A LIFE OF SACRIFICE

 

If we do not believe that Joseph Smith has done more towards the salvation of mankind save Jesus alone (D&C 135:3), we do not know and understand the Book of Mormon. In an interview with her sons a few months before she died, Emma Smith, bore her testimony to them: "My belief is that the Book of Mormon is of divine authenticity. I have not the slightest doubt of it....Joseph Smith could never write nor dictate a coherent and well-worded letter; let alone dictating a book like the Book of Mormon. And, though I was an active participant in the scenes that transpired, and was present during the translation of the plates....and had cognizance of things as they transpired, it is marvelous to me, 'a marvel and a wonder', as much as to anyone else" (“A Treasured Testament, Ensign, July 1993, 62-63).

Describing her experience, Emma said: "The plates often lay on the table without any attempt at concealment, wrapped in a small linen tablecloth which I had given him [Joseph] to fold them in. I once felt the plates as they lay on the table, tracing their outline and shape. They seemed to be pliable like thick paper, and would rustle with a metallic sound when the edges were moved by the thumb, as one does sometimes thumb the edges of a book". She also testified, "I know Mormonism to be the truth; and believe the church to have been established by divine direction" (Gracia N. Jones, My Great-Great-Grandmother, Emma Hale Smith, Ensign Aug 1992)

What do we owe to Joseph Smith, 'a disturber and an annoyer of Satan's kingdom' (JHS 1:20), the revealer of God, a martyr in the cause of truth? In my opinion, much more than slanderous words and disregard for his sacrifices, obedience and divine appointment. When Parley P. Pratt visited Emma, 'a woman of commitment in sorrow', in Nauvoo where she remained after the saints travelled west, she told him 'I believe he [Joseph] was everything he professed to be'. Emma lived almost 35 years after the martyrdom of her prophet-husband. A few days before she died she told her nurse, Elizabeth Revel, that Joseph had come to her in a vision and said: "'Emma, come with me, it is time for you to come with me'. As Emma related it, she said, 'I put on my bonnet and my shawl and went with him; I did not think that it was anything unusual. I went with him into a mansion, and he showed me through the different apartments of that beautiful mansion'. And one room was the nursery. In that nursery was a babe in the cradle. She said, 'I knew my babe, my Don Carlos that was taken from me'. She sprang forward, caught the child up in her arms and wept with joy over the child. When Emma recovered herself sufficient she turned to Joseph and said, 'Joseph, where are the rest of my children?' He said to her, 'Emma, be patient and you shall have all of your children'. Then she saw standing by his side a personage of light, even the Lord Jesus Christ." (Gracia N. Jones, My Great-Great-Grandmother, Emma Hale Smith, Ensign Aug 1992)

I have a profound gratitude for the prophet Joseph Smith upon whom the Saviour himself sealed his exaltation on 12 July 1843 in Nauvoo, Illinois:

"For I am the Lord thy God, and will be with thee even unto the end of the world, and through all eternity; for, verily I seal upon you your exaltation, and prepare for you a throne in the kingdom of my Father...."  (D&C 132:49)

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Joseph in Liberty Jail by Liz Lemon Swindle)

TO BE ONE

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

I yearn to remember the splendour of my eternal home;

I yearn to feel the closeness of Thy presence

And the warmth of Thy embrace.

Grant me Father might to follow Thee,

And desire to always seek Thy face,

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

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art AI Generated by unknown) 

WITHOUT HIM

 

“The greatest definition of ‘the pure love of Christ’ is not what we as Christians try but largely fail to demonstrate toward others but rather what Christ totally succeeded in demonstrating toward us. True charity has been known only once. It is shown perfectly and purely in Christ’s unfailing, ultimate, and atoning love for us. It is Christ’s love for us that ‘suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not’. It is His love for us that is not ‘puffed up, not easily provoked, thinketh no evil’. It is Christ’s love for us that ‘beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things’. It is as demonstrated in Christ that “charity never faileth”. It is that charity – His pure love for us – without which we would be nothing, hopeless, of all men and women most miserable. Truly, those found possessed of the blessings of His love at the last day – the Atonement, the Resurrection, eternal life, eternal promise – surely it shall be well with them….”  (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant [1997], 336-37)

 

If You were not,

I would not be,

Silence would have wept at Calvary!

 

If you were not,

I would not be,

As death would claim me eternally.

 

If You were not,

I would not be,

Joyless would be my destiny.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Christ in Reflection by Greg Collins)

NURTURED BY HIS WORD

 

Daily I stand in my holy place

As I feast upon Thy holy word,

Ever hopeful I will meet You there;

Thy Spirit to embrace

And the cares of this world to arrest.

