JOSEPH THE MARTYR

 

I mentioned in my post yesterday how the critics of Joseph Smith come to the surface when I post about him and I did get a couple yesterday but the outpouring of love and testimonies of Joseph that you all shared was overwhelming. I cried knowing that he is so loved and remembered and honoured for his incredible service to mankind.

It seemed like the adversary had won when Joseph was martyred but that can never be because “the works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught.” (D&C 3:1)

One of the comforting things about Joseph’s martyrdom for me is that he didn’t go to his death alone. Joseph knew he was not coming back from Carthage jail. How wonderful it must have been for him to have a member of his family by his side but it was not by chance that Hyrum joined his brother in death:

“The Prophet Joseph Smith conferred upon Hyrum Smith all the keys, authority and gifts of the priesthood which he, the Prophet, held and which were formerly held by Oliver Cowdery. The Lord also revealed to Hyrum Smith all that was necessary to make him completely and to the full degree, a witness with his brother Joseph, as a prophet, seer, revelator and president of the Church, and to stand through all time and eternity at the head of this dispensation with his brother Joseph, a witness for Jesus Christ.” (President Joseph Field Smith, “Doctrines of Salvation” 1:218-9; see also D&C 136:39; Hebrews 9:16-17; Doctrine & Covenants Student Manual p 348)

It must have been the darkest time for the members of the Church but consider the distress of the brothers’ death on his family:

“After the corpses were washed and dressed in their burial clothes we were allowed to see them. I had for a long time braced every nerve, roused every energy of my soul, and called upon God to strengthen me; but when I entered the room, and saw my murdered sons, extended both at once before my eyes; and heard the sobs and groans of my family – the cries of ‘Father! Husband! Brothers!’ from the lips of their wives, children, brothers and sisters, it was too much – I sunk back crying to the Lord in the agony of my soul, My God! My God! Why hast thou forsaken this family? A voice replied, I have taken them to myself that they might have rest….

“As I looked upon their peaceful, smiling countenances, I seemed to almost hear them say: mother, weep not for us; we have overcome the world by love; we carried to them the gospel, that their souls might be saved – they slew us for our testimony, and thus placed us beyond their power – their ascendancy is for a moment – ours is an eternal triumph.”

-          (Joseph and Hyrum Death Masks, history.churchofjesuschrist.org)

Satan didn’t succeed in destroying the Saviour’s ministry or that of His servant, Joseph. All he has done is prove the authenticity of the Church by the attention he is giving us. No other Church is so favoured. President Spencer W. Kimball has said that the negative attention the Church gets is in one way a good sign: “We can tell that we are making progress by the attention we get from the adversary…This has been the lot of the Lord’s people from the beginning and it will be no different in our time”. (In CR April 1980; D&C Student Manual p 301)

You stood so resolute and willing

In the councils of heaven,

Knowing the jaws of hell

Would open at the mention of your name.

 

Still, you knelt in the sacred grove

And uttered the words of faith.

You honoured your promise

To restore the truth

And you opened the heaven’s gate.

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Joseph Smith's Last Dream by Jon McNaughton)

JOSEPH THE ACHIEVER

 

I am always amazed when I do a post on Joseph Smith how the critics come out of the woodwork and tell me how he was a liar, a cheat, an adulterer, a paedophile, a tool of Satan. It’s like they have a radar that picks up his name. It used to upset me when I started writing years ago. Now I just smile at their ignorance.

Now that I have had the Gospel in my life for 50 years, I cannot imagine going without it and I owe that to the Prophet Joseph. In a tribute to him, the Church has attributed 41 achievements to his name. I was amazed when I first read them. Here are just a few that deserve thoughtful consideration as to their necessity and efficacy in this world (see D&C Student Manual p 349):

-          He taught correct concepts about the nature of the Father and the Son;

-          He translated and published the Book of Mormon by the power of God;

-          He was the means by which the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods were restored;

-          He organised the Church of Jesus Christ again on the earth under the direction of the Saviour;

-          He revealed the true meaning of Zion, its location in the last days, and the laws by which it shall be governed;

-          He received over a hundred revelations and published them in the Doctrine and Covenants;

-          He worked on translation of the Bible, restoring lost scripture and correcting erroneous translations;

-          He restored the keys and knowledge of temple ordinances for both the living and the dead;

-          He received keys of restoration from Moses, Elias and Elijah;

-          He started a missionary program that has involved tens of thousands of missionaries and resulted in millions of converts in countries all over the world;

-          He translated by inspiration from God papyri from Egypt, containing some of the writings of Abraham;

-          He set forth the proper organisation, name and purpose of the Church of Jesus Christ.

