OUR DAY

 

I cannot help but feel that our day very much resembles Charles Dickens’ first famous line of his successful novel titled “The Tale of Two Cities” through which he described France prior to the French Revolution of 1700s:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair….”

The best of our day is the Restoration of the Gospel, the expansion of missionary work, temples dotting the earth, the Millenium imminent. The worst of our day is warfare engulfing us, hatred among people dividing us and evil luring around every corner seeking to destroy us.

Lest we get lulled into complacency thinking there have always been bad times throughout history, it is important for us to remember that our dispensation is different. We have been illuminated by God’s light of truth and this means the adversary is working harder than ever before to spread his darkness. He is no longer hiding in the shadows. His attempts to destroy the two countries that will be Christ’s governmental seats when He comes and thus foil the millennial plans is out in the open.

Things are not going to get any better, only worse. Some of us are eager to embrace all the calamities and the worst that is yet to come because it means the Saviour is closer to coming. That is true but enduring until then will come at price, for us and for our children alike:

"Before the Saviour comes the world will darken. There will come a period of time where even the elect will lose hope if they do not come to the temples. The world will be so filled with evil that the righteous will only feel secure within these walls. The Saints will come here not only to do vicarious work, but to find a haven of peace. They will long to bring their children here for safety's sake...”

 

But then the promise and reward of endurance….all that will stand between us and the greatest 1,000 years of this earth is our personal worthiness and this is how we will achieve it:

 

“The covenants and ordinances will fill us with faith as a living fire. In a day of desolating sickness, scorched earth, barren wastes, sickening plagues, disease, destruction, and death, we as a people will rest in the shade of trees, we will drink from the cooling fountains. We will abide in places of refuge from the storm; we will mount up as on eagles' wings; we will be lifted out of an insane and evil world. We will be as fair as the sun and clear as the moon.”

 

This prophecy was given by Elder Vaugn J. Featherstone at the re-dedication of the Manti Temple in April 1987. He went on to say that the Saviour’s people will know Him when He appears. Why is that? Because we will become like Him through the light of the Gospel that has been given us in this dispensation. Because of the saving ordinances which qualify us to be a covenant people. Because we will have strived to spread the light which we have been given to extinguish the darkness which seeks to destroy us.

 

In Elder Featherstone’s words, when the Saviour comes: “Our children will bow down at His feet and worship Him as the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. They will bathe His feet with their tears and He will weep, and bless them for having suffered through the greatest trials known to man.”

 

We, the children of light and of the everlasting covenant will do this….

-CATHRYNE ALLEN 

Artist Unknown 

 

ETERNAL BEAUTY

 

I know a Russian lady who had a hip defect in her youth which caused her to walk with a gait. Because of it she grew up thinking she was ugly and yearned to be beautiful. When she immigrated to America some years later she had a hip operation that corrected her impediment and she took up yoga and adopted the raw food diet to make herself beautiful.

She has been a raw foodist for over 30 years now and is nearly 70 years old. She maintains a very regimented beauty protocol which is her main focus in life. As a result she looks much younger with flawless skin and a slim toned body. She turned her pursuit of beauty into a business which she runs to this day and has even written books about it.

You will find such committed and dedicated raw foodists on social media today who have made this lifestyle their main focus. This is not a critique of such people. I have for a long time admired their dedication and self-discipline. I certainly have not been as consistent and vigilant in taking care of my own body.

There is, however, a scripture in Doctrine and Covenants that warns against total commitment to the body and negligence of the soul:  “Therefore, care not for the body, neither the life of the body, but care for the soul, and for the life of the soul.” (101:37)

I have always thought this scripture means that our salvation is dependent on the state of our souls and not our bodies…..which is true, but there is something else that is dependent on the soul: our resurrection.

We prize physical beauty in this world way too much and we struggle when youth fades and old age and sickness sets in. Despite our efforts to live in an anti-aging world, we cannot escape the fact that we live in corruptible bodies which will one day meet death. How well we have looked after our bodies here will not be the deciding factor of our eternal beauty.

Everything on this telestial plane is in its crude state of existence. Apostle Paul called our earthly bodies ‘vile’ which the Saviour will ‘fashion like unto His glorious body’ (Philippians 3:20-21). In resurrection, our eternal beauty will be the reflection of our soul and our bodies will reflect the glory of the kingdom in which we will dwell eternally.

Those who inherit celestial kingdom will assume the glory of the sun, even the glory of God. Those who inherit terrestrial kingdom will assume the glory of the moon and those who inherit telestial will assume the glory of the stars….(D&C 76:70,71,81). In short, our brilliance will depend on how much darkness is in us.

All in all, our righteousness determines the eternal beauty we will live with forever. Even the most physically beautiful person on the earth today could end up being just average in eternity….so yes, even though it is important to care for our bodies, if you want beauty, the care of your soul, surpasses that care. We live with our physical bodies for a time but with our resurrected bodies we will live forever.

