GARMENTS OF SALVATION

 

Robe of Righteousness by Phil McKay

 

In speaking of the physical restoration of Zion in the last days, Isaiah used the marriage figure to depict the covenant between the Lord and His people. Zion is a “bride” adorned with pearls who awaits her “husband”, Jesus Christ. It’s a beautiful depiction of the joy awaiting the saints of the latter-days (see The Old Testament Student Manual Book 2, p 207):

 

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” (Isaiah 61:10)

 

A prophet who used the imagery of the ‘garments of salvation’ on a more personal level is Nephi of the Book of Mormon. Nephi leaves me breathless when I read his lamentation over his humanity and his pleading that the “gates of hell be shut continually before him” so that he may have a broken heart and a contrite spirit and “walk in the path of the low valley….” (2 Nephi 4:32). What makes it heart rending is that Nephi was an incredibly righteous man. Anyone who laments over their humanity though, which diverts one’s course of righteousness, would relate to Nephi’s heartfelt remorse for his sins and imperfections.

 

What he said next, however, is what tugs at my heart. Nephi was an ardent admirer of Isaiah and he referred to him simply as ‘the prophet’. He quoted Isaiah’s reference to ‘the robe of righteousness’ in the very next verse and he did so with great meaning and reason:

 

"Oh Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! ......Oh Lord, I have trusted in thee and I will trust in thee forever.........I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God."    (2 Nephi 4:33,35)

 

And this is the reason why Nephi appealed to God for His ‘robe of righteousness’. Lehi, his father was a successful and rich merchant and the family lived on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Living and trading so close to the desert means the family would have been accustomed to Bedouin’s way of life. Nephi would have been very familiar with the significance of ‘the robe’:

 

"In Arabic culture, when a person is running away, he runs to the tent of any great sheikh he can find. He goes in and kneels down before the sheikh and says, 'I am thy suppliant'. The sheikh is then obligated to put his caftan over his katef which is the same as shoulder - to put the hem of his garment over his shoulder and say, 'Ahlan wa-sahlan wa-marhaban'. This is your tent, this is your family'....He says, 'We'll make a place for you'. Then the lord or the chief is under obligation to defend you against the enemies that are chasing you. You are now under his protection, and he will protect you."  - Hugh Nibley, Teachings of the Book of Mormon, Semester 1. (Provo, Utah: Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies), p. 252

 

The significance of ‘the robe’ was well known throughout the ancient Near East. Cast your mind back to Jesus’ time when the woman from Capernaum who had suffered for 12 years with 'an issue of blood' understood this concept too. She had spent everything she had on treatments that had been fruitless and had brought her no relief from her chronic condition. Then there came a ray of hope. She had heard of Jesus whom many proclaimed to be the Messiah who spoke with authority and when He spoke people were healed.

 

The possibility of a healing worked in her to the point of complete faith that this man was her only hope. When she pressed through the crowds, however, she did not pat the Messiah on His back, she descended to the hem of his robe for the point of contact to release her faith for a miracle in her life. The touch needed, the robe crucial, for attached to the robe of His garment were tassels which represented the word of God (Numbers 15:37-41) and the authority of Yeshua whose divinity she was acknowledging.

 

One would think this sacred act of faith is sufficient for a faith promoting story but this story teaches us about more than faith on behalf of this woman. This story teaches us about the protective nature of the Lord's robe of righteousness. According to the Levitical law it was forbidden for this woman to be in public for she was considered socially unclean (Lev. 15:25). The Saviour knew that she was healed when she touched His robe and she knew that she was healed but nobody else would have known had He not made her faith known to the gathered crowd. How else could she have proved her healing to those who would have to proclaim her socially clean? The Saviour knew this and announced her cleanliness amidst many witnesses. That’s protection of His robe of righteousness.

 

Another wonderful example. In the country of the Gadarenes there was a man who was beset by a legion of devils who lived in tombs and cried night and day, cutting himself with stones (Mark 5:1-5). The Gospel of Luke tells us this man wore no clothes (Luke 8:27). In scripture, to be naked is to have your sins, vulnerabilities and weaknesses exposed. When all Jewish men wore robes and prayer shawls with tassels which reminded them of God, the legions of devils residing in this man must have wanted his nakedness exposed to signify lack of God's protection from his sins.

