ABSENCE OF FEAR

 

“A monk was confronted by an angry warrior who said: “Don’t you know who I am? I am someone who can cut off your head and not bat an eye!”  The little monk looked him in the eyes and calmly replied: “Don’t you know who I am? I am someone who can have you cut off my head….and not bat an eye!”  (Author Unknown)

Right now, we are witnessing the unfolding of the Lord’s prophecy that He shall decree wars upon the face of the earth before His coming (D&C 63:33). Many of us are in fear. The Lord also predicted this fear (v33). My way to cope without the fear is to look at the overall picture rather than look at the politics. I feel peace knowing that the Saviour is ultimately in control.

I am looking past the political manouvers and can see how Christ’s arch enemy is trying his hardest to destroy Israel and America and thereby foil the Millenial plans. These two countries will be the Saviour’s governing seats when He comes.

The adversary is seeking to bring in globalism so he can prevent this and control the world but I know He can never win and this is why: “I, the Lord, am not to be mocked in the last days. Behold, I am from above, and my power lieth beneath. I am over all, and in all, and through all….and the day cometh that all things shall be subject unto me. Behold, I am Alpha and Omega, even Jesus Christ.” (D&C 63:58-60). To mock the Saviour means not believing that He is yet to come to reign and subject all things under His feet (D&C 58:22). We should be looking forward to that.

In my mind, there are two things for us the saints of these last days to consider. The Lord has warned us that before He comes, things will get so bad with wars that even ‘the saints shall hardly escape’(v34). The Prophet Joseph Smith explained ‘that it is a false idea that the Saints will escape all the judgments, whilst the wicked suffer; for all flesh is subject to suffer…..still many Saints will escape, for the just shall live by faith; yet many of the righteous shall fall a prey to disease, the pestilence, etc., by reason of the weakness of the flesh, and yet be saved in the Kingdom of God.” (“History of the Church”, 4:11)

Why do you think that cute little monk could have his head cut off without batting an eye? I would wager that he looked past this life and saw the vista of eternity before him. We, the saints know that vista…..it should be spread before us constantly…..therefore there is no need to fear….anything! Whether in life or in death, our destiny is assured if we are righteous. Being saved in the Kingdom of God is all that should matter.

If God be for us, who can be against us??? (Romans 8:31)

Thou art our everlasting God

Jehovah, our King,

Who has loved us and chosen us as Thine own;

Keep us as the apple of Thine eye,

Hide us under the shadow of Thy wings

That we might never stray

And cause Thee sorrow;

And help us wait for Thee

In the dawning of tomorrow. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Second Coming by Jon McNaughton)

ON HIGHER GROUND

Among the war chapters in the Book of Mormon is a highly educational story of a man called Amalickiah, a dissenter from the Church of God, who sought to be king and thereby caused a division among the Nephites, leading away many of them to destroy the foundation of liberty (Alma 46:10). By his cunning and deviousness, Amalickiah fled the land of Zarahemla with his many converts and gained the favour of the king of the Lamanites planning to dethrone him and make himself king (Alma 47:4).  Having convinced the king to go to battle against the Nephites, he again caused a division amongst the people. Those who would not consent to fight fled to the place called Onidah with a leader called Lehonti gathering themselves upon the top of the mountain Antipas. Here comes into play one of the most interesting stories in the Book of Mormon.

Amalickiah, being a 'subtle man to do evil' (Alma 47:4) devised the most clever plan to obtain the kingdom through Lehonti, who originally opposed him in every way. Causing his army to pitch their tents in the valley near the mount Antipas, Amalickiah proceeded to coax Lehonti to come down the mountain to speak with him. The record states that Lehonti at first would not dare to do so but Amalickiah was patient and persistent. After sending the third message to Lehonti, Amalickiah decided to get closer and ascended half way up the mountain enticing Lehonti to come to down to him with his guards to speak with him. On the fourth message Lehonti relented and came half way down the mountain. There Amalickiah lay open his plan before him as to how he could assist him in obtaining command of the whole army if he would place him, Amalickiah, as second in charge. Lehonti could not resist this temptation of power and came all the way down the mountain, took possession of the whole army through Amalickiah's assistance and became the leader he desired to be. There was only one problem. He had a dangerous man as his 'second in charge' who according to Lamanite custom stood to become chief leader if the chief was killed (Alma 47:17); a man who had plotted this very thing right from the beginning. The plan worked beautifully for Amalickiah instructed one of his servants to administer poison 'by degrees' to Lehonti and Lehonti died (Alma 47:18) leaving Amalickiah in charge of the entire army of the Lamanites. With such power under his belt, the whole kingdom fell into his hands as he proceeded with his evil plan and caused the death of the king by the hands of his servants. Thus by secret works, manipulating others to do his dirty work, did Amalickiah obtain the whole kingdom of the Lamanites.

