Hero Code - Introduction

Suffering Illuminated: The Hero Code It’s often the case in meaningful conversations that I refer to the archetype of a hero. The tendency to draw the hero into the dialogue is, for my part, a result of an individual nature that has a marked affinity for hero stories, especially those of the underdog type. Those people whose public persona is timid, but who, given the correct circumstances of conflict, exhibit unexpected strength to overcome a formidable trial or foe. I can’t say that my appreciation for the hero archetype is unique. Mankind has always shown an affinity for these types of tales. Passing down stories of unique individuals in their separate cultures and communities from generation to generation. We continue the art today, retelling old stories or even making new ones that follow established motifs. In the Christian world the central hero figure is Jesus Christ. Christ being the earthly form taken by a God/Father/Brother figure. A Being who plays many roles to those who believe in Him. Some roles that might even seem contradictory. For Example: world creator and also population destroyer (the flood), authoritarian and friend, law giver, law enforcer as well as our moral advocate, he produces plagues and but is also a healer, chastener and sufferer, eternal judge and infinite sacrifice. His character is one we strive to emulate… as the children’s song indicates “I’m trying to be like Jesus.” He is complete where we are deficient. DC 131:6 It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance. He is experienced where we are naive. DC 93:36 The glory of God is intelligence He is what we hope to someday be like, at least more than we are at this moment. He is the Christian archetype. His experiences, knowledge and spirit are what we hope to replicate in our own lives. And through the art and intricacy of symbolism, His acts have become indicators by which we recognize people who are like Him. Likewise, the appearance of similar acts in our own lives are how we confirm that we, individually, are on the path He intends for us. The Christ archetype is the model for which all other Christian heroes are based upon. That which all other heroes are compared and contrasted to. The prophet Alma taught that those who God appointed to teach the gospel on earth were chosen because their characteristics of faith were similar to Christs. In that way, those who heard the gospel from these teachers would be able to identify Christ as their Redeemer because of His similarities of those priests. (Alma 13:2 And those priests were ordained after the order of his Son, in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption.) We also believe that Christ’s journey caused him to experience all that every man, woman and child would experience. As the prophet Ammon declared …my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all apower, ball wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things…Alma 26:35. Discussing the character of Christ Alma taught the following: And he shall go forth, suffering pains and aafflictions and btemptations of every kind;Alma7:11 And Amulek described the extent required of the atonement in God’s great plan 9 …according to the great bplan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish… 10 … it is expedient that there should be a great and last asacrifice; …but it must be an cinfinite and deternal esacrifice. Alma 34:9-10 To this point, considering that Christ comprehends all things, that he suffered every kind of pain and affliction, and that His atonement encompassed the infinite and eternal would the experience of Christ’s atonement then not be the grand composite of the experiences of all beings?… With that perspective, does not every man, woman and child then represent a particle of the total hero - in a sense joint heirs of His knowledge, contributors to His wisdom, elements of His completeness, proteges to His perfection. And that the more we experience, the more we change, the more we improve…the more we become like HIM. Which is the ultimate goal because in His sermon on the mount, Christ advises us to be perfect, even as our Father in Heaven is perfect. But this creates a question. A vague question, no doubt, but an impactful one nonetheless. Is Christ complete because He experienced all things to perfection, OR Are completion and perfection only defined as we understand them because they are Christ’s experiences. Alright, that’s a bit vague. Here’s another way of looking at this… Are we emotionally and psychologically attracted to the path of Christ only because it represents the steps that Christ took? or Are we drawn to the path of Christ because the path itself defines and resonates completeness and perfection to those who seek to improve themselves. That Christ, by his efforts, has been the only One capable of completing it. And, for that reason, we follow Him? Personally, I think there is truth to be had from both viewpoints given the complexity of the subject matter. But for our purposes of today's discussion and future discussion on the hero archetype we will focus on THE PATH as a hero maker. This and future episodes on the topic will identify common patterns that peoples of all cultures, histories, and beliefs have identified as core traits associated with a hero figure. As if there is an innate biology of the human race that , regardless of religious or cultural background, is psychologically drawn toward storyline motifs associated with the type of individual who is to be looked for to save humanity from peril. The concept of a human specific psychological tendency toward an archetypal hero is not my brainchild. In this project I apply it to new principles and my personal experience, but the concept of the hero archetype originated with Dr Carl Jung, the Swiss psychologist of the early 20th Century. He is the man who coined the phrase hero archetype. He also coined the phrase “collective unconscious” - an important phrase for anybody who believes in God who also appreciates what it means to be conscious. As opposed to Sigmund Freud’s theory which proposed that an individual's “unconscious” was a storehouse of the INDIVIDUALS repressed desires ONLY, Jung’s collective unconscious proposed that an individual’s unconscious was made up of not only individual repressed memories, but also housed a universal ancestral component as well. Basically, he proposed that the