ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE

 

 “We talk about our trials and troubles here in this life, but suppose that you could see yourselves thousands and millions of years after you have proved faithful to your religion during the few short years in this time, and have obtained eternal salvation and a crown of glory in the presence of God; then look back upon your lives here, and see the losses, crosses and disappointments, the sorrows arising from disobedient children, from wicked parents who have opposed their children who wished to embrace the truth, the persecutions from city to city, from state to state, being hunted and driven, you would be constrained to exclaim: ‘But what of all that? Those things were but for a moment, and we are now here. We have been faithful during a few moments in our mortality and now we enjoy eternal life and glory with power to progress in all the boundless knowledge and through the countless stages of progression, enjoying the smiles and approbation of our Father and God, and of Jesus Christ our elder brother.” (Brigham Young, Teachings of Presidents of the Church)

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.”  (1 Timothy 4:7,8)

I would rather be a vessel in Your hand

Than a crowned king on earthly throne;

I would rather be a bird in flight

Without a shelter to keep me warm;

I would rather cross the oceans

And go where you would want me to go

Than sit contented never knowing

the trail that leads me home.

- CATHRYENE ALLEN

(Art: Guiding Them Home by Yongsung Kim)

CROWNS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

 

The most famous of Paul’s motivational and inspirational utterances has been: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).  Indicating that he had a personal assurance that his election and calling was made sure and that he will inherit eternal life, he followed that statement by saying: “henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness” (v8). What is the faith that Paul kept that assured him of eternal life? Throughout his epistles to early members of the Church, Paul reiterated over and over that the path to eternal life is not the law of Moses as so many converted Hebrews still clung to, and not any law, but Jesus Christ and His gospel, the adherence to which grants us His mercy and grace, the path to all salvation, after all that we can do (2 Nephi 25:23).

Today we tend to view the Gospel as the gospel of limitations or the gospel of liberty. I have heard it said: “I just couldn’t live with all those restrictions”. Needless to say, that view was derived from the desire to follow the world. How we view the Gospel lies in what rewards we want. Those who want the rewards of this life view it as the gospel of limitations and abandon its standards and commandments through the delusion that they will have freedom. If we want the rewards of eternal life, then the Gospel’s standards and commandments are viewed as the gospel of liberty because it saves us from spiritual death.

I am often surprised how some people do not learn by the consequences of their bad choices that it doesn’t pay to view the Gospel as the gospel of limitations. Consequences cannot be escaped even following repentance. Christ can forgive sins but He cannot wipe away the repercussions of our acts. Consequences are inevitable, whether the choice is good or bad. Consequences of bad choices serve to remind us of the advantage of good choices.

Deep down, we all want a crown…..this is why so many fight for the glory of the world, because it is easier to achieve. He who sits upon the throne is the only giver of crowns that matter. Crowns of righteousness are crowns of  ‘everlasting’ glory bestowed upon all who inherit exaltation and eternal life. The race is on……don’t settle for the crown which in the end won’t matter.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: AI generated by Unknown)