Javert and Bishop Bienvenu - A Contrast in Justice and Mercy

source: https://beyondthesestonewalls.com/blog/gordon-macrae/les-miserables-the-bishop-and-the-redemption-of-jean-valjean

I have seen the play Les Miserables a few times, and know the story fairly well, but was impressed recently with the difference between Bishop Bienvenu (who is perhaps my favorite character in any story) and Javert. 

The Bishop sees Valjean as a child of God and someone with value even when he is caught in the very act of stealing from him - and stealing from him right after the Bishop had shown him incredible kindness and mercy! And yet the Bishop still refused to see him as anything less than a child of God, with true intrinsic value and potential.

He had little but sacrificed much of what he had in order to help Valjean reach that potential - giving him his cherished silver candlesticks as well as all his other silver.

source: https://i.redd.it/ayrb6zjip6x11.png

Now, contrast his response to that of Javert. Even when Valjean had already transformed his life and was a successful mayor and business owner (instead of the dirty, poor, ex-convict who showed up on the Bishop's doorstep), Javert could not see him as better than a thief and criminal. 

He couldn’t understand that Valjean had changed. He wouldn’t “allow” him to change. 

He was given several more opportunities to see that Valjean really had changed, but wouldn’t accept it.

Even when Valjean mercifully spares his life, Javert can’t accept that he is more than a lowly criminal. He ends up taking his own life because he can’t stand living in a world where Valjean has actually changed.

Here are a few words from his final song
“Damned if I live in the debt of a thief”

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“There is nothing in life that we share. It is either Valjean or Javert.”

In an earlier song, he says “once a thief, forever a thief!”

So, in summary, the Bishop values Valjean and sees him as having worth, even when he is in the act of stealing his silver.

Javert sees Valjean as worthless, even when he has just saved his life.

Who am I more like?

I think of this with my children.

Am I like Bishop Bienvenu?

Am I always looking for the good in them?

Praising the good?

“Giving a dog a good name”, to use Dale Carnegie’s phrase?

Helping them live up to their potential, and believing in them even when they don’t believe in themself?

Uplifting them?

Not judging them?

Or am I like Javert? 

Always accusing them?

Always looking for the bad?

Always judging and seeking to “catch” them or get them in trouble?

Refusing to give second chances?

Refusing to be merciful?

This phrase is interesting as well from that last song, “Javert’s suicide”. 

Valjean asks Javert to give him one hour to get Marius to a doctor as he is dying.

Javert responds, saying:

“The man of mercy comes again and talks of justice.”

That’s a really interesting phrase. Javert sees no value in mercy - he wants justice.

Bishop Bienvenu wanted mercy, perhaps at the cost of justice.

I think this explores a profound truth brought to light in the Book of Mormon - mercy and justice are often at odds and cannot always both be satisfied - that is, without our mediator, Jesus Christ, “standing betwixt” them and “satisfying the demands of justice” so that He may extend mercy to us. (Mosiah 15:9).

Let us choose mercy. Let us "judge not that we be not judged." Let us allow others to change - and, indeed, help them change and help them be more like our Savior Jesus Christ.

Saved From What?

We live in a world that is quite accommodating when it comes to making mistakes. By and large, that is a good thing. We ought to forgive one another and have second chances. But I have realized that a world with such leniency has altered my perception of God's eternal laws of justice and mercy.

For example, I remember the first time I overdrafted my checking account. I was a teenager and had simply forgotten to check how much was in my account before making a purchase. A $35 overdraft fee was charged to my account (that even seems like a lot today, but it was monumental to a 17 year old). I felt horrible for letting my negligence lead to such a financial loss. I discussed it with my mom, who suggested I call the bank. She felt confident that, because this was my first offense and it was truly an accident, they would be willing to waive the fee.
I was skeptical. After all, this was my fault, and the fee was something I had agreed to in the contract I signed.
But I made the call, trying to sound confident because my mom was sure it would work. And I was shocked as the bank employee quickly removed the fee.

This line of thinking - I realized - was carrying over into my thoughts of spiritual justice and mercy. My experience with the bank decreased my fear of future overdrafts. I felt that their punishment was really just an empty threat.

I have found myself propagating this notion in my own children when I say things like, "if you get in your car seat right now, you can have a popsicle at home," but I give them a popsicle whether or not they comply with their part of the bargain.

If we are not careful, it is easy to believe that things would have worked out whether or not Christ had come. We may be deceived into thinking that His punishment for sin is just an "empty threat," or, as one Book of Mormon writer said, "eat, drink and be merry... and God will beat us with a few stripes.." (2 Nephi 28:8) I had a Seminary teacher who referred to this as being whipped with wet noodles.

Such a thought process may lead us to think that repentance is not truly important, and to under appreciate what Jesus Christ's life and mission truly accomplished.

So what did Christ really save us from?