human mind, through its evolution, developed an imprint of characteristics, what Jung called archetypes. And that those archetypes made themselves manifest through patterns and similarities in the myths, art, and dreams of separate cultures. I’ve considered the hero code theory, in gradual sophistication, over more than 30 years. So that my religious beliefs, my life challenges, and social interactions have all had significant analysis under such a filter . In doing so, I’ve stumbled upon a unique viewpoint of suffering. A viewpoint that, for the purely optimistic, is understandably difficult. But, a viewpoint that has conversely been welcomed by people who have had genuine experience with severe suffering. Those acquainted with agony appreciate this viewpoint because it offers a productive understanding of the value of suffering. Just a reminder - this idea is completely theoretical. But despite being merely theory, I’ve personally found it helpful in understanding, learning and discovering new and hidden gospel concepts through trial and error. There is a term that describes any theory used in this manner - heuristic. A heuristic is something like a mental shortcut. It's equivalent to following “a rule of thumb.” It is not an irrefutable concept…BUT applying the principle seems to make sense of several related problems that are equally obscure. Einstein referred to some of His ideas as heuristic. He had no proof that certain of his concepts, the quantifying of light for example, were accurate. But in the abstraction of his mind, quantifying certain properties of light, what we now refer to as photons) made sense to him. And the photon idea didn’t make sense as merely a singular concept, but quantifying light neatly accounted mathematically for several phenomena that were not then explained by the science of the early 20th century. In the end, without this particular heuristic we wouldn’t have the laser... I often use the “Hero Code” heuristic as a “rule of thumb.” Whenever I am engaged in gospel ideas, whenever I am studying historical matters, whenever I am evaluating some social or artistic work, even when I am studying the sciences, I am constantly evaluating life through the lens of hero principles. In my church experience, the fact that every culture has its own distinct but similar hero lore has been explained by a prophecy given to the mother and father of mankind, Adam and Eve. That, by way of direct conversation with God, the true characteristics of a promised Savior were fully disclosed to them. That the concept of a savior/hero was not created by man - but by God. And it was just that…a concept - a spiritual principle. That, like circumcision or sacrifice, the principle was taught, accompanied with physical instructions to make the principle more tangible to mortal beings. A tradition. Something we do…not because it makes sense (bunnies and eggs for example)… but because we’ve been instructed to continue the symbolism. And that this particular tradition, the SAVIOR Prophecy, through the corruption of time, false interpretation, and intentional manipulation, the traditionally complete concept of the prophesied Savior became cancer ridden. Through careless reproduction, the original truth was disseminated over generations into multiple copies of what looked, in part, like the original idea. But in each case, every reproduction took on its own unique mutation. Hence, the result of such corrupt dissemination was that each culture that separated ended up with its own hero myths and legends that, in some way, shadowed the original prophecy given Adam and Eve Now, without discarding the idea that Adam and Eve were TOLD about a Hero Savior, consider the SEPARATE, but compatible idea that the human species, whether by evolution or intelligent design, has an innate attraction to stories that utilize the repeatable elements seen in hero lore. Like there’s something encoded deep into our DNA, programmed to compel us to enjoy savior stories - a genetic HERO CODE. This hero code would be the storytelling equivalent of ice cream. Imagine you were to have five different culturally isolated groups - groups that had no connection whatsoever with each other or the outside world for thousands of years. What are the chances that if you introduced ice cream to each of the groups, that all five groups would have an overall positive affinity for ice cream. Hero myths and legends, like ice cream, trigger a positive mental reaction in the vast percentage of humans…maybe not as profound as ice cream but influential still the same. Maybe RESONATE would be a better word to describe the effect of the hero code on the human mind. Some subtle influence caused by hero principles that harmonizes with a primal part of our subconscious. We see a comparable behavior of “affinity” in the physics of water when it is applied to elevation. Water: regardless of its location on earth and its historical connection with other water bodies, always has an innate desire to move towards a location comparatively lower in elevation. Despite the fact that the terrain that individual bodies of water move through is always different as the path of one river is never the same as any other river. It is true that ALL bodies of water carry identical traits when it comes to their flow pattern in reference to elevation. A hero, however, isn’t so common an occurrence as is flowing water. And so, the common traits of heroes (individuals who are deliverers from peril) aren’t so easily extracted as the traits of rivers. However, despite the comparative obscurity, there are, without doubt, unmistakable themes and patterns in the hero lore of all peoples, regardless of their social interaction with other societies. Now, because of their obscurity…traits identifiably common between culturally comparative hero stories require an effort of individual conscious abstraction - you have to THINK about it - PONDER may be the best term to describe the effort required. Pondering is especially necessary when comparing hero traits as they are interpreted in separate and distinct cultures. That, through a pondering effort, the thinker, by relating the unique principles learned in their own life experience, the knowledge gained through their study of history, and by inspiration, MAY have their understanding enlightened to the similarities of hero lore. And not just revealed to the person who ponders, but revealed in a