FORERUNNERS PART 1:

 

In the ancient world there were men who held an important job. They were required to go ahead of a travelling party to clear the path of fallen trees, rocks, undesirable persons or any obstacles that would prevent the travelling party from finishing their journey. They prepared the way. They were called 'forerunners'.

In my patriarchal blessing there is an interesting sentence that goes like this: "As you remain faithful to your trust, your guardian angels will never forsake you. They will go before you to 'prepare the way' and will be close to you and give you strength to resist evil."

I have reflected on this and wondered how much harder I would have struggled in my life had not an obstacle been removed from my path here and there, a temptation repressed, a disaster averted, a hurtful incident prevented. I realised that I could very well have come this far more on the merits of my forerunners than on my own strength.

It amazes me that even the Saviour needed a forerunner. I reflected on this too and realised he had five obvious ones. The most famous 'forerunner' to whom this title was applied symbolically was John the Baptist. John was born according to God's promise to be 'the voice crying in the wilderness' to herald the arrival of one greater than he, as prophesied by Isaiah (40:3) and Malachi (3:1).

His ministry provided a nucleus of faithful baptised believers from whom Jesus could call His apostles. These were men already converted and ready to serve, and well prepared under John’s ministry to believe and act the instant the Saviour called them to abandon everything and follow Him. Such was the power of John the Baptist, a martyr, who valiantly testified, taught and prepared the way and whom Jesus characterized as "a burning and a shining light" (John 5:35).

But John had someone who ‘prepared the way’ for him too….his parents, who are the greatest example of parental forerunners. Stricken in age and childless, they fulfilled an incredible prophesy and brought John into life safeguarding him from murderous Herod so he could grow into manhood and fulfil his purpose. Both John and his father were martyred in the end for their roles as forerunners (See Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p 261; Matthew 23:35; Matt 14:3-12).

There are two other important examples of parental forerunners and they are Mary and Joseph. They were entrusted with a priceless charge of infant Jesus but more on them later. Considering their spiritual calibre, it is not hard to conclude that these five people were handpicked in pre-earth life for this purpose (D&C 138:55,56).

I look back on my parental forerunners and am grateful for the greatest sacrifice they made to take me out of a socialist country in my youth and bring me to Australia so I could have freedom to become who I was destined to be, by taking upon myself the name of Him, through the waters of baptism, who had foreordained me to have His Gospel in this life and to bear witness of His name.

 

What faith You had

In those who held You

by Your mortal hand;

How loyal to their charge

Were they who sustained You

When it all began.

How tender their heart

To see the Hope of Israel

And recognize The Great I am.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Child of Grace by Liz Lemon Swindle)