THE JEWELS IN HIS CROWN

 

A friend told me once that if the Saviour suddenly came to our chapel one Sunday, He would walk right past me and go to the sinner who was not being obedient, that because I was doing well, I was not as important. I was crushed by this but reasoned that I should not be like the Prodigal Son’s brother and should accept that the sinner that needed to be saved was all that mattered. Yes, we are all sinners but some more so than others. The righteous are the faithful who keep yielding their hearts to God and who keep repenting whilst others persist in their rebellion of Him. 

Whereas I do not wish to discredit the worth of a sinner, my intent here is to highlight the worth of the righteous because this week I read something in the scriptures that sent waves of joy through my heart. When the Saviour visited the spirit world post crucifixion and before resurrection, He did not walk past the righteous to go to the sinners (D&C 138:20-22). In fact, the righteous were the only ones He went to, the ones who had heard His voice, who accepted Him, obeyed Him and who awaited Him to rejoice in His gift of redemption. They were the ones who welcomed Him and sang praises to His holy name (v23-24). The only ones He preached the gospel to were the saints who were already converted, who deserved to hear the words of eternal life from His lips (v19; to hear Him declare liberty to the captives ‘who had been faithful’ (v18). To the rest, the Saviour sent his faithful servants to preach the everlasting gospel of repentance (v29-30). 

To you, who are the faithful saints of His Church, I want to say this: You are cherished and valued beyond your capacity to understand. You are the ones who make it all worth-while, the ones who bring Him joy. You are the jewels in His crown (Malachi 3:17). You are the sheep who hear His voice and who obey, the faithful who sustained Him in realms of eternity and who will worship Him forever. May you embrace your cherished heart this day and be filled with the unfathomable love of Him who sacrificed His all that you might live and have fulness of joy (D&C 93:33; 138:17; Moses 7:67).

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: The Good Shepherd by Eva Koleva Timothy)