IN SIMILITUDE OF HIS HEART

 

The greatest challenge in the world today is not surviving the pandemic, lack of entitled freedoms or even financial ruin. The greatest challenge in the world today is to love one another. The corroding sociologically programmed traits of self-centerdness, victim mentality, differing political convictions, and rampant sinful tendencies have come to undermine the neighbourly concerns we once had for each other and have hardened our hearts towards the tide of humanity. As the world has become less and less attractive, I have been failing of late not to be swept up in that tide. 

I am presently re-visiting the book of Exodus. Those of you who have studied this book will be familiar with the 'stiffnecked' children of Israel (Exodus 33:5). Over and over these people failed to respect the God who delivered them out of bondage. But who I want to talk about here is the person who 'led' them out of bondage, and this person is Moses. I cannot say enough about this man who has earned my ardent admiration....but I'll try to be brief. Moses was brought up knowing the Hebrews were his people (Exodus 2:11). He forsook Egypt when 40 years old, in faith, believing God would by his hand deliver the Hebrews (Acts 7:23-25), preferring God to the riches of Egypt (Hebrews 11:24-27). He went from the privilege of his Egyptian upbringing to slavery and then to being a shepherd for 40 years (Acts 7:23-30) before God deemed him ready for his pre-destined calling. 

What impresses me the most about Moses is this. When God appointed him to his calling on Mount Horeb, He told him:  'thou art in the similitude of my Son' (Moses 1:6). This, among other similarities between Moses' life and the Saviour's, has clear reference to Moses delivering the children of Israel out of physical bondage even as Christ would deliver us from spiritual bondage. This physical similitude however, is only a precursor to an even greater one. When the children of Israel committed their grave sin against Jehovah by worshipping the golden calf, Moses' reaction was not one of condemnation. Instead of considering them ripe for destruction and recommending them to Jehovah for extinction, he offered his own life in recompense (Exodus 32:32).  This is being in the true similitude of the Son. 

Moses led 2 million people out of Egypt and loved them through 40 years of unnecessary wandering putting up with their tedious murmuring, lack of faith and spiritual immaturity, even at the peril of his life (Exodus 17:4), yet he still loved them....even as the Saviour has loved us, with our tedious murmuring, lack of faith and spiritual immaturity.  Moses could withstand the frustration of loving imperfect people because he was in the similitude of the Saviour's heart. Could this be possible for us? Could we come to love the humanity that is being swept up in the tide of hate and wickedness and destruction? 

Moroni teaches us of a love without which we are nothing; a love that survives hatred, animosity, harm, racism, sin, abuse, racial difference and all the inhumanity we are capable of; a love that ensures salvation at the last day (Moroni 7:44,47). This love is a gift bestowed upon those who are true followers of Christ (Moroni 7:48) and not a love we are capable of on our own. This love ensures that we become the sons and daughters of God so that we will be like Him at His appearing (v 48). This love will ensure we endure the here and now and in the end it will bring us home. This love is the foundation of the glories of heaven and the cradle of eternity. This love is the pure love of Christ, a love that endures forever and ever.

- Cathryne Allen

(It is recorded in Numbers 1:45-46 that the children of Israel numbered 600,000 men; meaning only men over 20 years and over who were capable of going to war. When women and children are added to that number, the multitude could have been well over 2 million people. (LDS Institute Old Testament Student Manual, p 119)

- Cathryne Allen, Did Not Our Hearts Burn When He Opened To Us The Scriptures?

published 2021 by amazon.com

FAILING HEARTS

Recently the leaders of our Church have issued us with a mandate to 'Hear Him'. In Section 45 of the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord talks a lot about hearts. He also gives us, the members of His Church, a glimpse of the days as they will be before His appearing. Prefacing this glimpse, the Saviour admonishes, "Hear my voice" and "harden not your hearts" (v 6). He then proceeds to elaborate on the state of men's hearts in the last days. In the midst of all the commotion in the world today, nothing is more obvious than the Saviour's prophecy that 'men's hearts shall fail them' (v 26) and that their hears will be turned from Him because of the precepts of men (v 29).

Right now the world is filled with hatred. Opposing the Saviour's commandment to 'love one another, as I have loved you' (John 13:34), the adversary has succeeded in creating division amongst the people  through wars, political agendas and health scares. We are fast becoming distrustful of one another through the present pandemic, intolerant of each other's political convictions, fearful of Government powers and judgmental of each other's successes. So bleak will things get that we are told "....men will harden their hearts against me, and they will take up the sword, one against another, and they will kill one another"(v 33).

And now for the hope that lies in us: "But my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved...." (v 32). Elder Bednar has once said that when you gain entrance to another's heart, you stand on holy ground. Could we not then count each other's hearts as holy places too?  I don't think we can turn the tide as the Saviour has already outlined the future as it will be, but I am pretty sure we, as His disciples, can be the means of saving many, and there is a way. This way is to resist Satan's opposition to Christ's commandment to love one another. And here is the interesting part. Have you ever wondered why the Saviour's said 'love one another' and not 'love everyone'? Quite simply, it is far too hard for us mortals to love 'everyone' at once. It is far easier to love one person at a time and by loving one person at a time, we end up loving well......everyone. Imagine this simple scenario. If each one of us loves five people and those five people love five people each and those five people love five people each and so on. The energy of this love would be spread so far and wide that in the end we would love 'everyone'. In this world of ours, could we not turn the tide of failing hearts for many?

And what is the ultimate goal of loving others? Simply this: "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples....." (John 13:35). Our love is the greatest tool by which we can bring others to the fountain of all love; the love that brings peace, the love that brings salvation, the love that brings eternal life. The love of a God who has loved us and died for us that we might be glorified and have eternal joy in the mansions of Him who has loved us best.

- Cathryne Allen, Did Not Our Hearts Burn When He Opened To Us The Scriptures?

published 2021 by amazon.com

A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST

If anyone asked you who wrote The Book of Mormon, what would you say? After some thought you would have to answer, Mormon, because he did. Why is it that we usually have to stop to think about this answer? This question is largely confusing because when we read the Book of Mormon, apart from the occasional editorial commentary, the voice we hear is not the voice of Mormon, but the voice of God. How did Mormon successfully accomplish this? Mormon's ability to allow God's voice to be heard throughout the Book of Mormon was not due to his writing skills but to a quality of character he developed from his youth. In describing himself as a 15 year old with a sober mind he says he was "visited of the Lord and tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus" (Mormon 1:15).

Mormon lived during the most evil period of American history and witnessed the destruction of the entire Nephite civilization. At the tender age of 16 he became the leader of  the Nephite armies (Mormon 2:1,2),  an appointment which began his valiant ministry among the Nephites with firm hopes of circumventing inevitable doom. His frantic and heart wrenching calls to repentance despite his better judgment were for one purpose only - to bring salvation to others.  Likewise, his purpose in writing and compiling The Book of Mormon was not to distinguish himself as a writer but to have us, in our day, "come unto Christ" (Mormon 8:35). When the Saviour lived among men He had a pure motive to save us without a hidden agenda for his own advancement.  It is because of this purity of motive  "which seeketh not her own" that we call His love "the pure love of Christ" (Moroni 7:45,46). Mormon had no wish to further himself in his work among his fellowman, only "to declare His word among His people, that they might have everlasting life" (3 Nephi 5:13). It is his purity of  motive that enabled him to give Christ the voice throughout The Book of Mormon and that guided him to write:

"And behold I am called Mormon.....and I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of  God..."