I reach for You in darkness

And step up to heaven’s door;

I am bathed in light

And am granted entrance to Your heart.

In studying the New Testament this year, I have become enthralled with Jesus’ fame among the common people during his earthly ministry. His popularity became so great  that wherever He went great multitudes followed and at times so thronged that they impeded  the Saviour’s movements. It often made it impossible for Him to effectively deliver a discourse. Such was their desire to hear the new doctrine and words of eternal life He could give them. The multitudes that pressed upon Him so eagerly made it necessary for the Saviour to preach to them from a ‘small ship’ which was kept in readiness on the beach in Galilee (Mark 3:8,9). 

 

This has made me see how eager we should be to hear the Saviour’s words so readily available to us through the scriptures that sit on our shelves and do not necessitate that we even leave our house let alone sit on the shore of some sea. Yes, listening to the Saviour in person would be the next level of spiritual feasting, as Nephites of old could attest, and this is something to look forward to. However, we are not there yet. When Christ travelled on the road to Emmaus post resurrection, He simply expounded the scriptures which testified of Him (Luke 24:13-32) to two of His travelling companions, after which the two men proclaimed: “Did not our hearts burn within us while he opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:32). As much as it would be wonderful to have Him with us, this for now is the next best thing. 

 

I testify to you that our hearts can burn within us as we study the scriptures.  I testify that He lives and He is all that the scriptures claim Him to be. I pay homage to the Holy Ghost who enlightens my mind and who increases my capacity to understand the words of eternal life and who brings me to the throne of God to reverence Him now and forever. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Nurtured by the Word by Greg Olsen)#

IN FATHER'S ARMS

 

I had a vivid memory as I prayed today, of being in Father’s embrace, leaning against His ample chest and such love and longing for His presence enveloped me that I wept. After the prayer my mind was cast upon banished Cain who exclaimed: “….from Thy face shall I be hid….my punishment is greater than I can bear.” (Genesis 4:13,14). I came to understand that being banished from the Father’s presence for eternity would be a punishment greater than I too could possibly bear. And I imagine it will be the same for all of us in that day when we are brought to Him to be judged and we are re-acquainted with His presence (Helaman 14:16-18). We will want to stay with Him forever.

 

Those of us who will qualify for this eternal blessing will rejoice that there was someone who made this possible, a Saviour who will have the power to sanctify us so that we can live in Father’s presence forever. The qualification for this ultimate sanctification has to start here and now. The longing has to be so great that we will do anything we are asked, obey every law we are given, repent of any sin and weakness, and place everything we can of ourselves on the altar of sacrifice.

 

May we reflect this Christmas, upon the highest blessing the baby in the manger made possible two Millenia ago. May we connect to the real purpose of His coming: to bring us to Father, to save us from the jaws of hell, to exalt us on high above the stars of heaven. May we long for the Father and be lifted to fly to Him upon His Son's arms of faith....... 

 

I yearn to feel the closeness of Thy presence

And once again feel the warmth of Thy embrace.

I come to You, Father,

Through the gift of Thy Son's benevolent grace.

 

 

 - CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Arms of Faith by Youngsung Kim)

THE PRIDE OF THE WORLD

 

Do you ever look at the world and get discouraged? Does it seem at times like the adversary is winning? Just one serious study of the Book of Ezekiel can make you see that this can never be so. Ezekiel’s detailed prophecies of destruction which befell the nations of ancient Near East gives us a clear picture that Satan does not stand a chance against Christ’s power.  It seemed for a long time that the adversary was winning there too as the Canaanite nations afflicted Israel and led her into idolatry but when Israel fell into captivity, Jehovah revealed His mighty arm in vengeance by destroying these nations and empires of Egypt, Assyria, Tyre, Sidon, Damascus, Persia and Idumea. The Lord calls them ‘the mighty that are fallen….which are gone down to hell’ (Ezekiel 32:27). Egypt, which was the power to be reckoned with was probably the greatest tragedy. Ezekiel devoted four chapters (29-32) to the description of Egypt’s beauty, prophetic destruction and lamentation. Much like Tyre, Egypt’s splendour was destroyed because it sought to exalt itself to the status of God (Ezekiel 29:9; 31:10). 

 

After pronouncing judgment on these ancient nations and affirming that the destruction will be His doing (71 times no less),  Jehovah testified: “I have caused my terror in the land of the living” (Ezekiel 32:32). Why such terror and such terrible destruction? Because these nations were built up on excessive pride and what is built on pride cannot stand. Pride is the foundation of a kingdom that cannot last, the origin of which we know well. It cannot last because there is only one true and living God and we all know who HE is. 