 

The idea of having our sins and vulnerabilities enfolded in the Saviour's robes, which can offer us protection from the same, is seen when John the Baptist rebuked the Pharisses and Sadduccees, warning them: "If ye receive not me, ye receive not him of whom I am sent to bear record; and for your sins ye have no cloak" (JST Matthew 3:34). The possessed man was not only freed from devil possession but was given protection from his sins by His robe of righteousness as he sat, fully clothed, in his right mind, at the feet of the Saviour (Luke 8:35).

 

The robe of righteousness exists for the spiritually astute of this day also. We might not have visual reminders of God’s protection, but it is there for the asking every time we kneel in prayer before His throne…..

CHILDREN OF CHRIST

 

I Am A Child of God by Howard Lyon

“And now I say unto you, who shall declare his generation? Behold, I say unto you, that when his soul has been made an offering for sin he shall see his seed. And now what say ye? And who shall be his seed?

“Behold, I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord – I say unto you, that all those who have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are the heirs of the kingdom of God. (Mosiah 15:10,11; Isaiah 53:10)

“The seed of Christ are those who are adopted into his family, who by faith have become his sons and his daughters. They are the children of Christ in that they are his followers and disciples and keep his commandments” (4 Nephi 17; Mormon 9:26; Moroni 7:19). (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p 700).

King Benjamin of the Book of Mormon spoke at great length to his people about the importance of becoming children of Christ. The setting of King Benjamin’s speech was the occasion of his son Mosiah's succession to the throne. This was however, a coronation with a difference. 

It was common practice anciently for a new king ascending the throne to be given as many as five names or titles by which he was distinguished among the people; to acknowledge his greatness and his achievements; and to establish him as the link between the people and the divine.  (See Scripture Central Post of October 17, 2019, Know Why 536). King Benjamin, however, did something extraordinary at his son's coronation. Instead of using this occasion to bring prominence to his son, he mentions Mosiah only twice. Once to announce him as the new king and once again to affirm that he will act under the direction of God for the benefit of the people (Mosiah 2:30,31).

Rather than proclaiming his son as the divine king as was expected anciently, King Benjamin solidified his people's reliance on The Heavenly King (Mosiah 2:19) by enumerating His endless goodness and honouring Him with names worthy of His station as the promised Messiah, such as: Jesus Christ, The Son of God, The Father of Heaven and Earth, The Lord Omnipotent and The Creator of all things from the beginning. But King Benjamin didn't stop there. He bestowed upon his people a new name that would bind them to the Heavenly King forever. He proclaimed that they be known by the name of Christ rather than by his son's name which would have been the usual protocol.

Mosiah’s subjects entered into a covenant of obedience to Christ and His Gospel and thus became ‘spiritually born’ of him and were known as 'the children of Christ' (Mosiah 5:7). Today we become spiritually born through the covenant of baptism as we take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ. We become CHRISTians.

King Benjamin mentioned the importance of having Christ’s name 11 times in 6 verses of Mosiah 5 (V 7-12). Why is this important? Because when we are born physically, we take upon ourselves our earthly father’s name and just as we are genetically predisposed to inherit their physical and mental traits, so we, when we take upon ourselves the name of Christ, and live his teachings, inherit His spiritual qualities. In other words, we become like Him by the virtue of our newly acquired parental bond (Moroni 7:48). This gives a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘you’re just like your father’, does it not???

I have written about this personal experience before but will repeat it here because it fits the narrative of this post rather well. My baptism into the Church was a traumatic experience for my family. I was 18 and my father was strongly opposed to me changing my religion. I was told that I had to choose between my family and the Church. I chose the Church which meant I had to leave home. My parents were devastated and refused to have any contact with me for a whole year. It was the most stressful event of my then young life.

Shortly after my baptism I had an unusual and highly symbolic dream. I was in a high rise building with my parents when there appeared a lot of commotion on the street below. We hurried down to see what was happening, but when we reached the street level a white matter akin to snow fell on top of us. We dug our way up to the top, but I was the only one that emerged. As I surveyed the street, I saw whiteness everywhere. I looked to my right and saw the Saviour coming towards me with outstretched arms saying: “Where are my children?” I did not understand that dream straight away, but the understanding came as I studied the scriptures and came to see that my baptism was the gateway to new birth.