The Saviour is an immortal, celestialised being of light. There is no darkness in Him because of the perfection of His soul (1 John 1:5; D&C 88:6,7). When He returns to earth in His glory, the sun shall hide its face in shame and ‘the need will disappear for the sun and the moon to give light to God’s covenant people (D&C 133:49; Isaiah 60:19,20; Orson Pratt in Journal of Discourses, 14:355-56). Imagine being so pure and so full of light of truth that you shine brighter than the sun.

I am a visual person. I appreciate beauty in many forms. It lifts my soul to be surrounded by the beauty of flowers, nature, people and homes. Yes, I would like to be one of the beautiful people but above the beauty of the body, I value the purity of my soul more. When I am resurrected I want my righteousness to shine and I don’t want any darkness in me. I want love, kindness and truth in the very depths of my soul to shine throughout immensity of time and space. I want it shining forever.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Light by The Land of Dreams)

UPON A ROCK

 

"Someone once said you can't visually tell the difference between a strand of cobweb and a strand of powerful cable - until stress is put on the strand. Our testimonies are that way, and for most of us, the days of stress for our testimonies have already begun.

"It may not be the death of a loved one. We might not yet have been asked to give up something that is really precious to us, though the time for such a test may well come to us by and by.

"Our current stress is more likely to come in the form of overpowering temptations, which show us that a shallow acceptance of the gospel does not have the power to cope with the full fury of the powers of darkness.

"Perhaps there is a mission call to a place of illness and disappointment, when we had planned on a mission to a place of unbounded opportunity. Or perhaps there are too many questions to which our limited knowledge simply has no answer, and those who claim to know more than we do taunt us with what appears to be a persuasive certainty.

"When those times come, our testimonies must be more than the cobweb strand of a fair-weather faith. They need to be like strands of a cable, powerful enough to resist the shafts of him who would destroy us.

"In our days of stress and trouble, we must be built 'upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God....that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind....and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you....because of the rock upon which ye are built' (Helaman 5:12).

- Bruce C. Hafen, "The Believing Heart, 2nd ed. [1990] 21-22

There is none like Thee
My Saviour and my King,
With power and glory in Thy wings.
Who can compare and who can equal Thee
In Thy unfailing care of me?

Thou art the rock of my salvation
Thy wings my refuge from the fall.
Thou art my role model,

My example, my all.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: In Humility Our Saviour by Jay Bryant Ward)

A WITNESS

 

Perhaps the most known name for the Holy Ghost is The Comforter. He testifies and he comforts but did you know that he has another name that is perhaps the most important? This name is the Holy Spirit of Promise.

The Holy Ghost plays a more crucial part in our lives than we think. His role as the Holy Spirit of Promise means that we do not bypass him on our way to eternal glory…..Without his approval we, the covenant people, do not walk into celestial kingdom. His report to the Father of our individual obedience to the saving ordinances we have had performed for us is crucial. It makes me think of how Heavenly Father’s house is a house of order. All things are done to perfection and complete accuracy.

Here is the doctrinal role of the Holy Spirit of Promise:

“The Holy Ghost is the Holy Spirit of Promise (Acts 2:33). He confirms as acceptable to God the righteous acts, ordinances, and covenants of men. The Holy Spirit of Promise witnesses to the Father than the saving ordinances have been performed properly and that the covenants associated with  them have been kept.

“They who are sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise receive all that the Father has (D&C 76:51-60; Eph. 1:13-14). All covenants and performances must be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise to have force after this life (D&C 132:7,18-19,26)”  (Guide to the Scriptures, Gospel Library)

And this is something that should interest us greatly:

“When Paul wrote that the Saints had been “sealed with that Holy Spirit of Promise” (Ephesians 1:13), he meant that they had been promised eternal life even though they were still living in mortality. When people are sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise, the Holy Ghost ratifies (approves) them as celestial inheritors even though they are mortal.

“This doctrine is sometimes referred to as having one’s calling and election made sure or receiving the Second Comforter (see 2 Peter 1:4-19; D&C 132:6-7). (Bruce R. McConkie, “Doctrinal New Testament Commentary” 2:493-95; “History of the Church” 3:379-80)

The Godhead works in complete harmony to ensure the success of the Plan of Salvation and exaltation of the Father’s children. No mistakes can be made and justice is carried out perfectly. How incredibly reassuring it is to have the Holy Ghost as a witness of our good deeds and our righteousness. I am amazed how valuable he is and how undervalued to some of us. We should want him for our best friend: to enlighten us, to guide us, to comfort us and to lead us to life eternal.

 

ODE TO THE HOLY GHOST:

How silently, how diligently

You work for the salvation of men.

Your witness of my life

Written in your heart as with a holy pen.

When face to face one day we meet

I will kneel at your holy feet.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Beloved Son by Danny Hahlbohm)

THE LIVING WORD

 

I did some research on why the scriptures are called ‘the living word of God’ and here is what I have found: they are given by revelation and understood by revelation and revelation cannot be dead for as long as God lives; they are given to men by a living God; they possess a dynamic and the transformative power that continues to speak to men from every time and culture to convince, inspire and guide; they possess a power to penetrate to the core of a person’s being to induce personal transformation.