-          He built temples and revealed temple ordinances for the living and the dead.

This is my iron clad testimony of Joseph Smith, which I have shared before. I never had to question my testimony of him until 13 years ago when I chose to do a University assignment about the Church. I read a lot of questionable material about him on line that disturbed me. It brought me to my knees pleading for God to help me understand.

What opened in my mind was a vision of Joseph’s heart, an understanding of the goodness therein. I saw the pioneers dressed in white surrounding him and I felt their love for him. I understood and I wept. No critic of the Church can dissuade me from this testimony. In the end, the truth will stand. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Joseph Smith by Liz Lemon Swindle)

LOWLY IN HEART

 

I viewed recently some documentaries of past ruling monarchs of Europe and England. I was amazed at what devastation privileged birth can achieve. These men were out of control, spoilt, immoral and some died excruciating deaths. I could see one fiend of hell that was behind it all and that was PRIDE.

For a while now I have been pondering about the lowliness of mortality, compared to our pre mortal home. These documentaries contributed to my understanding how bringing us down to the lowliest plane of existence guarantees that we develop a ‘lowly heart’, an antidote to pride, an emotion most destructive to godliness. How Lucifer could not see that this is what robbed him of glory is beyond me. One thing he can see though: that he can destroy others by it.

I think of the Saviour’s condescension from His godly throne to the lowly, dusty roads of Galilee, devoid of riches, prestige and luxury, and I can see why ‘none is acceptable before God save the meek and lowly in heart’ (Moroni 7:44). If He can come down from His throne to the lowliest station of life, beginning with His birth, He certainly has a right to tell us: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly….” (Matthew 11:29). You cannot have a more-lowly birth than one in the stench of a stable. That’s a triumph over pride if ever I saw one.

And imagine a God who created this earth willing to sit on a donkey to fulfil the Messianic prophecy: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.  (Zechariah 9:9)

What other more spectacular proof could the creator of worlds without number have given to the unbelieving? Think about all the proof He did give them such as His miracles which failed to convince the powerful and mighty.  His lowliness, however, should have been a sure sign that He fulfilled the prophecy that the Messiah would be a king who arrives humbly and peacefully, a king who is the servant of all.

This is meekness, this is greatness, that the Saviour of mankind would subject Himself to God’s requirement that ‘none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart’, including Him (Moroni 7:42-44).

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

And I stand in awe…..

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Living Water by LDS Book Store)

IN BABYLON

 

“Go ye out of Babylon; gather ye out from among the nations, from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”  (D&C 133:7) This is the fourth step in our preparation for the Second Coming according to Section 133.  

The name “Babylon” is today synonymous with ‘the world’ but this is the history of the ancient city that earned such a reputation:

In 605 BC King Nebuchadnezzar of the Neo-Babylonian Empire (now Iraq) was the beginning of Babylon’s greatness and glory. Using slaves from various areas of the empire, he inaugurated a massive building program to make Babylon the greatest city in the world. Opulence, greatness and glory was the object.

The grandeur of Babylon was incredibly impressive but with such opulence and wealth also came moral decay, wickedness and iniquity. Will Durant, a secular historian wrote that “even Alexander [the Great], who was not above dying of drinking was shocked by the morals of Babylon (Our Oriental Heritage, p 244).

Babylon became the antithesis of godliness. The very name of this city stood as the symbol for worldliness, spiritual wickedness and Satan’s kingdom. Scripturally it is known as: “the great whore” and “the mother of harlots and abominations (Rev 17:1; 5; D& C 133:14; 1:16; 1 Nephi 13:5-9; Babylonia and the Conquest of Judah, Old Testament Student Manual p 244).

This is how powerful is the grip of worldliness: Seventy years after the Jews’ captivity in Babylon began, Cyrus, the Persian king who conquered Babylon, sent out the proclamation amongst the Jews in Babylon asking how many wanted to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. He actually offered freedom to anyone who wanted it. It is estimated approximately only 50,000 people chose to return to Jerusalem while MOST chose not to return having been absorbed into the Babylonian way of life. I love this story that we will learn more about next year.