When through the water’s gate

I was given the Saviour’s name,

His law was written in my heart

Forever there to remain.

 

I offered love, I obeyed,

I followed the paths He had me take;

I’ve endured all my trials

For His name’s sake.

 

And when in clouds of heaven He appears

And I stand in the shadow of His frame,

I want to hear the Saviour say:

I love what you have done with my name!

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

A CALL TO ZION

 

Millenium The Long Awaited Hour by Charlotte Noelle Pedersen

I call Chapter 51 of Isaiah ‘a call to Zion’. This chapter is specifically directed to ‘the redeemed’ of the last days as is thus addressed:

“Hearken unto me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord… (v 1);

“Hearken unto me, my people…..(v 4);

“Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law.. (v 7)

The ‘redeemed of the Lord’ are those who are of the Abrahamic covenant ‘as in the ancient days, in the generations of old’ (v 1,9). They are called to ‘look unto Abraham your father and unto Sarah that bare you, the rock from whence you are hewn” (v 1,2). Not only is this a reference to our ancient parents of the covenant because they were righteous and had set the path of example but because they provided the path to the seeking of Zion which they themselves were devoted to :

“Abraham’s diligence in seeking God is mentioned in the book of Abraham at the very point of his departure from Haran when he will, a Hebrews say, go looking for the city with foundations (Abraham 2:12). It is the same city, as scholars point out, that is also referred to in the next chapter of Hebrews: “But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn” (Heb 12:22-23).

“When similar language is used in latter-day scripture, it describes the people of Enoch. Those attaining celestial glory are said to “come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all. These are they who have come to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of Enoch, and of the Firstborn” (D&C 76:66-67). Clearly Abraham was seeking Enoch’s city of Zion.” (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 805)

That we are to prepare to live a terrestrial life of the Millenial reign is evident by Isaiah 51:11 where he says that ‘sorrow and mourning shall flee away and everlasting joy shall be upon our heads’ (Isaiah 51:11). These are the conditions of the Millenium. Right now we are in a telestial world. The Millenium will be a terrestrial existence. It will be a lifestyle that will prepare the most righteous for a celestial life, a life with God the Father. I am more convinced of it when I look at the City of Enoch and its ascension to God.

There is a pattern that we will follow during the Millenium to prepare us for the celestial life with the Father,  Eternal God, and this is it. The golden age of the City of Enoch is the blueprint of New Jerusalem, the modern day Millenial Zion upon the American continent. Enoch’s city had another name: the City of Holiness (Moses 7:19). There is only one reason why this city was called the City of Holiness and that’s because ‘the Lord came and dwelt with his people’ and ‘dwelt in the midst of Zion  (Moses 7:16;69). It was He who was the embodiment of holiness and not its people. Much like He will be in New Jerusalem during the Millenium.

When the Saviour comes and resides in New Jerusalem, “the need will disappear for the sun and the moon to give light to God’s covenant people. The Lord Himself will be an everlasting light…and all the city will be lighted up by the glory of His presence….” (Orson Pratt, in “Journal of Discourses”, 14:355-56; see also D&C 133:57-58)

Because the Saviour was there with the people of Enoch, they ‘were of one heart and one mind and dwelt in righteousness and there was no poor among them’ (v 18). This description tells us one thing: because the citizens of Zion were true followers of Christ, they were endowed with His pure love.

Without the pure love of Christ we can never become citizens of Celestial Kingdom. A Zion life-style prepares us for this eventuality. And here is something we need to know. This pure love is unique only to Christ. It is solely His kind of love. We do not possess it and neither are we capable of developing it. His pure love is an endowment to those who love Him and follow Him (Moroni 7:48). That’s the good news.

It took Enoch’s city 365 years of ‘walking with the Saviour’ to reach the state of holiness which ‘lifted them up, even into the bosom of the Father and of the Son of Man’ (Moses 7:24,69). Much like 1,000 Millenial years will prepare us for the same.

When the Saviour returns, those who are spared will be those who are only ‘more’ righteous than those who will not be spared, like the Nephites of old when he appeared to them after His resurrection (3 Nephi 9:13). There will be no perfect people on earth when He comes. Perfection only comes in and through Him. The Saviour will live with His saints upon this earth for a thousand years to perfect them through His grace and endow them with His pure love in preparation for the celestial realm.

