Treasures in Heaven

Last week I posted a link to a brief essay by Henry Van Dyke. 

I have been thinking about the story behind that. (Not Van Dyke's; mine.)

In the April 1983 conference, President Monson referred to Van Dyke's short story, The Mansion:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1983/04/anonymous?lang=eng 

I don't really remember why I was thinking of it in the late '90s, but I wanted to see if I could find the whole story to read it. 

At the time I went to the Multnomah County Central Library, where I would look things up on these small and primitive terminals (but not a card catalog), write down the location with the tiny pencils and scrap paper they provided, go to the section, and almost never find what I was looking for on the shelf.

There were frustrations with that process, but I found things that I couldn't have known to look for.

The book that would have contained The Mansion was not there, but a book that contained Christmas-Giving and Christmas-Living was, and I loved it. I ended up copying a part of it and including it with my Christmas cards that year. Other people responded to it too, and it remains in a special place in my heart.

I had still never read The Mansion until today.

https://americanliterature.com/author/henry-van-dyke/short-story/the-mansion/ 

I am not sure that this posted copy has an error-free transcription, but I have the gist. 

Honestly, I think it is a little longer than it needs to be, but it is very beautiful and there was more than I expected in it.

The part that President Monson referenced is the main part: your mansions above can only be built with the materials you send. If you have your name on your good works on Earth, you have already been paid.

What becomes more clear on reading the full story is that it is not just about credit but emotion.

His son feels disconnected from life and faith; there needs to be something less careful and measured. Many of his impulses are sentimental, which his father cannot support. 

It certainly seems possible that there might be something that you received earthly credit for, but if there was love overflowing, it would flow into Heaven as well.

I also recently saw something about A Christmas Carol.

They were saying that the real point of the story is illustrated by the coal. Scrooge is in the cold office too; it's not that he is enjoying luxuries while not allowing them to others. The problem is he insists that everyone live like him.

(Trying to find the original post I am coming up with a few variations, so I don't know where it started.) 

There is a case for him being overbearing in that way, and we certainly have more misers today who are managing to enjoy luxuries, but part of Scrooge's problem was that he forgot to enjoy things. For Scrooge, going to a cold and empty house to eat gruel in the dark is a perfectly reasonable way to spend an evening. He had the means to have light, warmth, companionship, and food, but he didn't want it.

There is a problem with greedy people who can never have enough, and a problem with ascetics who look down on all earthly pleasures, and a problem with people who insist on forcing their beliefs on others. We could make a Venn diagram of that. Maybe the anti-aging people are where the first two circles overlap, but it is all awful.

This is a time of year for memories anyway. Between the loss of two parents, I am feeling more.

What I notice is that the experiences that were very painful do not carry the same sting, but that the good memories retain their warmth. 

Matthew 6: 19 - 21

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 

John Weightman has an interesting interpretation of that scripture before the dream.

Yes, charity and service is treasure, but also love and joy and good times. Perhaps indulging in them can be charity to yourself.  

And the beautiful thing is that those things needn't be hoarded. They are not diminished by sharing.