When I think of the power of Babylon, I wonder how many of us are willing to turn our backs on it. Most of us are not living in opulence and in riches but how many of us are hankering after such a life? Here is the warning: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

God has saved for the final inning some of his strongest children. And that is where we come in, for we are the generation that must come out of Babylon and be prepared to meet our God. No other dispensation has faced such a glorious and momentous event.

Thou art our everlasting God

Jehovah, our King,

Hide us under the shadow of Thy wings

That we might never stray

And cause Thee sorrow;

And help us wait for Thee

In the dawning of tomorrow.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: In the Shadow of Your Wings by Daniel Gerhartz)

BE GATHERED

 

The third needful step in preparation for the Second Coming according to Doctrine and Covenants 133:4 is for the House of Israel to be gathered. Two things are accomplished by this endeavour:

“Firstly, those who have thus chosen Christ as their Shepherd, those who have taken upon themselves his name in the waters of baptism; those who are seeking to enjoy his Spirit here and now and to be inheritors of eternal life hereafter – such people need to be gathered together to strengthen each other and to help one another perfect their lives.

“Secondly, those who are seeking the highest rewards in eternity need to be where they can receive the blessings of the house of the Lord, both for themselves and for their ancestors in Israel who died without a knowledge of the gospel, but who would have received it with all their heart had opportunity afforded.”

-       - Bruce R. McConkie, “Come: Let Israel Build Zion”, Ensign May 1977, p 117

No concept of the Gospel ignites my heart more than the House of Israel as the chosen people of God who has favoured Israel above all the nations of the world, the great Jehovah who has proclaimed: "I am a father to Israel and Ephraim is my firstborn" (Jeremiah 31:9).

The proclamations of Saviour’s love for Israel are prolific in the scriptures. Perhaps the greatest of them is this: “O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine….I have loved thee… Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east and gather thee from the west…..I will say to the north, give up; and to the south, keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth….” (Isaiah 43:1-6)

Numerous scriptures refer to Israel as Jehovah’s jewels (Exodus 28:17-21; Malachi 3:17; D&C 60:4; 101:3) and ‘the apple of His eye’  (Deut 32:9,10; Zechariah 2:8). These are incredibly intimate and loving expressions.

It is simply not enough to physically be of the House of Israel. One must be so spiritually to be the 'apple of His eye'. Love is a two-way street. He loves us because we are the believing, the repentant, the obedient. And if not, then we should be.

We have accepted the Holy One of Israel to be our God. We are gathering from among all nations to be one people and one day we will kneel together at His feet and acknowledge Him as the God of miracles who has preserved us, loved us and brought us home to the kingdom of our God.

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: Love Everlasting by Youngsung Kim)

BE SANCTIFIED

 

“It is the right of all members of the house of Israel to see their King and enjoy His presence. This is a specific promise to those who will sanctify themselves (D&C 50:45-46; 67:10; 93:1). Since the scriptures teach that no unclean thing can dwell in His presence (see Moses 6:57), it is clear that the Saints who are caught up to meet Him must be sanctified.”  (Doctrine & Covenants Student Manual, p 336)

Sanctification is the second step in our preparation for the Second Coming as per D&C 133:4. The purpose of sanctification is to have our minds become single to God, through our repentance, so that we can be purified by the power of the Holy Ghost (D&C 88:68). Without sanctification we cannot be in Christ’s presence or the presence of the Father.

The Book of Mormon states that we can be ‘sanctified in Christ by the grace of God’ and that sanctification comes as a result of yielding our hearts to God through prayer, fasting and humility (see Helaman 3:35 and Moroni 10:33). However, repentance plays a major part in this  process because it leads to forgiveness which leads to sanctification. But not just any repentance:

“To every forgiveness there is a condition. The plaster must be as wide as the sore. The fasting, the prayers, the humility must be equal to or greater than the sin. There must be a broken heart and a contrite spirit. There must be ‘sackcloth and ashes’. There must be tears and genuine change of heart. There must be conviction of the sin, abandonment of the evil, confession of the error to properly constituted authorities of the Lord. There must be restitution and a confirmed, determined change of pace, direction and destination.”  (Spencer W. Kimball, “The Miracle of Forgiveness”, p 353)

A broken heart and a contrite spirit means ‘godly sorrow’ and not just abandonment of sin. It is going through godly sorrow that we lose the inclination to sin (see Alma 13:12 and 2 Nephi 4:31). Not that temptation no longer exists, because that is the nature of this fallen world, but we no longer seek it or are attracted by it (D&C 20:33-34). Because our hearts have been changed we have ‘no more disposition to do evil’ (Mosiah 5:2)

Imagine living in your finest outfit for a long time without changing. Imagine the collected dirt. Even though you realise where you’ve gone wrong and have made that outfit dirty, and you now try all you can to avoid adding more dirt, you are still dirty. The outfit needs to be washed to match your new life-style. This is what sanctification does. It washes you clean so you can be the new you.