When the Saviour returns, Enoch’s city will return with Him to live with Zion, the New Jerusalem (Moses 7:62). This is us. They will meet us there and “we will fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other” (Moses 7:63)….it will be a meeting of hearts knit together with the pure love of Christ. The Saviour is at the door….the Millennium imminent. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

A MARVELLOUS WORK AND A WONDER

 

Moroni Burying the Plates by Katie Payne

It should be exhilarating for every member of the Church to read of Isaiah’s prophecy of the gathering of the House of Israel in the last days. Chapter 29 of Isaiah in particular, because it authenticates the greatest treasure in our possession which is the key component of this gathering, the Book of Mormon.

Modern day historians are yet to discover the meaning of the ‘sealed’ book that Isaiah spoke of in verses 11-12 which was to begin a ‘marvellous work and a wonder’  (v 14) being the restoration of the priesthood, Christ’s Church, the ordinances and the gospel truths (see also The Old Testament Student Manual Book 2 p 165).

It is a wonder why the Lord used an uneducated man such as Joseph Smith to translate the Book of Mormon rather than an educated one who would no doubt have had more clout amongst the academia of the world and would successfully validate the translation of the plates as an authentic record of an American civilisation that once was.

I strongly suspect if this was the case, the world would not recognise the Lord as the one to who was responsible for this “marvellous work and a wonder” but would lay the credit to the intellect of man instead. Joseph’s education was very ordinary attained in the country schools in the vicinity in which he had lived. He could read and write a little yet he did not, like Professor Anthon of New York City, refuse to read a ‘sealed book’. When the book was delivered to him and he was requested to read it, he replied: “ I am not learned” yet that did not stop him from being a willing instrument in God’s hands to translate the record.

I am astounded that anyone could read the Book of Mormon that was translated by an uneducated man and not believe in its authenticity and the power of God that made it so.

Isaiah spoke of the spiritual blindness being lifted from the people who will come to ‘hear’ the words of ‘a sacred book’ before Lebanon shall be turned into a ‘fruitful field’ (vs 17-19):

“Where is that book? It is one of the signs of the times. Not only did the prophets predict its appearance, but Isaiah set a limit on the time of its publication. That time limit was related to the period when fertility would return to Palestine. Isaiah said that the book would come forth first, and then added that in ‘a very little while….Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest’ (v 17).

“The time has expired. This new volume of scripture must have come forth before now or Isaiah was not a true prophet, for Palestine is fruitful again.” (Elder Mark E. Petersen, in Conference Report, Oct. 1965, p 61)

And here is the proof that the Book of Mormon is indeed the book Isaiah spoke of. Isaiah did not only see the destruction of Jerusalem (vs 1-3), he also saw the destruction of a people on the American continent whose speech ‘shall be low out of the dust’  through the words of the book that was brought forth ‘out of the ground’ (v 4).

American prophet Nephi spoke of the destruction of his people when he said that they shall write the things which shall be done among them, ‘and they shall be written and sealed up in a book’ and yet they shall be brought down low in the dust and they shall speak out of the ground (2 Nephi 26:15-17).

“How could Joseph Smith have known these things when the Book of Mormon was published even before this Church was organized, except for the fact that the Book of Mormon is the promised record that God said he would bring forth and join to the record of Judah. How could anyone understand this prophecy of Isaiah without the explanation contained in the Book of Mormon?” (Elder LeGrand Richards, in Conference Report April 1963, p 118)

The book Isaiah spoke of was taken from the ground, just as Isaiah prophesied, by the hand of the angel Moroni and delivered to Joseph Smith on 22 September 1827. The book stands as a second witness of Jesus Christ, that He lived, was crucified and that He was resurrected. It contains the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ (D&C 20:8-12; 42:12), is the keystone of our religion and is central to the Gathering of Israel.

“The coming forth of the Book of Mormon is a sign to the entire world that the Lord has commenced to gather Israel and fulfill covenants He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob….the Book of Mormon is central to this work. It declares the doctrine of the gathering. It causes people to learn about Jesus Christ, to believe His gospel, and to join His Church. In fact, if there were no Book of Mormon, the promised gathering of Israel would not occur.”  (President Russell M. Nelson, “The Book of Mormon, the Gathering of Israel, and the Second Coming”, Ensign, November 2006, 80).

