The Second Golden Rule

By Wendell Calvin Hatch

Almost everyone has heard of the Golden Rule. Nearly everyone can quote it reasonably well. However, there are significant pieces of inspiring information, sent directly from our Savior Jesus Christ, still waiting to be uncovered with his words. Thus the review of the Golden Rule is an appropriate place to begin our scriptural chase of discovery.

The second subject discussed is truth. We are each deeply immersed in our own search for truth. Identifying truth and then applying it in our lives are two essential ingredients in our efforts to find happiness and purpose for our daily experiences.

The third chapter presents discovery of the second Golden Rule. Here we encounter an unusual principle and its direct connection within the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The remaining chapters explore several practical applications of the second Golden Rule.

Jesus used parables to illustrate gospel principles. I have peppered within these pages several of my own stories, with the intent that they might serve a similar purpose, including the Picture Puzzle Principle and the Parable of the Lifeboat, the Lincoln Log Lesson, and my story of Spies and Triangulation. This project has haunted my waking moments for over seven years. My purpose is to share my own witness of Jesus Christ. It is my hope that these stories may bless your life and bring joy, knowing that one more soul has been saved.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 28, 2012
• ISBN: 9781449758394

Wendell Calvin Hatch

Wendell worked in banking services and management for twenty years. He now serves an Alaskan Native American housing authority. Wendell has filled many varied religious assignments. He now combines his skills of observation and poetic expression in his writing. Wendell and his wife live in Metlakatla, Alaska.

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Copyright © 2012 Wendell Calvin Hatch

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ISBN: 978-1-4497-5840-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-5841-7 (he)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-5839-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012911981

WestBow Press rev. date: 0812312012

Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter One Revisiting The Golden Rule

Chapter Two What Is Truth?

Chapter Three The Making Of Rules

Chapter Four Implications From The Days Of Creation

Chapter Five The Power Of The Tongue

Chapter Six The Meaning Of Morality

Chapter Seven Acquiring Christ Like Virtues Will Enable You

Chapter Eight A Unity Of The Faith

Chapter Nine A Final Exam Parable

Glossary

Bibliography

Reference Summary

Author’s Notes

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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THIS HAS TRULY been a long term project, first in preparing the initial manuscript, and then in persisting until it coalesced into what you hold in your hands today. No one alerted me to the size of the task which I was undertaking. Now as I look at the finished product, and remember all of the work that went into the writing, I must confess to a feeling of astonishment. Since I would not have reached the point of publication without a team effort, I owe many thanks to those who helped or encouraged me in its completion.

First and foremost, I am indebted to God, our Eternal Heavenly Father, and to His beloved Son, Jesus the Christ, for their whisperings and inspiration with which I have sought to fill this work. As you scan these pages, you will find wisdom beyond by own, for I have received such moments of heaven sent guidance almost without number.

I am extremely pleased to express special thanks and my undying love to the one person who has been the most effected by the time and pressures involved in preparing this work, first as a simple manuscript, and finally in helping me coax it into becoming the edifying result that you hold in your hands today. Penny, my wife and sweetheart, has generously given me the time and space required to put pen to paper. This has been doubly difficult for both of us because we cherish the hours that we spend together. She has served as my initial sounding board for each paragraph as it first appeared on a printed page. She has not only given priceless time and suggestions, but has encouraged me at every step. Without her support, this volume would not be in your hands today.

I am also extremely indebted to Elder John K. Carmack for his friendship, his interest and for his encouragement. His initial critical review of the manuscript has been invaluable. I could not have asked for more from any other friend or brother.

In addition, I wish to express my special thanks to Margie Gifford, L Keyth Durham, and Trish Burkman for proofreading and critiquing my manuscript. These tasks had to be performed by individuals who possessed appropriate skills or backgrounds. Therefore, the time that they devoted to this project has been of enormous value to me.

There have been many others with whom I shared an overview of the book or selections of special meaning. Their expressions of interest and excitement have served to confirm repeatedly that the direction of my efforts was true. It is my prayer that you will find inspiration, enlightenment, and enjoyment within these pages. Just as for all who were followers of Jesus the Christ in ancient times, the messages contained within scripture were truly sent from above and held promises of hope. Likewise, there are messages of joy and rejoicing waiting for you to turn these pages.

INTRODUCTION

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I ENJOY VISITING WITH friends and acquaintances on a variety of subjects.

Each of us comes to such discussions equipped with a personal collection of opinions and facts that are unique to us. We respect each other and find satisfaction in learning from each other, for we recognize that God has not finished with us yet.

On one such occasion, I made the observation that ‘everything that is true is logical, but not everything that is logical is true’. My friend disagreed by stating that ‘there are many things that are true that are not logical’. I responded that ‘this is because we do not have adequate knowledge. As we are able to add the required information, the logic becomes apparent’. This was not only a discussion about truth, but this exchange illustrated that our knowledge has some very real limits.

I have often heard it said that there are certain questions that we cannot or should not ask, that there are no answers available to us. However, I wish to be able to pursue all kinds of questions and to be encouraged in seeking further light and knowledge. I believe that there are no questions that we cannot ask. In many ways, we are like little children as we continue to ask but why.