Grant me the strength dear Saviour

To embrace the grandeur of my eternal goal,

That I might sin less and obey more.

Thou who art the deliverer of my soul,

May glory be Thine forever more.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Artist Unknown)

BE PREPARED

 

Section 133 of the Doctrine and Covenants was received by revelation on 3^rd November 1831 and called the Appendix (“History of the Church”, 1:229). Elder John A. Widtsoe explained that this section was named such because it supplements the introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants in Section 1 identifying the book as a voice of warning to the world.

This Section affirms the Second Coming of the Lord who “shall come to recompense unto every man according to his work, and measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man” (D&C 1:10).

The Appendix reiterates the warning to ready ourselves in three parts: prepare, sanctify, and gather.

PREPARATION: President Harold B. Lee defined preparation as coming to know the Saviour Jesus Christ first and foremost: “…How can one meet a person whose identity is unknown? How can one be prepared to meet a person about whom he has no knowledge? How can one be prepared to meet a being whose personality he cannot comprehend?....to receive the Lord at the beginning of the Millenium reign demands that the people be taught to accept the divinity of the mission of Jesus as the Saviour of the world (see Alma 11:37,40).” (In Conference Report, Oct. 1956)

Recognising the Saviour as He appears in the clouds of heaven will, I believe, be an automatic thing for everyone when He comes. To me it seems that the whole world has heard of Him in some way but mostly I believe it will be a thing of intuition that will cause everyone to recognise Him as every ‘knee shall bend and every tongue confess’ that He is the Christ (D&C 88:104).

There is, however, for us, members of His Church, more to ‘knowing’ Him. Accepting the divinity of His mission as the Saviour of the world depends also on our testimony of its process:  

“We must accept the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith as the instrumentality through which the restoration of the gospel and the organisation of the Church of Jesus Christ was accomplished. Each member of the Church, to be prepared for the millennial reign, must receive a testimony, each for himself, of the divinity of the work established by Joseph Smith.”  (Harold B. Lee, in CR Oct 1956)

If we cannot accept Joseph as the Prophet of this Dispensation, we cannot accept the priesthood ordinances and the organisation of the Church which will be the administrative force of the theocratic government of the Millenium.

This made me reflect on those who have left the Church because they have been sidetracked by false accusations to consider Joseph a fallen prophet. I know a few members who do so. I agonise over them when I read the consequences of their rejection of someone the Saviour himself had chosen to bring the world His truth (see D&C 121-16-22).

I believe each one of us who belongs to the Church will meet Joseph one day and we will see for ourselves the goodness of his heart and we will be grateful.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Bridegroom by LDS Book Store)

A TEMPLE APPEARING

 

I was very familiar with scriptures in Malachi which say that the Saviour will come suddenly to his temple and He shall purify the sons of Levi to offer an offering unto the Lord in righteousness (Malachi 3:1-3). This is obviously a reference to the temple in Jerusalem. I was not aware however, that this prophecy had a dual meaning.

Section 133 of the Doctrine and Covenants mentions again that the Lord will suddenly come to His temple before He pours out judgment upon the wicked (v 2) but no mention of the sons of Levi. This apparently is a reference to one of the latter-day temples. This prediction was partly fulfilled when the Saviour appeared in the Kirtland Temple in 1836 but there is apparently a broader meaning to this: “….the Lord shall come, without a doubt, to His Temple, where He will sit as ‘a refiner and purifier of silver’, purging the house of Israel and ministering to His people. This coming will be for the blessing and benefit of the most faithful of His saints. (Smith and Sjodahl, “Commentary”, p 840 and Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual p 335-6)

There is a parable of a woman who wanted to understand the process of refining silver in relation to Malachi’s prophecy. She visited a silversmith and watched the process of refining silver.

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered “Yes”, and explained that he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be damaged.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?” He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy. When I see my image in it.”

