THE GOLDEN GRAIN OF GOD

 

During His ministry, the Saviour related a lot of His teachings to the agricultural practices of His day. I love it when I come across examples of this in the scriptures because it takes me back to my European upbringing.

When the Saviour says that ‘the angels are waiting the great command to reap down the earth, to gather the tares that they may be burned’, I am immediately taken back to the wheat harvests that I witnessed in my youth.

The angels are waiting eagerly to reap as “all eternity is pained” because ‘all flesh is corrupted’ (D&C 38:11,12).  If all flesh is corrupted why gather and burn the tares only?  Because interspersed among the tares is something very valuable, ‘the golden wheat’…..

When Jesus visited the Nephites, He gave them the same warning He gave to Peter. He told them that Satan desired to have them that he may sift them as wheat (3 Nephi 18:18; Luke 22:31). I know something about this process. It is called ‘threshing’.

In agriculture, the process of threshing removes the thin, dry, scaly husks around the grains of wheat which act as a protective barrier as the wheat matures. Once the wheat is harvested, this casing, called ‘chaff’ has to be removed as it is not digestible by humans.

The thrashing happens either through a machine or among the less affluent farmers, manually by hand. I have memories of my grandfather sifting the wheat in a broad, round wooden sieve, shaking it from side to side to loosen the chaff from the wheat. It was a very vigorous process. The wheat was then thrown up lightly and the chaff blown away by the wind while the wheat which was heavier fell back into the sieve. This sifting was essential to expose and gather the golden grain.

I picture Satan greedily and viciously sifting us as wheat in a wooden sieve. He wants us as he wanted Peter because every grain is as important to him as it is to God:

In essence, Jesus was saying: “Peter, Satan wants you in his harvest. He wants to harvest your soul and bring you into his granary, into his garner, where he will have you as his disciple’. It is the same figure we use when we say that the field is white, already to harvest. And we go out and preach the gospel and harvest the souls of men. Satan wanted Peter, he wanted to sift him as wheat or to harvest his soul.”  (Sermons and Writings of Bruce R. McConkie, ed. Mark L. McConkie [1998], 127).

In 1830 the Lord issued a call for the ‘weak things of the world’ to thresh the nations by the power of His Spirit (D&C 35:13). As the missionary labours expanded, The Lord’s granary grew and continues  to grow to this day. We are the ‘weak things of the world’ but His Spirit is the mighty force of conversion which is gathering the golden wheat.

Satan might have attempted to sift Peter but he did not succeed in harvesting his soul. He is attempting the same with us because as the saints of the Saviour’s Church, we are valuable not only to God but to the world also. We stand as an ensign to the nations. Peter was important in the infancy of the Church but we are important in the winding up scenes of the world.

The Church has to stand to fulfil its divine destiny as the Kingdom of God. Our value is greater than we realise. May we be strong enough to survive the sifting and garner each golden grain of God.  

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art:  Ready to Harvest by LeafyTreeCo)

 

 

 

WHO YOU ARE

 

“An old rabbi once said that every man ought to carry two pieces of paper in his pocket.

“In times of self-satisfaction and complacency he should read the one that says: “I am dust and ashes”.

“When dejected and dispirited he should read the other that says: “For my sake was the world created”.

“And at all times he should remember: “I am made from the dust but it is in God’s image I am made”.

-        Author Unknown

When Moses encountered God on Mount Sinai, God revealed Himself to him and Moses saw the glory of God and every particle of this earth and all the children of men (Moses 1:8,27) that have ever been created.

The vision of God's power was overwhelming to a man who grew up in an Egyptian court believing that Pharoah was god and there was no one greater than him so he exclaimed that now he could see that man is nothing (Moses :10).

God, however, didn't want Moses to miss the point so He showed him the same vision again and concluded it with the most important message in the scriptures: "For behold this is my work and my glory - to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). The point that God didn't want Moses to miss is this: amongst all of God's creations, none are greater than man…..