The story of Lehonti, who took his army to the top of the mountain for physical safety has many parallels with us today. As the covenant people of God we have been invited to perserve our spiritual safety on top of another mountain, the mountain of the Lord's house, the temple (2 Nephi 12:2). Anciently mountains were always synonymous with temples or any form of higher worship. High places were also where prophets of old received instructions by the Lord, as in Moses' case when he received the Ten Commandments upon Mount Sinai (Exodus 19,20). Today, LDS temples are always built on the highest vantage point in the designated community suggesting that once we have entered into sacred covenants with God, we stand on higher ground. It also suggests that higher knowledge regarding man's salvation and ultimate exaltation is received in the temples of God. Those who adhere to their temple covenants and make their abode with God within its sacred walls, receive spiritual protection and power against the enemy of all righteousness. This, however, does not mean that this enemy sleeps or has no interest in those who have made temple covenants and enjoy the safety of such. On the contrary, the adversary takes no sabbaticals and has more interest in those who are endowed with temple covenants than those who are not and he will use all his skills to bring them down the mountain.

Viewing Amalickiah as a prototype of the adversary we can learn that our enemy is three things - he is subtle, he is persistent and he is cunning. He watches patiently and plots with dedication to bring about our demise. He knows which buttons to push and he will do so repeatedly until cracks in our resolve begin to appear. Using subtle means he will make his enticements appear appealing and even of good value. Like Amalickiah, he will meet us half way up the mountain and make his propositions difficult to resist appealing to our egos and "what's in it for me" attitude. Once we succumb, he will 'poison' us 'by degrees' until he succeeds in bringing about our spiritual death. Compromising ourselves in such a way where our obedience to the commandments suffers can only lead us down the slippery slope to the valley of shadow and death where we are eventually cut off from the presence of the Lord (Alma 50:20). This is what our enemy hopes for, works for and lives for.

When Amalickiah left the Nephites, he fled before the armies of Captain Moroni. There would have to be no two people in the scriptures more unlike than Amalickiah and Captain Moroni. Whereas one sought to destroy, the other sought to preserve; whereas one sought self-interest, the other sought the welfare of his people; whereas one rejected God, the other accepted Him with all his heart. Amalickiah, 'a subtle man to do evil' (Alma 47:4), had one goal only: to subject others to the yoke of bondage. When that desire slipped from his grasp, he cursed God (Alma 49:27). Moroni's one goal was to perserve the welfare and safety of his people (Alma 48:12). This he did by not relying on his sword alone but on God's goodness by preparing his people to be faithful to Him (Alma 48:7). Moroni, a captain of the Nephite armies was a 'strong and mighty man', 'a man whose heart swelled with thanksgiving to his God', 'a man who was firm in the faith of Christ' (Alma 48:11-3). And here is the clincher, Mormon's appraisal of this man reads like a plaque in the hall of fame: "Yea, verily, verily, I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men" (Alma 48:17).

Like Amalickiah, the adversary has only one goal: to put us in bondage. To achieve this he marches with his armies, like a thief in the night, seeking to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10). He seeks to destroy us in the flesh and he seeks to destroy us in spirit. He is a collector of ruined lives, corrupted faith and lost spiritual destinies. Immediately preceding Christ's appearance to the ancient Americas, before He said anything else, the Saviour's voice was heard in the darkness as an explanation and a warning: "Wo, wo, wo unto this people; wo unto the inhabitants of the whole earth except they shall repent; for the devil laugheth, and his angels rejoice, because of the slain of the fair sons and daughters of my people; and it is because of their iniquity and abominations that they are fallen" (3 Nephi 9:2). Like Nephites of old, we are at war. The battle is raging and many are falling by the way. People's hearts are failing and the love of many is waxing cold (D&C 45:26,27). There is only one place of refuge, one place of safety, one place of power that will help us stand to the end. Stand firm. Don't come down the mountain.