If it is true that the Saviour will meet His most faithful in His temple, the purification will be one of sanctification by the Holy Ghost. The symbolism of fire is only ever used for the purging effect of this member of the Godhead. What this suggests is that all those in Christ’s presence when He comes to His Temple will be so purified they will have Christ’s image in their countenance.

This holy occasion for the most privileged of Christ’s Church makes this prophecy by Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone a reality, which he spoke during the centennial of the Manti Temple dedication in April of 1987:

 

"Before the Saviour comes the world will darken. There will come a period of time when 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. When the Saviour comes He will honour His people. Those who are spared and prepared will be a temple-loving people. They will know Him.

 

“Our children will bow down at His feet and worship Him as the Lord of Lords, 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.”

 

When the Saviour comes, we will want to be in possession of a temple recommend….

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

Artist Unknown

JOSEPH, THE PIONEER OF OUR FAITH

 

Imagine you were called into your Bishop’s office and he said he had a brand- new calling that he feels God wants only you to fill. He tells you there will be members in your ward who will oppose you every step of the way, call you a fraud and even attempt to kill you for it. Would you accept?

This is Joseph, the Prophet of this Dispensation. He was called by God for our generation to have God’s word through him only and in no other way (D&C 5:10; see also “Sermons and Writings of Bruce R. McConkie [1989] p 19). In other words, a brand-new calling.

I am often amazed at the sheer magnitude of the responsibility Joseph had in restoring the Saviour’s Church. Not so much the work involved or even the persecution of the unbelievers, as great as that was, but the opposition which he had to deal with within the Church.  

When you consider that most of the early converts came from Christian backgrounds where they were no doubt indoctrinated in the concept that revelation from heaven has ceased, it is no surprise to me then that his death originated from within the Church. I don’t know how he withstood one betrayal after another, none of which prospered against him:

“In early 1844, a group of apostates in Nauvoo, Illinois, declared the Prophet Joseph Smith to be a fallen prophet and tried to start a rival church. Some even held secret meetings, during which they plotted to kill him. (See Glen L. Leonard, “Nauvoo: A Place of Peace, A People of Promise” [2002], 357-62.

There has been opposition to Joseph’s calling as the prophet of this Dispensation from the commencement of the Church to today. The Lord’s prophecy that ‘the ends of the earth shall inquire after his name and fools shall have him in derision’ (D&C 122:1) has truly been fulfilled. Joseph’s name has been slandered over and over. He has been called a gold digger, a fraud, a false prophet and a tool of Satan.

Joseph was also told in Liberty Jail that hell shall rage against him (D&C 122:1). There is only one person who is in charge of hell. Joseph was on Satan’s radar right from the beginning when he tried to silence him in the Grove (JSH 1:15): “It seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom else why should the powers of darkness combine against me?” (JST 1:20) And combine they did.

There is another who was called to a brand-new calling that would lead to His death. A greater disturber of Satan’s kingdom than Joseph. One of the accusations by the Sanhedrin that led to Jesus’ death was their claim that He too was a tool of Satan by whom He performed His miracles (Matthew 12:24-27).

We too are annoyers and disturbers of Satan’s kingdom. As the saints of this the last Dispensation we have ‘a labour to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness….” (Moroni 9:6). The greatest calling of all…..and not for the faint hearted.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Joseph by Brent Borup)

THE VALUE OF US

 

We preach extensively in the Church about the worth of a soul. I have read many times the scripture from which this concept originated (D&C 18:10). I understood this on a basic level until this week.

When God the Father showed Enoch His corrupted children that would be swept away in the flood, He wept at the loss (Moses 7:28). Enoch was beyond perplexed when he considered that God would sorrow over a ‘handful’ of His children compared to the immensity of His creations (v 29-31). The Father simply answered that these His children were ‘the workmanship” of His  hands (v 32). The dictionary defines ‘workmanship’ as ‘the product or result of labour and skill, or work executed’.

I pondered on this some years ago and considered the work that went into the making of us such as: 1. our spiritual creation which depended on the Father’s rise to Godhood; 2. Our spiritual tutoring for eons of time; 3. The creation of the earth for our mortality; 4. The overseeing of our earthly tutoring; 5. The preparation of kingdoms for our eternal destination; 6. The redemption of our souls through the sacrifice of another.