Moses learnt something else of great importance on that occasion. God addressed Moses as, “my son” (Moses 1:7). Moses comprehended the significance of this straight away. When Satan appeared to him after the vision was given for the first time demanding that Moses worship him, he addressed him as “Moses, son of man”, emphasizing his mortality and thereby attempting to discredit his divine origin.

Moses’ rebuttal was perfect: “I am a son of God…..get thee hence, Satan, deceive me not…” (Moses 1:13).  

Satan’s crushing ideologies of the world seek to destroy our belief in our divine origin now more than ever but he can never alter the truth that the seeds of deity are implanted within each of us. Because we are the literal offspring of God the Father, the potential within us to rise to the greatest heights of our existence is unmistakable.

When the enemy comes to you in his clever disguise to discourage you and confuse you as to who you are, believe him not.

When the Saviour came to earth, He repeatedly affirmed He was the Son of God. He knew who He was and He behaved as such and fulfilled His mission as such. We might not be as great as Him but in the words of Moses: “…I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten….” (Moses 1:13)

Let the everlasting hills and mountains

Hear Thy exalted voice;

That the ends of the earth

Might proclaim Thy eternal fame.

May all who hear, walk in Thy holy name

And seek Thy mercy and Thy grace;

And may those found worthy

Be endowed with Thy image

In the countenance of their face.

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Gentle Christ by Del Parson)

THE DEDICATED SON

 

The Saviour is the epitome of the most perfect, obedient, and admirable son there could ever exist. We very seldom focus on this. When we speak and think of Him it is in most cases about His role as our Saviour.

There is an important role however, that the Christ fulfilled perfectly upon this earth and continues to do so as He guides His Church. It is the authority given Him by the Father to speak and act in the first person of the Godhead, as though he were the Father. This is called ‘divine investiture of authority’.  (“The Father and the Son: A Doctrinal Exposition by the First Presidency”, in Talmage, Articles of Faith, pp 465-73)

The scriptures prove this to the letter. Often it can be confusing to read: “Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ” and shortly thereafter to come across a reference to “mine Only Begotten Son” (D&C 29:1, 41-46).

Elder Bruce R. McConkie explains it this way: “Since Christ is one with the Father in all of the attributes of perfection, and since he exercises power and authority of the Father, it follows that everything He says or does is and would be exactly and precisely what the Father would say and do under the same circumstances” (Mormon Doctrine, p 130)

Think about this for a moment. Does this not testify of the incredible closeness the Saviour has with the Father, to know His every wish, His every thought, His every intent??? And most of all, does this not tell us that the Saviour’s whole purpose is to redeem the Father’s children and to bring Him glory? (Moses 4:2).

During His visit to the Americas, I counted the Saviour made 163 references to the Father. Fifteen of them were references of His obedience to Him (3 Nephi 15:14-16,18,19; 16:3,10,16; 17:2, 18:14,27; 20:10,14,46).

“To come to earth with such a responsibility, to stand in place of Elohim – speaking as He would speak, judging and serving, loving and warning, forbearing and forgiving as He would do – this is a duty of such staggering proportions that you and I cannot comprehend such a thing. But in the loyalty and determination that would be characteristic of a divine child, Jesus could comprehend it, and He did it.” (Jeffrey R. Holland, The Grandeur of God, October 2003 General Conference)

 

I stood in the shadow of Your heart today

And saw obedience to the Father there;

I saw the Son You are and more

I saw the God that I adore

I stand in awe…..

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Artist Unknown)

HIS WORK WILL GO FORTH

 

 

This is a condensed version of how the Book of Mormon would read if Dr. Seuss wrote it…..

 

NEPHI:

Of goodly parents I was born

I’ve never drunk, I’ve never sworn

This is Lehi, he’s my dad

Laman, Lemuel, they are bad

And who is this?  Why this is Sam.

