EXEMPLARY FAITH

 

Whenever I read the story of the brother of Jared, I ask myself: what kind of faith does it take for the veil to become so thin that the Lord was compelled to fully show himself to this man?

Undoubtedly, this faith began the moment the solution to the problem of light entered into this man’s mind. The solution he came up with may not have been so unusual since some rabbis and scholars claim that Noah’s ark had the same illumination and the brother of Jared might have been familiar with that fact (New Era Dec 2020).

Certainly, the carving out of the stones would have contributed greatly to his faith in this solution for why would you go to such trouble if you were not a hundred percent sure that it would work?

Bringing the stones before the Lord and acknowledging his personal conviction in the Lord’s power to do all things would have added another decibel to his faith (Ether 3:4). Being specific about the finger would have taken that faith up another notch.

What amazes me further is this. Once his faith rendered the veil, everything beyond it was fair game. He was shown not only the Lord but ‘greater things that never have been manifest before’ (v 18,19,20; 4:4). These greater things are contained in the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon (Ether 4:4,5).

Much can be written about the brother of Jared’s experience but my intent here is to show that we need to take note of the principle of faith that unfolded the whole story. There are two things I find are of great interest.

Firstly, Moroni indicates that the brother of Jared was told ‘in times before’ that if he believed in the Lord, He could show him ‘all things’ (Ether 3:26). We can conclude from this that the brother of Jared had a long-standing relationship with Christ, he had a desire to know the mysteries of the kingdom and he worked on developing his faith to come to the point where ‘the Lord could not withhold anything from him’ (Ether 3:26).

We should take note of this, especially in relation to the promise that the saints of this dispensation have been given as contained in D&C 76:5-10.

The second point of interest involves us. I have friends, who like me, are eager to read the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon. I have always thought the ‘yet unrevealed scriptures’ will one day just appear and we will get to read them, probably in the Millenium. There is a catch however.

This is what Moroni was told by the Lord himself referring to the ‘greater things’, when he was commanded to seal up the portion of the plates:

“They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord. And in that day that they shall EXERCISE FAITH IN ME….EVEN AS THE BROTHER OF JARED DID…..” (Ether 4:7)

The Saviour went further to say that we will need to be sanctified in Him before He will unfold to us all His revelations (v 7). This is a sobering thought that tells us we will not get to read these scriptures without any effort on our part…a serious effort, one that leads to the principle of repentance and the manifesting faith like we have never known before…..the manifesting faith of the brother of Jared.  Are we up to it????

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Brother of Jared by Emily Pugmire)

A LESSON FROM GETHSEMANE

 

“We must do as Jesus did – preface our prayers by saying, “If it be possible”, let the trial pass from us – by saying, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt”, and bowing in a sense of serenity to our Father in heaven’s wisdom, because at times God will not be able to let us pass by a trial or a challenge.

“If we were allowed to bypass certain trials, everything that had gone on up to that moment in our lives would be wiped out. It is because he loves us that at times he will not intercede as we may wish Him to. That, too, we learn from Gethsemane and from Calvary.”

-        Neal A. Maxwell, “But For a Small Moment”, Sept 1974 BYU Speeches

I used to think that some people have been allotted to experiences trials in this life emotionally and others physically. I classified myself in the emotional category. Imagine my surprise when I arrived to my 60s facing physical challenges which have morphed into the classification of ‘suffering’.

I didn’t think I deserved it after everything I have been through in my life emotionally and so I threw myself into a tug-o-war with my mortality. The resistance escalated my physical suffering.

A very dear and close friend of mine has been trying for a long time to teach me about acceptance. She kept saying acceptance is everything. I made some progress in that respect over the years until this principle came upon me very strongly recently and liberated me from absence of peace.

Imagine if the Saviour was spared His crucible of Gethsemane. If everything He did up until then was really wasted: His preparation in pre-existence, our sustaining vote of Him and our preparation for earthly life, the creation of this earth, all the people that lived before the Gethsemane experience, His condescension, His teachings, His miracles, His promise of eternal life through His sacrifice…..

Of course, this would have never happened because of the Saviour's impeccable integrity but He had His free agency to the very end and the possibility of such a scenario doesn't bear thinking.

My friend claims I should always say ‘yes’ to whatever God asks of me. I am grateful beyond my ability to express that my Saviour did so.

Because of You,

I do not belong to the enemy.

Because of You,

I am not lost in obscurity.

Because of You,

Death cannot claim me for eternity.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Jesus Christ the Creator by SKAI Studios)

EXEMPLARY JOB

 

I revisited the story of Job today for personal reasons I will not go into here. I have written about Job extensively in the past but I have never written about him from this vantage point.

At the onset of his trial of faith, Job received a taste of Satan’s objective through his wife who told him: “Curse God and die” (Job 2:9).

This was the worst affront to Job, “a perfect and an upright man, one that feared God and eschewed evil” (Job 2:3). His love for God was beyond fault. How could he possibly curse Him and sin with his lips? (v 10). It was unthinkable for him. As things grew worse from there, that temptation was never yielded to even though Job came to the point of wishing that he would die (Job 7:15,16). In fact, he started wishing he was never born (Job 10:18,19) but still he would not curse God.

Then something interesting happened. Through the merciless taunting of his friends who offered no support, Job stood firm defending God. The more they opposed his strength, the more Job praised God insisting ‘with him is wisdom and strength’ over and over (Job 12:10-24). And in his sorrow, he exclaimed: “My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God” (Job 16:20). And then the strength of his testimony: “I know that my redeemer liveth!” (Job 19:25).

To fully appreciate Job’s faithfulness and tenacity we should reflect on his life as it was and how acutely intolerable it became.

Job was righteous, did good continually, was incredibly respected in the community and he was fabulously wealthy. You could say, his life was perfect. Job went from the pinnacle of society to living in rags on the outskirts of the city, in constant pain, not understanding what has happened to him. 

Basically, he went from the picture of perfection to being disfigured with boils and worms and maggots were bred in his sores (7:5). He ended up living outside the city on the refuse heap where outcasts and lepers lived. Pain was his constant companion (30:17,30) as were also terrifying nightmares (7:14). Whereas, everyone in his community honoured him before, he suddenly became an outcast.  

 

Job, however, did not foresee in the midst of his suffering that his life would take a turn for the better. This turn did come as 'the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning' (Job 42:12). Job lived another 140 years in prosperity and wellness after the trial of his faith. Would he have had such a glorious ending to his life if he had cursed God and died???

When Joseph Smith sat in Liberty jail and cried out in anguish: "Oh God, where art Thou?”, the Lord responded with: "My son peace be to thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high.....Thou art not yet as Job” (D&C 121:1,7-10)

In the words of Neal A. Maxwell, endurance is “passing beyond breaking points without breaking”.

ODE TO JOB:

You sank so deep

Into the mire of your pain;

Nobody followed you,

Nobody sang praises to your name.

 

In your hour of agony

You gloried in His name,

You became my beacon

Of hope that I can do the same.

 

Your blessings multiplied

As the stars of heaven do

Each night I see them,

I am reminded of you.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Lord, I Believe by Liz Lemon Swindle)