ALMA THE FATHER

 

The 18 months my daughter spent on her mission was the happiest time of my life. I knew where she was, that she was safe and that she was doing the best thing she could possibly do in her then young life. She was in Australia, being looked after by a caring Mission President, she was well fed, had access to all the conveniences and health care that she could want and she was having wonderful spiritual experiences. I knew all this because I myself had served a mission in Australia and that had been my experience. I am sure many of you parents who have had children serve missions have felt the same.

 

There is a missionary story in the Book of Mormon that tugs at my heart. It is the story of Shiblon, Alma’s righteous son who accompanied him on a mission to the hostile Zoramites. I love the sentiments of love and joy that Alma expressed for this son. Helaman was the golden boy, Corinaton was a good boy gone bad but Shiblon was the middle son and the only one who suffered for Christ’s sake. Alma commended Shiblon for his faithfulness, patience, diligence and long suffering during his mission (Alma 38:3) suggesting there was no peaceful assurance for Alma that his son was doing missionary work in the lap of luxury. He says that Shiblon was ‘in bonds’ and that he was ‘stoned for the word’s sake’ (Alma 38:4). Imagine knowing your missionary son was being stoned on his mission……Now here is an interesting thing. Alma didn’t protect his son by sending him home to safety. He instead commended him for his diligence and told him to continue in his labours (Alma 38:15). 

 

I was a single mother for many years. During that time I did everything in my power to protect my two daughters from any danger and pain. I over-compensated and over-sacrificed repeatedly because I am an emotional female and lack that pragmatic restraint that men so capably employ in their parental skills. Note Alma’s wisdom in not protecting his son from hardship. He teaches Shiblon that if he puts his trust in God he shall be delivered out of his trials, troubles and afflictions AND  he shall be lifted up at the last day (Alma 38:5). Why use these two concepts in one sentence? It suggests Alma could see that temporal difficulties would teach Shiblon that the Saviour’s power of temporal deliverance is a similitude of His power of spiritual deliverance which leads to eternal life and he wanted his son to learn this lesson. It’s the greatest thing he could have possibly done for him. I take my hat off to Alma as a parent because you can do nothing greater than bring your children to Christ. This is  most evident in his call to repentance he extended to his son Corinaton which comprises four chapters and gives us the most comprehensive teaching on the Plan of Salvation. The most endearing thing about this is that he makes it known repeatedly that this is not just a sermon but a personal admonition by saying ‘my son’ 24 times in those chapters. It makes me want to weep….Amidst his great achievements, none are as great as Alma’s achievements as a parent….who cannot be touched by another son’s bold and loving proclamation: “Behold, I am Helaman, the son of Alma” (Alma 58:41). It gets me every time….

 

Your words of courage bear me up

On wings of faith 

I follow in your footsteps father,

I stand as a witness of

His holy name.

 

CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: "This My Son" by Elspeth C Young)

LOVING AS CHRIST LOVES

 

Some years ago I was very stressed so I made a trip to the temple to receive some peace. I unfortunately sat next to two sisters who I later learnt had a ‘get-together’ standing outing to the Temple. As I sat there waiting for the session to begin peace eluded me because the sisters next to me chatted incessantly. My stress escalated until I angrily and tersely told these unfortunate sisters to desist with their chatter. My outburst upset them so much that they left the endowment room and in tears complained to the Temple matron. I was called out of the room and reprimanded for which I apologised. I knew even back then that this hurt I had caused someone else would one day find me because I believe that you shouldn’t do to others what you don’t want them to do to you. This theory of mine proved to be true. As I posted a spiritual message in a Ward Newsletter as part of my calling this year, it was misunderstood by one sister who very unkindly replied to my message telling me that people are in a lockdown and that my message was suicide worthy. As we conversed and I tried to make my message clearer she remained hostile and indignant. In the end I had to just tell her that she had broken my heart by her attack on me and that I hoped I would never hurt a sister in Zion like she had hurt me…..hmmmmm.  I reflected on this incident and I realised that this sister had acted poorly towards me due to the stress she was under due to one of our severe Australian lockdowns. It was exactly what I had done in the temple some years prior. Is it possible to treat others lovingly even when under duress? Is it possible to treat others lovingly under ANY circumstances?

 

Consider the story of people called Anti-Nephi-Lehi. You cannot get greater duress than this. 

