Excellent quote, and understanding of 'anger' by Orson Pratt. He's exactly right imsho.inho wrote: ↑October 5th, 2020, 12:28 pminho wrote: ↑June 25th, 2017, 10:58 am Orson Pratt in Millenial Star vol. 28:473-475; July 28, 1866:
For wise purposes, God has given you appetites and passions, and has given you laws to control the same. Do not pray for these attributes of your nature to be taken away; but pray for strength and grace to submit them to the will of him who has given them to you.
Anger is a passion wisely given to intelligent beings, intended for a good purpose but it is one easily perverted by fallen beings into an instrument of much evil. It is a passion pertaining to the Almighty who is angry with the wicked every day. Righteous anger is a feeling of indignation against sin, a feeling of justice, a feeling that the evil-doer merits punishment. This kind of anger is justifiable, whether it exists in the bosom of God, angels, or men: but anger founded upon any other principle is sinful, and when cultivated and indulged out of its proper channel, it brings misery and wretchedness upon all its unhappy votaries. Because we are so liable to sin through an improper indulgence of anger, is it right to pray for a destruction of the attribute? It certainly is not; for if man were dispossessed of this attribute, he would be unfit for a kingdom, where justice and judgment were the characteristics of the throne; he would be unfit for the society of the heavenly hosts, unfit for celestial, terrestrial, or telestial glory. Anger founded on justice and properly governed, is essential to the happiness of every kingdom; without it there could be no exaltation, no glory, and man would cease to be man, and dwindle into a non-descript something, beneath the animal creation.
Once again, anger can arise instantaneously when one perceives a blatant injustice and wrong, especially seeing someone being hurt or put in imminent danger. I've experienced this a few times, and have acted on it with excellent results. Anger can act as the energizer for helping, saving or protecting someone or some group.
Anger held onto and allowed to fester is something else. In these cases, it would be better to use this anger to seek a solution by confronting an abuser or seeking protection from an abuser, and so on; or actively seeking justice against a perpetrator who has done you, your family or your loved ones wrong. If these actions don't pan out, or the perpetrator is no longer on the scene, the remaining step is to let it go and try to forgive the guilty one . . . .. with the Lord's help.