"Wherefore, all mankind were in a lost and in a fallen state, and ever would be save they should rely on this Redeemer." (1 Nephi 10:6)

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"And thus we see that all mankind were fallen, and they were in the grasp of ... the justice of God, which consigned them forever to be cut off from his presence... therefore, God himself atoneth for the sins of the world..." (Alma 42:14-15)

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"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)

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"O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to ... the devil, to rise no more. And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies..." (2 Nephi 9:8-9)

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The consequences are real. That last verse sends shivers down my spine. These inspired verses together - and so many others - give me a true understanding of what Christ has saved me from, and all that He will save me from if I will repent and come unto Him.

He is real. He is my Savior, and He is yours. He redeemed us at the highest possible price - His own blood. I am eternally grateful to Him.

Why did the destroying angel pass by?

Each Sunday, I have the privilege to partake of the sacred emblems of the Sacrament representing the body and blood of Christ, and to ponder that magnificent sacrifice. This week, my thoughts turned to Passover and the promise of a Messiah.

I thought of the circumstances of the first Passover, when the Lord commanded His people to kill a lamb and paint their doorpost with its blood.
The destroying angel came that night, and passed by the homes with the lamb's blood on the door. In the homes without blood on the door, the first born son's life was taken.

This story is so rich with imagery and symbolism. Of the many things I could focus on, I want to discuss just one - why did the destroying angel pass by those homes?

It was the blood.

It was not the righteousness of the family who lived inside. It was not how hard they worked or how nice they were to their neighbor. It was not how forgiving they were.

It was the blood of the lamb.

God commands us to be righteous, to work hard, to forgive, etc. He asks us to keep His commandments.
And we cannot be saved without it, just as the Israelites could not be saved without obeying the Prophet's command to put the lamb's blood on their door.

Temporal salvation for the Israelites merely required applying the lamb's blood to their door; eternal salvation for all of us requires more - we must apply the Lamb's blood into our lives! We must use His Atonement to repent, overcome our weaknesses, and become like Him.
To accept Him and apply His blood means more than lip service - as Paul said, we must write His law "in the fleshy tables of the heart" (2 Corinthians 3:3).

But ultimately, it is the blood of the Lamb that makes us acceptable before God.

In a prophecy given through Joseph Smith, the Lord described the Final Judgement, where He will act as our advocate with the Father. Notice the "evidence" that the Lord gives in support for our being saved:

"Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified;
 Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life."

Doctrine and Covenants 45:4-5

The Lord is our advocate, and it is through His blood that we are saved, but we must cover our lives with His blood as the Israelites covered their door in order to be saved. 

I am so grateful to Jesus Christ for descending from His Throne above to rescue me. He paid the highest price imaginable to redeem my soul - the blood of the Lamb of God.

A Life More Abundant

After 20 minutes in a small bus jammed to overflowing with passengers, I tapped the man who had taken my 20-cent fare and told him this is where we got off. I was tall by Central American standards, and squeezing past everyone took a little bit of time. 

Once the bus came to a stop and I got my feet on pavement, I could stretch out and breathe. My missionary companion exited behind me, and we began the walk down the dirt path to visit Vicenta Rodriguez.

Vicenta was 25 years old and lived with her brother, Neftali, and her elderly mother. Her other brothers frequented the house, but were involved in the pandilla - the gang- and we never met them. As we sat and talked with her, we asked her how job at the warehouse was going. She told us about her long hours and said that, despite the fact that the pay was low, she was grateful to have a job when so many others did not.

I asked her how much she made a week, and quickly calculated that she was paid less than 50 cents an hour for her work.

50 cents an hour! 

And I thought my $8 an hour job was low paying! I couldn't believe it.

I met many people during my 2 years in El Salvador who lived in depths of poverty that were beyond my imagination. Many in our world today - poor or rich - have opportunity to ponder this profound question: 

What is the purpose of this life anyway?

Why are we here? To be born, to work ourselves to death, to suffer hardships and sorrow, and then to die?

During this past week, I was deeply touched by these moving words from the Savior of Mankind, Jesus Christ:

"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

John 10:10

As we follow our Savior Jesus Christ, our life becomes abundant. It becomes more than a job, more than "one more day". It becomes meaningful.

Following Christ does not mean we will be freed from poverty; In the Old Testament, Job lost all..

Following Christ does not mean we will not suffer; The Apostles counted themselves fortunate to suffer for Christ's sake (Acts 5:41).

But, following Chris does mean that life will be abundant. 

It does mean that, despite our challenges and trials, God will not forsake us (Matthew 28:20).

It does mean that the grace of God may be extended to us to help us carry our burdens (Hebrews 4:16)

Following Christ, and losing our lives as we serve Him, means that we will find our lives and find true joy in living (Matthew 16:25)

Jesus Christ descended below all things so that He can lift us above all things. 

He conquered the world - conquered sin and death - so that He can help us to overcome all things (Doctrine and Covenants 88:6)

"He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death."