As we know, when the Lamanites came upon them to slay them, these people of Ammon did not prepare for war, nor did they run away. They stayed put, buried their weapons and subjected themselves to slaughter. We tend to always reflect on the main reason they did this, that reason being a sign of their covenant with God (Alma 24:18) but that reason does not end there. So profound and deep did their conversion become that  rather than ‘take away from a brother, they would give unto him’ (Alma 24:18).  And not just another, but even the sinner who would hate them, revile them, and even kill them.  But there is more….they also LOVED their brethren who sought to kill them (Alma 26:32). 

 

The lesson of the massacre of Anti-Nephi-Lehies doesn’t stop there. The number of Lamanites who were converted and ‘saved’  was greater than one thousand and five of them who were slain (Alma 24:22,26). So the sacrifice of the ‘innocent’ brought about the salvation of the ‘sinful’. How is it possible that these people could kneel in front of their executors and willingly go to their deaths for the sake of the salvation of others? There is only one answer. The love that they possessed towards their brethren was not ordinary love but ‘the pure love of Christ’. This was a deeper love than loving your neighbour as yourself (Matthew 19:19). This was to love ‘as I have loved you’ (John 13:34), this was the love the way HE FEELS IT, not the way we do. This love sends you to the altar of sacrifice to lay down your life for another, as was the case of people of Ammon whose sacrifice mirrored the sacrifice of the Son of God. This love cannot be developed by us but can only be a gift to the true followers of Christ who prayerfully seek it (Moroni 7:47,48). 

 

This Christmas may we contemplate the birth and the condescension of a God who lowered himself to the dust of this earth so He can bind us one to another and to the Father through His unfathomable sacrifice born out of the deepest recesses of His heart.  And may we love one another as He has loved us……

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

Art by Liz Lemon Swindle

SEEDS OF ETERNAL LIFE

 

I have a grandson. A beautiful boy. He is only five as I write this. He is the apple of his mother’s eye, and mine for that matter. I never had a son, only daughters. I marvel how well my daughter teaches her children and I wonder if I was as good as that. I passed many things onto my children: beliefs, principles, habits, traditions, teachings, even weaknesses. It delights me to see that some of our family traditions live on in my daughter’s family. My greatest hope is that I have planted seeds of truths of eternity into their hearts.

I have a daughter who is a returned missionary but no longer lives the gospel. I have come to the end of the road with how much I can do for her, and I know she is now in God’s hands. I hope against hope that one day she will be like Enos and remember the teachings of her youth. Enos gives me hope.

 

The Book of Mormon tells us that whilst hunting one day Enos hungered for a remission of his sins. This hunger came from remembering the words which his father often spoke about eternal life (Enos 1:3,4). We speak many words from day to day but none more important than the ones that uplift, inspire and sow seeds of eternal life in the hearts of those we love. Such were the words which Enos heard his father speak: "But behold, I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure in heart. Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith.........O all ye that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love; for ye may, if your minds are firm, forever (Jacob 3:1-2).”

 

So Enos prayed like his father advised and received a remission of his sins, hoping that one day he will hear: "Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father" (Enos 1:27). This hope he owed to his father. Is there a greater hope we can have for our children? And is there a greater example we as parents can follow than the example of Jacob, the brother of Nephi, the defender of the faith, the foe of the anti-Christ, Jacob the believer.

 

I give you my patience

That you might follow your path;

I give you my understanding

That you might love you more;

I give you my forgiveness

That you might learn to love;

I give you my tolerance

That you might grow;

I give you my wisdom

That you might have courage;

I give you my all

As I promised I would,

From my heart into yours;

From mother to son

Forever more

Because a heart can give no more.

• Cathryne Allen

(Art: In The Arms of His Love by Greg Olsen)

YOUR PURPOSE - ODE TO ALMA

 

Here is another person who can teach us about fulfilling our purpose…..Alma the Younger who went about with the intent to destroy the Church became the man who led the Nephite armies in battle (Alma 2:16); who sat naked with Amulek in dungeons (Alma 14:22);  who was spat upon by the unrepentant (Alma 14:21); who dumbfounded an anti-Christ (Alma 30:49,50); who baptised thousands of souls unto repentance (Alma 4:4,5); who the Lord in the end took up unto himself (Alma 45:19).  Most people credit Alma’s eventual success to his repentance but I credit it to forgiveness.

