A SYNOPSIS OF LIFE

 

Seasons of Change by LDS Bookstore

Teenage years: Life is great and possibilities are great.

Twenties: My Prince has come, not on a steed but in a small second-hand Toyota, but that’s OK. I am about to sail off into the sunset of perfection and a glorious thereafter.

Thirties: The sunset faded all too soon and the prince has turned into a toad. I am divorced with two children in tow.

Forties: I am penniless but the tabloids tell me I am a superwoman and I can yet re-invent myself and create another life because for women life begins at 40.

Fifties: Still penniless and wrung dry by single motherhood. My mother is in her 70s and she refuses to walk with a cane. What the heck is wrong with her? Doesn’t she know how old she is????

Sixties: My body is breaking. The thought of having a shower fills me with fear and dread and actually having one that lasts all of five minutes is a monumental achievement. And no way am I walking with a cane!

I don’t know if it happens to everyone but it seems that when we reach the last leg of the journey, we start evaluating a lot and calculating the worth of our lives by a very short synopsis. I was struggling with a very low number I was coming up with until my friend recently confided in me the same struggle. She felt she has not achieved much and therefore she herself must not be worth much.  

The thing is, there is only one thing we take with us when we die….ourselves, therefore our worth cannot be measured by earthly achievements but by the worth of our souls. I have not attended one funeral where the financial worth of the deceased was on display for everyone to admire. Who they were was always remembered over what they have achieved and acquired.

When God the Father showed Enoch His corrupted children that would be swept away in the flood, He wept at the loss (Moses 7:28). Enoch was beyond perplexed when he considered that God would sorrow over a ‘handful’ of His children compared to the immensity of His creations (v 29-31). The Father simply answered that these His children were ‘the workmanship” of His hands (v 32). The dictionary defines ‘workmanship’ as ‘the product or result of labour and skill, or work executed’.

I pondered on this some years ago and considered the work that went into the making of us such as: 1. our spiritual creation which depended on the Father’s rise to Godhood; 2. Our spiritual tutoring for eons of time; 3. The creation of the earth for our mortality; 4. The overseeing of our earthly tutoring; 5. The preparation of kingdoms for our eternal destination; 6. The redemption of our souls through the sacrifice of another.

I also thought of our earthly lives and the scale of guidance, protection, care, anguish and sorrow of our Heavenly Parents, the Holy Ghost, our guardian angels, our ancestors, our departed loved ones and all the hosts of heaven who know us….and not just what others have put into us but what we have put into ourselves….in this life and before we even came here. Progression is a long journey.

As I spoke to my friend, I said to her that I have come to the conclusion that I would gladly repeat all the trials and hardships of my life if it would bring me back to this time and place where I am the closest I have ever been to the Saviour of the world. As I spoke, I became cognizant of my worth and that I was my greatest asset. The height of my value I owe to Him who has not only bled for my soul but who has fine tuned me like an old violin……..

“Twas battered and scarred and the auctioneer thought it hardly worth his while to waste his time on the old violin, but he held it up with a smile. “What am I bid, good people”, he cried, “Who starts the bidding for me?”

“One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two? Two dollars, who makes it three? Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going, going for three.”

“But no, from the room far back a gray bearded man came forward and picked up the bow.

Then wiping the dust from the old violin and tightening up the strings, he played a melody, pure and sweet. As sweet as the angel sings.

“The music ceased and the auctioneer with a voice that was quite and low said, “What now am I bid for this old violin?” As he held it aloft with its’ bow. “One thousand, one thousand, do I hear two? Two thousand, who makes it three? Three thousand once, three thousand twice, Going and gone”, said he.

“The audience cheered, but some of them cried, “We just don’t understand, What changed its worth?” 

Swift came the reply, “The touch of the Master’s Hand.”

- Myra Brooks Welch [1877-1959]

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

 

WORTH OF A SOUL

 

“I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”  (Luke 15:7)

“There is no justification for the inference that a repentant sinner is to be given precedence over a righteous soul who had resisted sin; were such the way of God, then Christ, the one sinless Man, would be surpassed in the Father’s esteem by regenerate offenders.