SAM:

In a tent my father dwelt.

LAMAN:

And it’s so hot, I think I’ll melt.

LEMUEL:

Our father’s brain is out of whack.

LAMAN:

Yeah, it’s too hot, I’m going back.

LEHI:

Then go and get the plates my dear.

NEPHI:

I will go and I will do

There’s the angel, that’s my cue

Laban’s had too much to drink

Now he’ll lose his head, I think.

LAMAN:

Our gold and silver we have spent

I do not like it in this tent

LEMUEL:

I cannot read the Liahona

I must have drunk too much Corona

LAMAN:

We hate it here, we have no lives.

LEHI:

Then go back to the city and get some wives.

LEHI:

A tree, a tree, I see a tree!!

The fruit is white, the fruit is free!

A floating building, could it be?

Why do they laugh and stare at me?

Laman, Lemuel, come and see!

LAMAN:

We will not eat your precious fruit

LEMUEL:

We will not eat your fruit I say

LAMAN:

We will not eat it on a tray

LEMUEL:

And we won’t eat it in a tent

Not even if your clothes you’ve rent

LAMAN:

We’d rather have a can of spam

LAMAN & LEMUEL:

We will not eat it, Sam I am

SAM:

You do not like it, so you say

Try it, try it, and you may

Try it and you may, I say

LAMAN & LAMUEL:

Say, we like this fruit of life

Sorry that we caused such strife

You’ve saved us from an awful jam

Thank you, thank you, Sam I am!

 

I don’t know who wrote this but the style certainly has a Dr. Seuss signature: it’s funny, it’s entertaining and has a cheery ending, like all his books. But if Dr. Seuss wrote the Book of Mormon, there would be no American Indian today.

In Section 3 of the Doctrine and Covenants, we read the Lord’s declaration that His work shall go forth, no matter what, so that the purposes of the Book of Mormon shall be fulfilled (vs 16-20). President Joseph Fielding Smith had this to say regarding this, which stands to me as the greatest proof of Joseph’s sacred calling:

“If Joseph Smith had been guilty of practicing a fraud, if he had endeavoured to palm off the Book of Mormon on this hostile and unbelieving world, he would have never dared to say that it would go forth to the convincing of Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ. Even if he had been foolish enough to make such a declaration and the work being fake, it would have come to a speedy and ridiculous end. It would have never survived the first year of its existence. It would have been full of flaws and scrutinizing gaze of the world would have exposed it in all its folly.”  (Church History and Modern Revelation, 1:28-29)

And imagine if Joseph was an educated and popular writer of his time and he sat down to write the history of the American Indian claiming it’s a translation of an ancient historical record. Would not the critics have recognized his literary style in the fake Book of Mormon and discredited his claims?

Hence the uneducated farmer…..oh the great wisdom and foresight of our God!!!

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Translation Process by LDS ART)

A SACRED RESPONSIBILITY

 

Often in the Church we talk about the importance of missionary work. I don’t know if we all realise that the greatest missionary work we will ever do is within the walls of our homes, with our children.

Section 29 of the Doctrine and Covenants speaks of little children being redeemed by the Atonement of Jesus Christ as they are not accountable until they are eight years of age. And then a mandate that their preparation for accountability rests upon the shoulders of their fathers ‘that great things may be required at their hands’ (v 46-48).

I believe that bringing up our children within the light of the Gospel and teaching them to walk in the paths of righteousness is a responsibility we will be judged on the most. If we fail in this, the sins of our children will be upon our own heads (D&C 68:25-28).

Sometimes we might doubt the ideals of the gospel that we teach and believe in, such as ‘a family that prays together, stays together’ and ‘train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it’ (Proverbs 22:6). Obviously, this does not always work as many of us have children who have rejected the gospel despite the best efforts of us, their parents. I have pondered on this as my own daughter has walked away from the teachings of her youth.