When you look at Alma and his life, do you see a broken man with a past or do you see a powerful prophet of the Lord? The fact that we see a powerful prophet has more to do with forgiveness than with repentance. Certainly without repentance he would have never been set on the path to greatness but it was forgiveness that made him great. I am talking here about two-way forgiveness. The first and most important part is the Saviour’s forgiveness and the second is self-forgiveness. If Alma had never forgiven himself and had beaten up on himself for the rest of his life, he would  never have achieved his life’s purpose. 

If you are still 'harrowed' up by your past sins, you are missing the person that you could be.  If you believe you are no good, the Lord can make nothing of you. If self-forgiveness has not closed the circle of your repentance, you should examine Alma’s life post repentance. It is not enough to just stop doing the wrong things. What matters is doing the right things, the things that invite the spirit into your life so the Atonement can heal you and wipe away your guilt (Alma 24:10).  Abstaining from your sins is only the beginning of repentance.  What comes after is what brings about the change of heart and gives you lasting peace.  

If you have repented of your sins but can't let them go, you are giving them more power than you are giving God. The adversary wants nothing more than for your sins to continue to have power over you. Your forgiveness is not complete until you allow the Saviour to take away your remorse. The power of the Atonement can complete this process.  Believe in it, trust it, ask for it.  The Lord has a purpose for you and He is waiting.

He stood between you

And the gaping jaws of hell,

He cherished your soul

And snatched you from everlasting

Misery of the damned.

He planted the seed of faith

In your willing heart

But you, you tilled the ground

And nurtured the tree of faith

Growing the fruit, so exquisite and sweet.

So heavy in your overflowing arms

You sought to feed the hungry,

The spiritually maimed.

He who stood at the gates of hell

Your soul to save

Gathered the fruit,

The path to His throne to pave. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Artist Unknown)

THE FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERING

 

More on Job.......because I know of no greater example of endurance than that of this man. Even though he sank to the depths of despair wishing he was never born (Job 3:3) and not understanding the reason for his suffering, he remained true to his conviction of God's wisdom and power.

Like the rest of us, Job was not sinless but was so righteous that the Lord called him perfect (Job 1:8) so why all the suffering? Why are good people allowed and even called to suffer in this life? This answer is twofold. Firstly, all those who desire to come unto Christ have to experience a portion of his suffering to properly know Him. Job proved this to be true.....he only knew OF God prior to his suffering but at the end he came to KNOW God, as he said: "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee" (Job 42:5). In other words, before his suffering, Job knew God theoretically but through his suffering he came to know Him experientially. To become like Christ and in the end receive of His glory, it is needful for us to become partners with Him, in some small measure, in His sufferings and walk the path He walked. Paul called this 'the fellowship of his sufferings' (Philippians 3:8-10).

Secondly, the fiery darts that we suffer in mortality are designed to fit us for exaltation. Jesus himself had to learn obedience 'by the things which he suffered' (Heb 5:8,9). Suffering is not only meant to educate us, mould us and refine us but to test our obedience in the midst thereof. God would have us become like Him. For this reason He will allow us to suffer in the refiner's fire that we might in the end become purified with His image in our countenance (Job 23:10; Malachi 3:2,3).

As you sit in the furnace of your affliction (Isaiah 48:10), remember His watchful eye is over you. He does not love you less because He has allowed misfortune to befall you. In fact, He loves you more because of what you will have endured and what you will become. He knows your sorrow and your anguish. You were bought with a price and you are cherished (1 Corinthians 6:20). Stand firm on your testing ground, even as Job. Have strength as you trust in His promises and His work to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of His most valuable possession, you.

ODE TO JOB:

Your watchful eye was over all my trials

So carefully crafted

With love and tender care,

The crucible almost too hard to bear;

Yet did I worship Thee

Praising Thy name forever.

You stood as sentinel to my yielding heart

Knowing my trust would stand the test of time;

You crushed the enemy of my soul in the final hour-

Your glory,

Your might,

Your unfathomable power.

• CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art by Danny Hahlbohm)

PERSONAL REVELATION

 

My closest and dearest friend is a woman of great faith. She receives personal revelation on ongoing basis and obeys with exactness allowing nothing to compromise her convictions. She doesn’t always know why she is given particular instructions but she follows them anyway. She is like Nephi of old who followed the path to obtain the brass plates without knowing where he was going and what he was going to do (1 Nephi 4:6). That journey to Jerusalem  might just have been the catalyst of young Nephi’s conviction that the Lord doesn’t ask us to do anything that He hasn’t prepared the way for (1 Nephi 3:7). It might have sealed his path of following Lord’s instructions for the rest of his life. Imagine if Nephi didn’t trust the Lord’s instructions that led him obtain the plates. Would he have ever believed the Lord that he was capable of building a ship when the time came for such a mammoth undertaking (1 Nephi 17:49,50)? And would he have dared to even step onto that ship and sail dangerous seas? 

 

Sometimes it is hard to understand some instructions that might be given to us but ‘God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, and neither are our ways His ways’ (Isaiah 55:8). It is our part to trust rather than understand the how and why.  The ability to trust God has to come from ‘knowing’ God because it is impossible to trust someone you don’t know. One great way is to remember past experiences we have had  where God has revealed His wisdom in our lives. Another way is to take particular notice of the way He deals with people in scriptural accounts. The scriptures are replete with stories of miraculous ways God has come to aid people throughout history or the way He has prepared the way for something extraordinary to happen as in the case of Nephi who was instructed in 569 B.C. to make a second set of plates (2 Nephi 5:28-31) and Mormon who was instructed to include them in his record nearly 1,000 years later (Words of Mormon 1:8). Neither of these men knew about the loss of 116 pages of translated Book of Lehi that would happen in 1828. 

 

Living by personal revelation is not for the faint hearted. It takes courage and absence of fear. I learnt that from my friend. Just remember the vantage point from which God sees you and your life. He is way up high and has a marvellous view. 

 

I stumble and I fall on this road of life;

Your words

Like a lamp unto my feet

Dispel the darkness and bear me up.

I dare to climb the highest mountains

I dare to sail dangerous seas,

Ever trusting what you speak to me

Will lead me back to Thee.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art by Liz Lemon Swindle)

YOUR PURPOSE - ODE TO ABINADI

 

If you have ever wondered what your purpose in life is, then the story of Abinadi is the story for you.  When Abinadi first came on the scene preaching repentance in 148 B.C., he escaped King Noah’s edict of execution only to resurface two years later to go from a frypan into the fire.  And not any fire. Being burnt at stake would have been more merciful than what he suffered. Abinadi was scorched to death by flames of faggots that were used to poke and sear his skin until death (Mosiah 17:13,14). This practice of torture and death by fire was practiced widely among native American cultures. 

 

This is what will forever be recorded in the annals of history about this man:  His unwavering testimony of Christ. When questioned by the priests of Noah, Abinadi recited Isaiah 53 in its perfection and entirety. I am sure he didn’t carry scriptures around and most certainly didn’t have them handy when handcuffed standing in front of his accusers. How many of us could memorise Isaiah, recite it word for word and then explain it? This is chapter 53: “….surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows….he was wounded for our transgressions…he was oppressed and afflicted….”. It is about Messiah’s humiliation and sufferings. But there is something else very interesting about Chapter 53. Abinadi quoted that Christ would, because of His death, divide His eternal reward ‘with the strong’ (Mosiah 14:12).  Well, you can’t get stronger than Abinadi who knew he was going to meet his death but who wouldn’t abstain from finishing his message. Take note why: “I finish my message; and then it matters not whither I go, if it so be that I am saved.” (Mosiah 13:9). Never a more poignant statement has been made…..in the end, all that mattered is that he fulfilled his purpose. 

 

Another amazing thing about Abinadi…..he focused on delivering his message, he did not fixate on the success thereof….so he went to his death believing he fulfilled his purpose without any results, but there was a convert….Alma, then Alma the Younger, then Helaman, then his son Nephi, then 3^rd Nephi…and we all know what these men achieved. 

 

In your journey of self-discovery, be not afraid to step into deeper waters to discover what your true purpose in life is, and do not be worried about obvious results. Only be concerned with God’s approbation. Find the Abinadi in you and do not be afraid of the flames…..

 

 

ODE TO ABINADI:

How beautiful were your feet

As you published peace

And were numbered amongst His seed

Of the faithful and the believing;

As you so valiantly accepted His call

To bring Him as an offering

To the proud and the unbelieving.

You stood without flinching

As the flames licked your body

And defiant spirit without yielding.

With courage you proclaimed His Sonship

And His godly might;

With righteous devotion

You earned entrance to His holy heart.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art by Briana Shawcroft)