“Unqualifiedly offensive as is sin, the sinner is yet precious in the Father’s eyes, because of the possibility of his repentance and return to righteousness. The loss of a soul is very real and a very great loss to God. He is pained and grieved thereby, for it is His will that not one should perish (Matthew 18:14; Moses 1:39)”

-          James Talmage, Jesus The Christ, p 461

 

I stand all amazed

That You would offer Your sinless heart

For every sinful soul.

That You would deem us worthy

And suffer for us so.

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art by Ivan Guaderrama)

THE VALUE OF US

 

We preach extensively in the Church about the worth of a soul. I have read many times the scripture from which this concept originated (D&C 18:10). I understood this on a basic level until this week.

When God the Father showed Enoch His corrupted children that would be swept away in the flood, He wept at the loss (Moses 7:28). Enoch was beyond perplexed when he considered that God would sorrow over a ‘handful’ of His children compared to the immensity of His creations (v 29-31). The Father simply answered that these His children were ‘the workmanship” of His  hands (v 32). The dictionary defines ‘workmanship’ as ‘the product or result of labour and skill, or work executed’.

I pondered on this some years ago and considered the work that went into the making of us such as: 1. our spiritual creation which depended on the Father’s rise to Godhood; 2. Our spiritual tutoring for eons of time; 3. The creation of the earth for our mortality; 4. The overseeing of our earthly tutoring; 5. The preparation of kingdoms for our eternal destination; 6. The redemption of our souls through the sacrifice of another.

I also thought of the scale of guidance, protection, care, anguish and sorrow of our Heavenly Parents, the Holy Ghost, our guardian angels, our ancestors, our departed loved ones and all the hosts of heaven who know us….and not just what others have put into us but what we have put into ourselves….in this life and before we even came here.

I concluded from all my pondering we were like pieces of art from a Master’s touch but I missed one thing. I missed the love.

Yesterday, as I went through another bout of my suffering, into my mind came the Saviour on the cross and I could not help myself exclaiming: How much You must have valued us, sinners and saints, to be willing to go through Your unfathomable suffering! In that moment I understood “the worth of souls is great in the sight of God” (D&C 18:10), not because of all the work that went into us but because I understood our value from the Saviour of the world who claimed: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13).

The core of our value is love, for surely no man could have bled at every pore if there was no love. In that moment I understood my own worth because of the price of my salvation. And I  understood the love. Not just the love of Him who saved me but the love of Him who brought me into existence. Indeed we are children of God who loves us with a perfect love.

I worshipped You in heaven

As my Saviour and my King

I knew Your holy suffering

Would pay for everything.

Now I am here in my mortal frame,

I am amazed at the price You paid

For the value of my name!

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Salvation by Ron DiCianni)

OF GREAT WORTH

 

“I remember once a seven or eight year old son of ours jumping on his bed hard enough that I thought it might break. I felt a flash of frustration, and I moved quickly to set my house in order. I grabbed my son by his little shoulders and lifted him up to where our eyes met.

“The Spirit put words into my mind. It seemed a quite voice, but it pierced my heart: “You are holding a great person.” I gently set him back on the bed and apologized. Now he has become the great man the Holy Ghost let me see 40 years ago. I am eternally grateful that the Lord rescued me from my unkind feelings by sending the Holy Ghost to let me see a child of God as He saw him.”

-        President Henry B. Eyring, “My Peace I Leave with You”, GC April 2017

Wouldn’t it be something if we could see the spiritual stature of babies, children and adults we do not know? I wager there would be no contention, hate, mistreatment, abuse, crime or war. If we could see each other as God the Father sees us, we would understand who we truly are. Abraham gave us a glimpse of our eternal greatness when he spoke about all the great and noble intelligences that were organized before the world was (Abraham 3:22-23).

We are told we are here to progress and improve upon ourselves. This progression began before we were even born: “In the prior life, we developed various capacities and talents. Some developed them in one field and some in another. The most important of all fields was the field of spirituality, the ability, the talent, the capacity to recognise truth” (Bruce R. McConkie, When Thou Art Converted, Strengthen Thy Brethren, A Study Guide for the Priesthood Quorums of the Church, 1974-75, pp 8-9).

