-testament","category-poetry-arts","category-sunday-school-lesson-old-testament"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_3419.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53441","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/111"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53441"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53441\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53462,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53441\/revisions\/53462"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53451"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53441"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}