From the report of when Nicodemus went to visit Jesus by night, we learn more than just one important principle. It will be remembered that, in answer to his questions, Jesus told Nicodemus that without baptism he could not enter the kingdom of God. Lying in wait, just beneath the surface of that significant exchange, is another critical principle: there is a difference between believing in Jesus and believing Jesus. One may say that the entire Christian world believes in Jesus as the promised Messiah. But do we believe Him and accept all of His words as gospel? It is surely critical that we take Jesus at His word regarding His gospel. In other words, we may not avoid any of the commandments that Jesus gave us any more than we can avoid the Ten Commandments which Jesus authored and then later endorsed.

When I discovered the Second Golden Rule and the religious theme within it, I became quite excited. This appeared to me to be another instance of a previously overlooked explanation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I did not begin to put pen to paper immediately with what I had found. Rather, the concept continued to build up steam within me. As I pursued my examination of The Second Golden Rule, I began to collect supporting material from many different sources. Over time, I have winnowed such material to eliminate items which I felt were insufficiently clear. In the process I left a great deal of otherwise valuable material on the cutting room floor.

On one occasion, Jesus healed ten lepers. Pursuant to His instructions, they went to show themselves to the priests at the temple. However, one turned and went back to thank Jesus for having healed him. I pray every day that I will be like the leper who came back and acknowledged Jesus as the source of such blessings. By sharing what I have discovered, in this manner, I feel that I have found one way of expressing my thanks to God, the Eternal Father, and to His Son, Jesus the Christ for my blessings.

I take full responsibility for what I have written. The core of this work is entirely my own, which I have feathered with appropriate material from many sources. In every case, I stand convinced that such bits and pieces converge in The Second Golden Rule. It is my hope and my purpose that you will enjoy the reading and that it will serve to encourage you, uplift you, and help you with your direction in life.

You are invited to read the chapters in any order that you wish. However, they are placed in their present order to benefit you. It may be helpful to know that the first chapter reviews and expands upon The Golden Rule as delivered by Jesus in The Sermon on the Mount. It was felt appropriate to begin with such a review. And no one should leave on a trip without some sort of map. Chapter Two provides such a map for these pages. Chapter Three brings The Second Golden Rule itself into focus. And the remaining chapters provide a few practical ways for applying The Second Golden Rule.

CHAPTER ONE

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Revisiting The golden Rule

Jesus USED STORIES of common events extensively in His teaching. Individuals could relate to His illustrations by comparing such stories with their own experiences in daily life. These stories were called parables. Even today, over two thousand years later, as we read or hear those of His parables that have been recorded, our lives can resonate with His words. For example, when Jesus related the story of a lost silver coin, we can also remember similar experiences in which we have mislaid things of importance and of how we searched until we found them.

Jesus is truly the focus of all that is Christian. Without Him and His teachings, the word ‘Christian’ would not exist and there would be no definition of ‘Christian’. Without Him, the phrase and title cease to have any context or meaning. However, because of who He is and what He has accomplished, all of His words acquire supreme importance.

Among His many teachings were those delivered in what later came to be known as The Sermon on the Mount. This Sermon has achieved world-wide acceptance as a partial expression of what Christianity means. It should be clear that if the world were only to accept and to practice those few principles of peace and brotherhood, it would result in the saving of countless lives and the avoidance of untold suffering.

One of the principles taught by Jesus, during the Sermon on the Mount, has become widely known as The Golden Rule. Perhaps it has become so universal in its reach, throughout the world and across time because it has such simplicity and yet such depth.

Jesus also taught several related ideas, which expand upon the underlying concept found in The Golden Rule, which add power to its basic principles and orientation:

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. (1)

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. (2)

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. (3)

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses. (4)

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. (5)

On another occasion, Jesus was asked to stipulate which was the greatest commandment in the law. Jesus answered by saying:

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (6)

However, Jesus then went on to tie this godly principle of love to our earthly human relationships when He said:

And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. (7)

With His answer, Jesus provided the foundation for this principle. It is not difficult to comprehend the tight relationship between that pronouncement of love and His actual statement of The Golden Rule:

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. (8)

A careful reading of His teachings shows that Jesus went well beyond similar seeming values in the world of His day. In those few words, Jesus taught us that we must treat others as we want to be treated, without first expecting a kindness or other form of payment. Offering kindness to another person, without prepayment, was not actually a unique concept, or even a newly taught principle, when Jesus spoke those words. Such an idea was simply not widely observed before the time that Jesus walked upon the earth. It is surely evident that extending kindness, without any strings attached, is poorly practiced even today. There continues to be vast room for improvement in how we treat each other.

It is also probable that, during Christ’s day, very few were aware of the extent to which some variation of The Golden Rule had already encircled the globe and spanned the centuries. Likewise, it would appear that few people have considered how widely The Golden Rule is accepted, in theory, throughout the world today. Allowing for variety of expression, it is noteworthy that approximations of The Golden Rule can be found in almost all religions or philosophies of any age.