The publication of the Book of Mormon has topped 200 million copies worldwide according to the official Church news release in April 2024.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

BEYOND THE VEIL

 

Arms of Faith by Yongsung Kim

To say that the scriptural accounts of those who have had visions of God’s kingdom beyond the veil are easy to comprehend would be an understatement. We have no reference to describe such experiences and we simply lack the language also. The Prophet Joseph Smith provided a perspective on this when he said:

“Could we read and comprehend all that has been written from the days of Adam, on the relation of man to God and angels in a future state, we should know very little about it. Reading the experience of others, or the revelation given to them, can never give us a comprehensive view of our condition and true relation to God. Knowledge of these things can only be obtained by experience through the ordinances of God set forth for that purpose. Could you gaze into heaven five minutes, you would know more than you would by reading all that ever was written on the subject.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p 324)

Even the Saviour had difficulty explaining the workings of the universe and the kingdoms that existed within it in a revelation given to Joseph Smith and contained in Doctrine and Covenants 88. You can almost feel His frustration in reading His words: “Unto what shall I liken these kingdoms, that ye may understand?” (v 46) And then His summation of the difficulty of the task: “Behold, all these are kingdoms, and any man who hath seen any or the least of these hath seen God moving in his majesty and power.”  (v 47)

Isaiah endeavoured to describe what he was permitted to see of the celestial sphere in chapter 6 of his book (vs 1-4) by using images and terms with which his readers could identify, but even he sensed how much he fell short of communicating the reality of his experience. The description of his experience is definitely beyond my understanding or appreciation because I cannot relate to it.

Others who have had visions of the celestial realms have cited Isaiah’s somewhat adequate summation of such an experience which readers of all generations and time-lines can understand:

“For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.” (Isaiah 64:4)

Paul refined Isaiah’s explanation to the Corinthians by saying: “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Perhaps the testimony of the Nephites is the greatest of the glories beyond the veil:

“And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvellous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father.” (3 Nephi 17:16-17)

The joy is an incentive to those who want to experience the reality of the glories beyond the veil…..

Some days, Father, I cannot bear,

The absence of Your touch.

I cannot wait for Your embrace

That I have missed so very much.

 

In this abyss of worldly darkness

I stumble but I fall into the arms of Him

Who lifts me higher than I can go.

 

I fly to You, Father, on my wings of faith,

I sail through stormy skies,

Seeking for Thy face.

Look Father, no hands!

Only trust in these strong arms

Of my Saviour’s loving grace.

 

-      CATHRYNE ALLEN

THE ART OF PRAYER 2

 

Pray In Faith, Believing by Greg Collins

Christ's humility in praying to the Father has always amazed me.  He who proclaimed himself to be the life of the world, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end (3 Nephi 9:18), a god in his own right, knelt upon the ground with the Nephites and prayed, but not just any prayer, for the scriptures record "....The eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvellous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father" (3 Nephi 17:16).

What did He say? What words could He have possibly used to express such high regard and affection toward the Father He so loved? Verse 15 states that what He prayed about cannot be written. Perhaps because there was some revelatory content of that prayer that we could not sufficiently understand on this mortal level. I also know that some heavenly manifestations and revelations cannot be put into words because our earthly language is inadequate. I mostly suspect it was the latter and that Jesus spoke words of utmost respect and devotion, of love and adoration, of submission and gratitude that there were no adequate words to describe it.

Another significant prayer of which we have a record is the one the Saviour uttered at the Last Supper which we know as the ‘intercessory prayer’, and which could only be addressed to none but the Father whom He loved and longed to be with again (John 17):

“It has been called, and not inappropriately, the Lord’s High-Priestly Prayer. In it Jesus acknowledged the Father as the source of His power and authority, which authority extends even to the giving of eternal life to all who are worthy….With unfathomable love the Lord pleaded for those whom the Father had given Him, the apostles then present, who had been called out from the world, and who had been true to their testimony of Himself as the Son of God.”  (James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p 609) 

We too can speak such sublime words of worship.  We can be given those words by the power of the Holy Ghost and we can speak with the tongue of angels each time we bend our knees and come before the throne of God who yearns to gather us into his bosom and bring us home (2 Nephi 32:2) 

There is another form of prayer and that is a prayer of power. At the Last Supper, Jesus directed his disciples for the first time to pray to the Father in His name with assurance of success in supplication: “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it (John 14:13,14). The name of Jesus Christ was to be thenceforth the divinely established talisman by which the powers of heaven could be invoked to operate in any righteous undertaking.” (James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p 603)

The prayer of power is not just any simple prayer with the mention of the Saviour’s name at the end. For it to glorify the Father, the supplication needs to be a submitted in conjunction with professed faith in Jesus Christ. Just mentioning Him at the end of the prayer is not sufficient in my mind.  