I have a close friend who has told me more than once that if it wasn’t for the Book of Mormon, she would no longer be alive. I assume the Book of Mormon gave her the will to live in her darkest moments. I can relate to this and I can testify of the power of the entire sacred canon of scripture to help us survive the darkness. This is what the living word of God means to me.

There was a time 30 years ago when I thought my life was over. I was in the darkest abyss and wanted to end it. Then I made a decision that liberated me from the most painful situation I have ever been in and I turned to the scriptures to understand how to come to God who could deliver me from the excruciating pain I was in.

In my searching of the scriptures, I found the Christ, of whom they testify, at a much deeper level than ever before (John 5:39; 3 Nephi 23:5). I learnt who He really is as the Saviour of our souls and what power He has to restore us to life. I learnt all about the Atonement and how it can save us from adverse situations in mortality and how through it we can be raised to immortality through the power of the resurrection.  I learnt that my life was not over but that it was just beginning. The scriptures gave me life.

The more I studied, the more I craved the power to live that it gave me. It is a life line I still cannot do without. Not only did it give me a desire to live but it brought me to one person I now cannot live without. In my 30 years of scripture study, I have seen the Saviour on every page. I have seen who He is and what He is like.

In the Old Testament I see the merciful Jehovah; in the New Testament I see the loving Saviour; in the Book of Mormon I see the promised Messiah; in the Doctrine and Covenants I see the powerful God and in the Pearl of Great Price I see the dutiful Son and Redeemer of all mankind. And in all this I see life……given by the living Christ.

 

I stand in awe of Your sacrifice

And Your soul’s pain;

The body freely given

For nothing of You to remain.

 

I ache, I ache,

Knowing the cost;

Then I hear Your living word

And I am comforted

Knowing nothing is lost. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Living Word by Danny Hahlbohm)

TO BE WILLING

 

Section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants speaks of us being quickened by the glory of the kingdom we will inherit after this life and that the sons of perdition will be ‘quickened’ but not to any glory. Verse 32 says they will ‘enjoy that which they are willing to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received’. How could you choose eternal darkness and reject a kingdom of glory? Did they understand this in pre-mortal existence when they made this choice?  

I have also reflected on those of us who will inherit lesser kingdoms and will not enjoy eternally the presence of the Father in Celestial Kingdom. Some of us here will trade our inheritance for a mass of pottage because they will reject the refining fire of this life. I get it. It’s a hard thing to endure to the end and in the process accept whatever ‘the Lord sees fit to inflict upon us’ (Mosiah 3:19).

Often times we wonder how a loving God could ‘inflict’ anything upon us. I have marvelled at that many times. There are just some things I find difficult to digest emotionally. I am just grateful that the Father is a master of restraint and that He has not rescued me from the important lessons I have had to learn and trials I have been able to prove myself by. Without those I would be not fit to inherit the kingdom of glory that would afford me the privilege of living in His presence again. Consider what it would be like to be cast out from His presence forever:

“To be cast from the presence of the Holy One is estrangement of the worst kind. It is to take from us that which means most – our sense of belonging to the divine family. It is to strip us of security and self-worth in one fatal blow. It is like tearing the suckling babe from her mother’s bosom, sending the wayward child to his room, or sentencing the incorrigible to solitary confinement. It is akin to restricting our communication with a loved one to the telephone; the lines can be clear, the conversation frequent, but the happiness that comes from being in another’s physical presence is missing.” (Tad. R. Callister, “The Infinite Atonement”, p 41)

When I studied The Fall one year, I came to understood the inexpressible horror of being endlessly lost and I wept as the comprehension of the Atonement flooded my heart feeling the witness of the Spirit in the very marrow of my bones. I think this is something I understood in my pre-mortal existence, before this world was even made. I am certain my desire to live with God eternally was born there.

I am reminded of Alma who after he tasted his exquisite pains and looked into the jaws of hell, beheld God sitting on His throne surrounded by countless angels singing His praises and he longed to be in His presence again (Alma 36:22). Even Cain who chose to worship Satan rather than God considered his banishment from God’s presence ‘a punishment greater than he could bear’ (Genesis 4:13,14; Moses 5:38,39).

I have this written on a card and stuck on my writing table where I can see it constantly: “FEAR NOTHING AND CONQUER EVERYTHING……88”)  It reminds me that I am ‘willing to enjoy that which I might receive’……..

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art by Divine Design) 

INDIVIDUAL ATONEMENT

 

 

I was riddled with guilt for many years following my divorce because my children no longer had a father in the home. I felt their every hurt, every mishap, every difficulty, every wrong choice was my fault. Then a wonderful friend shared her experience of parenthood and it helped change my perspective. This is what she said:

“I have often thought of my parental failing in the middle of the night. One night as I was thinking of these failings I thought that one day I will have to pay for them. I wanted to pay for them but as I thought that, the Saviour’s voice came into my mind: “I have already paid for them.” Tears of comfort whenever I think of this.”