By beginning with today’s world, and scrolling back through time, we can trace ideals which are reminiscent of The Golden Rule. Starting with the nineteenth century and moving back through the centuries, we find many religions and philosophies with teachings that seem to resonate with the concept of The Golden Rule.

This review is not designed to examine all religions or philosophies that have existed or do now exist. However, the sampling which follows should provide clear evidence of how versions of The Golden Rule have spread over time.

The Protestant world includes a significant number of separate denominations. Together with the Catholic churches, they are generally considered as ‘mainstream’ Christianity. Protestant churches may be said to have originally derived from the Catholic churches as part of what is referred to as the Reformation. This ‘reforming’ process continues today. However, I find no evidence to indicate disavowal of The Golden Rule, as Jesus stated it, by any of these groups.

With the passing of time, other lands also bore witness to new statements of belief. The Baha’i World Faith originated around AD 1850 in Iran. This religion has three central figures including the Bab (the forerunner), Baha Ullah (him whom God should manifest), and Abd ol-Baha (the infallible interpreter of his teachings). One of their beliefs is found in a treatise that describes the seven stages which the soul of the seeker must needs traverse ere it can attain the object of its existence. (9) You will recognize the following statements as containing sentiments similar to those pronounced in the more familiar Christian version of The Golden Rule:

Blessed is he who preferreth his brother before himself. (10)

And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbor that which thou choosest for thyself. (11)

Sikhism had become an established religion in India by about AD 1500. It might also be referred to as a social order or philosophy. This religion is a combination of the Muslim faith and Hinduism. They worship one God who is not represented by idols or images. They believe in leading a good life in obedience to God’s commandments and through prayer with the final goal of becoming one with God. The wisdom of their gurus, as relating to The Golden Rule, can be found in the following statement:

Don’t create enmity with anyone as God is within everyone. (12)

Islam had its formal beginnings as a religion around the year AD 700 in Arabia. They believe that .. .the Quran is the Word of God, confirming and consummating earlier revealed books and thereby replacing them. (13) It has been reported that, while they accept Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, they severely limit the value of each one and place Mohammad above them all. Belief in the principle of The Golden Rule can also be found in the Quran. In this instance it is expressed as:

None of you (truly) believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself. (14)

Shinto, as a religion, came into being in Japan about AD 600. This social order may not have had the formal structure that we are used to seeing and that we associate with most religions. As their society evolved, the Yamato clan eventually came to have the greatest influence among them and this translated into a superior standing in relation to their chief God/ Goddess or kami. This improving status eventually led to being recognized as the Japanese Imperial Household. It was only a short step from there to Japan becoming a unified country under the emperor and the Japanese Imperial Household. The following is among their philosophical thoughts that have found written expression as relating to The Golden Rule.

The heart of the person before you is a mirror. See there your own form. (15)

Taoism was formalized as a religion or significant philosophy around 200 BC. Taoism includes both a philosophical tradition and a religious tradition. During life, each individual must strive to remain true to the purity and simplicity of the Tao. The two forms of Taoism are clearly related but are frequently ‘in tension’ due to divergent orientation. However, we also find here the same thread of thought centered in kindness. Their own statement regarding this principle has been expressed as:

Regard your neighbor’s gain as your own gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss. (16)

Hinduism stretched across India around 500 BC and also reached into parts of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. It is noteworthy that there exist many Hindu sects and that each Hindu sect relies on its own set of scriptures. The number of their sects, their resulting history, and the variety of explanations of their ideals, results in a veritable tapestry of religious beliefs. However, at least one statement has been produced containing thoughts similar to the principle of The Golden Rule, written in this way:

This is the sum of the dharma (duty); do naught unto others which would cause pain if done to you. (17)

Buddhism was another religion with beginnings around 500 BC. It spread from India to part of China, and on to Korea, and Japan. The Buddha was born a member of the warrior or ruling class. However, he was subsequently overcome by awareness of the suffering and misery experienced by the poor and of the human condition generally. He is said to have gone searching for enlightenment and his search led him to four truths. These truths might be stated as: (1) life is fundamentally disappointment and suffering; (2) suffering is a result of a search for pleasure, power, and continued existence, (3) to stop disappointment and suffering, one must stop desiring, and (4) the way to stop desiring, and thus suffering, is the Noble Enlightened Path which consists of right views, intention, speech, etc. In Buddhism, The Golden Rule found two expressions as follows:

.a state that is not pleasing or delightful to me, how could I inflict that upon another? (18)

Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful. (19)

Confucianism. Perhaps no review of philosophy or religion would be complete without at least a brief visit to the writings of Confucius. Living in China around 500 BC, his statements or philosophical thoughts have endured for more than two thousand years and are still of great interest today. His values can readily be illustrated from the following expressions which may be compared with The Golden Rule:

Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you. (20)

Tse-kung asked, Is there one word that can serve as a principle of conduct for life? And Confucius replied, It is the word shu—reciprocity. Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire. (21)

Try your best to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself, and you will find that this is the shortest way to benevolence. (22)

Jainism was another religion established in India around 500 BC. This faith does not include a belief in a creator god, but holds a central belief of not injuring any living creature. They also believe in seeking the perfection of man’s