(3 Nephi 5:12,13).

THE PATH OF CHARITY

President Howard W. Hunter condensed our mission in life in three words: to save, build, and exalt (Teachings of Presidents of the Church, p. 255). This, he pointed out, is accomplished through travelling the path of charity. We often relate to charity as blessing the lives of the poor or doing good deeds of service. Whereas these are important, charity entails more than that. Charity is a two part concept: LOVE and SERVICE. Love is the feeling part, service is the easy, doing part. Service, however, if not born out of proper motives, profits us nothing. Therefore love is the more important part. Charity is defined in the scriptures as "the pure love of Christ" (Moroni 7:47). It is the purity of this love that makes it different to any other love because it enables us to serve others without selfish motives. It is defined thus: "At its' core, charity is all about 'purity of motive'. Moroni defines this purity of motive as the 'pure love of Christ'. Christ's pure love is simply this....It is His perfectly pure desire to bring each of us to His own station of character, glory, power and dominion. This is His only motivation (D&C 76:94-95, Moses 1:39). His love is pure because it is free of any ulterior motive or hidden agenda. Charity, therefore, is not an act, but rather the pure motive which prompts or inspires the act" (Larry D. Keeler, "I Do Always Those Things That Please Him", p 2). This kind of love is not easy to develop. In fact it is impossible for us to do so. We are told in Moroni 7:47,48 that this pure love is a gift bestowed upon the true followers of Christ. If we follow Christ in all things, aspiring unto righteousness, we will become more and more like Him and acquire His attributes, including charity, the most most crucial one for us to have. We must want it and we must have it. To what end? To build, save and exalt.

"The world in which we live would benefit greatly if men and women everywhere would exercise the pure love of Christ, which is kind, meek and lowly. It is without envy or pride. It is selfless because it seeks nothing in return. It does not countenance evil or ill will, nor rejoice in iniquity; it has no place for bigotry, hatred, or violence. it refuses to condone ridicule, vulgarity, abuse, or ostracism. It encourages diverse people to live together in Christian love regardless of religious belief, race, nationality, financial standing, education or culture" (President Howard W. Hunter, "Teachings of Presidents of the Church", p. 263).

"Out of the abundance of His heart, Jesus spoke to the poor, the downtrodden, the widows, the little children; to farmers and fishermen, and those who tended goats and sheep; to strangers and foreigners, the rich, the politically powerful, as well as the unfriendly Pharisees and scribes. He ministered to the poor, the hungry, the deprived, the sick. He blessed the lame, the blind, the deaf, and other people with physical disabilities. He drove out the demons and evil spirits that had caused mental or emotional illness. He purified those who were burdened with sin. He taught lessons of love and repeatedly demonstrated unselfish service to others. All were recipients of His love. All were 'privileged the one like unto the other, and none were forbidden' (2 Nephi 26:28). These are all expressions and examples of his unbounded charity." (President Howard W. Hunter, "Teachings of Presidents of the Church", p. 263).

I asked God to take away my pride;

And God said "No"

He said it was not for Him to take away,

But for me to give up

I asked God to grant me patience,

And God said "No"

He said that patience is a by-product of tribulation

It isn't granted, it's earned.

I asked God to give me happiness,

And God said "No"

He said he gives us blessings;

Happiness is up to me.

I asked God to spare me pain,

And God said "No"

He said suffering draws you apart from worldly cares

And brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow,

And God said "No"

He said I must grow on my own,

But He will prune me to make me fruitful.

I asked God if He loved me,

And God said "Yes"

That's why He gave me His only son to die for me,

And I will be in heaven someday because I believe.

I asked God to help me love others

As much as He loves me.

And God said

Finally you understand what you truly need.

-Author Unknown

WITHOUT A CAUSE

Some years ago I was travelling in my car through the streets of my neighbourhood when a car came suddenly from the street on my right and pulled in right in front of me risking a collision. The incident shook me to my core. My shock quickly escalated into intense anger. The anger reached a crescendo when I noticed that the driver of the vehicle in question was an Asian woman. I could not just let this go by. I am ashamed to say that I chased this woman through the streets of my neighbourhood with intense rage attempting to force her to stop her vehicle so I could heap upon her the full force of my indignation. I could tell the woman was frightened but I was a woman driven by a cause. The cause being that she was negligent and callous rather than that she made a mistake through wrongful judgment. Why didn't I see her actions as a bad call in judgment? Because my anger was fueled by simmering racism. Those close to me back then knew that I was intolerant of the driving skills of Asian people and their seeming unwillingness to assimilate into the Australian culture. I did not see this race of people as fellow citizens of my country but as 'Asians'. This incident has stood out as one of the most un-Christlike acts of behaviour of my life. Not my finest moment....

I have read the Sermon on the Mount many times during my spiritual journey through the scriptures. Each time I have read this sermon I have noticed different things but never before had I noticed the severity of Christ's admonition that I think is the hardest for many of us to live. When the Saviour taught the Sermon on the Mount to the ancient Americas he said this: "But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of his judgment. And whosever shall say to his brother Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire" (3 Nephi 12:22). 'Hell fire'??? For considering someone a fool??? On that shameful day that I chased a poor Asian woman through the streets of my neighbourhood I was certainly at risk of 'hell fire'. Here is why: what I never noticed before is that this scripture varies slightly to the one in Matthew 5:22 where the Sermon was delivered to the Jews, which reads: "....whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause....". This difference in directive makes all the difference. JST omits the phrase 'without a cause' as the earliest known manuscript for Matthew 5:22 does not contain that phrase (see Daniel K. Judd and Allen W. Stoddard in How the New Testament Came to Be, p 161). Why would this tiny phrase make all the difference?

To understand this it is important to understand the historical background of the Sermon on the Mount and to know to whom exactly it was given. Beside the city of Capernaum there is a mount where Jesus delivered the lengthiest discourse recorded in the entire Bible and which covers chapters 5-7 of the Gospel of Matthew. As great multitudes of people followed Him from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judaea and even beyond Jordan, Jesus ascended the mount leaving the ease of valley travel and leaving behind those who followed Him for cures only, ensuring that only the most loyal of his disciples would follow. And so it came to be that, contrary to popular belief, Jesus did not deliver his most famous sermon to multitudes but only to His disciples (Matthew 5:1) who were no doubt already baptised and had taken upon themselves His name. Taking the disciples to the heights of the mount symbolised higher expectations and commitment of the truly converted.  Those who made the upward journey were willing and prepared to live the higher law leading to exaltation. In ancient Americas, the sermon was delivered by Christ to the 'more righteous' who were spared the destruction of many cities following His death. These people believed and looked forward to His coming. They were ready and willing to embrace His teachings and covenants. From these two groups of people we can surmise that the Sermon on the Mount contains the higher law, the obedience to which is expected of the true disciples of Christ.