I have come to understand this: 1. If we had no ideal, there would be no striving for salvation; 2. We don’t know which of our children will get hold of our teachings, therefore, all need to be taught. I have one daughter who is very active in the Church and bringing up her children in the Gospel; 3. If we, as parents, don’t do our part, our children would have the right to blame us for their choices; 4. We don’t know when the fruit of our efforts will come to fruition. It might be in this life or the next.

Section 68 is specific that we need to teach our children “faith in Christ, the Son of the living God” (v 25)……because this is where salvation lies. What we pass onto our children, gets passed onto generations of our posterity, the bad and the good.

I look at my daughter and see the spiritual guidance and teachings she is giving to her children that I never received in my childhood from my parents and I think, I have done a bit better and she is doing better still.

The covenant of obedience that I made with the Saviour when I was baptised stands as an example of hope to my daughter who has followed in my footsteps and my grandchildren who are following in hers. That hope is in Christ, who has overcome the effects of sin for all human family. It is because of Him that our hearts can be turned to our fathers with forgiveness and love that endures forever.

I give you my patience

That you might follow your path;

I give you my understanding

That you might love you more;

I give you my forgiveness

That you might learn to love;

I give you my tolerance

That you might grow;

I give you my wisdom

That you might have courage.

I give you my witness

Of the fountain of it all

In whom if you believe,

You will never fall.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: A Mother In Zion by Greg Sargent)

THE BURNING LIGHT

 

“A man travelling through the country came to a large city, very rich and splendid. He looked at it and said to his guide: “This must be a very righteous people, for I can only see one little devil in this great city.

“The guide replied: “You do not understand, Sir. This city is so perfectly given up to wickedness, corruption, degradation and abomination of every kind that it requires but one devil to keep them all in subjection.”

“Travelling on a little further, the man came to a rugged path and saw an old man trying to get up the hillside, surrounded by seven great, big coarse looking devils. “Why”, says the traveler, “this must be a tremendously wicked old man! Only see how many devils there are around him!”

“This”, replied the guide, “is the only righteous man in the country; and there are seven of the biggest devils trying to turn him out of his path, and they all cannot do it.”

-        Chinese Fable

Does it make you wonder what strategies the old man used to make himself impervious to the influence of the adversary? I thought of listing some helpful ways we could do to achieve the same result, such as seeking after righteousness through prayer, scriptures, temple, Church, family home evening, clean and worthy thoughts, service……

As I reflected on these many things, I remembered reading a book years ago by a Christian woman who suggested every Christian should pray daily for a shield of faith to be placed around them to withstand the fiery darts of the adversary. I thought this, for sure, was the best way. Even today I pray for this shield of faith and it has served me well, I am sure.

In the early hours of this morning, something far more powerful came to my mind. The true path to repel the adversary is by his arch enemy, the Christ. The most-sure way is allowing the light of Christ to sear our consciousness and sharpen our focus so that before us is always the one and only path to salvation. Where there is light, there cannot be darkness.

This is the greatest repellant we have against him who cannot generate light and can only turn our lives into ashes.  He cannot stand the light, he cowers in darkness and feeds on the energy it gives him but there will come a day when he will be cast into the pit devoid of any power and be just a shell of his former self (Isaiah 14:12-20).

The imposter can lie, cheat and imitate but he will never be the Christ. He cannot light our path, he can only blind. All the things I listed surely do enable us to keep our focus on the Saviour but they are ‘doing things’ and they can easily fall by the wayside. What is more powerful and lasting is allowing Christ into our hearts. It means to develop a love that burns deep into our soul. A fire that burns, gives light.

The Saviour stands at the gates of heaven with open arms to receive us.

Be the force that the devil can reckon with but can never win…..