A story of Alma and Amulek from the Book of Mormon is an ideal example of this: Alma, and his convert and missionary companion, Amulek, found themselves in captivity in the most wicked city where they sat in a dungeon naked, suffering hunger, thirst, and physical abuse by their captors (Alma 14:18-23).

In the extremity of their captivity, Alma offered the most heart-wrenching petition to God: “How long shall we suffer these great afflictions, O Lord? O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance. ” (Alma 14:26). The cords which held Alma and Amulek bound were broken instantly, the earth shook mightily, and the walls of the prison were rent in twain. Alma and Amulek went out of the prison, “and they were not hurt; for the Lord had granted unto them power, according to their faith which was in Christ.” (v 28)

There is no greater prayer than the prayer uttered through faith in Jesus Christ. I bear witness of this because I too was a recipient of deliverance. Through my greatest trial in life, I prayed using these words: “through my faith in Jesus Christ and the power of His Atonement, I ask for the healing of my heart…….”.  It was a deliverance from pain I felt would split my chest open. The healing came within weeks of consistent pleading through my unshaken faith in Him who has bled that I might live. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

THE GATE KEEPER

 

Clouds of Glory by Greg Sargent

“If there is an 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 gate keeper 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. That imagery is too powerful to brush aside….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. And that rendezvous is a reality. I certify that to you. He does wait for us with open arms, because His love for us is perfect.”

-          Neal A. Maxwell, But A Few Days, p 7

 

I have no life but this,

To know the scope of You.

I have no wish but this,

To feel that You want this too.

I have no life but this,

To know Thy approving glance;

To kneel at Thy feet,

To know there is a chance.

I have no life but this

To follow the path to Thy throne

To be greeted with a holy kiss,

And know the reality of such bliss.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

THE ROBE OF HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS

 

Robe of Righteousness by Phil Mckay

“It was the custom for one fleeing for his life in the desert to seek protection in the tent of a great sheik, crying out, “Ana dakhiluka”, meaning ‘I am thy suppliant’, whereupon the host would place the hem of his robe over the guest's shoulder and declare him under his protection.

“In one instance in the Book of Mormon, we see Nephi fleeing from an evil enemy that is pursuing him. In great danger, he prays the Lord to give him an open road in the low way, to block his pursuers, and to make them stumble. He comes to the Lord as a suppliant: ‘O Lord wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! (2 Nephi 4:33).

“In reply, according to the ancient custom, the Master would place the hem of his robe protectively over the kneeling man’s shoulder (kafata). This puts him under the Lord’s protection from all enemies. They embrace in a close hug, as Arab chiefs still do: the Lord makes a place for him (see Alma 5:24) and invites him to sit down beside him – they are at-one.

“This is the imagery of the Atonement – the embrace. ‘The Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of His love! (2 Nephi 1:15).

-          Hugh Nibley, “The Atonement of Jesus Christ, Part 1” Ensign July 1990

 

Your saving grace

Has lifted me to Your cross

Becoming my mortal weakness’ greatest foe.

I now walk with You

In paths I dare not walk alone;

In the valley of shadow of death,

I rejoice to be Your own. 

-      Cathryne Allen 

THE POWER OF SELF-FORGIVENESS

 

That I May Heal You by B. Laura Wilson

There are two worthy examples of the principle of self-forgiveness in the scriptures and the power that can come from it and they are Apostle Paul and Alma, the son of Alma from The Book of Mormon.

Paul, who considered himself ‘the least of the apostles’ and not worthy to be called such because he persecuted the church of God (1 Corinthians 15:9) became the greatest missionary in the meridian of time and one of the foremost leaders of the Saviour’s Church. When I study his epistles I am amazed at the grand scale of his growth, the depth of his understanding of the doctrine of Christ and his repeated testimony of the only source of our salvation.