What the Saviour was actually saying in the Sermon on the Mount to His loyal followers, is that they should not get angry with their brother no matter what, not even when there is a cause; that they should not consider anyone a fool for their actions, behaviour or the way they are. Why is that? Because we do not know people's hearts. We do not understand their frame of reference, their weaknesses, the complexity of their lives or their true intents. On that fateful day that I allowed my rage to run loose I was driven by a cause, not by a possibility that the driver of the other car might have been distraught, worried, distressed or even lacking faith in her abilities. In this context, when one acts with a cause, one acts with selfishness. They are more concerned about themselves than their fellowman. This selfishness leads to absence of love, mercy, goodwill and lack of kindness. We see an example of this with the Jaredites in the Book of Mormon. Their lack of consideration, kindness and love for one another towards the end of their civilization became so acute that they could not hold onto their possessions. If a man laid down his tool or his sword upon his shelf, in the morning it would be gone (Ether 14:1). Imagine living like this: "Wherefore every man did cleave unto that which was his own, with his hands and would not borrow, neither would he lend; and every man kept the hilt of his sword in his right hand, in the defence of his property and his own life and his wives and children" (Ether 14:2).

On March 7, 1831, Joseph Smith was given a revelation in which he was told of the condition of the world prior to the Saviour's coming. Amidst all the turmoil, wars and commotion we are told that "men's hearts shall fail them" and "the love of men shall wax cold" (D&C 45:26,27). Describing the perilous times of the last days, Apostle Paul described men as 'lovers of their own selves....without natural affection'  (2 Timothy 3:1-3). When we are lovers of our own selves, we can hardly be lovers of others and when we have no natural affection, we have no kindness. We can see the lack of kindness in our society on the roads, in supermarket queues, during telemarketing calls and the love of many waxing cold through jealousies, gossip, ill will,  murder, theft, uncaring and selfishness. One trembles at the thought that we might become like the Jaredites in the last minute of the last hour of this dispensation.

Of course we also have in our day and age great examples of people who do unselfish deeds. My heart leaps when I hear of an individual who sacrifices themselves for the good of others: a retired man who spends his days on a notorious bridge savings those who would suicide; a fashion designer who sold everything she had including her profitable business and opened an orphanage in Indonesia where she now lives; a woman who works with the police to give discarded, dead babies a proper funeral and burial in her home town. These are just some among many inspiring people who perpetuate the positive energy of human kindness and good will that are the saving grace of this planet. These are the unsung heroes to whom the welfare of others matters greatly. At times, it matters to them more than their own well being as is evident in the following story:

"A year ago last winter [1981], a modern jetliner faltered after takeoff and plunged into the icy Potomac River. Acts of bravery and feats of heroism were in evidence that day, the most dramatic of which was one witnessed by the pilot of a rescue helicopter. The rescue rope was lowered to a struggling survivor. Rather than grasping the lifeline to safety, the man tied the line to another, who was then lifted to safety. The rope was lowered again, and yet another was saved. Five were rescued from the icy waters. Among them was not found the anonymous hero. Unknown by name, 'he left the vivid air signed with his honor" (Stephen Spender, 'I Think Continually of Those -' in Masterpieces of Religious Verse, p 291).

When we come to want for others what we want for ourselves we will be considered true Christians and disciples of Christ. It is then that we will be following in His footsteps. He is the perfect example because He wanted for us what He himself had, an inheritance in the Kingdom of God. For this He performed the greatest act of benevolence known to man. For this He stands on the bridge with the suicides. For this He feeds the children at the orphanage. For this He buries discarded babies. For this He never ever considers even one of us a 'fool'.  The unsung heroes mentioned are extreme examples of kindness, love and mercy. We who have Christ's perfect example and who have committed to live the higher law as delivered by Him have no excuse not to be merciful, kind and loving. It is not everyone's path to spend their days saving the suicides or burying discarded babies but it is everyone's duty to love, cherish and help another without a cause.

RESCUING THE LOST

"For the Son of man is come to save that which

was lost.

How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, 

and one of them be gone astray, 

doth he not leave the ninety and nine, 

and goeth into the mountains, 

and seeketh that which is gone astray?

And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, 

he rejoiceth more of that sheep, 

than of the ninety and nine

which went not astray.

Even so it is not the will of your Father

which is in heaven, 

that one of these little ones should perish."

Matt 18:11-14

Indeed it is not the will of the father that not one of us should perish. A will that sacrificed one of us for the good of all of us. Such is the love of a Father who desires to give us His all, who desires to give us eternal life. And so Jesus came to protect us, love us and claim us as His own. A shepherd who loves the one and will go and seek the one until that one is no longer lost. It matters not to Him how the sheep became lost or why, all that matters to Him is the rescue. How glorious and wise to relay His love for His sheep in such a poignant way. By leaving the ninety and nine he is not saying to them that they are not as important as the one that was lost, but to impress upon them that in Him is found true safety and protective care. In other words, by leaving the ninety and nine the Saviour was saying to them: 'If you get lost, I will come find you for this is what I do, I am come to save that which was lost."    

Since the beginning of man, the Lord has relied on His 'under shepherds' to do His work. Such under shepherds are found in prophets, Church leaders and anyone who possesses the truth. We are commanded to seek out and rescue the lost sheep but more often than not, we allow feelings of inadequacy to hold us back. We tell ourselves that we are not important enough or skilled enough for people to listen to us and believe our words when in fact we as the under shepherds and are endowed with power to do this sacred work. When Moses was called to his holy calling, in trepidation he replied that he was 'slow of speech'. The Lord replied, "Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say" (Exodus 4:10-12). In other words, 'do not suppose that this is your work, but mine, and you will say what I want you to say and I will empower you to say it'. 

When doing God's work, the power of the word is in God. It is never in us. When we speak with the tongue of angels, it is not by our brilliant skills but by the power of the Holy Ghost which not only empowers the bearer of the word but gives understanding to the hearer also. Such was the case for Enoch who was made mighty despite his claim that he also was of 'slow speech'. The Lord's reply was the same to him as it was to Moses: "Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled, and I will give thee utterance..." (Moses 6:32). So Enoch did and so great grew his power that when he spoke the word of the Lord, the earth trembled, and the mountains fled and the rivers of water were turned out of their course and all nations feared greatly 'so great was the power of the language which God had given him" (Moses 7:13) Not all went well for Enoch in the beginning though as he started his ministry. Even though he proclaimed the gospel with a 'loud' voice 'all men were offended because of him' (Moses 6:37). This is when most of us would give up. Fear of rejection and offence is a strong emotion so our rescuing efforts never get off the ground or become aborted when the going gets tough. Enoch, however, did not give up and he was rewarded, he was rewarded with rescuing a whole city, a city which became so righteous that the Lord took it unto Himself. 