I realized when I read this that there are sins and actions we cannot truly repent of or apply restoration to because they are in the past and cannot be changed. If we could not go back in time to fix things, and yet accountability would still stand, our whole salvation would be at peril. But luckily the Saviour’s Atonement covers it all and makes the salvation possible for each one.

When the Saviour appeared to the Nephites post resurrection, He invited them to feel His wounds ‘one by one’ because He died for each one individually and not for the masses collectively (3 Nephi 11:15). It was as if He was saying to them: I see you, I know your individual lives, personalities, strengths and failings, you each matter enough to deserve the price I paid.

Many years ago I sat in Stake Conference and while we sang “Redeemer of Israel” I saw myself in my mind doing missionary work in my pre-mortal life. I knew then that I was one of the Saviour’s strongest supporters. I know I was very converted to the Plan of Salvation and that I wanted exaltation. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Saviour could and would give me both. I was convinced of it and I was excited about it.

Now that I have experienced the fall of my nature, the difficulties of mortality, the isolation from God, the suffering, the sorrow, my inadequacies and insufficient strength to rise to above them, I have perfect clarity and understanding of what exactly the Saviour has done for me: the payment to justice, forgiveness of all my failings, mercy and power of grace to raise me to perfection of my soul, and to bridge the gap of time and space between me and the Father. Some days I get so overwhelmed by it that I lack the ability to express the magnitude of my gratitude for His infinite sacrifice which grants me life eternal, a promise of which I carried deep within my heart so long ago.

The closer I get to God, the keener I feel my inadequacies. I have reflected on many situations in my life and I know I cannot fix the past. I can only be better today and tomorrow. And I can do one more thing, the most important thing…..I can live in the deepest gratitude of my soul each and every day for the Saviour’s redemptive power and I can express it with love in my heart for Him, a desire to follow Him and commitment to honour Him.

I worshipped You in heaven

As my Saviour and my King,

I knew Your holy suffering

Would pay for everything.

Now I am here in my mortal frame

I am amazed at the price You paid

For the value of my name!

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Good Shepherd by Gabriel Heaton)

A PROMISED LAND

 

I have always had the Brother of Jared on a pedestal because of his perfect faith that rent the veil and revealed the Saviour standing before him. This faith has been the identifier we use in the Church for this man but I am fascinated with a couple of things that occurred prior to this event.

The Brother of Jared was ‘highly favoured of the Lord’ and his mighty and frequent prayers were ‘cries’ unto God to separate him and his company of family and friends from the situation of the Tower of Babel (Ether 1:34; 43). The Lord obliged and promised to lead them to ‘the choice land above all other lands’ (Ether 1:42; 2:13).  

The company travelled in the wilderness and crossed many waters in the barges they had made and were constantly led by God (Ether 2:5,6). And this is the puzzling thing. When they arrived to the coast, they pitched their tents and settled there for four whole years! (2:13). Were they tired of all the travel? Did they survey the area and thought, ‘this is good enough’, we’ll stay here? Did they get too comfortable in having been removed from the situation they tried to evade and accepted the coast as their promised land?

I rather suspect it was this. The Brother of Jared did something uncharacteristic when they arrived there. He stopped praying….and so the guidance to keep going stopped too.  Did he think it was no longer necessary? When the Lord came to him after four years, He ‘stood in a cloud and talked with him and chastened him for the space of three hours ‘because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord’ (2:14). Obviously, it was very much necessary.

Can we relate this to us? Often we settle for something that is ‘good enough’ when in reality God has something so much better for us. We take the reins of our lives and think we don’t need to be guided so much so we stop turning to God.  I know many people who are very grateful to be on this earth and don’t want to go further because there is much to be liked and enjoyed here. The promise of eternal life seems just too costly and far away.

People of the world fear death and view it as something dark and terrible. I know someone who is 101 years old and has a 10 year plan. He is determined not to die. The world is invested in anti-aging and longevity. This earth however, is our coast, and the promised land is waiting. There is more, so much more, if we are brave enough to cross the great waters to enter ‘the choice land above all other lands’.

Let’s not settle and become too comfortable. The Brother of Jared didn’t. He repented and the next step of the journey surpassed all his expectations. The heavens parted, he saw the premortal Christ and he stepped through the veil to see the mysteries of eternity (Ether 3:18,20).

This brings me to more food for thought. The Lord solved the problem of needed air in the barges but he asked the Brother of Jared to solve the problem of needed light (Ether 2:25). I don’t know why this man thought of the stones which could be illuminated. There are a number of Jewish sources that say that God had Noah suspend precious stones or pearls inside the ark to lighten it (Tvedtnes, John A., “Ancient Texts in Support of the Book of Mormon”). Perhaps the Brother of Jared had heard about this and reasoned he should do the same.

The important thing here is that the Lord asked him to think deeply and see the possibilities beyond the obvious which require faith to be brought into reality. Following the illumination of the stones came the greatest spiritual illumination known to man (Ether 4:4). So great were the things that the Brother of Jared was permitted to see, that he was forbidden to tell no man (Ether 3:21).