SINS OF THE FATHERS

Marching across the pages of the book of Alma in the Book of Mormon, with valiance and fortitude, is a group of young men who came from the land of Jershon which joined the land Bountiful, a land given to their Lamanite fathers by the Nephites in 90 B.C. These young men were men of valour and courage, men of truth and soberness, "men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted'' (Alma 53:20), who "exemplified the type of manhood that all of God's sons should emulate and stood as a witness to the Nephite nation that God would deliver them if they were faithful" (Book of Mormon Student Manual, p 257). These young men chose the prophet of God to be their military leader (Alma 56:5) whom they regarded and addressed as 'father' for the duration of their military service. These young men were 'stripling warriors' who fought Nephite battles with such conviction and trust in the power of God's deliverance that not one of the 2,000 of them was lost. More than their military conquests, these young men whom Helaman affectionately called 'little sons' (Alma 56:30, 39) stand today as a testament of good parenting.

When Ammon and his brothers brought King Lamoni, his father and their subjects to the knowledge of the truth, their conversion was so deep that they buried their weapons of war as a token of their repentance, never to be used again for the shedding of blood. This token also extended to their desire to be distinguished from their brethren the Lamanites whereby they sought to take upon themselves a new name. Being more Lamanites by their biological nature and more Nephites by the changed nature of their hearts, they chose the name of Anti-Nephi-Lehies (Alma 23:16,17). This name also suggests the joining together of the descendants of Nephi and Lehi's other posterity, meaning they were now one: "The name of 'Anti' of 'Anti-Nephi-Lehi' may be a reflex of the Egyptian nty 'he of, the one of''. Thus, rather than having the sense 'against', it has the meaning 'the one of Nephi and Lehi'" (Stephen D. Ricks, "Anti-Nephi-Lehi", in Dennis L. Largey, ed., Book of Mormon Reference Companion [2003], p 67).

It is remarkable to note that not one of the Lamanites who were converted through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, 'according to the spirit of revelation and of prophecy' ever did fall away from the truth (Alma 23:6). Rather they went on to raise a righteous generation which became a blessing to the Nephite nation. Helaman's 'little sons' were taught at their mothers' knee the power of God's deliverance and they adopted that conviction as their own (Alma 56:47,48), a conviction with which they gave the rest of the Nephi army 'great hopes and much joy' (Alma 56:17). Whereas their mothers taught them about God, the sins of their fathers and their subsequent conversion offered invaluable lessons to these young men and to us also.

Because of their past sins, the fathers of the stripling warriors had to rely on their teenage sons and Nephite's mercy to provide them with protection they could no longer give to their families. Herein lies a great lesson for us. In our unwise efforts to exert our right to choose, we very often act on the theory, 'this is my life and I'll do what I want', not realising that we are not the only ones who bear the brunt of our sins. Imagine with what trepidation the fathers of these young men sent them off to war to fight in their stead. Such was their keen sense of responsibility that they considered breaking the covenant which they had made to never again shed human blood. Had they broken that covenant, however, they would have become vulnerable to Satan's attempt to exploit their memory of any previous guilt and would by this lure them back into his influence.  Through guilt the adversary might have succeeded in making them believe that they will never be better than the sins they have committed and that it is useless to forsake them. Had the Ammonite fathers broken their covenant and succumbed to their previous sins of murder, all would have been lost.  Any spiritual headway they had made up to then would have been in peril, and not just for them but for the generations to come. By adhering to their covenant instead they ensured that "their humble, lifelong commitment to forsaking their sins did more to protect their families than anything they could have done on the battlefield" (Elder Richard G. Scott, Personal Strength Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, Ensign Nov 2013). The positive ripple effect of not breaking the covenant they made is felt even today amongst countless people who have studied the Book of Mormon and have been edified by the story of the 2,000 stripling warriors.What an amazing example they are to the youth of this Church, an example that is so badly needed in our world.  Had these boys' fathers broken their covenant and regressed in their spiritual journey, we would not have this example to draw on today.

The legacy of sin is always short or long term consequences. More often than not, weaknesses are born out of those sins and sometimes these weaknesses do not stop with us. For a long time I have been troubled by the fact that I have not been a better parent to my children and also that my parents were not better parents to me.  I have agonized over the issues and hang ups that have followed me from my childhood and weaknesses, incorrect teachings and false thinking that have been passed down to me by my parents.  Likewise, I have worried about all the bad 'stuff' I have passed on to my children.  I read many years ago about 'inter-generational sins' and how easily we can pass them on to generations of our posterity; seemingly innocent weaknesses and false traditions that somehow end up being serious stumbling blocks to someone down the line.  In other words, how we live not only affects us but many others whose lives we impact.