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: The Light of Christ by Douglas Bentley)

IN THE WILDERNESS

 

I learnt the other day about the spiritual concept of ‘wilderness’. Whereas the word usually refers to desert country, it has great religious significance as a place of segregation of “the righteous from the wicked and the position of the righteous man as a pilgrim and an outcast on the earth” (Hugh Nibley, “An Approach to the Book of Mormon”, p 135).

The Lord has used this method of segregation throughout history, think of the children of Israel and the scattering of the Ten Tribes.  This concept, however, is also prominent in the ancient Americas and its purpose is two-fold.

The word ‘wilderness’ occurs at least 336 times in the Book of Mormon. It connotes protection for the righteous from judgment that befalls the wicked and also purification and spiritual refinement of God’s people.

The most obvious example is that of Lehi and his colony who spent 8 years in the wilderness of the Arabian Peninsula, which even the hardened Bedouins avoid like the plague...detestable certainly describes the place in the eyes of Lehi's people, who 'murmured' bitterly at being led into such a hell." (Hugh Nibley, Lehi In the Desert, p 51).

At the end of his life Lehi called the deserts of Arabia “the wilderness of my afflictions” (2 Nephi 3:3) and at the same time he recounted how great things the Lord had done for his family in bringing them out of the land of Jerusalem and how merciful He had been (2 Nephi 1:1,4).

The wandering didn’t end there however. Just as soon as Lehi’s family landed in America, Nephi was commanded to take those who would go with him and ‘flee into the wilderness’ to escape his brothers who became the Lamanites (2 Nephi 5:5-7). Nephi’s brother Jacob called them “a lonesome and a solemn people, wanderers….born in tribulation, in a wilderness….” (Jacob 7:26).

Alma identified the sacred purpose of the ‘wilderness experience’ when he said that ‘because of their isolation, God gave them special revelation, and glad tidings were given to them in plain terms that they cannot err’…and then he gave the reason: ”and this because of our being wanderers in a strange land; therefore we are thus highly favoured” (Alma 13:23).

Wilderness is, therefore, a place where the Lord puts His people to make them His own. It accomplishes the greatest purpose of teaching them absolute and complete dependence on God (Mosiah 4:21-30). Think of the children of Israel’s experience in the wilderness for forty years.

The more I read of this concept, the more I could see how this plays out in our individual lives in a modern-day setting.  Sometimes we are placed in a ‘wilderness’ of sorts where God can teach us without the influence of others or where we become totally dependent on God through a trial of our faith that is unique to us.

You will know you are in a wilderness if you feel isolated and alone because some experiences are meant to be this way for our greater connection with God.

Being in ‘wilderness’ is not for the faint hearted. It requires stretching, accepting, and enduring hardships but the benefits are enormous……The Lord usually puts us into this spiritual ritual to teach us who we are and who He is and to make us His own. It’s a lonely road but one on which you will meet God.

I met You on the lonely road

And heard You say to me:

You will ever be mine

If you walk with me.

 

Your presence enthralled me,

Your exquisite love nearly ripped me apart;

I walked away from all else

Just to have You in my heart.

 

I walk now with Your hand in mine

The lonely road paved with tears of love

Oh, if only everyone knew where to find You

And long for You to come!

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Artist Unknown)

STRANGERS AND PILGRIMS

 

I have come to see what an advantage it is to live on this planet of suffering. The worse it gets, the more uncomfortable we should feel. The more unhappiness we experience here, the more we will long for our true home.

If this life was a life of ease, plenty, and perfection, we would be quite satisfied to live in the telestial world forever and would not yearn for things of a better. We would not seek God and we would not make an effort to return to Him.

When we reach the point where we feel that we do not belong here, we are in good company. We are, like the ancients who feared and loved God, strangers and pilgrims on this earth (D&C 45:11-13; Jacob 7:26; Hebrews 11:4-13). A clear reminder to us that we should not get too comfortable here because we do not belong here.

To be cut off from the presence of God is the greatest tragedy there is. Cain considered his banishment from His presence more than he could bear (Genesis 4:13,14).