This knowledge remains hidden from the world to this day in the sealed portion of the gold plates to be revealed when we, the Gentiles ‘become clean before the Lord’ and exercise faith in Him as the Brother of Jared did (Ether 4:6,7). This knowledge of eternity is more valuable than the promised land of America the Jaredites arrived at. This knowledge is a glimpse into our eternal home. This is the real promised land.

“Come unto me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great things the Father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the world……” (Ether 4:15)

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Worlds by Greg Olsen)

THE SOUL'S SINCERE DESIRE

 

Hymn 145 in our Hymnal tells us that prayer is the soul’s sincere desire.

Our prayers reveal so much about us: our humility or our pride, our submissiveness or our possessiveness, our progression or our regression, but most especially they reveal where we are in life in regards to our overall desire. Consider the following scripture:

“Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive, knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you.” (D&C 88:63,64)

There is a word in this scripture that is of vital importance for us to understand and that word is ‘expedient’. The dictionary defines this word as ‘tending to promote a desired objective or a means of attaining an end’. In considering the importance of prayer as a communication with the Divine, this  means that God is giving us help through prayer with immediate situations in this life that will be advantageous for our ultimate desired objective and that is to become as God is. Therefore, it reveals His will for us and it affirms our purpose for being here.

Prayer itself is a process of progression. On one end of the spectrum is a prayer of a child through which the child is taught about faith: you pray to Heavenly Father and you have faith that He will hear you and answer your prayer. On the other end of that spectrum is a prayer of a spiritually evolved adult who prays with the ‘true order of prayer’:

“We pray to our Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Ghost. This is the true order of prayer.”  (Russell M. Nelson, CR April 2003, Ensign May 2003, p 7)

“When we pray unto the Father in the name of Jesus for specific personal things, we should feel in the very depths of our souls that we are willing to subject our petitions to the will of our Father in heaven….The time will come when we shall know the will of God before we ask. Then everything for which we pray will be ‘expedient’. Everything for which we ask will be ‘right’. That will be when as a result of righteous living, we shall so enjoy the companionship of the spirit that he will dictate what we ask.” (President Marion G. Romney, in CR Oct 1944, 55-56)

So often I am reminded of President Nelson’s advice that we will not be able to survive these last days without the guidance of the Holy Ghost. He is crucial in all the guidance we get as a result of our petitions to God. The prayer circle in the Temple teaches us the role the Holy Ghost plays in our communication with the Divine. The officiator represents the Holy Ghost in telling those gathered what to say, they in turn repeat the words of the prayer directing them to Heavenly Father in the name of His Son.

If you pray this way, you are well and truly on your way to achieving the purpose of your mortal probation. If the purpose of your journey is to become like God, prayer is the path to know how to travel it. May you receive your heart’s sincere desire and may we in the end meet at Jesus’ feet. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: My Prayer by Danny Hahlbohm)

THE FELLOWSHIP

 

I awoke at 3 a.m. this morning because of the painful state of my body and a scripture of Apostle Paul came into my mind that speaks of the ‘fellowship of His sufferings’ (Philippians 3:20). This led me to recount all the lessons I have learnt since my experience with pain and how I am gaining a glimpse into the soul of Him who descended into the pit of human agony and suffered the effects of every infirmity known to man.

I turned to Philippians 3 and read the whole chapter. In my opinion this has always been one of the most important chapters in the New Testament and this is why:

Philippians 3:4-6: “If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more.”  Paul, who was the cream of the Jewish society, of the tribe of Benjamin, a “Hebrew of all Hebrews” as he called himself, and a stout Pharisee had a firm foundation in his life. He was sitting pretty. The Jewish law considered him blameless of all the misery he caused to humanity as he persecuted the Church, and by doing so he rose in Jewish estimation. He was climbing the ladder of respect and leadership. But something significant happened to Paul.

Philippians 3:7-10: “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ….for whom I have suffered the loss of ALL things, do count them but dung that I may win Christ….that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings…..”

Paul’s spiritual awakening brought the realisation that all things he lost in the worldly sense were nothing compared to the excellent knowledge of Christ that he gained. All else became as nothing compared to knowing the Saviour. This knowledge became embedded in his heart through the suffering he himself went through for the sake of the God that he persecuted.

Paul lost ALL, as he said: his social and religious standing, his Jewish family, his safety and security… but in reality he gained everything. Imagine the isolation and the severing of all he knew up to the time of his conversion. Volumes could be written about Paul and his life, the change in his soul, and his relationship with the God he found and served until his death.

Following his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul was without sight fasting for 3 days, exacting the change of his heart that repentance brings. Think about the significance of 3 days…..Paul was also 33 when this happened. Think about that too. When the Lord said to Ananias to go find Paul that he might rise to his calling, this was His reasoning:

“For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” And suffer he did: he was scourged and persecuted by the Jews, beaten, stoned, and shipwrecked during which he suffered hunger and nakedness, imprisoned three times by the Romans and killed by them in Rome at the age of 68 (Acts 14:19; 17:5-10,13,14; 2 Corinthians 11:24-27). I rather think ‘the excellency of the knowledge of Christ’ was born out of ‘the fellowship of His sufferings’…..