Would it have been better for the stripling warriors that their fathers had never sinned? Of course, but a sinless life is something that escapes all of us in mortality. Even before this world began it was decreed that we would be born to imperfect parents and in turn become imperfect parents ourselves.  What is more, I think we chose which imperfect parents we would be born to according to what weaknesses they could give us so that by overcoming them we could develop the strengths that we needed. Being born into mortality to parents who are less than perfect offers us opportunities to grow from overcoming those imperfections, learning accountability for ourselves and learning how to make wise choices independent of what our parents before us have done. We knew long ago that we would sin in this fallen world and God knew too so provision was made for assistance to be given and that through this assistance we would come to Him: "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them" (Ether 12:27).

In all of this there is good news and hope: "The joyful news for anyone who desires to be rid of consequences of past poor choices is that the Lord sees weaknesses differently than he does rebellion. Whereas the Lord warns that unrepented rebellion will bring punishment, when the Lord speaks of weaknesses, it is always with mercy" (Elder Richard G. Scott, Personal Strength Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, Ensign Nov 2013). It is with mercy He looks upon the weaknesses we have inherited from our parents, it is with mercy He looks upon the weaknesses our parents have inherited from their parents, and it is especially with mercy that He looks upon the weaknesses of the penitent, those who always seek to do better, for those who seek to do better understand this important truth:

"In light of the ultimate purpose of the great plan of happiness,

 I believe that the ultimate treasures on earth and in heaven 

are our children and our posterity." 

- Dallin H. Oaks

ABSENCE OF FEAR

"Legend has it that one day a man was walking in the desert when he met Fear and Plague. They said they were on their way to a city to kill 10,000 people. The man asked Plague if he was going to do all the work. Plague smiled and said, 'No, I'll take care of only a few hundred. I'll let my friend Fear do the rest'."   -  Author unknown


During some of the toughest persecutions experienced by the saints in the meridian of times Apostle Paul wrote tirelessly to the Church exhorting the members to faithfulness and endurance. During his second imprisonment in Rome and just prior to his martyrdom, Paul wrote his second epistle to Timothy which stands as 'one of the great monuments to faith and hope in the face of loneliness and adversity' (The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, p 375). One of the most profound things he said in this letter had reference to fear: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). This statement should become the creed by which we, the saints of this dispensation, live by because we live in a world filled with turmoil, uncertainty, calamities and strife. We who are living during the winding up scenes of this earth's 6,000 years of time are living during the best and the worst of times. Before the Saviour comes again to personally reign for a thousand years we will experience some of the most intense trials of all dispensations that will drive fear into the hearts of all who will stand as witnesses of such times. Discoursing on the signs that will precede the Second Coming, the Saviour described the condition of our day: "And they shall hear of wars, and rumours of wars....for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places" (JSM 1:28,29).

This scripture is a very accurate description of our world today for "nations and kingdoms and peoples are at war all over the globe. The D&C 45 version of this discourse says that men "will take up the sword (or its modern equivalent) one against another" (vs 23). We see this as people fight among their own without regard to any living person; and this, according to Christ, is due to the hardening of their hearts. There will be commotions and desolations as we just read that will come in the form of famines, pestilences, disasters and earthquakes. Such events have increased dramatically in just our lifetime. The D&C version also indicates that these wars and catastrophes will increase until "the whole earth shall be in commotion" which will cause "men's hearts to fail them" (vs 26). We already see the beginning of a general feeling of hopelessness, despondency, depression and despair among many in the world today. This, for instance, is one of the primary purposes of terrorists - to strike a feeling of fear and hopelessness in others - and this will only increase" (Larry D. Keeler, If Ye Are Prepared, Ye Shall Not Fear (Now Is the Time to Prepare), p.3). Like the civilizations of old we allow and even foster 'secret combinations' within our societies which drive fear into the inhabitants of the whole earth. These are our modern day 'Gadianton Robbers' who seek power by inducing fear for the purpose of controlling countries and nations in upholding Satan's plan of destruction of the plan of salvation.

