KNOW WHO YOU ARE

 

“Why did the Lord ask such things of Abraham? Because knowing what his future would be and that he would be the father of an innumerable posterity, He was determined to test him. God did not do this for His own sake for He knew by His foreknowledge what Abraham would do; but the purpose was to impress upon Abraham a lesson and to enable him to attain unto knowledge that he could not obtain in any other way.

“That is why God tries all of us. It is not for His own knowledge for He knows all things beforehand. He knows all your lives and everything you will do. But He tries us for our own good that we may know ourselves; for it is most important that a man should know himself.”  (George G. Cannon, “Gospel Truth”, comp. Jerreld L. Newquist, 2 Vols [1974] 1:113)

Years ago I read something I saved as a guide to my own personal development: “Someone who takes the time to understand their relationship with God, who actively seeks alignment with their broader perspective, who deliberately seeks and finds alignment with who they really are; is more charismatic, more attractive, and more powerful than a group of millions who have not achieved this alignment.”  (Abraham Hicks)

Think of what Abraham achieved in his life and how powerful he became….his obedience was unparalleled and his pursuit of righteousness and seeking the blessings of the fathers through the priesthood brought him into alignment with God and the revelations he received regarding the Plan of Salvation (Abraham 3:22-28).

Abraham’s faithfulness to God, however, through the trial of Isaac’s sacrifice, gave him the knowledge of his role as the father of all the faithful through the Abrahamic Covenant. This trial of his faithfulness to God truly taught Abraham who Abraham was.   

Now look at the Saviour. Repeatedly throughout His earthly ministry, He affirmed who He was:

-        I am the bread of life (John 6:31, 51)

-        I am the light of the world (John 8:12)

-        I am the door of the sheep (John 10:7,9)

-        I am the good shepherd (John 10:11,14)

-        I am the resurrection and life (John 11:25)

-        I am the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6)

-        I am the true vine (John 15:1,5)

The Saviour was not born with this knowledge. This knowledge was added to Him in increments as He grew and progressed through His obedience until His ministry began (D&C 93:12-14). No need to mention of what the Saviour achieved because He learnt who He was through His alignment with the Father and through the trials He suffered “even more than man can suffer” (Mosiah 3:7).

Could He ever have been the Christ if He didn’t know who He was destined to be???

We too can know our destiny….

-     CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: The Light by Land of Dreams)