Our individual efforts were not all, however. God told Enoch that man was the ‘workmanship of His hands’ (Moses 7:32). The dictionary defines ‘workmanship’ as ‘the product or result of labour and skill, or work executed’.

To arrive at the estimate of what we are worth, consider all the possible ‘work’ that went into the making of YOU: 1. Your spiritual creation which depended on the Father’s rise to Godhood; 2. Your spiritual tutoring for eons of time; 3. The creation of the earth for your mortality; 4. Overseeing of your earthly progress and protection; 5. Preparation of kingdoms for your eternal destination.

Now think of the scale of guidance, protection, care, overseeing, anguish and sorrow of your Heavenly Parents, the Holy Ghost, your guardian angels, your ancestors, your departed loved ones and all the hosts of heaven who know you. This is true for each one of us who grace this earth.

Obviously, we achieved a lot before we were even born into mortality. What price would you put to all the work that you put into you and the investment of others into you??? I know three things:  the price would be higher than we can possibly imagine; I know who paid it and I know why.

Surely Christ’s supreme sacrifice for all mankind is the crescendo of all the work invested into each soul ever born on this earth, of every creed, of every colour, of every nation. The Atonement is the crowning glory of the work that has gone into you and me. It is the ultimate proof that the worth of a soul is great in the sight of God (D&C 18:10).

All the prior work that had been put into us would be in vain if there was no Atonement, and even more importantly, there would be no future for any of us, and the future is what counts, because it ensures our rightful place in the eternal scheme of things. It completes the Plan, it ensures the success of the Plan, it validates the ‘workmanship’ and preserves its value.

Next time we confront somebody, may we remember we are at eye level with ‘a great person’………

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: I Am A Child of God by Howard Lyon)

THE WORTH OF YOU

 

 

We are told the worth of a soul is great in the eyes of God (D&C 17:10). What does that exactly mean? Does it mean our worth is great simply because we are the offspring of Deity who loves us?

Well, there seems to be more to it than that. God told Enoch that we are the ‘workmanship’ of His hands (Moses 7:32). If ‘workmanship’ insinuates investment of labour and skill, the worth cannot be purely in the birth alone.

To arrive at the estimate of the worth, consider all the ‘work’ that went into the making of YOU: 1. Your spiritual creation which depended on the Father’s rise to Godhood; 2. Your spiritual tutoring for eons of time; 3. The creation of the earth for your mortality; 4. Overseeing of your earthly tutoring; 5. Preparation of kingdoms for your eternal destination; 6. The redemption of your soul through sacrifice of another.

Now think of the scale of guidance, protection, care, overseeing, anguish and sorrow of your Heavenly Parents, the Holy Ghost, your guardian angels, your ancestors, your departed loved ones and all the hosts of heaven who know you….and not just what others have put into you but what you have put into yourself….in this life and before you even came here. Consider the following:

“In the prior life, we developed various capacities and talents. Some developed them in one field and some in another. The most important of all fields was the field of spirituality, the ability, the talent, the capacity to recognise truth” (Bruce R. McConkie, When Thou Art Converted, Strengthen Thy Brethren, A Study Guide for the Priesthood Quorums of the Church, 1974-75, pp 8-9). This spiritual development was not only important for our own salvation but also for the salvation of others.

Obviously, we achieved a lot before we were even born into mortality. What price would you put to all the work that you put into yourself and the investment of others into you??? I know two things:  the price would be higher than we can possibly imagine; and I know who paid it and why.

When Moses encountered God on Mount Sinai, God revealed Himself to him and Moses saw the glory of God and every particle of this earth and all the children of men (Moses 1:8,27) that have ever been created. The vision of God's power was overwhelming to a man who grew up in an Egyptian court believing that Pharoah was god and there was no one greater than him so he exclaimed that now he could see that man is nothing (Moses 1:10).

God, however, didn't want Moses to miss the point so He showed him the same vision again and concluded it with the most important message in the scriptures: "For behold this is my work and my glory - to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). The point that God didn't want Moses to miss is this: amongst all of God's creations, none are greater than man. Why? Because man constitutes God’s glory. All that we are and all that we become matters because it leads to our glory and adds to His.

