THE POWER OF CHOICE

 

 

I continue to be amazed by the tolerance and longsuffering of our God. How patiently He waits for us to turn ourselves around, to make the right choice, to forsake our path to destruction. How it must pain His merciful heart when that right choice that would lead us to our better end never eventuates!

Reflect on how the principle of the Saviour’s longsuffering played out in Nephites’ time. Their demise and unfortunate end did not happen in 400 A.D. but in 360 A.D. when they made the choice that guaranteed their end. Between 327-50 A.D. the Saviour suffered their wickedness and spared them three times granting them three victories over the Lamanites through which they could recognize His protection (Mormon 2:16,25,27). It did not work.

The second chance came by peace. According to the Mosaic observance of the Jubilee year which happened every 50 years, the land was allowed to rest and was restored to its original inherited line of ownership (see Leviticus 25). During the three hundred and forty ninth year, heading into the Jubilee year, a 10 year peace treaty was made between the Nephites and the Lamanites as the land of their inheritance was divided (Mormon 2:28,29).

During the ten years of peace Mormon was commanded by the Lord to call the people to repentance so they can be spared when the time of peace ended (Mormon 3:1,2). Mormon did so but the people did not recognize that ‘it was the Lord that had spared them, and granted unto them a chance for repentance’ (v 3). What could have been a quite time of contemplation and retrospection, turned into a comfort zone of negligence and pride.

Even though they were granted three more victories over the Lamanites, they still refused to repent ‘boasting in their own strength’ (Mormon 3:13).  From there their thirst for killing headed them into the direction of death as they ‘delighted in the shedding of blood continually’ (v 8,10; 4:11).

And so in 360 A.D. the Lord declared that the Nephites ‘shall be cut off from the face of the earth’ (Mormon 3:15). It was not that they had exhausted the Saviour’s abundance of mercy but that they had made a choice from which there was no return. When we make a choice and intently pursue it to the end, we eventually reap its reward.

As it happened with the Nephites, very often we don’t recognize our opportunities and chances for repentance. And very often we don’t realise that there is such a thing as a point of no return. Mormon realized 40 years before the end that ‘the day of grace was passed’ with his people and the story was finished (Mormon 2:15). Nephites had learnt the worst lesson of all: that it is possible for time to run out as the Spirit of God will not always strive with man (D&C 1:33).

This is the lesson we can take away from this sad part of history, the day of repentance can pass: “…..sin is intensely habit-forming and sometimes moves men to the tragic point of no return…As the transgressor moves deeper and deeper in his sin, and the error is entrenched more deeply and the will to change is weakened, it becomes increasingly near-hopeless, and he skids down and down until either he does not want to climb back or he has lost the power to do so” (President Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, [1969], p 117)

Did Your heart break

As on the cross You hung

Knowing many lambs will go astray?

Did you know they will reject

Your blood and all You had to pay?

 

And still You hoped

And still You sorrowed

Over godly well-known fears

For all they’ll have to suffer

To pay the ransom for

Your sacred tears.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Gentle Saviour by Greg Collins)

STATE OF THE HEART

 

“And there were no envyings, nor strife, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness…..and they had all things common among them; therefore there were no rich and poor…. they were all made free…..and they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God….and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God” (4 Nephi 1:3,16,17).

This was a Zion society amongst the Nephites of old akin to the city of Enoch, but in just 200 years they went from that idyllic picture to this:

“And now, in this two hundred and first year there began to be among them those who were lifted up in pride…and from that time forth they did have their goods and their substance no more common among them (4 Nephi 1:25). This pride of the people led to division into classes which led to the buildings of may churches which led to denial of the true church of Christ (vs 24-27).

It has to do with the heart. During the two hundred years of peace and unity and no contention, the love of God dwelt in the hearts of the people (v 15). Mormon was clear on the reason: “…they did walk after the commandments which they had received from their Lord and their God, continuing in fasting and prayer, and in meeting together oft both to pray and to hear the word of the Lord” (v 12). So instead of contention, this formula produced miracles and the love of God (vs 13,15).

It took two hundred years for two generations post Christ’s visit to die out and for Satan to step in to get ‘hold upon their hearts’ (v 28). His success to make them weak was based on the inverted formula which once made them strong. First came Church inactivity (v 20), then pride (v 24) and then iniquity (v 28).

The people hardened their hearts to such an extent that they sought to kill the apostles despite the mighty miracles performed by them (v 31). And here is why: they ‘hardened their hearts because they were led by many priests and false prophets to build up many churches and to do all manner of iniquity” (v34). In other words, they listened to voices other than that of Christ.

Once many churches arose and they sold themselves into iniquity, there came about ‘a great division among the people’(v 35). This division led the Nephite civilization to destruction as Lamanites and all manner of ‘ites’ came back amongst the people together with the secret oaths of Gadiantons (vs 36-38, 42-46).

Fast forward to 2024 and the picture of our day: “And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumours of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall fail them….and the love of men shall wax cold, and iniquity shall abound” (D&C 45:26,27).

We, the members of Christ’s latter-day church should learn from the Nephites. We have a chance of survival and indeed a very bright future that awaits us in New Jerusalem if we take care of the state of our hearts. That chance starts with obeying the very first commandment: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Deuteronomy 6:5).

The more we love God, the more of His love will be planted in our hearts. That love can only be motivated, by both parties, through obedience to His commandments and His will.