Perilous times equal fear. For this reason the Saviour chose to make the signs of the times known to us who follow His teachings. He said He did so for the 'elect's sake' (JSM 1:29), 'elect' meaning those who have taken upon themselves His name through the covenant of baptism. In His infinite mercy, the Saviour wanted us to have hope of the promises He has made so that we would not be troubled and fearful of the present: "Be not troubled, for, when all these things shall come to pass, ye may know that the promises which have been made unto you shall be fulfilled" (D&C 45:35). In other words, instead of fearing the calamities, rejoice that the end is fast approaching and the promises of something better are about to be fulfilled. Here are a few priceless promises made to the faithful who watch for the signs of His coming:

1. We can have peace in the midst of turmoil of the world and live without fear.
2. We can be assured that in the coming destruction of the world, we will be caught up to escape the baptism of fire for it is written 'that in the last days, two shall be in the field, the one shall be taken and the other left' (Matt 24:40-41).
3. We can be assured a place in His Kingdom after this life, which He promised when He said to His disciples: "In my Father's house are many mansions: I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2)

An absence of fear equals a brighteness of hope. Hope and fear cannot co-exist for one will always dispel the other. If we choose not to fear, should we not hope for something better? Considering the bleakness of today's world, can we not rejoice when contemplating the promise of eternal life in Christ's Kingdom of which John the Beloved said: "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice of of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Rev 21:1-4). Can we not in the absence of fear, have an abundance of hope in the Prince of Peace who can indeed dry all tears from our eyes and give us splendour and glory after the valley of shadow and death?

The greatest promise of all that we have been given is to receive the Second Comforter while still in mortality. The Prophet Joseph Smith has said that this is a reality for every faithful and worthy Latter-Day Saint who continues to humble himself before God; who hungers and thirsts after righteousness; and who lives by every word of God. Once a person has proven through his faithfulness that he will serve God at all cost, the Saviour Himself will come to Him and even manifest the Father to him, "and the Lord will teach him face to face" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 150-151, 298). Can we not be lifted up above fear when we hear the Saviour's divine promise such as this: "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you....I will love [you], and will manifest myself to [you]....and my Father will love [you] and we will come unto [you] and make our abode with [you] (John 14:18, 21, 23). This promise is, firstly, that the Son and the Father will visit us in person; and secondly, that we can receive from Him an assurance while still in mortality that we will be exalted. This divine promise is given even though we are not yet perfect. This promise means that the Lord knows the innermost desires of our hearts and will assure us divine tutoring beyond the grave that will qualify us for exaltation. Joseph Smith himself received this promise: "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 a throne for you in the kingdom of my Father, with Abraham your father" (D&C 132:49)

What could we possibly fear if we had an assurance of exaltation and if we knew the Saviour was bringing with Him at His appearing the fulfillment of all His wondrous promises? No earthquake, no flood, no act of terrorism could possibly consume us with fear. We are children of the promise, the elect of the covenant, who have everything to hope for. We are here but for a moment; a moment of learning, a moment of faith, a moment of preparation. As we witness the fulfillment of the signs of the times may we be propelled to urgent preparation to meet our Maker and may we be like John the Beloved,to whom the Saviour gave a glorious vision of the Second Coming and following which He said: "Surely, I come quickly", meaning quickly after all has been fulfilled and to which John simply replied: 

"Even so, come, Lord Jesus"

(Rev 22:20)

A special thanks to my good friend Larry D. Keeler from whom I learnt most of what I posted here and his insightful talk entitled "If Ye Are Prepared, Ye Shall Not Fear" on which this post was based.

THE SON

"A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art. When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son. 

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said: "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art." The young man held out the package. "I know this isn't much, I'm not really a great artist but I think your son would have wanted you to have this."

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. he thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. "Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift."

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected. The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?"

There was silence. Then a voice in the back of the room shouted: "We want to see the famous paintings! Skip this one." But the auctioneer persisted: "Will somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?"  Another voice angrily: "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!" But still the auctioneer continued: "The son! The son! Who'll take the son?" Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the long time gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the painting." Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. 

"We have $10, who will bid $20?"

"Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters."

"$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?"

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for the collections.

The auctioneer pounded the gavel: "Going once, twice, sold for $10!"

A man sitting on the second row shouted: "Now, let's get on with the collection!"

The auctioneer laid down his gavel and said: "I'm sorry, the auction is over."

"What about the paintings?"

"I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!"

God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: "The Son, the Son, who'll take the Son?"  

Because you see, whoever takes the Son, gets everything.

- Author unknown