The Lord never gives a commandment without attaching a blessing to it. Such is the case with the mission of rescue. The blessings attached to this work should negate all the fears we might have of rejection and offence and inadequacy. Proclaiming the gospel comes with a two-fold blessing. The Lord says clearly that if we get rejected, we will 'dwell with Him in His glory' and if we don't get rejected and those we are preaching to accept the testimony which is given to them, we shall have 'joy in the fruit of our labours' (D&C 6:29-31). In short, we cannot lose. Either way, rescuing will yield rewards.

And what of those who need to be rescued? How long and how hard should we expend our efforts, our time and our energy in offering them salavation? For as long as it takes. We should never give up on those who are receptive, even in the smallest way and proclaim them a 'hopeless cause'. Consider this example: "Like many of you, I have shared the gospel with some who are soon baptized or activated, and others - such as my nonmember friend Tim and his less-active wife, Charlene - take much more. For over 25 years I engaged Tim in gospel conversations and took Tim and Charlene to temple open houses. Others joined the rescue; however, Tim declined each invitation made to meet with the missionaries. One weekend I was assigned to preside at a stake conference. I had asked the stake president to fast and pray about whom we should visit. I was shocked when he handed me the name of my friend Tim. When Tim's bishop, the stake president, and I knocked on the door, Tim opened it, looked at me, looked at the bishop, and then said, 'Bishop, I thought you told me you were going to bring somebody special!' Then Tim laughed and said, 'Come on in, Merv.' A miracle occured that day. Tim has now been baptised, and he and Charlene have been sealed in the temple. We must never give up" (Elder Mervyn B. Arnold, To The Rescue: We Can Do It, Ensign May 2016, p 54). 

There was a time in my life when I was lost. I was attending Church every Sunday and living the gospel but in my heart I was harbouring resentment, feelings of betrayal and acute aloneness. I was freshly divorced and felt terribly betrayed by God. I had done all the right things from the time of my baptism and yet there I was with my heart in shreds and my life a shambles. Sometimes we see people at Church regularly and we do not know that they are lost in corridors, in Sunday School lessons, in fake smiles. But the Lord knows. He knows and He will reach out and send his under shepherds to find them and cradle them in the arms of His love. Such was the case for me. Following my divorce I moved and changed wards. I came into a freshly created ward where the Relief Society President was someone who was prepared by the Lord to be in that calling to rescue me. Through intricate, spiritually engineered sequence of events this sister was placed in my new ward and she became my source of security when I had none. She cried with me and she loved me and she cared for me. And she was not the only one. The Lord provided two other people who held me up, my Bishop and another sister who became my mentor and confidant for many years but my true under shepherd when I was hanging by a thread was my Relief Society President. To her I owe much more than I can repay for she provided comfort and grounding to me when I could not stand alone. She was sent at a particular time for a particular season in my life. I owe a debt of gratitude to her for her willingness to find the one that was lost.

"Our Saviour, the Good Shepherd, knows and loves us.

He knows and loves YOU.

He knows when you are lost, and He knows where you are.

He knows your grief. Your silent pleadings.

Your fears. Your tears.

It matters not how you became lost - 

whether because of your own poor choices or because of

circumstances beyond your control.

What matters is that you are His child.

And He loves you.

Because He loves, He will find you.

He will place you upon His shoulders, rejoicing.

And when he brings you home, He will say to one and all,

'Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost'"

- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"He Will Place You On His Shoulders

and Carry You Home"

Ensign May 2016

YE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD PART 2

"Wherefore, be faithful.....succor the weak,
lift up the hands which hang down, 
and strengthen the feeble knees."

D&C 81:5

"On one occasion, as a missionary in Tonga, I received word that a missionary was very ill on a somewhat distant island. The weather was threatening, but feeling responsible, and after prayer, we left to investigate the situation. Extra heavy seas slowed our progress, and it was late afternoon before we arrived. The missionary was indeed very ill. Fervent prayer was followed by administration, during which the impression came very strongly to get him back to the hospital on the main island, and to do it now! The weather had deteriorated, but the impression was strong - 'Get back now' - and one learns to obey the all-important promptings of the Spirit. There was much concern expressed about the darkness, the storm, and the formidable reef with its extremely narrow opening to the harbor. Some found reasons to stay behind; but soon eight persons had boarded the boat.

No sooner had we made our commitment to the open seas than the intensity of the storm seemed to increase seven-fold. As the sun sank, so did my spirit seem to sink into the darkness of doubt and apprehension. I found my spirit communing with the spirit of the father of an afflicted child in the New Testament, as he exclaimed, 'Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief'. (Mark 9:24) As we rolled and tossed closer and closer to the reef, all eyes searched for the light that marked the opening - the only entry to our home. Where was it? Then I heard the chilling sound of the waves crashing and chewing against the reef! It was close - too close. Where was that light? Unless we hit the opening exactly, we would be smashed against the reef. It seemed that all the elements were bent on our total destruction. Our eyes strained against the blackness, but we could not see the light.

At the heights of this panic, I looked at the captain - and there I saw the face of calmness - the ageless face of wisdom and experience - as his eyes penetrated the darkness ahead. Quietly his weather-roughened lips parted, and without moving his fixed gaze and just perceptibly shifting the wheel, he breathed those life-giving words, "Ko e Maama e" (There is the light). I could not see the light, but the captain could see it. And I knew he could see it. Those eyes, long experienced in ocean travel, were not fooled by the madness of the storm or were they influenced by the pleadings of those of lesser experience to turn to the left or to the right. Soon we were in the protected harbor. We were home. Then and only then did WE see through the darkness that one small light - exactly where the captain had said it was. Had we waited until we ourselves could see the light we would have been smashed to pieces. But trusting in those experienced eyes, we lived.

And so the great lesson: There are those who, through years of experience and training, and by virtue of special divine callings, can see farther and better and more clearly - and can and will save us in those situations where serious injury or death - both spiritual and physical - would be upon us before we ourselves could see."  (Elder John H. Groberg, There Is The Light, Ensign Nov 1976)

It's a wonderful thing to bring yourself back into the presence of God but it is a powerful thing to bring with you another; one who was sick or lost or unbelieving; someone on whom your life had an impact, someone who needed your leadership and guidance. It is true that we are here to work out our own salvation but the mandate issued by the Saviour that we love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34) suggests that this is not our only responsibility. What exactly did the Saviour mean by this admonition? If the gesture of love was merely a poetic notion He would have just said, "Love one another". When the Saviour added 'as I have loved you' He meant that our love should be the source of salvation to one another as His was and is to us. The Saviour's love was undoubtedly the motivating force behind His infinite sacrifice, the sacrifice that culminated in salvation for all mankind.