Now that I have experienced a minute portion of human suffering, I cannot but help feel the kinship with Christ who has suffered it ALL and understand a bit deeper who He really is.  If we have achieved nothing else in this life but this understanding, we have arrived because NOTHING else matters. Knowing Christ makes us love Christ and loving Christ makes us follow Christ….all the way to eternal glory.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Designed by UpliftYour Feed)

THE VINEYARD

 

I had occasion yesterday to reflect on the sad history of the House of Israel and for the first time, instead of the suffering of the people, I saw the anguish and the sorrow of their King. He who had chosen them to be a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people witnessed with heaviness of heart their Egyptian slavery, the Assyrian conquest of The Ten Tribes, the Babylonian captivity of the House of Judah, Rome’s sacking of Jerusalem, the diaspora of the Jews, the holocaust, the wars of the nation of Israel…… it all testified of their suffering, the loss of lives and most especially their disobedience that brought upon them their demise from greatness.

One of my favourite ancient prophets is Jeremiah. The theme of his entire book in the Old Testament is ‘backsliding Israel’. The Lord himself gave this name to His covenant people that He once called a holy nation (Jeremiah 2:19; 3:6,8,11,12,14,22; 31:22; 49:4) because they were ‘bent on backsliding from Him’ (Hosea 11:7). Think of the tragedy of that. When Jeremiah importuned the Lord for their forgiveness, he admitted their ‘backslidings were perpetual’ (Jeremiah 5:6; 8:5; 14:7).

The House of Israel has had its share of suffering for their backsliding but this is what affects me the most….the betrayed and rejected Christ watching in the shadows their unfaithfulness to Him who devised their glorious destiny.

If you want to understand the Saviour’s mercy and love for the House of Israel, study the Allegory of the Olive Tree as found in Jacob 5 of the Book of Mormon.  It attests to His suffering caused by the very people He calls His own. I am not talking about the Atonement but His care despite the dejection He must have felt throughout the history of this world.

In the Allegory of the Olive Tree, the Saviour is represented as the Lord of the vineyard who grieves, preserves, labours, watches and tends to His vineyard constantly. His frantic efforts to ensure the divine destiny of the House of Israel, as represented by the olive trees in His vineyard, can be seen through repetitious declarations of His love and long-suffering:

His desire to preserve the vineyard is mentioned in the parable 11 times; at least 15 times the Lord expresses His desire to bring the vineyard and its' harvest 'unto my own self'; 8 times He says 'it grieveth me to lose the trees of my vineyard'; and 3 times He asks with anguish, weeping, 'what could I have done more for my vineyard?' All this despite the backsliding.

This is the promise of the Holy One of Israel that He will never recant: He will be merciful to the House of Israel and He will ‘heal their backsliding’ (Hosea 14:4). Jacob who engraved the Allegory on the golden plates put it well:  "....how merciful is our God unto us, for he remembereth the house of Israel, both roots and branches; and he stretches forth his hands unto them all the day long….. (Jacob 6:4)

We live in the best period of time of this earth. Ancient Israel are the roots and we, the modern Israel, are the branches. We are the ones through whom the promise is being fulfilled. The scattered are being gathered.  We are the posterity of the backsliders but the backsliding stops with us.

We are the strong of the House of Israel and we will spread the truth that will heal. We are the children of the promise. We are the manifestation of His love and His mercy. We are the chosen, we have the royal priesthood upon us. We will ensure our divine destiny so freely given by the Shepherd of Israel who would not see us lost, who rescued our souls never counting the cost……

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Artist Unknown)

THE WORD

 

Some years ago I fell into following a lovely lady on YouTube who had her own ministry in America.  She was inspirational and called herself ‘the cheerleader of your dreams’. She quoted a lot of scriptures but took many out of context and adapted them to her premise of ‘living your dreams’ and getting everything you wanted.

With time I realized her understanding of the scriptures was rather limited and even shallow because she did not understand the connection of most of them to the House of Israel concept, Christ’s Church or the Plan of Salvation. In other words, she didn’t understand them deeply enough. She presumed the scriptures were tailored to the individual and missed the bigger picture.

In the end her scripture quoting frustrated me because I knew better what those scriptures meant, not because I was smarter but because I had been exposed to additional scriptures we have in the Church which give us the complete truth. I became so grateful for the treasure trove of scriptures we have and the continuous revelation we believe in.

I reflected on all the people in Christendom who believe that the Bible is complete and who cry: “A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible” (2 Nephi 29:3). Christ called such people fools who supposed that the Bible contains all His words. Those who reject so thoughtlessly more of His words, reject Him.  

Just recently I read an absolutely excellent article printed in the January 1995 Ensign titled “Scripture Reading and Revelation” by Elder Dallin H. Oaks. I could not possibly summarise here the wealth of knowledge and instruction given by Elder Oaks but there is something that stood out to me that I would like to share.