I also thought of the scale of guidance, protection, care, anguish and sorrow of our Heavenly Parents, the Holy Ghost, our guardian angels, our ancestors, our departed loved ones and all the hosts of heaven who know us….and not just what others have put into us but what we have put into ourselves….in this life and before we even came here.

I concluded from all my pondering we were like pieces of art from a Master’s touch but I missed one thing. I missed the love.

Yesterday, as I went through another bout of my suffering, into my mind came the Saviour on the cross and I could not help myself exclaiming: How much You must have valued us, sinners and saints, to be willing to go through Your unfathomable suffering! In that moment I understood “the worth of souls is great in the sight of God” (D&C 18:10), not because of all the work that went into us but because I understood our value from the Saviour of the world who claimed: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13).

The core of our value is love, for surely no man could have bled at every pore if there was no love. In that moment I understood my own worth because of the price of my salvation. And I  understood the love. Not just the love of Him who saved me but the love of Him who brought me into existence. Indeed we are children of God who loves us with a perfect love.

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: Salvation by Ron DiCianni)

LESSON FROM LIBERTY JAIL #3

 

LESSON FROM LIBERTY JAIL #3:

Remain Calm, Patient, Charitable, and Forgiving-

“It has always been a wonderful testimony to me of the Prophet Joseph’s greatness and the greatness of all of our prophets, including and especially the Saviour of the world in His magnificence, that in the midst of such distress and difficulty they could remain calm and patient, charitable, and forgiving – that they could even talk that way, let alone live that way. But they could and they did.

“The Spirit has a near-impossible task to get through to a heart that is filled with hate or anger or vengeance or self-pity. Those are all antithetical to the Spirit of the Lord. On the other hand, the Spirit finds instant access to a heart striving to be charitable and forgiving, long-suffering and kind – principles of true discipleship.”

-          Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Lessons From Liberty Jail”, BYU Speeches, 7 Sept 208

 

You stood in the vista of my heart

Granting me the wider view.

My eyes were opened

And I understood the meaning of You.

You came to this plane of sorrow

Your footsteps to pave the trail

To make all things anew;

I follow, I follow

To one day become like You.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Peace of God by Yongsung Kim)

THE PURE LOVE

 

I became convinced over the years that the pure love of Christ is a unique love to the Saviour and that we do not have an ability to develop this love no matter how hard we try. Moroni attests to this by saying that charity, or the pure love of Christ, is an endowment bestowed upon ‘all who are true followers of Jesus Christ’ (Moroni 7:48).

The pure love of Christ is therefore a gift, like many godly attributes that are bestowed upon us due to our righteousness but our inability to develop them ourselves…..except for one thing. None of these attributes come to us in the abstract. They are given through clinical experiences of mortality.

Elder Bruce C. Hafen discussed this very doctrine in preparing his biography of Elder Neal A. Maxwell. He talked at length about Elder Maxwell’s theory of “wintry doctrine” as opposed to what he called “warm and cuddly doctrines of the gospel”. The “wintry doctrine” was in his mind his belief that Jesus “will eventually request each of us to do those very things which are most difficult for us to do.” (Elder Bruce C. Hafen, “The Story of a Disciple’s Life: Preparing the Biography of Elder Neal A. Maxwell)

After Elder Maxwell was called to the Twelve, “he began to see discipleship as a personal growth process designed to develop Christlike attributes”. In 1996 that personal growth of discipleship became a reality as leukemia entered his life and taught him through suffering of Christ’s empathy for us. He began to experience the pure love that Christ has for other people. This is the doctrinal link that Elder Hafen gleaned from Elder Maxwell’s experience:

“Perhaps those who seek apprenticeship with the Master of mankind must emulate his sacrificial experience to the fullest extent of their personal capacity…. Only then are they like Him enough to feel His love for others THE WAY HE FEELS IT – to love, “AS I HAVE LOVED YOU” (John 13:34). That is a deeper, different love from “love thy neighbour as thyself.”  (Matthew 19:19)

“His love for all mankind is fully bound up in His exquisite pain…..Perhaps we cannot know His love without knowing His pain. If so, the personal suffering we confront…could move the pure love of Christ from a concept in one’s head to a substance in one’s heart. And once in the heart, charity will circulate all through the body, because it is being moved by “a new heart”. (Elder Bruce C. Hafen, “Preparing the Biography of Elder Neal A. Maxwell)

To have this unique love of Christ take its place in our hearts is worth all the suffering we as mortals can endure…it is priceless…

I stand in awe of Him who possesses this love…..the greatness is beyond my limited mind.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: With All My Heart by Yongsung Kim) 

LESSON FROM LIBERTY JAIL #2

 

Even the Worthy Will Suffer –

 “When we promise to follow the Saviour, to walk in His footsteps and be His disciples, we are promising to go where that divine path leads us. And the path of salvation has always led one way or another through Gethsemane.