Just as in this life, in our pre-mortal state we were all at differing stages of emotional and spiritual growth. Bruce R. McConkie taught that due to man's free agency in pre-existence 'the spirits of men were not equal. They may have had an equal start, and we know they were all innocent in the beginning; but the right of free agency which was given to them enabled some to outstrip others, and thus, through the eons of immortal existence, to become more intelligent, more faithful, for they were free to act for themselves, to think for themselves, to receive the truth or rebel against it." (Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:58-69, Book of Mormon Student Manual, p 192). This hypothesis suggests that some of us came here more spiritually developed than others, meaning our spirits are endowed with individual and unique gifts, talents and strengths. It also means that some of us are more susceptible to truth. What this doesn't mean is that those more developed are more worthy when we measure the worth of a soul. It simply means that those of us who are stronger have the responsibility to bring back with us those that are weaker; those who are sick and feeble and oppressed; and those who have perhaps had such spiritually and emotionally debilitating experiences in life that they have been rendered incapable to survive mortality alone. This goes beyond an occasional charitable casserole dropped of at the door. It goes as far as being actively invested in saving someone who needs to be saved. Our uniqueness ensures that we, like the captain in the above-mentioned story, have the power to get another through the storm, the storm that induces fear, alienation, loss of vision, despondency and despair. We each have something that someone else needs and when we stand on higher ground, we have the responsibility to lift another to stand alongside us.

When Ammon recounted the success of their missionary labours to his brothers he gave all credit to the Saviour claiming that He has saved their brethren the Lamanites from everlasting darkness and destruction and brought them into His everlasting light and salvation and now that they were saved they were encircled about with 'the matchless bounty of His love' (Alma 26:15). This matchless bounty of love was brought to godless Lamanites through the selfless efforts, anguish and afflictions of four brothers who could not bear the thought that one soul should be lost (Mosiah 28:3). And neither could the Saviour for He has loved us with a love unsurpassing; a love unfeigned; a love that is endless; a love that has suffered for all.

LOVE, MERCY AND THE OLIVE TREE

There was a prophet in Israel by the name of Zenos who was martyred for his testimony (Helaman 8:19) of whom the Bible does not speak. We know of this prophet because of the brass plates which were taken to the land of the Americas with Lehi and his colony in 600 B.C. Nephi used the prophecies of Zenos extensively in his ministry among his people because Zenos testified largely concerning this broken off branch of the tribe of Joseph 'who were a remnant of his seed', meaning Zenos was of the tribe of Joseph himself (3 Nephi 10:15,16). The significance of this prophet was expressed by Bruce R. McConkie: "I do not think I overstate the matter when I say that next to Isaiah himself - who is the prototype, pattern, and model for all the prophets - there was not a greater prophet in all Israel than Zenos. And our knowledge of his inspired writings is limited to the quotations and paraphrasing summaries found in the Book of Mormon".

So important did Nephi and his brother Jacob consider the prophecies of Zenos that Jacob painstakingly engraved Zenos' allegory of the olive tree onto the small plates of Nephi which Mormon included in the Book of Mormon. Why is this parable with its' complexities and intricacies which makes readers skip Jacob 5 so important? Because not only is it the greatest parable ever recorded, it, in and of itself stamps the Book of Mormon with authenticity and truth for no mortal man, without the inspiration of God, could have written it. It not only proves that Zenos was a prophet but it is clear proof that Joseph Smith was a prophet too and that he translated the Book of Mormon through the power given him of God. Once you study this parable you become convinced that Joseph Smith could never have written the Book of Mormon.

One can get totally lost in Israel's captivating history and divine destiny studying the allegory of the olive tree in Jacob chapter 5. However, if studied carefully one cannot miss the central theme of this parable which is the Saviour's enduring mercy, long-suffering and loving care of His covenant people. Whilst it is not my wish to overshadow the importance of Israel's history contained within this allegory, it is my intention to focus on the Saviour and how he relates to us individually within this parable. Firstly, it is important to understand why Zenos used the olive tree as a powerful symbol of God's love and relationship with the house of Israel. The olive tree is an evergreen, meaning its' leaves do not seasonally fade or fall. They are continually rejuvenated through scorching heat or winter cold. This tree, however, needs constant cultivation or it becomes wild and unruly and easily corrupted. It requires long and patient cultivation for it to bear fruit, usually eight to ten years. It is however a sturdy tree which produces new shoots from apparently dead roots. Its' gnarled trunk gives an impression of travail, endurance and ancient life. Because of the unique quality of this tree Elder Jeffrey R. Holland affirmed that "no symbol could serve more powerfully and profoundly of God's expansive, constant, redeeming love - including especially the love represented in the gift of his Only Begotten Son- than does the olive tree." (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant, p 163-64)

In the allegory of the olive tree, the Saviour is represented as the Lord of the vineyard. Unlike the "householder, which planted a vineyard" and then "let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country" (Matt 21:33), He labours in His vineyard Himself. He does not sit back and watch others do the plucking, pruning, digging and grafting. He also grieves, preserves, laboures, watches and tends to the vineyard constantly. His frantic efforts to ensure the divine destiny of the House of Israel, as represented by the olive trees in His vineyard, can be seen through repetitious declarations of His love and long-suffering: His desire to preserve the vineyard is mentioned in the parable 11 times; at least 15 times the Lord expresses His desire to bring the vineyard and its' harvest 'unto my own self'; 8 times He says 'it grieveth me to lose the trees of my vineyard'; and 3 times He asks with anguish, weeping, 'what could I have done more for my vineyard?' After he recounts the allegory of the olive tree to his people, Jacob exclaims: "....how merciful is our God unto us, for he remembereth the house of Israel, both roots and branches; and he stretches forth his hands unto them all the day long...O then, my beloved brethren, repent ye, and enter in at the strait gate, and continue in the way which is narrow, until ye shall obtain eternal life, O be wise; what can I say more?" (Jacob 6:4,11,12). What indeed?

We, like the olive tree, need constant cultivating so that we do not become wild and unruly and easily corrupted. To yield good fruit, a tree must have good roots. When the roots are weak, the branches grow faster than the strength of the roots can sustain them and the tree eventually becomes too weak to keep standing  and dies (Jacob 5:47-48). This is cleverly expressed in the following poem:

The tree

At the church next door to me 

Turned up its roots and died

They had tried 

To brace its leaning,

But it lowered

And lowered,

And then there it lay -

Leaves in grass

And matted root in air,

Like a loafer on a summer day.

"Look there",

Said the gardener,

"Short roots - all the growth went up -

Big branches - short roots".

"How come" I asked.

"Too much water.

This tree had it too good.

it never had to hunt for drink."

Especially in thirsty times,

My memory steps outside

And looks at the tree

At the church next door to me

That turned up its roots and died.