The premise of the article was gaining understanding of scriptures with what he called ‘open canon’, meaning the scriptures are open to greater understanding through revelation by the Holy Ghost and the living prophets, just to name a couple. I highly recommend you read this article.

The greatest proof of revelations of the living prophets comes to us through Joseph Smith. The Church has adopted these revelations into our theology and compiled them into Doctrine and Covenants. This set of scripture is actually an ‘open canon’ in a very important way because it continues to incorporate additional revelations as they come from the living prophets.

One example of this is one of my favourite sections in the entire Doctrine and Covenants, Section 138, which records the vision President Joseph F. Smith had of the Saviour’s visit to the spirit world during the three days His body lay in the tomb. This Section records the most powerful moment in time when the Saviour, having completed His crucible, came to the faithful in the world of spirits who awaited Him anxiously ‘rejoicing in the hour of their deliverance from the chains of death’ (v18).

When He appeared “….they bowed the knee and acknowledged the Son of God as their Redeemer and Deliverer….the radiance from the presence of the Lord rested upon them and they sang praises unto His holy name.” (v 23, 24)

This vision was accepted as scripture and added to the Doctrine and Covenants in 1918. The point is this. If our present prophet had a vision that the Council of the Twelve accepted as scripture and they added it to the Doctrine and Covenants, how would each of us feel about ‘open canon’? How we would feel would be a sure indication of how strong our testimony is of our present prophet.

When I study Doctrine and Covenants I know the icing on the cake is coming at the end. I know I will meet the Saviour there in Section 138 and I will cry tears of joy for the life He laid on the sacrificial table for all the faithful who love Him and accept His word.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art by Land of Dreams)

THE OLIVE TREE

 

I cannot even begin to explain the deep affinity I feel with the House of Israel. Perhaps because my patriarchal blessing tells me that I am a true Israelite, ‘being of the seed of Abraham’.  I want to be a part of God’s chosen covenant people and I want the righteous Abraham as my father. I consider this my greatest earthly blessing. Being of the House of Israel reminds me of my spiritual identity and a responsibility I have as a link in the chain which is to bless the nations of the earth.

The world would have us be encumbered by political and social strife that would incite fear and unrest. It would have us be devoid of peace without a positive future. We the covenant people are an ensign of hope for a better world and this is why:

“And in that day…..all mine Israel shall be saved. And they that have been scattered shall be gathered. And all they who have mourned shall be comforted. And all they who have given their lives for my name shall be crowned. Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion, for all flesh in in mine hands; BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.”   (D&C 101:12-16)

The Book of Jacob in the Book of Mormon contains a chapter outlining the whole history of the House of Israel and its divine destiny. It is called the Allegory of the Olive Tree by prophet Zenos. Jacob 5 is in my mind the greatest proof of Joseph’s prophetic calling. No man without the mantle of a prophet could possibly outline such an intricate history of a group of people spanning more than two thousand years: before the time of Christ (vs 3-14); the time of Christ (vs 15-28); the great apostasy (vs 29-49); restoration of the Gospel going to the world (vs 50-76); Second Coming (v 77).

The emblem of the House of Israel is the olive tree. The emblem includes two olive branches flanking a temple menorah which the prophet Zechariah saw in a vision (Zechariah 4). The olive branch is a long-standing symbol of peace, reconciliation and hope, with roots in ancient Greek and Roman cultures. This symbol has been carried throughout history and is still recognized today.

Have you ever wondered why the olive tree? The research on this subject is extensive but here is a summary: the olive tree is a symbol of longevity, prosperity, indestructibility and generosity (relative to the fact that it produces abundant fruit even when it is over a thousand years old. It is a living testament to resilience, generosity and ancient wisdom. The other day I saw a picture of an olive tree which was over 2,000 years old and I understood its significance that is relative to the House of Israel.

This, however, is what intrigues me the most, the spiritual symbol. The olive tree is a symbol of peace, wisdom, glory, power and purity. This is us, the House of Israel. This is what we stand for and this is the advantage of being of the House of Israel: through the Atonement of the Son of God, we become reconciled with the Father and that reconciliation brings with it peace through forgiveness of sins. This is what it means to be still and to know He is God.

Here is a deeper thought. Israel is to bless the nations of the earth with the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant. When we take the gospel message to the world and the world comes into the household of faith, it receives the olive branch of peace through the reconciliation the Gospel gives. It’s a beautiful symbolism……the one the world needs more than any other……

We are Israel, Thy chosen seed;

We bear Thy holy name

And proclaim Thy salvation

To the ends of the earth.

We are Thy servant in power and might,

We are Israel, children of light.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Peace I Give by Greg Sargent)

THE POWER OF THE GODHEAD

 

I wish to pay homage to the member of the Godhead who stands as a witness of the Father’s love and care, of the Saviour’s power to save and of His own ministry without which we could not function as spiritual beings in a physical world. I speak, of course, of the Holy Ghost.