 

And so it is with our world. The day is coming when the Saviour will come to reveal the arm of His power and crush the enemy of all righteousness. He who has said: “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God….I will be like the most High (Isaiah 14:12-15), has never received a body, and though the king and ruler of world-wide empire of spiritual Babylon, he shall never have a tomb or monument to his name and the kings of the earth will exclaim in amazement when they see him cast down to hell: “Is this the man that made the earth tremble, that did shake the kingdoms?” (v 16).  Stripped of his power and his pride, he will not stand…..

 

Where is the sting of death,

The enemy of righteousness,

And humanity’s foe?

The fire of its power lies in ashes

Quenched at Calvary long ago.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Second Coming by Dan Wilson)

LIVING WATER IN A CUP

 

A short reflection on the power of Sacrament we will partake this Sunday…. 

 

Perhaps the most soul wrenching proclamation the Saviour made regarding ancient Israel is this: “…..they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters” (Jeremiah 2:13). Biologically, we mortals are made up of 60% water. Because of this we cannot sustain life without drinking it. Jehovah, who created us, thus gave us life temporally. But not only temporally, but also eternally. Each Sunday, through the sacramental cup, we are given life eternal through His atoning blood. Thus the water we bring to our lips becomes living water in a cup. This is the power of the Sacrament. As we lay our sins upon the sacramental table this Sunday and covenant to repent, may we reverence Him who bled that we might live….

 

Thou art the source of all my blessings,

Thou art the source of all my joys,

Thou art the living water

I drink with haste

And savour each and every drop

So careful of tragic waste. 

Feed me God ever more

The love that flows with every cup

Grant me my fill each day

That keeps me living and bears me up. 

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Artist Unknown)

THE SAVING GRACE OF RELAPSE

 

Very often some of us have this misconception that once we receive a spiritual perspective to help us over the hump of difficult days, our lack of faith, or doubts of our spiritual understanding, we feel our life should then be smooth sailing with no relapses. This is especially difficult for the perfectionists who strive to ‘fix’ things once and for all. I have beaten myself up whenever my relapses happened chiding myself for hitting the floor once again not understand that surviving a relapse and keeping on is more important than not having the relapse in the first place. Relapses will always happen because of the nature of mortality and the fallen world we live in at this present time. 

 

The ups and downs are needed so that we will one day come to know and enjoy fully what Elder Bruce Hafen terms ‘authentic’ joy that is the state of gods we aspire to become. There will be no relapses in that state of perfection and ultimate being. Only serenity, perfection and absence of fear, doubt and lack. Imagine if we did not experience the bitter, would we fully appreciate the sweet that will become our eternal state of being? Would we fully understand what it means to be in the godly state of holiness when in Father’s presence again?

 

The Saviour did not just suffer. He endured and overcame, thereby giving birth to unfathomable strength which we can access by virtue of our discipleship to endure the ups and downs of our humanity (Alma 7:17). He is the saving grace that picks us up when we hit the floor if we choose to look up to see Him there. His is the enabling power that makes our endurance possible and our journey to authentic joy a certainty. May glory be His forever. 

 

Will I be lost in crowds of heaven 

When my mortal shell at last I leave,

And will this earthly life appear unreal

When my true home is to me revealed?

 

Will I come to see Thy face

I so often sought on bended knee,

And forget all the lowly moments

I suffered with merciful help from Thee?

 

My heart will rend within my chest

When I kneel before Thy throne;

I will weep with grateful heart

For cherished truths that I have known.

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: I Walk by Faith by Judy Cooley) 

THE GREAT MEDIATOR

 

My gratitude for our beloved Saviour was renewed today as I prayed for forgiveness of my shortcomings, my failure to exercise faith when I should, my moments of complaint when going gets tough, my shortsightedness when I need to be brave, my humanity when I need to rise to the true stature of my spirit. As I sorrowed in my heart I reflected on the mercy enabled by the Saviour's atoning sacrifice which has not only afforded forgiveness but has enabled Him to be my mediator with the Father. I understood in that moment that the Father knew my life to the latter because of this merciful mediation of His Beloved Son. I knew that without this medium I would be lost forever. Through it I am granted forgiveness, love, acceptance and assurance of eternal life. May glory be His forever and ever.....

I am lifted to the foot of Thy throne

And speak the words of my longing soul.

I feel Thee Father just a moment away

Because of Him who has paved the way.

I reach for Thy hand

And find Thee there.....

• CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Father and Son by Danny Hahlbohm)