I think the Saviour knew in the beginning what it means to be cut off from Father’s presence forever. This is why He yearned to save us from this devastation, hence so much emphasis on the sheep that are ‘lost’.

How many tears will be shed on judgment day by ‘the lost’ when God’s presence is denied to them forever? Imagine how joyful will be some who enter His presence, to finally be home once again.

When the world gets you down, look up.

 

Some days You seem so near

And some days so far.

I long to see Your face,

To walk the clouds with You

With poise and godly grace.

 

I know You are there

Keeping at bay the darkness of despair

And gifting me memories of You

To fill the loneliness that I tearfully bear.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Artist Unknown)

A MILLENIAL WORLD

 

Following the days of tribulation and desolation the Saviour will ‘reveal himself with power and great glory and dwell in righteousness with men on earth a thousand years’ (D&C 29:8-11).

Two significant things will happen at the onset of the Millenium. Firstly, all wickedness and corruption will be destroyed and there will be an entire separation of the righteous and the wicked (D&C 63:54). Only those will remain on earth who are worthy to live on a paradisiacal or terrestrial sphere (Mormon Doctrine, p 494).

Secondly, ‘all things shall become new’ (D&C 101:25). The planetary systems are to be changed, purified and refined in the similitude of the resurrection, by which means all physical evil or imperfections will be done away (Elder Parley P. Pratt, Key to the Science of Theology, p 61). All land will also come back together before it was divided in the days of Peleg (D&C 133:23-24). The earth will return to its paradisiacal glory of the days of Eden and the pure language of Adam will be restored so that we can all ‘serve the Lord with one consent’ (Zephaniah 3:9)

The massive enterprise during the Millenium will be something to behold, namely, the revelation of all knowledge for our learning (D&C 101:23-35); the temple work and the amount of missionary work that will no doubt be necessary to flood the earth with the knowledge of the Lord (2 Nephi 30:15).

Now consider the Millennial conditions that will make this stage of earth’s history an amazing time to be alive:

1.      “The enmity of all flesh shall cease” (D&C 101:26). All ferocious nature of animals will cease and there will be no killing between them or between animals and man.

2.      “Whatsoever any man shall ask, it shall be given unto him” (D&C 101:27). Because of their righteousness, people will only ask for the right things hence all petitions will be granted.

3.      “Satan shall not have power to tempt any man” (D&C 101:28). This will be accomplished by the Lord rewarding the righteous by pouring out His Spirit on them to such an extent that Satan’s power will be overwhelmed. Both the righteousness of the Saints and the Lord’s power will be a force that will bind Satan (D&C Student Manual p 89; commentary for 43:31).

4.      “Death will vanish from the earth” (D&C 101:29-31). There will be no sickness and there will be no death. When arriving to the point of death, people will be ‘changed in the twinkling of an eye’ instead. This means the body will pass from mortality to immortality and will have no need to wait for the resurrection day in the spirit world (Student Manual p 241). Imagine going from a hundred-year old body to a thirty year old one in a matter of minutes (Isaiah 65:20).

What an adventure we are on in this grand Plan of Salvation! When Moses met with God on Mt Sinai, he was shown this earth and all the inhabitants thereof. He was also told that there are many worlds existing and many had already passed away (Moses 1:35).

I often wonder if the great library in the sky has digital records of the earths that have existed and if we had access to view such. Seeing the Plan of Salvation playing out from the beginning to the end on other earths would have fostered in us an eternal perspective that propelled us to this earth with eagerness.

May we remember when the world overwhelms us, that we are so close to the parting of the heavens and welcoming our God in His glory to give us a thousand years of peace, tranquility and happiness and may we pray for Him to hasten His coming.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Loving Reverence by Greg Collins)

 

LIKE A MOTHER HEN

 

 

In Section 29 of Doctrine and Covenants, the Saviour uses two metaphors in relation to the Second Coming, which are in stark contrast to each other.