Surely Christ’s supreme sacrifice for all mankind is the crescendo of all the work invested into each soul ever born on this earth, of every creed, of every colour, of every nation. The Atonement is the crowning glory of the work that has gone into you and me.

All the prior work that had been put into us would be in vain if there was no Atonement, and even more importantly, there would be no future for any of us, and the future is what counts, because it ensures our rightful place in the eternal scheme of things.

It completes the Plan, it ensures the success of the Plan, it validates the ‘workmanship’ and preserves its value. So with all the labour, material, and struggle that has gone into your creation and development, how much do you think your soul is worth?

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Jesus the Creator by SKAI Studios)

THE WORTH OF A SOUL

 

When God the Father showed Enoch His corrupted children that would be swept away in the flood, He wept at the loss (Moses 7:28). Enoch was beyond perplexed when he considered that God would sorrow over a ‘handful’ of His children compared to the immensity of His creations (v 29-31). The Father simply answered that these His children were ‘the workmanship” of His own hands (v 32). The dictionary defines ‘workmanship’ as ‘the product or result of labour and skill, or work executed’.

We are told the worth of a soul is great in the eyes of God (D&C 17:10). What does that exactly mean? Does it mean our worth is great simply because we are the offspring of Deity who loves us? Well, it would seem there is more to it than that. If ‘workmanship’ insinuates investment of labour and skill, the worth cannot be purely in the birth alone. To arrive at the estimate of the worth, consider all the ‘work’ that went into the making of YOU: 1. Your spiritual creation which depended on the Father’s rise to Godhood; 2. Your spiritual tutoring for eons of time; 3. The creation of the earth for your mortality; 4. Overseeing of your earthly tutoring; 5. Preparation of kingdoms for your eternal destination; 6. The redemption of your soul through sacrifice of another. Now think of the scale of guidance, protection, care, overseeing, anguish and sorrow of your Heavenly Parents, the Holy Ghost, your guardian angels, your ancestors, your departed loved ones and all the hosts of heaven who know you….and not just what others have put into you but what you have put into yourself….and not just in this life but before you even came here. Consider the following:

“During the ages in which we dwelt in the pre-mortal state we not only developed our various characteristics and showed our worthiness and ability, or the lack of it, but we were also where such progress could be observed…..The heavenly beings were living in a perfectly arranged society. Every person knew his place…..Ordinances pertaining to that pre-existence were required and the love of God prevailed. Under such conditions it was natural for our Father to discern and choose those who were most worthy and evaluate the talents of each individual. He knew not only what each of us COULD do, but also what each of us WOULD do when put to the test and when responsibility was given us” (Joseph Fielding Smith, The Way to Perfection, pp 50-51)

“In the prior life, we developed various capacities and talents. Some developed them in one field and some in another. The most important of all fields was the field of spirituality, the ability, the talent, the capacity to recognise truth” (Bruce R. McConkie, When Thou Art Converted, Strengthen Thy Brethren, A Study Guide for the Priesthood Quorums of the Church, 1974-75, pp 8-9). This spiritual development was not only important for our own salvation but for others. Abraham confirmed this when he spoke about all the great and noble intelligences that were organised before the world was (Abraham 3:22-23). Joseph F. Smith spoke of the many others besides the prophets who received their first lessons in the world of spirits to prepare them for the work of salvation in this life (D&C 138:55,56).

Obviously, we achieved a lot before we were even born into mortality. What price would you put to all the work that you put into you and the investment of others into you??? I know two things:  the price would be higher than we can possibly imagine; and I know who paid it.

Surely Christ’s supreme sacrifice for all mankind is the crescendo of all the work invested into each soul ever born on this earth, of every creed, of every colour, of every nation. The Atonement is the crowning glory of the work that has gone into you and me. All the prior work that had been put into us would be in vain if there was no Atonement, and even more importantly, there would be no future for any of us, and the future is what counts, because it ensures our rightful place in the eternal scheme of things. It completes the Plan, it ensures the success of the Plan, it validates the ‘workmanship’ and preserves its value. So with all the labour, material, and struggle that has gone into your creation and development, how much do you think your soul is worth?

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Worth Of A Soul by Liz Lemon Swindle)

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)