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Friday, April 25, 2008

The Secret and The Law of Attraction



Some people were introduced to the law of attraction on the docudrama "The Secret" which gained widespread attention on Oprah. It is also the title of a book. The founder of Rapid Eye Technology has been teaching Rapid Eye Techs about the law of attraction, what she calls "cause and effect" for nearly two decades. I believe in the law of attraction because it is found in the scriptures as the law of the harvest, among other things. The concerns I have with the law of attraction focus on how it is applied by some people.

Many people have felt there was something not quite right with the law of attraction as put forth on "The Secret." The movie never openly admitted that God is in control, yet I know He is, so I didn't let that element bother me. In my mind, the law of attraction has always been about God. Hearing that the law of attraction existed felt right to me because I approached it in the context of faith. I understand that faith requires believing things are possible before we see results or things manifesting in our lives. We put faith into practice by visualizing our goal's reality before it manifest in our physical world.

God tells us that He works this way. The Pearl of Great Price says, "For I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth." (Moses 3:5) The Book of Mormon teaches us, "And there were many whose faith was so exceedingly strong, even before Christ came, who could not be kept from within the veil, but truly saw with their eyes the things which they had beheld with an eye of faith, and they were glad." (Ether 12:19)

We see things with our 'eye of faith' so that they can come true. I really enjoy Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley's comments on a quote that expresses this principle. He wrote, "I am impressed with Commander William Robert Anderson, the man who took the submarine Nautilus under the North Pole from the waters of the Pacific to the waters of the Atlantic. In his wallet he carried a tattered card with these words: 'I believe I am always divinely guided. I believe I will always take the right road. I believe that God will always make a way, even when there appears to be no way.' I share his convictions, for I too, believe that God will always make a way; even when there appears to be no way." (Gordon B. Hinckley,Standing for Something, NY: Times Books, 2000, 111). Joseph Smith taught in the Lectures on Faith that faith is a principle of power and that faith works by words. "The Secret" alluded to all of that.

Besides viewing "The Secret" from a perspective of faith, there were other reasons its message appealled to me. It reminded me of the law of the harvest in the Bible. My friend Michael Fitzgerald has written a wonderful book, The Law of Attraction and the Bible, which reads like a comfortable visit with him while seated on a sofa. I was privileged to get a sneak preview of his book. This is the review I wrote back to him:

"When I first read about the Law of Attraction, I was angry. I felt there was no way I had anything to do with attracting the trials I was dealing with in my life. However, as I read more about what I called the 'supposed' law, my entire perception changed. I was no longer a victim of circumstances! I started to believe I really had power to change my thoughts and my situation.

"I discovered that even just reading about the Law of Attraction gave me hope and lifted the depression I experienced. That was years ago. When I saw "The Secret" I was already convinced it had true principles because they had worked in my own life. For me, the Law of Attraction is all about faith in God."

"Michael Fitzgerald's book uncovers a bigger secret. He reveals aspects of the Law of Attraction in Jesus' own words over and over again. You'll be amazed at his insight! The Law of Attraction and the Bible is a must read for skeptics and believers alike. I read this book so fast that I can hardly wait to go back and reread a hard copy. I will underline passages, write in the margins, and dog ear the pages, like I do all the good books I read! This one is terrific!"

Michael, who happens to be a bishop, will surprise you at how many times he found this law evident in the Bible. Being a visual learner, I liked how he was illustrating his thoughts with arrows, picturing for the reader what hewas talking about. I think of his mirror image arrows pushing toward each other everytime I find an additional verse elsewhere that holds yet another example of the law of attraction. Michael Fitzgerald's book is available at http://bible-law-of-attraction.blogspot.com/ He has since come out with a second book for members of the church titled The Law of Attraction and the Scriptures.

There was something else in the movie "The Secret" that seemed familiar. I realized it was a verse in the Doctrine and Covenants, D&C 88:40, which says, "For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light; mercy hath compassion on mercy and claimeth her own; justice continueth its course and claimeth its own..." Isn't that verse saying that what we 'put out there' will come back to us?

Brigham Young shared an example that ties in here. "I have proven this many a time . . . I have plenty on hand, and shall have plenty, if I keep giving it away. More than two hundred persons eat from my provisions every day, besides my family and those who work for me. I intend to keep doing so, that my bread may hold out, for if I do not I shall come short. Do you believe that principle? I know it is true, because I have proven it so many times." (Journal of Discourses, Vol 3, 332-333.)

Attaining dreams requires more than just thoughts, it requires action. It seems "The Secret" focused more on the thoughts end of the process. I accept what is truth from the movie and enjoy that portion. I loved the movie's section on health, but not the focus on acquiring worldly goods.

I'll admit to a few concerns about how people will apply this movie's teachings. In my opinion, consciously applying the Law of Attraction is a wise thing, provided we are founded on the rock of Christ and his gospel. Like almost anything, The Secret 's teachings can be harmful or beneficial, depending on how they are used. There is the possibility of going overboard in our zeal for the movie and forgetting Who is really in charge of this world . God is in charge! Of concern are those who may attempt to' attract' a carefree life without pain or growing experiences and then send their backlash against God when things don't go as they had planned.
Having everything in life turn out as we wish is NOT what we came to experience earth life for! Many of us find that the low points of our lives are where we grow the most spiritually. Carol Tuttle teaches that the law of attraction doesnt' guarantee life without soul stretching experiences, but that those types of experiences will no longer undo us as they may have done in the past. I have experienced that those words are true.

