The Gall of Bitterness

Another Testament of Jesus Christ

Studying The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, I read the last sentence in verse Mormon 8:31:. 

"But wo unto such, for they are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity." 

It speaks about the gall of bitterness and the bonds of iniquity. I understood it to mean that a person in the gall of bitterness is surrounded by it on every side and held back by iniquity. I felt the desire to go forward and explore this option.

Reflection

My wife once told me that she was upset that she could not do what she wanted to do and still be a good person in the gospel, or she was angry that God would not allow us to have some sins. I didn't understand when she told me her feelings of frustration at the time, but now it makes sense.

I've felt as she did about the things in life I wanted to do, but felt trapped by my religious beliefs. Some of those things I wanted to do having the thought that it will all be okay in the end as Mormon 8:31 hints that such people do.

Moroni, the Author of this passage that was translated by Joseph Smith, speaks of the coming forth of the record known as The Book of Mormon and the type of environment that will prevail--today's society.

Yea, it [The Book of Momron] shall come in a day when there shall be great pollutions upon the face of the earth; there shall be murders, and robbing, and lying, and deceivings, and whoredoms, and all manner of abominations; when there shall be many who will say, Do this, or do that, and it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day. But wo unto such, for they are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary usage and meaning of gall states it means the bitter yellowish fluid from animals called bile used in medicine. The point is that it, gall, is bitter.

It then listed bitterness of spirit or rancor. The last and most biting listing to me was "brazen boldness coupled with impudent assurance and insolence." I was touched by the final definition.

Conviction

How could I have the audacity to take a commandment of God and say, "Allow me to disobey because I enjoy this sin and it comes naturally to me? Allow it if you love me and want me to be happy because I think the universe should make an exception for me and cater to my wants and desires whether they be good or bad."

I could see the bitterness of spirit in my desire to sin without regard and receive no forgiveness because I thought I was too good to repent. How cocky or impudent is my assurance that I could dare excuse myself of sin just because I like it?

Understanding

Now I know what being in the gall of bitterness means.

If bitterness had gall or its own secretion of bitterness, I would be swimming in those secretions, full of self-righteous contemptuous pride, and thinking to circumvent the commands of God. Jacob, another prophet from The Book of Mormon and centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ, informs, "the keeper of the gate [Entry to Heaven through ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ] is the Holy One of Israel [Jesus]; and He employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate [baptism]; for He cannot be deceived." (2 Nephi 9:41)

I had become one of "many who will say, Do this, or do that, and it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day." Moroni warns "wo unto such, for they are in the gall of bitterness," (Mormon 8:31) or the arrogant contemptuous self-serving posture of pride and malice for the principles meant to help us become like Father in Heaven, "and in the bonds of iniquity," (Mormon 8:32) or a slave to the desires to do wrong without punishment or repentance just because it feels good.

Resolution

I do not desire to be a slave to fleshy pleasure impulses because I think my sins deserve special dispensation and pardon because I'm too weak to trust in Jesus Christ's atonement. I want to step out of the gall of bitterness, be removed from the bonds of the iniquity that holds me fast, and repent of my sins so that I can master them through living the Gospel as taught and lived by Jesus Christ and His authorized servants the prophets. Jesus told Ether, another prophet recorded in The Book of Mormon, "if men come unto Me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and My grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before Me; for if they humble themselves before Me, and have faith in Me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." (Ether 12:27) I aim to recall all my words written here so that I may recognize when I feel "justified" in sin to pray for forgiveness and strength to master the sin and not allow the sin to master me.

The moral of the story is to do what is right even if what is wrong feels good. With this behavior comes the natural spiritual consequence of inner peace and satisfaction. Inner peace is for all people who truly follow the path of light and goodness, which are universal laws, and universal laws are set by God the Father, executed through God the Son, Jesus Christ, and revealed to humankind by God the Holy Ghost.

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