The power of this third member of the Godhead cannot be understated, undervalued and underappreciated. Without Him we could not understand spiritual truths, know that God exists or have guidance to live according to the Plan of Salvation here on earth. Without his influence we would truly be lost.

This is a personal testimony so I will not be delving into the doctrinal features of this member of the Godhead. What I will say is that I am seeing these days the power of the Godhead as it is playing out in my life. The days I feel of ‘God’s’ closeness is becoming somewhat of a fascination to me because I am starting to identify them separately. So much so that when I speak to the Father, I ask Him to thank the Holy Ghost for his ministry to me…..something I pray for regularly and get given without fail.

Since this is a personal account of my experience with the Holy Ghost, I will use my writing as an example of my conviction. As much as it is appreciated to get praise worthy comments, I wish to testify of the Holy Ghost’s overwhelming contribution to this gift that God has given me through which I seek to serve His children.

My usual practice is to prepare a draft for next day’s post but when the next day comes, I ask for the Holy Ghost to be with me as I start to write, and very often my writing will take a turn to a different subject. Some days I will not know what I will write about but by the time I am up and ready to start my day, I know exactly what it is.

On some occasions I have had to look back at my old posts and have been surprised at bits of wisdom that I do not remember writing and is new to me. Then I will look at the comments of the readers and invariably someone would have commented that they needed to hear what I had written. I know then that what I had written was not from me.

My point is this. The Holy Ghost has many functions; to comfort, to guide, to enlighten, to warn, to prepare, to testify, to sanctify, to protect,  and they all converge to make the success of YOU. Perhaps his greatest work is to magnify the individuality in each of us, to bring to the forefront our gifts and our purpose. We are all links in the chain of this human family that is ensuring the success of the Plan of Salvation. It could not work without YOU and your greatest ally…..the Holy Ghost.

ODE TO THE HOLY GHOST

When you softly whisper to my soul

I know the Father is there

Ever mindful of my needful care.

 

When you softly whisper to my soul

I know the Saviour will rescue me

When I am tempest tossed onto a troubled sea.

 

When you softly whisper to my soul

I know You will bring me home

And never abandon my care,

You are the gift that will guide me there.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Comforter by Danny Hahlbohm)

EVERLASTING FREEDOM

 

I watched an episode of Border Security the other day that made me reflect on the principle of the Gospel that grants us everlasting freedom. This is the principle is forgiveness.

In this particular episode I watched a British citizen being denied entry into Australia because he had a brush with the law seven years ago and had served 18 months in jail as a consequence. He was pretty devastated about this refusal but more so because he claimed sorrowfully that this one transgression in his life was going to follow him around for the rest of his life despite the fact that he has learnt from that experience and has strived ever since to be a law-abiding citizen. I could see how demeaning it was for him to be still considered ‘a criminal’. I wondered if he would ever see himself as a good person again.

My first thought was, indeed a criminal conviction is something that you are never free from. Once you are a criminal, you pay the price for the rest of your life. My second thought was, I wish I could shout from the rooftops that there is someone who does not only forgive wrongdoing but remembers it no more (D&C 58:42)…..that there is someone who can make you clean again and grant you freedom forever.

I thought about all my weaknesses and ‘earthly indignities, as I call them, and how sensitive I have become over the years to any wrongdoing, and I could not imagine a life without repentance and forgiveness.

I knew someone years ago who had left his wife to live a homosexual lifestyle. A few years later I saw him and his forgiving wife at the temple. It was a success story of repentance and forgiveness like no other. I reflected back then too on the amazing grace of our God who has secured our freedom from sin and paid the price of justice we could never pay ourselves.

Imagine the loss of souls if there was no forgiveness. Without it we would become nothing. Consider Alma the Younger who suffered the godly sorrow asked of every repentant sinner, an intense sorrow which lasted for three days and which cast him into the very 'gall of bitterness' (Alma36:18). 

Obviously’, the Saviour didn't require more than that of Alma.  He did not require him to live in the past or the future beating himself up for what he did.  What He did require of Alma was for Alma to become a great man.  A man who would be an instrument in His hands to convince others of His great power to save. 

Alma, who in his youth went about with the intent to destroy the Church became Alma who led the Nephite armies in battle, who sat naked with Amulek in dungeons, who was spat upon by the unrepentant, who dumbfounded an anti-christ, who baptised thousands of souls unto repentance (Alma 4:4,5), who the Lord in the end took up unto himself (Alma 45:19).  Alma certainly did become that great man that the Lord needed.  Could he have ever become a great man if he had not been forgiven? I rather think he would have spent the rest of his life thinking he was worthless.

I am in awe of the ‘Man of Sorrows’ who had promised forgiveness ‘though our sins be as scarlet’ even before he had felt the burden of our infirmities (Isaiah 1:18). I am in awe of His mercy and His love. The older I get the more I feel the overwhelming reliance I have on His salvation. He has made my earth life possible and my eternal life a surety because of His forgiveness of my humanity. I am in awe of His ability to liberate the beauty in me. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: I Will Comfort You by Jay Bryant Ward)