Everyone is bound to act stupidly at least a couple of times in their life. The Mormon Third Eye knows this to be true.
Stupidity
Stupidity, according to a blend of several different Internet dictionaries, refers to acts committed foolishly, senselessly, or without reasonable forethought to consequences. It could be an action as trivial as botching a simple diaper change; a more serious blunder such as thoughtlessly throwing away all of your wife's Stake Relief Society records; or in more severe cases, an event as tragic as accidentally backing over your toddler wandering into the blind spot of your driveway, or unintentionally shooting your son on a final man-bonding hunting trip a few weeks before he was to depart on a mission. I mention these as examples only because I personally participated in the first two, and learned of the last two from a trusted ecclesiastical source. All these acts reflect various degrees of stupidity.
Antidote
An antidote is tersely defined as a medicine or remedy that counteracts the effects of a poison. Logic dictates then, that in the context of acting stupidly, a “stupidity antidote” would be an action or event that is able to counteract the ill effects produced by a stupid act. Note that by definition, an antidote can not ignore, cancel, or erase either the stupid action itself or the action's consequences; however, it confronts, or “counteracts,” the consequences of stupidity with more welcome results.
The Stupidity Antidote
The paragraphs above and the subtitle of this paragraph beg the question... how wonderful would life be if there really was such an elixir or element as a “stupidity antidote” that transforms the caustic consequences of a thoughtless action into something more meaningful, perhaps even noble? The good news is that there is- in the Gospel of Jesus Christ we call it the Atonement. The ultimate beauty of the Atonement is that it covers all sins and sorrows, even those wrought from the depths of stupidity. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, stupid sinners become smart saints. Whether its the inconvenience of a leaky diaper, the embarrassed heart of a thoughtless husband, or even the indescribable agony of torturous regret ignited by a senseless, untimely death within the family, the Atonement offers an antidote for those ready to receive it. It can confront and counteract inconvenience, embarrassment, and agony with careful confidence, helpful humility, and hopeful relief.
So... done anything stupid lately? Really stupid? Reach for the stupidity antidote. It's right up there in your heart, in the whisperings of the spirit that come from pondering the scriptures, your prayers, and wise counsel from church leaders and loved ones, somewhere between charity and faith- the Atonement.
For the past few years I have grappled with how and with what terms to discuss those aspects of the atonement that extend beyond redemption from personal sin. I had settled upon the phrase "the instructional aspects of the atonement" to refer to what you call "the stupidity antidote." It refers to those parts of the atonement that are divinely designed to extend salvation (redemption from sin) into exaltation (becoming like our Heavenly Father). The atonement literally changes stupid actions (whether they be outright sins or mindless mishaps) into on-the-job training in Christlike attributes.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post.