He will forever be remembered as a spiritual giant among men and here is why. Even though Paul testified about God’s grace vehemently and gave credit to it for what he became (1 Corinthians 15:10), he would have had to at one stage forgiven the man who misled him to offend God, and that man was himself. I believe he arrived at that place of self-forgiveness when he could in clear conscience say: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Paul, after years of unrelenting, selfless service became a beacon of hope for all sinners.

Alma became a living testament of the Saviour's power of deliverance.  Not only because Christ forgave him for his horrendous sins and saved him from spiritual death but also because He freed him to become a great man.  After Alma came out of his three days of torment he immediately began to preach of Christ's mercy and His power to save (Mosiah 27:32). Nowhere in the scriptures does it say that he moped around and agonised over his past sins and felt bad about himself. 

Alma became a great example of someone who had his guilt ‘taken away from his heart, through the merits of God’s Son’ (Alma 24:10). Alma, who went about with the intent to destroy the Church became Alma who led the Nephite armies in battle, who sat naked with Amulek in dungeons, who was spat upon by the unrepentant, who dumbfounded an anti-Christ, who baptised thousands of souls unto repentance (Alma 4:4-5), who the Lord in the end took up unto himself (Alma 45:19). 

I learnt something about self-forgiveness recently. Sometimes we can give our imperfections power over us as much as our sins and not realise they too are deserving of self-forgiveness.  I have led a pretty good life, carefully avoiding serious sin but I have been very hard on myself because I have not been ‘perfect’ in mortality. I consider all my imperfections,  weaknesses and my very humanity as my ‘earthly indignities’.

As a result of my unwillingness to forgive myself for the minutest things, I have carried inside me a self-deprecating picture of myself, a belief that I am not ‘good enough’, for much of my adult life. It is just now that I am beginning to understand that it doesn’t matter so much what I used to be like, what matters the most is what I have repented of and changed, and as a result continue to become.

The Saviour who forgives understands mortality. This was the whole point of His earthly ministry. You might say He experienced mortal life at ‘ground zero’ because He ‘descended below all things that he might comprehend all things’ (D&C 88:6). What things? Our difficulties, our sorrows, our sins, our imperfections, our sufferings, our inabilities, our mortal weakness…..the ultimate comprehension coming through the Atonement where He came to understand what it is to be you and me.

If you are still 'harrowed' up by your past sins and the negative things you have allowed to define you, you are missing the person that you could be.  If you believe you are no good, the Lord can make nothing of you.  In this state you are not good to anyone; not to yourself, not to God, not to your fellowmen.  If you consider yourself a bad person because of your past and do not possess inner peace, you will eventually start seeking it elsewhere.  And some of the places you can end up in have the potential to distance you from God forever.

When you look at Paul and Alma, do you see broken men with a past or do you see powerful servants of the Lord?  If you have repented of your sins but can't let them go, you are giving them more power than you are giving God. The adversary wants nothing more than for your sins to continue to have power over you, even after you have forsaken them, because he hopes one day you will return to them.  Your forgiveness is not complete until you allow the Saviour to take away your remorse. The power of the Atonement can complete this process.  The Saviour can extend mercy, He can forgive, He can make of you a new person, He can wipe your slate clean. Believe it, trust it, ask for it.  The Lord has work for you to do and He is waiting.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN  

THE GIVERS

 

Unless I Wash You by Mindi Oaten

“Conversion means consecrating your life to caring for and serving others who need your help and sharing your gits and blessings….Every unselfish act of kindness and service increases your spirituality.

“God would use you to bless others. Your continued spiritual growth and eternal progress are very much wrapped up in your relationships – in how you treat others…… The person who does only those things in the Church that concern himself alone will never reach the goal of perfection. Service to others is what the Gospel and exalted life are all about.”  (Elder Robert J. Whetten, Strengthen Thy Brethren, in CR April 2005, p 96, Ensign May 2005, p 91)

There was a king in the Book of Mormon who lived in ancient Americas by the name of King Benjamin who delivered a powerful sermon about service to his people. The premise of his sermon has several elements:

1.      His first reasoning is simple gratitude for the life that God has granted us to live and his preservation of us from day to day (Mosiah 2:20,21,23);