Mosiah 16:9

He is the Savior of all mankind. May we come to Him, keep His commandments, and experience an abundant life.

Photo credit: Tyler Foote

A Source of Unfailing Strength

In my Sunday church meetings today, the Bishop (the local leader of our congregation) addressed us and announced our ward's (or congregation's) theme for the year of 2014. He spoke of Paul's conversation with the Lord in 2 Corinthians 12 and the "thorn in the flesh" that he asked the Lord to remove, and how the Lord told Paul that His grace was sufficient and His power is made perfect in weakness.

The Bishop shared a Book of Mormon verse in which another servant of God, Moroni, is worried about his weaknesses and fears that his best will not be enough for the task at hand.

The Lord delivers these comforting words to Moroni:

And 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.

In the words of the Lord to both servants, I was struck by the phrase "my grace is sufficient." I decided to study it in more detail. I visited a website that allows side-by-side comparison of the Greek and English New Testament texts, along with detailed definitions and etymology of the Greek words. I would like to share what I learned.

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Arkei soi e charis mou

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'Arkei' generally means to suffice, or to be sufficient or enough. However, it can also mean "to possess unfailing strength."

What possesses this unfailing strength?

'Charis' means grace. Whose grace? 'Charis mou'. "My grace," the Savior tells us.

'Soi e' means "for you" (roughly).

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"My grace possesses unfailing strength for you."

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There is nothing that God cannot help us to overcome. If we put our whole trust in Him, we can overcome any Goliath.
Through the unfailing grace of God, our weaknesses - physical, mental, social, spiritual - can be turned into strengths.

Jesus Christ died so that we might live. He suffered all things so that He may lift us above all things.

His grace is sufficient.

I know it.

Not Even the Raging Sea

The Savior told His Apostles to get into a boat, and to go across the Sea of Galilee. He told them that He would wait a little while, and meet them later on. And then Christ went up on a hill to pray, while his apostles departed in their ship.

The sea was very rough that day. They toiled and rowed against the "contrary winds" without much success. The record says that the Lord saw them toiling, from His mountaintop (Mark 6:48). 
And in the fourth watch, He went to them, leaving the shore and walking to them across the water. They cried out, being troubled and supposing that they had seen a spirit.
And then the Savior spoke, "Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid" (Matthew 14:27). It was the Savior, who, hours earlier, they had seen on the shore as they set out to sea. 

I think that they must have thought of Him, in the midst of this storm, having seen the miracles that He had performed. But I imagine they did not expect the Savior to come unto them. He was on the land, and they were out at sea.

But He came. 

He saw them toiling, and He came unto them. 
There was no barrier that could keep the Lord from coming to His struggling sheep. The raging sea could not stop Him from giving them aid.



There is no place that we, as sheep, can wander, that the Lord our God cannot reach us. We must not think, "I am in the midst of this raging storm. The Lord is on the shore. He has no ship. I must look elsewhere for salvation." When we are sinking, in our storms of life, we can and must rely on Him, for He is the only one mighty enough to save us.


The Savior walked on water. He will come to us. He will succor us.

"Fear not, I am with thee. O be not afraid. For I am thy God, and will still give the aid. I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand."
("How Firm a Foundation", LDS Hymnbook #85)

What if Christ were a College Student?

As the semester begins, I will share some thoughts that I had a few weeks back. I think they are worth pondering.
These are merely thoughts, and do not represent official or unofficial doctrine or, well, really anything besides some points to ponder. I could easily be wrong in any of them, so I hope you will forgive me if I am.

What would Christ do as a college student?

He would be a good, dedicated student, for sure. And yet I doubt he would study alone often. But instead of looking for a study partner who could help Him get a better grade, He would probably try to find someone who really was struggling to understand the class, and study with them so He could help them.

I think He would take time to exercise. He would take good care of His body.

I think He would spend time with His roommates and have a lot of friends in the ward. I know that Christ would be known by all. He would go about doing good, and loving and helping and lifting others. He would get to know people.

I could see Christ having a job, and working hard in that job, and doing His best to please His employer.

Christ would know His professors, and learn all that He could from them.

Christ would be involved. He would be in service organizations and clubs. He would seek to interact with people as much as possible.

Christ would be very social and outgoing. At Church on Sunday, He would not just sit with His roommates. He would meet new people, and get to know them. He would arrive early. He would be ready to help with the Sacrament if need be. He would look for someone sitting by themselves, I dare say, and make them feel loved and welcome, and He would love them, too! 

Would Christ be out late? Would He sleep in until noon? Somehow, I just can’t picture that. Out late, maybe, if a friend were in need. But sleeping in until noon I cannot fathom.

Would Christ spend countless hours on Facebook? No. He would spend time with people in person.


He would be busy, and yet He would always have time to listen to those around Him.


Would He be upset if I borrowed some of His milk, or a few pieces of bread? No. He would 
generously share.


I will be more like Christ.