- Carol Lynn Pearson

Sometimes we think we need a life of ease, as the tree in this poem had, and that this kind of life will in the end magically produce bountiful fruit. But this is not the design of mortality. In His efforts to ready us for final judgment and make us fit for eternal life the Lord will use His gardening skills on each one of us individually. He will prune and dig about and nourish and often times such treatment will be uncomfortable as is illustrated by the following:

"On my way to visit the Jameses the other evening, I saw a wheat field that appeared to be greener and taller than the others. Thinking about it for a while, I concluded that occasionally some loving farmer drives over the field with his tractor and dumps manure all over it. I thought, 'My, it's just like life. Here we are minding our own business, growing our little hearts out. We're really quite green, somewhat productive and very sincere. When out of the blue, life deals us a dirty one, and we're up to our eyebrows in manure. We, of course, conclude that life as we have known it has just ended and will never be the same again. But one day, when the smell and the shock are gone, we find ourselves greener and more productive than we have been'. Unfortunately, no matter how often we go through these growing experiences, we are never able to appreciate the sound of the tractor or the smell of the manure." (Harold W. Wood)

We can sometimes be like the tree that stood right next to a church and didn't go 'hunting' therein for what it needed to sustain and strengthen its roots. Some of us are not willing to work on our roots even though we want the fruit (eternal life): "It seems that some [Latter-day Saints] among us have this same problem; they want bountiful harvests - both spiritual and temporal - without developing the root system that will yield them. There are far too few who are willing to pay the price, in discipline and work, to cultivate hardy roots" (President Spencer W. Kimball, in CR Oct 1978, p 113 or Ensign, Nov. 1978, p 74-5). Grounding ourselves in the gospel of Jesus Christ by nourishing the seed of faith through the word of God is our part in our individual cultivation. This is our hunting ground. If we hunt here we can be assured of hardy roots which will enable us to endure the trials and afflictions of this life without abandoning the strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life. May of us feel that strengthening the roots is far too hard and we opt for the seeming ease of telestial life. This is however, not what God wants for us eternally and so He expends all his energy and effort to bring us back to Him over and over again. And anything less than eternal life is not what we wanted long ago when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy. We were among that happy throng and our voices were heard singing praises to Him who has all the love, all the mercy, all the long-suffering and all the power to one day bring us home.

BE YE SEPARATE

"Behold, it came to pass that I, Nephi, 

did cry much unto the Lord my God,

because of the anger of my brethren. 

But behold, their anger did increase against me, 

insomuch that they did seek to take away my life.

And it came to pass that the Lord did warn me, 

that I, Nephi, should depart from them and flee into the wilderness,

and all those who would go with me" (2 Nephi 5:1,2,5)

There are times when it is necessary to physically flee from evil, such as with Nephi and his followers who were told by God to separate themselves from that part of the family who chose not to believe in the warnings and the revelations of God. It must have deeply wounded Nephi's heart to have to guard against his own brothers who sought to take away his life but as always, Nephi obeyed the Lord in his instructions and removed himself and those who wanted to follow God (2 Nephi 5:6) from those who sought their destruction.

This separation was not only expedient for Nephi's temporal welfare but also for the spiritual welfare of his followers. Nephi records that because of their unwillingness to hearken to God's words, his brothers and their families were cursed by being cut off from God's presence (2 Nephi 5:20). As a sign of that cursing and to limit the spreading of more wickedness, the Lord caused "a skin of blackness to come upon them" (2 Nephi 5:21). Alma explained that the darkness of their skin was for the purpose of preserving the Lord's people, that in not mixing with the Lamanites, they would not 'believe in incorrect traditions which would prove their destruction' (Alma 3:7,8).

Like Nephites of old, there comes a time in our lives also when it becomes necessary for us to separate ourselves from certain people who would potentially become the cause of our destruction. In our politically correct world, we are constantly encouraged to accept and mix with people of all persuasions, beliefs and lifestyles and it is often done under the guise of 'love'. In our willingness to comply with this edict we sometimes confuse the world's admonition for acceptance of people of all walks of life with the Lord's commandment to love one another. This erroneously leads us to become involved with people who live lives in direct violation of God's commandments. The danger that lies in this involvement is that the seeds of their beliefs and behaviour eventually gets sown into our own belief system and dilutes the strength of our commitment to follow Christ and His teachings. From there it can become a slippery slide as we start to put ourselves in places we should not be in and in which it becomes easy to behave in similar fashion to our non-Christian friends. I concede the difficulty exists for many families who are caught in the predicament where some children choose to follow paths that are not in accordance with the Church and its' laws. In my opinion, the emphasis there should always be on the parents' and siblings' love for them rather than acceptance of their lifestyle. The world would have us believe in the correctness of 'support' of ones' children no matter what their choices are but this is clearly not compatible with the teachings of the gospel. As followers of Jesus Christ we are commanded to uphold His teachings and none else.

Often times we come to believe that we should keep company with those not of our religious persuasion for purposes of converting them to the truth or helping them overcome their worldly ways and addictions. In those instances, we need to make sure that we ourselves are strong enough for such a path and that the person we are trying to help is serious about change. If we innocently put ourselves in places where the Holy Ghost would not keep us company, we go unprotected against the powers of darkness which seek to destroy us. It is in these mists of darkness that Satan has power to lead us by the neck with a flaxen cord until he binds us with his strong cords forever (2 Nephi 26:22). Notice how the leading away from righteousness starts with one cord but the further you are led away the cords magnify until they become a strong rope that cannot be broken, ever. For this reason Alma wisely admonishes us: 'come ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things' (Alma 5:57). The more we touch, the more contaminated we become until worldly things become a part of us and we can no longer separate ourselves from them.

On a lesser scale, we should also be aware of those people around us who drain our spiritual and emotional energy by their constant negativity, criticizing, complaining and lack of faith. Sometimes it becomes necessary, after all you can do, to distance yourself from such friends for the sake of your own mental health. I was a participant of such an experience once when I was going through a period of diminished faith. The friend I was being a drain on let me know very diplomatically that she could not bear my melt downs along with her own challenges. This was the greatest thing that she could have done for me because not only did it make me assess the strength of my faith but it helped me see the importance of uplifting and nurturing others instead of being a burden to them. It also made me see that I was not being true to my convictions and the knowledge I possessed about the character of God. In other words I was not being true to myself, to who I professed to be and to my testimony. If the person you are seeking to correct is not blinded by pride and ego, they will take your correction on board and use it to their advantage. If not, they will depart from you. It is important for all of us to know that nobody wants to be with someone who is high maintenance. There is a difference between needing temporary support through trials and being an ongoing concern. In all situations though it is important to have resilience and a trust in God who is our true deliverer from predicaments.

"And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea,

they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit;

and they cried out for fear.

But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying,

Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou,

bid me come unto thee on the water.

And he said, Come. 

And when Peter was come down out of the ship,

he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid;

and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord save me."

(Matthew 14:26-30)

Peter walked on the stormy sea with eagerness towards the Saviour until he directed his gaze elsewhere. The minute he did so, he could see the wind whipping up the waves around him and he lost his focus. If he had kept looking at the Saviour he would not have begun to sink. Lucky for Peter he cried out immediately and he was rescued forthwith. So it is with us. We must focus on the Saviour at all times and if we so much as begin to sink we need to cry out 'Lord save me' but if we wait until we sink to the bottom the Saviour will no longer be within our view and we will not have sufficient faith to cry out for help. The Lord can rescue us from the deepest ocean and the deepest sea but He can become lost from our sight forever if our vision is obscured by the watery depths. At that point we run the risk of becoming lost. May we stay on the surface of life's stormy seas keeping the Saviour always within our sight. We, the children of the covenant, do not belong in the depths of the sea, drowning in the ways of the world. May we separate ourselves from its' ways never losing sight of our divine destiny.

"Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell

combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock,

they cannot prevail.

Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not."

(D&C 6:34,36)

THE FATHER OF MY SOUL

Some years ago I sat in Stake Conference singing my favourite hymn "Redeemer of Israel" and as I sang a vision opened up to me in which I saw myself in my pre-existence preaching to spirits who were not converted to the Plan of Salvation as advanced to us by Jesus Christ. Afterwards as I reflected on this vision I came to understand that I was very converted to the Saviour and His plan before I was born into mortality. Over the years I have had other revelations and dreams which have given me a glimpse into who I was back then and what my purpose is here. Another significant insight came form of my patriarchal blessing which told me that my time of coming to this earth was set in order that I may fulfill a great promise which I had made in my pre-existence. It went on to say that many of the spirits who were with me at the time rejoiced when by my own testimony I fulfilled that vow by entering into the waters of baptism.

I didn't know any of these significant facts about myself when at the age of 16 I started searching for the truth. I was born and raised in Europe in a very Catholic background so I had a very deep faith in God. I didn't, however, find answers to a lot of my questions in the Catholic faith so I started investigating other religions, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints being one of them. The more I investigated the Church, the more answers I found and I knew they were true. I felt strongly I had to be a part of this religion so I made contact with the Church asking to be baptised. On 19 April 1975 I entered the waters of baptism and took upon myself the name of Jesus Christ. When I came up out of the water the Spirit descended upon me so strongly that I wept. I felt like I had come home.

I didn't really understand everything about baptism when I entered the baptismal font 40 years ago. I just knew that it was right and that my sins up to that point had been washed away. After these many years however, I have come to understand the most significant aspect of being baptised. What I understand now with great clarity and joy is the new relationship we form with the Saviour as we enter the waters of baptism. When we are baptised by proper priesthood authority and take upon ourselves His name we automatically become spiritually begotten children of Jesus Christ. Thus the Saviour becomes our new father surpassing in importance Elohim, the Father of our spirits and the mortal father who gave us a body of flesh and blood. This is an amazing concept to me. So many fathers yet the most important one is the one through whose atoning sacrifice we stand to inherit eternal life. We learn this truth through the symbolism of the ordinance of baptism. Baptism is symbolic of both birth and death. It symbolises birth as we emerge out of the water just as a newborn baby emerges out of the watery womb. It also symbolises death as we are buried in the water and rise again which rising represents new life through Jesus Christ who overcame the sting of death through His resurrection.

I received a personal witness of becoming a daughter of Christ following my baptism. My parents were very opposed to me being baptised and as the result I had to choose between them and the Church. I chose the Church and left my family. Shortly after my baptism I had a dream where I found myself in a particular house with my parents. Suddenly we became aware of a lot of commotion on the street. As we came out of the house to see what was happening a white matter akin to snow fell on top of us and buried us. We immediately started digging our way up to the top. I was the only one that made it through and did not see my parents again. As I emerged I saw whiteness everywhere I looked and as I turned to my right I saw the Saviour with outstretched arms coming towards me saying: "Where are my children?" This dream at the time confirmed to me that I had made the right choice to be baptised but now I view it as more. Over the years it had become clear to me that I was being told that my baptism had gifted me a father that would not only lead me to eternal life but would be a father to me in this life in every sense of the word.

We seldom think of the Saviour as our father. We are more conditioned to view Him as our Brother or the Son through whom we come to the Father but in reality coming to one is like coming to the other for the Saviour and the Father are one (3 Nephi 11:27).  This oneness suggests that there is another dimension to the title of the Father the Saviour has taken upon Himself. What I love about this is the personal aspect of this title. A father is someone who is meant to love you, lead you, protect you, provide for you, discipline you, chastise you, guide you and be a good example to you. All these things and more the Saviour, as our father can do and does do. He lives up to this role magnificently. One of the fatherly attributes I wish to expound upon here is that of a provider. We can find many evidences of this fact in the scriptures. As we are studying the Book of Mormon this year I will use Lehi and his family as the prime example.

When Lehi asked his sons to return to Jerusalem to obtain the brass plates from Laban, Nephi did not hesitate because he knew that God would not ask anything of us if he did not provide the way for us to accomplish the task (1 Nephi 3:7). Eight years and many challenges of the wilderness later, Nephi was even further convinced that God  provides means "whereby [we] can accomplish the thing which he has commanded [us]" (1 Nephi 17:3). After eight years of travel this group of colonists arrived to the seashore being guided by the Liahona which was provided by the Lord. The land to which they were brought to by the seashore was so plentiful in food that they called it Bountiful. In this land the Lord had prepared and provided all things that they would need to not only subsist but to make the journey to the promised land (1 Nephi 17:5). These were the conditions that existed in the land of Bountiful (identified in Warren P. and Michaela Knoth Aston, In the Footsteps of Lehi: New Evidence for Lehi's Journey Across Arabia to Bountiful [1994], p 28-29):

1. Fresh water available year round.
2. 'Much fruit and also wild honey' (1 Nephi 17:5-6, 18:6)
3. Fertile ground in both the general area (17:5, 8) and the specific location (17:6) where Lehi's family camped
4. Reasonable access from the interior desert to the coast
5. A mountain prominent enough to justify Nephi's reference to 'the mount' and close enough that he could go there to 'pray oft' (18:3, see also 17:7)
6. Shoreline (17:5) suitable for the construction and launching of a ship (18:8)
7. Ore and flint for Nephi's tools (17:9-11, 16)
8. Enough large timber to build a seaworthy ship (18:1-2,6)
9. Suitable winds and ocean currents to take the ship out into the ocean (18:8-9)
10. No population residing in the area.

Could Lehi and his family make such a monumental journey to the American continent if the Lord did not provide the means, the guidance, the instruction and material for construction of a ship? No. As prepared as they were for the wilderness experience, this family could never had survived let alone crossed oceans to another continent they did not even know existed. 

King Benjamin called us all beggars before God (Mosiah 4:19). I have been one such beggar from the time of my baptism until the present day. I have witnessed many times the hand of the Father as the provider in my life. His mercy has been without end and His goodness without limit. I will recount just one here that might prove this point and bring someone hope in their desperate moment. After I was divorced I struggled terribly to financially support myself and my two children. One particular day I realised I would not have enough petrol for my car that week until the next pay day. As I knelt in prayer that morning I asked the Father for $20 to fulfill this need. I then went to work and during the course of the morning forgot all about my petition. As lunch time rolled around, a work colleague approached my desk and put $20 on it. I asked him what the money was for and he said that he was coming back to work from lunch and noticed this $20 note on the pavement. He picked it up and thought to himself that he didn't really need it and as he did so, I immediately came into his mind and he said he knew he had to give the money to me. In my mind, the money that particular day did not fall out of someone's pocket but out of the hands of a Father who provides for the children who have taken upon themselves His name. Such a small thing but such big proof, one that has sent me to my knees over and over again. The petitions have been many over the years and the blessings outnumbered them all. The needs I had not even anticipated have been met by One whose foresight and wisdom astound me. And for those petitions which He denied over the years, I thank Him, for they supplied the growth and an increase in faith that I had not imagined. I stand in awe of His wisdom. I stand in awe of His love. I stand in awe of the Father of my soul.