“So if the Saviour faced injustices and discouragements, persecutions, unrighteousness, and suffering, we cannot expect that we are not going to face some of that if we still intend to call ourselves His true disciples and faithful followers. And it certainly underscores the fact that the righteous – in the Saviour’s case, the personification of righteousness – can be totally worthy before God and still suffer.”

-          Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Lessons From Liberty Jail”, BYU Speeches, 7 Sept 2008

 

I was tempted my burdens

To lay to Your charge;

I considered them acutely unfair.

Then you opened my heart

And showed me Your godly task,

Beyond human capacity to bear.

 

Knowing where you had gone

I would never have to go,

I sorrowed and sought

My arrogance to bury;

In humility I assent,

Your mortal burden,

So valiant, so holy,

I would never in this life

Have to carry.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Gethsemane by Danny Hahlbohm)

THE CROSS

 

Sometimes we encounter on our path a person who leaves an indelible imprint on us. This person might not have been placed there to enrich your life. This person might have been placed in your life for their benefit, and not yours. This person might have been placed alongside you for their betterment, for their testing ground, or even for the path to their salvation. This person might have been someone you carried on your back in the shape of a cross.

If you have been damaged by someone who has left a lasting scar on your soul, you will know who this person is. You might have berated yourself for ever becoming involved with them by not having foresight into long term effects of such a union. And then there is an even tougher pill to swallow….you might not have had any control of such involvement.

This person might have indeed become a better person because of knowing you. They might have repented and turned themselves around, or they might still be persisting in their self-destructive ways. You might often wonder what the purpose was of this part of your life.  I speak from experience.

Some years ago I had a priesthood blessing from my Bishop. In it I was told that my life had been planned in pre-earth life and that I accepted this plan because of my deep faith in Jesus Christ. I suspect this was the case for us all because everything is subject to man’s moral agency. Perhaps we were a tad naïve. It’s like a pregnant woman preparing for a birth she has never been through before.

One thing I know. The Father loves all His children and He wanted all of them saved. In His wisdom He could see that some of us could be the saving path for others and so He planned that we be inter-connected for each other’s highest good. He knew that some of us would have to suffer but He also knew that it was for overall good of our collective salvation. Just imagine the Father’s aching heart for all the tears you have shed…..how difficult it must have been to devise such a plan.

This also I know. Just as some of us would have to be sacrificed in some ways for the benefit of others, someone would be sacrificed for us too: a man of integrity, a man of perfection, a man of strength and power, an older brother, a giant of a brother! A brother who no doubt watched over us in our innocence, allayed our fears, gave advice, applauded our progress….a brother we trusted could carry all of us on His back, forgive all our blunders, wipe out all our sorrows, and heal all our cracks. Now imagine the Father’s sorrow over that…..

And this is His promise: “I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten……which I sent among you.”  Joel 2:25

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: In His Tender Care by Jay Bryant Ward)

LESSON FROM LIBERTY JAIL #1

 

Everyone Faces Trying Times -

“The righteous will be called upon to face trying times. When that happens we can sometimes fear God has abandoned us. When suffering, we may in fact be nearer to God than we’ve ever been in our entire lives. When what has to be has been and when what lessons to be learned have been learned, it will be for us as it was for the Prophet Joseph. Just at the time he felt most alone and distant from heaven’s ear was the very time he received the wonderful ministration of the Spirit and wonderful, glorious answers that came from His Father in Heaven.

“Even though seemingly unjust circumstances may be heaped upon us and even though unkind and unmerited things may be done to us – perhaps by those we consider enemies but also, in some cases, by those whom we thought were friends – nevertheless, through it all, God is with us.”

-          Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Lessons From Liberty Jail” BYU Speeches,7 Sept 2008

 

The winds of tribulation scatter my hopes

Like feathers they lift to the sky.

They find You there

ever waiting to answer my pleas;

To restore that which is lost,

To renew that which is broken.

I stand amazed at Your love, Your care:

Your everlasting token.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Comforted by Lester Yocum)