Richard Eyre brings up some other valid concerns about the movie. He wrote several columns on Meridian Magazine’s online site which he says expose "The Dangerous Secret" for the deception in it. He sure ruffled some feather's when he first called The Secret "dangerous." Hear him out and you may learn from his perception, as I did. Here is a "Reader's Digest" version of the main points in his articles. We are deceived if our goals are any of the "Three Deceivers": control over others, more and more ownership of worldly goods, and independence from God. The pursuit of these three draw us away from God and His ways. Instead, we should choose to be: grateful for the things God owns and allows us to use, grateful for what God controls and grateful for our dependence on Him. Richard Eyre said the Three Deceivers were good economic and political goals, but bad spiritual goals. I appreciated his honesty in finally saying at the end of his series of articles that it was the implied goals portrayed on "The Secret" that troubled him, not the plans for how to get them.

Gratitude, like Eyre says, is hugely important. I have learned to seek to develop gratitude even for the trying times I go through. Doug Mendenhall's books are great at teaching to have gratitude in ALL things. Doug writes that when you begin expressing gratitude out loud for the hardest trials you've ever had to face, it may feel akin to chewing on concrete. I am so glad I pushed through that miserable-in-the-mouth feeling and kept at it anyhow. What a difference this has made in my life!

The intent of people's hearts on the movie "The Secret" differentiated them for me. Those who seemed only intent on using the law of attraction for monetary gain or prideful pursuits left a sour taste in my mouth. While those whose hearts were in the right place and applied the law of attraction to bless others as well as themselves had admirable motives. They didn't seem based on selfish intent. It was quite the opposite, and they inspired me.

Lastly, the reader may enjoy what I found written by scholars. It is an LDS perspective on the law of attraction, otherwise known as karma or the law of the harvest. The scholars quotes were found in Religions of the World- A Latter-day Saint View (by Palmer, Choi, Keller and Toronto, pp 21, 27-28. ) This is an institute manual I picked up at the Distribution Center. It perfectly describes the issues I had with how people interpret the law of attraction. I took the liberty of adding emphasis to my favorite parts. I hope you enjoy it at least half as much as I did. The quotes follow:

Hinduism
"The law of karma is a system of cause and effect whereby people's actions determine the circumstances of their lives. . . . Social and economic status, according to this view, are not matters of random fortune, or the whim of the gods, but consequences of personal actions. It is the Christian "law of the harvest" vigorously applied. "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." (Gal. 6:7) The effects of karma are inescapable...."

Latter-day Saint Reflections:
"Latter-day Saints recognize both the law of the harvest and the intercessory power of a merciful God. " [Latter-day Saints] stand in between the Oriental faiths and much of the Christian world. . . . For us, the immutable law of infinite consequences sustains nature and critically influences [humanity]. . . . [We] believe in a cosmic law of justice, that cause and effect are intrinsic to the human condition- that [people] are blessed or disadvantaged according to their willingness to comply with divine law." (Spencer Palmer, BYU Devotional, July 25, 1978)

"The salience of law in the eternal progression of mankind is clearly pointed out in the Doctrine and Covenants: "There is a law irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundation s of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated." (D&C 130:20-21)

"It appears from this and other revelations that the Latter-day Saint "law of the harvest is more specific and personal it its cause- and-effect relationships than the karma of Eastern philosophy. The violation of specific commandments brings specific punishments just as obedience to a law entitles an individual to a personal blessing. Hindu karma, on the other hand, tends to respond to evil deeds indirectly. . . . Christian scriptures teach that the "law of the harvest" is not the sole cause of earthly misfortune. Besides the classic tale of Job, there is this account from the book of John:

"And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. "(John 9:1-3)

"Hence, Christian theology provides for the possibility that God may afflict people ( or allow them to be afflicted) with poverty, sickness and sorrow in this world for reasons other than their own unrighteousness. Moroni writes that the Lord "gives unto men weakness that they may be humble" (Ether 12:27), not necessarily as a punishment for sin. Christ told his followers that, as a result of their faith and righteousness, "[in] the world ye shall have tribulation" (John 16:33). A corollary idea is that sinners sometimes find themselves among favorable worldly circumstances. Job, a 'perfect and upright' man (Job1:1) in the midst of terrible afflictions given him as a test, lamented to his friends,

"Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes. Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them. . . . Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways." (Job 21:7-9, 14)

"The Eastern doctrine of karma does not recognize this phenomenon of deferred justice. The typical Hindu insights would reject the unfairness of forcing a person who led a righteous premortal existence, as Job undoubtedly did, to suffer undeserved torments in mortality. In the Eastern view, a person's karma- no the intervention of deity- is the principal factor in determining his happiness in life.

"The flexibility of the Latter-day Saint "law of the harvest" stems from its subjection to the will of God. It is not the law that deals with mankind in Latter-day Saint theology, but the Lawgiver acting in accordance with the law. The Lord metes out the blessings and the afflictions, and he may choose to withhold either as a test of faith. The Eastern law of karma can operate independent of deity. A person gets in life what he is fated to get. Not even a god can make it otherwise."

(End of quotes)

We are blessed a multitude of times over to have the gospel- a standard to judge truth and error against! Sincerely, Tamara

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