"And he loveth those who will have him be their God..."

(1 Nephi 17:40)

BY THE GRACE OF GOD PART 2

".....I will go before your face. 
I will be on your right hand and on your left, 
and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, 
and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." 
(D&C 84:88)

As disciples of Jesus Christ we have been given the mandate to become perfect. This perfection will be reached long after we pass on from this mortal life, nevertheless, whilst we are here we are to strive for excellence which will one day qualify us for godhood. Along this path however, we frequently, if not constantly, lack patience to cope with our sense of personal inadequacy. This impatience makes us prone to discouragement and a belief that because of our inadequacies perfection seems an unattainable goal. The gap between the ideal (perfection), and reality for some of us seems like a painful place to exist. In this gap we tend to encounter extreme guilt which makes many of us believe that we will never 'make it'. Women especially are susceptible to feelings of guilt to the point where some dread family-oriented lessons in Relief Society because emphasizing the ideals of motherhood makes them more aware of their own shortcomings and failure to live up to them. The truth is, all of us are falling short of the ideal for who among us could not relate to this family's scenario of the gap between reality and the ideal: "Then there are the family home evenings and scripture study sessions in our home. Somehow it has not been altogether natural for our children to glide reverently into their places all at once and all on time, prepared to ponder thoughtfully the wonders of eternity. More than likely, especially when they were young, they seemed to come swinging into the family room on the chandeliers like Tarzan on the vines, then would stand on their heads or flip themselves over the back of the couch during most of the lesson. During that stage of our family's history, our bishop lovingly referred to our children as curtain climbers, rug rats, and house apes. There were times in those days  when the gap yawned as wide as the Grand Canyon" (Bruce C. Hafen, The Broken Heart, p. 178). 

We live in a 'feel good' day and age. Modern day psychologists and spiritual gurus advise strongly against any negative feelings that have the potential to harm our self-esteem. One such therapist claims that being seriously religious "is significantly correlated with emotional disturbance" and goes on to say: "People largely disturb themselves by believing strongly in absolutistic shoulds, oughts, and musts, and most people who dogmatically believe in some religion believe in these health-sabotaging absolutes....The less religious people are, the more emotionally healthy they will tend to be" (Albert, Ellis, "Psychotherapy and Atheistic Values", Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (1980), p 635-7). The world's solution to coping with the gap between the reality and the ideal is to eliminate the ideal and make peace with your reality. By doing this, we are meant to be free from frustration, guilt and unhappiness. This solution is an appealing one to many who are encouraged to accept themselves as they are. Because not having to change is a more comfortable place to be, we convince ourselves that we are not 'celestial material' and fall out of the race. 

Our modern day pre-occupation with self-acceptance limits severely our possibilities for growth and change restricting the power of repentance. Many of us go so far as to believe that we cannot change human nature at all and that we are what we are. Those of us who are of that belief deny the power of the Atonement and are in effect saying to the Saviour, I don't need you, you have no power to do anything for me. When we come to that point we believe the world more than we believe Him. We then lose all faith that we can ever attain godhood because we know our own capabilities cannot get us there. The other choice we have in this matter is to focus on Him who overcame the world, resisted every temptation and avoided every sin. We must understand that the only way perfection is possible at all is through the grace of Him who has paved the way. Through His grace we too can overcome the world, resist every temptation and avoid every sin because His grace enlarges our capacities and turns our weaknesses into strengths but the most important gift of grace "along that path is the gift of hope, which is a source of comfort and strength for those who move courageously forward toward the perfecting ideal of the Saviour" (Bruce C. Hafen, The Broken Heart, p 183)

It astounds me to hear an active member of the Church exclaim "oh, I know I will never make it". This proclamation indicates a lack of understanding of the Atonement and a lack of acceptance of its' power. To me this belief is akin to sin. Contrast that mentality with active members of the Church in Jacob's time: "Wherefore, we search the prophets (scriptures), and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy (testimony); and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea. Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things" (Jacob 4:6-7). It is clear from this scripture that those who believe that they will never 'make it' are the ones who put their faith in their capacities alone rather than in the grace of God which is the only way we can ever make it. If we can by the grace of God command the trees, the mountains or the waves of the sea to obey us, surely we can by this same grace also change the human nature. 

The spiritual endowments of hope are perspective, patience, serenity, peace, insight and endurance. When we press forward with steadfastness in Christ (2 Nephi 31:20), we do so with a hope that we can make it for the one who has made it is before us, behind us and by us (D&C 88:84, 49:27). We desperately need these endowments of hope because they help us to see that development toward spiritual maturity and godhood "is a process and not an event....it is a distance race, not a sprint....it is thus no race for the short-winded. To develop toward a Christlike character is a process, not an event. There may one day be some crowning event, in which the final endowment of grace completes a process that may take longer than mortal life. But to qualify for such a conclusion requires patience and persistence more than it requires flawlessness. It is indeed, our own groping and reaching in the struggle for growth that qualifies us for divine help." (Bruce C. Hafen, The Broken Heart, p 184, 186)

In our quest for the ideal, we are like a toddler just learning to walk. The closer we get to the ideal, the more that ideal expands and creates new aspirations and a new gap, until we finally reach godhood: "When our capacities are small, God's expectations are not very demanding.......but just as we master these elementary demands, we discover greater expectations that we didn't quite see before. Gradually our capacity grows, but so does our understanding of what more we must become, 'For of him unto whom much is given much is required' (D&C 82:3). The Lord would have us stretch - but not out of shape.....in the midst of this process, the blessing of hope keeps the gap at a manageable distance. Our perceptions and attitudes really can be shaped and lifted by a gift of divinely given insight that lets us feel, even with some anticipation and optimism, that we can do it.....Hope, a divinely given blessing of atoning grace for those who seek it, after all they can do on their own, establishes in the way our mind sees things just the right distance between where we are and where we strive to be. It also reassures us, somehow, that the ever-receding ideal is not a trick, but part of a growth process that can be not only acceptable but exhilarating" (Bruce C. Hafen, The Broken Heart, p 187,188)

We need only search the scriptures in order to know the God we speak of; to know that to Him man is the underlying and over-riding purpose of all His works, that to Him we are everything (Moses 1:39); that it is for our sakes' He willingly laid Himself on the cross; that beside Him there is no Saviour; that the extent of His doings none can find out; that there are none who can stay His hand; that great is His wisdom and marvelous are His ways; that He is gracious and merciful unto those who fear Him and that He delights to honour those who serve Him in righteousness and in truth unto the end (D&C 76:1-5). This is the God we worship, this is the God we serve and this is the God we should believe.

"Behold, I have graven thee 

upon the palms of my hands;

thy walls are continually before me.......

come unto me thy Saviour"

(Isaiah 49:16, D&C 19:41))