2.      God asks service of us in return for the debt we owe for our lives so he can bless us (Mosiah 2:24);

3.      Through serving one another we come to know God (Mosiah 5:13);

4.      By going above and beyond to serve those we do not deem worthy, we overcome the human inclination to judge and we grow in humility recognizing that we are all beggars before God, that all we have has been granted us by Him and not our own ability (Mosiah 4:19);

5.      All that we have belongs to God, therefore none of our possessions are ours to keep hence we have an obligation to impart of our substance to the needy among us (Mosiah 4:22);

6.      We measure the state of our hearts by our willingness to serve and help others. Even when we cannot help, the desire to do so should be in our hearts. It is the desires of our hearts that will one day be judged as much as our acts (Mosiah 4:24);

7.      By giving of ourselves and our substance we break our attachment to the things of the world. All that we are attached to in this life will one day perish when we leave, nothing is ours to keep (Mosiah 4:23);

These seven elements are sound reasoning for our obligation to care for each other. But besides all these reasons, the greatest reason is this…..by serving our fellowmen, we become like the greatest servant of all. King Benjamin assured his people that if they are ‘steadfast and immovable, and always abounding in good works’, that they will be called by the ‘name of Christ’ (Mosiah 5:9). In fact he mentions the importance of this 10 times in his sermon (Mosiah 5:7-12).

Why is this important? Because it guarantees that we shall in the end be found on the right hand of God (Mosiah 5:9). To be found in such a prestigious place for eternity means that we have to become like the man whose name we bear…..the Greatest Servant of all, the Christ. We can only become like Him, if we act like Him and do the works that He did. We are nothing without His example and His power to enable us to reach such heights.

I have always thought I would be on the giving side of service. I considered the giving part ‘noble’ but the receiving part ‘weak’…..until two years ago. I have an aversion to feeling weak but God thought He would show me otherwise. Since I have been sick and have become more and more dependent on others, I have realized one thing. Service cannot be noble in any way, if there is no one to receive. And if there is no one to receive, the givers miss out on becoming like the Greatest Servant.

Now when someone helps me achieve the smallest task I cannot do myself, I cry…..when strangers at the supermarket assist me with my groceries, I cry…..when someone makes me feel good about myself despite my incapacities, I cry….I cry all the time these days, from gratitude. I cry because of the givers.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

ARMIES OF HEAVEN

 

“If evil spirits could come to me, cannot ministering spirits and angels also come from God? Of course they can, and…they can rush as an army going to battle…That is the God whom I serve, one who has millions of angels at His command…We do not see them, but they are here watching us….The Lord has hosts of angels who are qualified to defend us, and they have information enough to march armies and to select leaders to lead them against the enemy of the Saints.” (Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses, 3:229-30)

President Heber C. Kimball and his wife Vilate Kimball were awakened by their neighbor on the night of September 22, 1827, to witness such an army in the sky:

“It was one of the most beautiful starlight nights, so clear we could see to pick up a pin. We saw a bow form in the sky and it grew wide enough to contain twelve men abreast. In this bow an army moved, commencing from the east and marching to the west. They continued marching until they reached the western horizon. They moved in platoons and walked so close that the rear ranks trod in the steps of their file leaders, until the whole bow was literally crowded with soldiers…..

“We….could discern the form and features of the men. The most profound order existed throughout the entire army. When the foremost man stepped, every man stepped at the same time. I could hear their steps. When the front rank reached the western horizon, a battle ensued, as we could hear the report of the arms, and the rush.

“No man could judge of my feelings when I beheld that army of men, as plainly as ever I saw armies of men in the flesh; it seemed as though every hair of my head was alive. This scenery we gazed upon for hours, until it began to disappear.

“After I became acquainted with Mormonism, I learned that this took place the same evening that Joseph Smith received the records of the Book of Mormon from the angel Moroni, who had held those records in his possession. “There were other witnesses to this event, and “the next night similar scenery was beheld in the west, by the neighbors, representing armies of men who were engaged in battle.”   (Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball, 15-17; see also McConkie, Angels, 100; Tullidge, Women of Mormondom, 107-9)

 

Angels, are you near me

To catch me if I fall?

Do you stand guard at the entrance

Of my heart

On God’s errand and sentinel’s call?

 

Do you pave the way

And steady my feet,

And ensure my enemy’s defeat?

 

You are unsung heroes

Of every journey’s flight

You are phantoms of love

Concealed from mortal sight.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Artist Unknown)