Keeping Ourselves from Anger and Bitterness

Skype Bible Study, Tuesday 3/26/13 Elder Dennis Trudgen Keeping Ourselves from Anger and Bitterness
Question: “How can we keep from becoming angry and bitter when someone offends us, or sins against us, and there is no reconciliation due to differences of opinion?”
In an attempt to answer this question, I would like to take the opportunity to first lay the groundwork, for the group, on the seriousness of one “becoming angry and bitter.” Some believe that anger is allowed if he/she is defending God’s principals, the gospel or the church. They call this “righteous anger”. Secondly, let us consider scriptures that guide us on “how to keep from becoming angry and bitter when someone offends us, or sins against us,”
Anger- Strong's H3707 - ka`ac 1) to be angry, be vexed, be indignant, be wroth, be grieved, provoke to anger and wrath
Anger- Strong's G3709 - orgē 2) movement or agitation of the soul, impulse, desire, any violent emotion, but esp. anger 3) anger, wrath, indignation , AV — wrath 31, anger 3, vengeance 1, indignation 1
Anger- Strong's G3710 – orgizō 1) to provoke, to arouse to anger 2) to be provoked to anger, be angry, be wroth
Wrath Strong's G2372 - thymos 1) passion, angry, heat, anger forthwith boiling up and soon subsiding again
Abhor- Strong's H8581 - ta`ab1) to loathe, abhor, regard as an abomination Abhor- Strong's G655 - apostygeō1) to dislike, abhor, have a horror of The human person is made up of many emotions. Some of these such as envy, spite, jealousy, anger, wrath, and pride, also referred to as vices, are out of harmony with the type of person who God wants to live with. We are commanded to suppress, deny and put down these selfish emotions. God wants to develop within us a concern and a love for others. To control these unwanted self-serving emotions, first and foremost we must understand that people DO NOT MAKE US ENVIOUS, JEALOUS, ANGRY OR BITTER. Yes they can and do provoke us, but we are the masters over these extremely damaging emotions! We choose how and whether to yield to provocation.
II Nephi 3 : 45 43 And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? 44 Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart, to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? 45 Why am I angry because of mine enemy? 46 Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. 47 Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul. 48 Do not anger again, because of mine enemies.
Psalms 37 : 7-9 7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. Both in church or not, does it make a difference?
Proverbs 15 : 18 A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.
III Nephi 5 : 70 But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of his judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, a Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire;
Alma 12 : 202 For behold he hath repented of his sins; but if thou shouldst fall at this time, in thine anger, thy soul could not be saved.
II Nephi 12 : 23-24 For the kingdom of the devil must shake, and they which belong to it must needs be stirred up unto repentance, or the devil will grasp them with his everlasting chains, and they be stirred up to anger and perish: For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good;
III Nephi 5 : 30-31 For verily, verily I say unto you, He that hath the spirit of contention, is not of me, but is of the devil, which is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger one with another; Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.
Colossians 3 : 8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Gal 5:20 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath 2372,
strife, seditions, heresies,
Ephesians 4 : 31 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:…31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger 3709, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Anger is excited when a horse kicks us; when a serpent hisses; when we dash our foot against a stone - and so when a man raises his hand to strike us. The "object or final cause" of implanting this passion in the mind of man is, to rouse him to an immediate defense of himself when suddenly attacked, and before his reason would, have time to suggest the proper means of defense. It prompts at once to self-protection; and when that is done its proper office
ceases. If persevered in; it becomes sinful malignity or revenge - always wrong.
People's New Testament
4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not. Quoted from Ps 4:4, Septuagint Version. Do not sin through anger is the thought. If circumstance arouse your indignation, do not be led astray.
“Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” Let there be no long continuance of your wrathful mind.
(In the Jewish frame of reference, the old day ended and the new day began at sunset. This would indicate that we are not to carry anger/wrath from one day into the next day msl)
Septuagint Psalms 4 : 4Be ye angry, and sin not; feel compunction upon your beds for what ye say in your hearts.
KJV Psalms 4 : 4 3 But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him. 4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
Dennis inserted a picture at this point, of muslim demonstrators holding up posters calling for beheading and murder of those who slight islam, and asked "Would they say that they have displeasure with their opponents, abhor their opponents or are that they full of Righteous anger?"
II Nephi 6 : 98 Behold, my soul abhorreth sin, and my heart delighteth in righteousness; and I will praise the holy name of my God.
Deuteronomy 7 : 26 Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.
Alma 17 : 62 And ye shall teach them to abhor such wickedness, and abominations, and murders; and ye shall also teach them, that these people were destroyed on account of their wickedness, and abominations, and their murders.
Alma 10 : 4 Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin, save it were with abhorrence;
Psalms 119 : 163 I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.
Romans 2 : 22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
Romans 12 : 9 Let love be without dissimulation. abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
How to Keep from Becoming Angry/ Bitter when someone offends us
Jude 1 : 3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints…9. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
III Nephi 5 : 30 For verily, verily I say unto you, He that hath the spirit of contention, is not of me, but is of the devil, which is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to CONTEND WITH ANGER one with another;
Alma 1 : 10-13,32-34 10 And it came to pass as he was going to preach to those who believed on his word, he met a man which belonged to the church of God, yea, even one of their teachers; 11 And he began to contend with him sharply, that he might lead away the people of the church; but the man withstood him, admonishing him with the words of God. 12 Now the name of the man was Gideon; and it was him that was an instrument in the hands of God, in delivering the people of Limhi out of bondage. 13 Now because Gideon withstood him with the words of God, he was wroth with Gideon, and drew his sword and began to smite him. …
32 Nevertheless, there were many among them who began to be proud, and began to contend warmly with their adversaries, even unto blows; yea, they would smite one another with their fists. 33 Now this was in the second year of the reign of Alma, and it was a cause of much affliction to the church; yea, it was the cause of much trial with the church; 34 For the hearts of many were hardened, and their names were blotted out, that they were remembered no more among the people of God. 35 And also many withdrew themselves from among them. Mosiah 6 : 53-55 53 And thus they have taught their children, that they should hate them, and that they should murder them, and that they should rob and plunder them, and do all they could to destroy them; therefore, they have an eternal hatred towards the children of Nephi.
54 For this very cause hath King Laman, by his cunning and lying craftiness, and his fair promises, deceived me, that I have brought this, my people, up into this land, that they may destroy them; yea, and we have suffered this many years in the land. And now I, Zeniff, after having told all these things unto my people concerning the Lamanites, I did stimulate them to go to battle with their might, putting their trust in the Lord; therefore, we did contend with
them, face to face.
Alma 20 : 52 And again, the Lord hath said that ye shall defend your families, even unto bloodshed; therefore for this cause were the Nephites contending with the Lamanites, to defend themselves, and their families, and their lands, their country, and their rights, and their religion.
Book of Mormon 1 : 80 And when they had sworn by all that had been forbidden them, by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that they would go up unto their enemies to battle, and avenge themselves of the blood of their brethren, behold, the voice of the Lord came unto me, saying, vengeance is mine, and I will repay; and because this people repented not after that I had delivered them, behold, they shall be cut off from the face of the earth.
Matthew 22 : 39 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Matthew 5 : 38-48 38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Moroni 7 : 51-53 51 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things; wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. 52 Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail; but charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth for ever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with them. 53 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son Jesus Christ, that ye may become the sons of God, that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is, that we may have this hope, that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.