In describing the earth becoming ‘ripe’ for the days of tribulation and desolation, He says that His ‘cup of indignation is full’ and He will take vengeance upon the wicked who will not repent (v 9, 17).

This metaphor of the cup suggests that just as there is a limit to how much a cup can hold, so also there is a limit to the Lord showing patience to the wicked (Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual, p. 61). Please note that His patience is limitless but His exercise of it is limited when the people become ripe for destruction.

The second metaphor is one with which the Lord begins this Section, declaring that He will ‘gather his people even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, even as many as will hearken to His voice’ (v 2). This is good news for the righteous that follow Him.

Consider the sense of security we can feel knowing that the Saviour’s heart is like a mother's: loving to the point of self-sacrifice, relentlessly caring and aggressively protective.  Now note the characteristics of a mother hen that He used as an example of His care:

·        After the first three days, the chicks develop a fear of new things, an instinct that keeps them safe from danger. However, mother hen’s presence makes them feel secure, as she provides a safe base from which they can explore and learn about the world.

·        A mother hen gives special alarm calls when she senses danger relevant to her brood’s age.

·        In addition to providing warmth and protection, researchers have found that a mother hen provides an important source of social learning for the chicks she is raising.

·        It appears that the security offered by a mother hen promotes the healthy behavioural development of the chicks she is raising. A confident mother can help her chicks to grow up with appropriate behaviour for their environment, leading to a happy and healthy life.”

 

-        (Tamsin Cooper, Raising Chicks with Mother Hen, 18 Aug 2021)

Can you see the Saviour in what you have just read? Does He not provide knowledge that can lead to a happy and healthy life through His Gospel? Does He not send prophets to warn us of present danger? Does He not offer security through His commandments and His Church? Does He not dispel fear and offer protection through the power of His spirit?

Does He not make us feel secure in the knowledge He has given us of our eternal nature and eternal destiny? Has He not provided everything that is needful for us through the power of His creation? Does He not promise us safety from the calamities that are yet to engulf the world and its wickedness when He appears? Could He possibly do more in His capacity as a saviour to ensure our ultimate success?

 

Thy love for Thy people is beyond compare,

Thy mercy affixed forever more.

Thy power delivers us and

Thy loving kindness gathers us;

We are restored by Thy merciful might,

We are Israel, children of light.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Gathering by Eva Koleva Timothy)

TRUSTING GROWTH

 

"On my way to visit the Jameses the other evening, I saw a wheat field that appeared to be greener and taller than the others. Thinking about it for a while, I concluded that occasionally some loving farmer drives over the field with his tractor and dumps manure all over it.

“I thought, "My, it's just like life. Here we are minding our own business, growing our little hearts out. We're really quite green, somewhat productive and very sincere. When out of the blue, life deals us a dirty one, and we're up to our eyebrows in manure.

“We, of course, conclude that life as we have known it has just ended and will never be the same again. But one day, when the smell and the shock are gone we find ourselves greener and more productive than we have ever been! Unfortunately, no matter how often we go through these growing experiences, we are never able to appreciate the sound of the tractor or the smell of the manure."

• Harold W. Wood

“Just when all seems to be going right, challenges often come in multiple doses applied simultaneously. When those trials are not consequences of your disobedience, they are evidence that the Lord feels you are prepared to grow more. He therefore, gives you experiences that stimulate growth, understanding and compassion which polish you for your everlasting benefit. To get you from where you are to where He wants you to be requires a lot of stretching, and that generally entails discomfort and pain.”

• Richard G. Scott, "Trust In the Lord", General Conference Oct 1995

You flowed like a river through my heart

Showing me the wonder of You;

You lifted my eyes higher to see the majestic view.

You parted the heavens for me

And helped me see what I alone could never see;

You gave me the hope and the might

To be what I alone could never be.

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Trust in Jesus by Yongsung Kim)