way that amplifies meanings of gospel truths. Christ’s use of parables utilized this method. By speaking parables he was able to impart deep principles to his disciples in front of a public audience without concern for openly casting pearls before swine, so to say. He found the method so profound that through it he, at one point, Christ shared information SO treasured that, according to Matthew’s interpretation of prophecy, the particular information shared had been kept, until then, secret from the foundation of the world. Listen to the discussion between Christ and his disciples in Matthew Chapter 13, as he expounds on the use of parables. Parables being the short form of stories, myths and legends. We step into the chapter just after Christ has shared several parables with a general audience where His disciples initiate the above mentioned conversation: 9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. At which point in the chapter Matthew records Christ’s explanation of several parables He previously delivered to the multitude. After which, Matthew then adds the following commentary, referencing Psalms 78:2. 34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: 35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. Truths that Matthew, referencing agreement with King David, understood to have been kept secret (meaning encrypted, buried in code, hidden in plain site) secret from the foundation of the world. Secret from even the righteous and faithful believers in the God of Israel. So that even as followers in the latter-days, there are things we believe we understand that are, in actuality, still lost to our common interpretation. And not lost for lack of worthiness, but lost for lack of mental flexibility and relatability, just as it was lost to many righteous individuals and even prophets in the days of ancient Israel. population. Even now, such cryptic messages elude most of today’s common believers Parables - they are memorable stories of obscured wisdom. The word parable’s etymology aligns it with proverbs, comparisons, allegorical stories using symbolism for meaning. Essentially, the cryptic principles of parables utilizes the same heart that beats life into all myths and all legends. So…Here’s a parable for you. It’s a short one. So listen close or you will miss it. WHY, GOD, WHY????!!!! Admittedly, it’s not a very good parable. Not much of a story line, not any animals, vegetation or inanimate objects for metaphor. In truth, it’s technically not a parable. It is, in fact, just a statement or a question. It is profound, though. Even though it's pretty short, the question WHY GOD WHY implies far more than the face value of its two-word makeup…because Why God, Why - like saying “A Long Time Ago in a Kingdom Far Far Away” - or - “They Lived Happily Ever After” brings far more to mind than the singular meaning of the phrase. Except, instead of at the beginning or end of a story, the statement “Why God, Why?” puts you smack in the middle of the drama…right where everything is rife with chaos. Why God,...Why?!! It’s a common phrase. And maybe not in hero lore. I mean…its nowhere near as recognizable as “A Long Time Ago”. One doesn’t hear the term “Why God,...Why?” and immediately think we are talking fairy tales and legends. You more likely think of personal suffering, tragic death, natural disaster or the violence of war…which is interesting, because those are all classic plot lines for some of your favorite legends, novels and movies. So, despite not being recognizably specific to storytelling, “Why God Why” is a common phrase used in the lives of all god-fearing individuals who experience the trials that stories are told about. But…How is that relevant to the path of a hero? Well, that’s simple… CONFLICT. A hero can ONLY be crafted... through conflict. And so…even though “Why God, Why” is NOT unmistakably associated with hero lore…it is unmistakably associated with the foundational conflict for people of faith - that conflict being MAN VS. GOD. Now for anyone who has taken an english or literary class past the third grade, you know there are far more types of conflict than just MAN VS. GOD. Man Vs. Self Man Vs. Man Man Vs. Nature Man Vs. Supernatural Man Vs. Technology But for the person who firmly believes in an All-Knowing, All-Powerful, and All-Present God, not a single conflict lies out of God's power and ability to manipulate. What this means is that despite HIS respect for the laws of physics, the character of mother nature, and the necessity for individual choice, there is NO EVENT, large or small, that occurs without GOD’s verification that the event does not disrupt his plan for us as individuals, as well as his overall plan for all of his spiritual offspring. Now to some of you, that idea sounds too heavily weighted with the concept of determinism…predestination. But when you think about it, the content of your very own prayers say otherwise. Consider what one scripture encourages us to pray over, believing that God has influence over ALL of the proposed conflicts: Alma 34:17 Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your afaith unto repentance, that ye begin to bcall upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you; 22 Yea, cry unto him against the power of your aenemies. 23 Yea, acry unto him against the bdevil, who is an enemy to all crighteousness. 24 Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them. 25 Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase. 26 But this is not all; ye must apour out your souls in your bclosets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness. 27 Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your ahearts be bfull, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your cwelfare, and also for the welfare of dthose who are around you. So after hearing the words of Amulek, consider this: Is there a trial or conflict you WOULD NOT pray to God for help because you believed it was OUTSIDE OF HIS REALM OF INFLUENCE. Personally, I can’t think of one. And what that means to me is that there is NO EVENT after which I could ask God…WHY DID THIS HAPPEN…to which He COULD NOT provide a productive answer. There is no WHY GOD thay I could ask Him to which he could not provide an adequate BECAUSE, TODD… For this reason I pose that “Why God, Why?” is a representative phrase for conflict - for chaos and disorder, for the appearance of all that is UNKNOWN to us.