Once we love God and He fills us with His love, the love for others follows and our hearts are knit as one. We are on our way to Zion.

You knock at the door of my heart

And I often forget to turn the key.

With sorrowing steps you retreat

Hoping that one day

I will remember Thee.

Of my undying love

I give Thee a token,

I will keep the door open.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Jesus Knocking Generated with AI by masterofmoments)

A LAMANITE

 

 

I was anxious to get to Samuel the Lamanite in the Book of Mormon. I have always admired his tenacity in preaching to the Nephites. It’s the only point in their history where the tables were turned and a Lamanite was fired up by the missionary zeal. I scoured a couple of reliable sources that would give me an insight into this man. Of course, I found nothing.

Samuel appeared suddenly in 6 B.C. from nowhere and disappeared the same way (Helaman 12:2; 16:7,8). No parentage, no conversion story, no place of abode, but what a valiant Lamanite! It sends shivers up my spine.

And then this…..my eyes were opened and I saw the man. Samuel had a pure heart. On his way back to his own land after the Nephites cast him out of Zarahemla, the voice of the Lord instructed him to return and to prophesy ‘whatsoever things should come into his heart’ (Helaman 13:3). Mormon reiterated twice that Samuel prophesied whatever the Lord put into his heart (v 4,5).

The Scriptures speak a lot about the heart as a conduit of the spirit. God looks on the heart and not on the appearance and thereby chooses His servants (1 Samuel 16:7). There are numerous scriptures that verify that the Lord works with the heart of the children of men such as: ‘I will tell you in your mind and in your heart’ (D&C 8:2) or ‘Speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts (D&C 100:5).

The Lord who knows the hearts of all men (Acts 1:24) would not put prophecies, revelations, and words of holiness into any heart that was not pure. In Samuel’s heart He placed four important points of His message to the Nephites: 1. Know the judgments of God; 2. Know the conditions of repentance; 3. Know the coming of Jesus Christ; 4. Know of the signs of His coming.

Samuel’s dedication and obedience at all cost reminds me of Alma who was cast out of Ammonihah and who returned upon the Lord’s instruction. So determined was Alma to deliver his message that he found another way to enter the city unnoticed (Alma 8:18).

Such was the determination of Samuel who returned to Zarahemla and climbed upon the wall of the city and ‘prophesied whatsoever things the Lord put into his heart’ even as the stones and arrows flew with no effect as ‘the Spirit of the Lord was with him’ (Helaman 13:4; 16:2).

It amazes me how the Saviour will not cease to warn people of their impending doom. While the Nephites were reveling in their unrighteousness just six years before the prophecies of the birth of Christ were fulfilled, He ensured that He had valiant servants who would cry repentance unceasingly.

When Samuel left Zarahemla, some who believed his words went to Nephi for baptism, who was frantically crying repentance, showing signs and working miracles among the people so they would believe that Christ was coming (Helaman 16:3,4).

I have often thought that the Saviour’s tolerance and mercy toward us is excessive but as I reflected on it a thought came to me that He could have never subjected himself to such an unjust death if He was any other way. For this I will be eternally grateful. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Samuel the Lamanite by Briana Shawcroft)

THE COMPASSIONATE CHRIST

If you feel that nobody understands the anguish of your heart, I am here to tell you that there is one person who does. I have been struggling of late with certain long held debilitating fears and for which I had sought healing through prayer. My petition was in these exact words: "Please heal all that is broken in me". Following my prayer, as is my custom, I opened my scriptures randomly to a page in Ezekiel from which stood out one marked sentence: "Thou shalt know that I am the Lord". Whilst studying and pondering 3 Nephi the following day, I had an exquisite experience where I was taken into the Saviour's presence in my mind's eye and was granted the healing I sought at His hand, which was outstretched to me in beckoning repose. The words which He spoke to me validated me as a person and validated the pain I had experienced in my life. This was the single most significant vision I have ever had because it afforded me personal understanding of the compassion of Christ. 

This year as I studied 3 Nephi, I came to truly understand Nephites' experience with Christ during the three days of His ministry among them. I know now why they bathed His feet with their tears (3 Nephi 17:10) because I was given the privilege of bathing His outstretched hand with mine. The Book of Mormon account tells us that the Saviour ministered amongst these ancient people with compassion (3 Nephi 17:6). The same is true of His ministry amongst the Jews prior to His death. The New Testament mentions Christ having compassion towards the people on many occasions (Matt 9:36, 20:34; Mark 1:41; Luke 7:13), especially at Lazarus' grave which was directed towards those who were grieving (John 11:35).  However, I imagine His compassion reached a new level post Atonement. Fresh from the cross of Calvary, trailing the memory of the Garden, where He experienced every agony known to man, the Saviour's compassion was intensified to the point of tears when He ministered among the Nephites (3 Nephi 17:21,22). 

Why is this scriptural account of Christ's compassion important for us to have and to understand? Because He who has suffered it all, understands it all. He understands the diminished self worth that comes through the sufferings of mortality. He understands our human inability to rise above certain scars that we bear with exhausting endurance. He understands the fears that we cling to and count on for protection from perceived pain. He understands it all because He has felt it all. And because He understands the scars of each heart, He knows the path of healing we individually need. Should we not seek such and bathe with our tears His outstretched hand? 

In the words of beloved Isaiah: "Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no fathoming to his understanding....He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength....Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:28-31)

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

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