IN COMMUNION

 

Deep Calls to Deep by Aeron Brown

Like the dying sun that melts into the sea,

Like the night that kisses early dawn,

Like the river that meets the shore;

You bid me come to Thee

In sweet communion forever more.

 

-      Cathryne Allen

ONENESS

 

“It should be clear what kind of ‘oneness’ is meant by the Atonement – it is being received in a close embrace of the prodigal son, expressing not only forgiveness but oneness of heart and mind that amounts to identity, like a literal family identity…...”  (Hugh Nibley, ‘Approaching Zion’, 567-68)

Elder Orson V. Whitney experienced such an embrace in his dream: “I ran to meet Him….fell at His feet, clasped Him around the knees, and begged Him to take me with Him. I shall never forget the kind and gentle manner in which He stooped, raised me up, and embraced me. It was so vivid, so real. I felt the very warmth of His body, as He held me in His arms.” (Whitney, “Through Memory’s Halls”, 83)

“If there is any imagery upon which I would focus…it is two scriptures from the Book of Mormon. The one in which we are reminded that Jesus himself is the gatekeeper and that ‘He employeth no servant there’. (2 Nephi 9:41)

“I will tell you ….out of the conviction of my soul…what I think the major reason is why ‘He employeth no servant there’, as contained in another Book of Mormon scripture which says He waits for you ‘with open arms’ (Mormon 6:17). That’s why He’s there! He waits for you ‘with open arms’……It is imagery that should work itself into the very center core of one’s mind – a rendezvous impending, a moment in time and space, the likes of which there is none other.”  (Neal A. Maxwell, “But a Few Days”, 7)

I stood at the veil

As You were about to leave

Sorrowing that not all would believe.

 

I prayed for Father’s power

To protect Your gentle heart

From the blow that might tear You apart.

 

I knew my soul You would save

And all Your promises You would fulfil;

I stood at the veil, unable to leave,

Holding Your crown for You to receive.

 

I stood and I waited that fateful day

In awe of what You did to pave the way.

I could scarcely comprehend Your godly might,

I stood at the veil and gave You my heart.

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(ART: Come and See by Tyler Anderson)

AS ONE

 

I have always found the Intercessory Prayer touching and have reflected on it many times in my hope of understanding Jesus’s plea that those of us who believe on Him might be one with Him and the Father, as they are one (John 17:20,21).

As I have thought about it over the years, I concluded that we can be one with God the Father and the Son in our common purpose which is eternal life, which would involve our submission to God’s will. That’s unity and being one with God.  

However, I am of the opinion that there is a deeper meaning to being ‘as one’ in this prayer. It is not just being ‘as one’ but being one as ‘the Father is IN Christ and Christ IN Him’ so that we might also be IN them (v 21).

This deeper meaning would suggest that God the Father is IN us because He has access to the secret chambers of our hearts. Often this fact is brought to our attention as a warning to keep us on the straight and narrow by encouraging us to pursue the path of righteousness in our thoughts, desires and actions (Mosiah 4:30; Ezekiel 11:5; Genesis 6:5; 2 Nephi 9:20; Helaman 9:41; D&C 6:16; Alma 12:14; Jacob 1:4-6; Proverbs 6:16-19).

When we succeed in narrowing our distance from Him, and the reality of Him is a certainty in our lives, we are more inclined to be watchful of what we harbour in our hearts because we don’t want to live in shame. There is nothing He doesn’t know about us, including our needs, because of His power and because He is the Father of our spirits (Matthew 6:8).

The deeper meaning of being IN the Saviour is of course His experience with the Atonement where He got to know us intimately. The other side of the coin is our responsibility to have Him in US. This involves allowing the Holy Ghost access to burn the Saviour’s teachings and His love for us into the tablets of our hearts.

The advantage of having the Godhead in us is their knowledge of the intents of our hearts. This means when we are not performing to our best ability, their understanding of our situation and suffering of the moment means that they know it is not because of rebellion but because of lack of capacity. Sometimes our actions do not equate our intentions because we momentarily lack power due to our mortal weakness. This paves the way to mercy and grace.

The purpose of the Saviour’s mission was and still is to unite us with the Father…..to help us know Him through Him, that we might be IN Him and He IN us….He is the way, He is the intercessor……He is our all.

He hears me when in the solitude

Of my darkest nights on Him I call.

 

He hears me when in the silence, my heart

Tries to hide my fears that I might fall.

 

He hears me when in the crowds, my mind

Wanders and doubts begin their insidious call.

 

He hears me whether I cry to Him or not

Because He knows my very soul,

He knows it all. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: He Hears Me by Greg Collins)

TO BE ONE

 

 

There are two reasons why the Father loves the Son. And He loves Him and favours Him above all others, and this is why:

1. Because of what He has done for the rest of His children by way of salvation. Love is a two way street and nobody loves the Father more than the Son. If we loved Him as much, we would be sinless also.

2. In Jesus’ words: ‘I do ALWAYS those things that please Him’ (John 8:29). The operative word here is ‘always’…..not sometimes because I have to please other people  too and not sometimes because I have to please myself also…….but always….. I do the right thing ALWAYS to bring joy and delight to my Father….for I am a dutiful Son.

Through His relentless obedience, the Saviour grew one with the Father before this world even began. He gained the status of a God before worlds were rolled into existence. In fact, worlds came into existence BECAUSE He became a God (Moses 1:33). He became like the Father in every instance. The Father’s will became His will. The Father’s power became His power. The Father’s glory became His glory. Can you imagine such oneness??? And because of this oneness, Christ inherited all the Father has.

I suspect there is so much more to this theory than we can possibly fathom here and now. There is so much we do not understand in this life that we are given to know. Truth that is discerned only through the manifestations of the spirit are sometimes difficult to access when we are so busy trying to decipher the complexities of our mundane earthly lives. But I do know one thing. We are now being prepared, through the Gospel of His Son, to be brought back into the presence of the Father. The oneness has to begin here and now. There is only one sure way to achieve this and that is by emulating the life of the Son. Pleasing the Father should be our only objective, not anybody else, and most certainly not ourselves. In a world where ‘living MY truth’ has become supreme, this can be a challenge on many levels. When we can say with sincerity of heart: ‘I always do those things that please Him’, we have arrived to the oneness with God. Then when all this is over and we have been sanctified, we can step into His presence with surety that we belong there….no, we will not step, we will run…..

 

I yearn to remember the splendour of my eternal home;

I yearn to feel the closeness of Thy presence

And the warmth of Thy embrace.

Grant me Father might to follow Thee,

And desire to always seek Thy face,

That we might be one through Thy Son’s eternal grace.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art AI Generated by unknown)