PRIVILEGE OF MERCY

 

 There is a chapter in the book of Jacob that tugs at my heart. It is chapter 5 that gives us the allegory of the olive tree. It is impossible to enumerate the history and all the aspects of the beauty of this allegory in such a short post. It makes me extremely grateful, however, for the two men who made this treasure available to us: Nephi who accomplished the dangerous task of obtaining the brass plates; and our beloved Prophet of the Restoration, Joseph Smith, for all he suffered to bring the Book of Mormon to the world.

There was a prophet in Israel by the name of Zenos who lived between the time of Abraham and Isaiah and who was martyred for his testimony (Helaman 8:19,20); whose prophecies of Christ’s mission are found only in the Book of Mormon (see Guide to the Scriptures). We know of this prophet because of the brass plates which were taken to the land of the Americas with Lehi and his colony in 600 B.C.

Whilst it is not my wish to overshadow the importance of the House of Israel's lengthy history contained within this allegory, which begs thorough study, and which spans from the time of the first scattering in 721 BC to the Millenium, it is my intention to focus on the Saviour and how he relates to us who are of this House. In the allegory of the olive tree, the Lord of the vineyard sets about plucking, pruning, digging and grafting. He also grieves, preserves, labours, watches and tends to the vineyard constantly, but in particular one tree, the tame olive tree. This tree represents the House of Israel. The Lord’s frantic efforts to ensure its’ divine destiny can be seen through repetitious declarations of His love and long-suffering: His desire to preserve the vineyard is mentioned in the parable 11 times; at least 15 times the Lord expresses His desire to bring the vineyard and its' harvest 'unto my own self'; 8 times He says 'it grieveth me to lose the trees of my vineyard'; and 3 times He asks with anguish, weeping, 'what could I have done more for my vineyard?' The central theme of this allegory is the Saviour's enduring mercy, long-suffering, loving care and his most dedicated work towards His favoured people, the House of Israel. This is the privilege of mercy.

After he recounts the allegory of the olive tree to his people, Jacob exclaims: "....how merciful is our God unto us, for he remembereth the house of Israel, both roots and branches; and he stretches forth his hands unto them all the day long...O then, my beloved brethren, repent ye, and enter in at the strait gate, and continue in the way which is narrow, until ye shall obtain eternal life, O be wise; what can I say more?" (Jacob 6:4,11,12). What indeed?

 

Thy love for Thy people is beyond compare,

Thy mercy affixed forever more.

Thy power delivers us and

Thy loving kindness gathers us;

We are restored by Thy merciful might,

We are Israel, children of light.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Lord of the Vineyard by Scott Sumner)

SERVANTS OF LOVE

 

I have a list of the scriptural greats that I admire. It started with five of my favourites and has grown over the years as they became my teachers and sources of inspiration. Here they are:

• ABRAHAM for his righteousness, his care of his fellowmen and unfathomable trust in God;
• -       ENOCH for his power of the word and his passionate soul;
• -      ISAIAH for his poetic rhetoric and revelatory insight of promised Messiah;
• -     MOSES for choosing slavery over the splendour of Egypt; for believing in his mission and undertaking such a mammoth task;
• -      JOSEPH of EGYPT for his uprightness in a heathen land and his ultimate success against all odds;
• -      JEREMIAH for his unrelenting ministry despite his sufferings;
• -     ELIJAH for his humanity by wishing he could die to end his aloneness and seemingly fruitless labours and for his power born out of his love and obedience for the one true and living God;
• -      EZEKIEL for the exactness of his missionary tasks in the heathen Babylon despite his people’s mockery and disregard of him;
• -    JOHN THE BELOVED for being the Beloved…and his unfailing devotion to Christ and his work that spans eons of time….I want to see him…..desperately….
• -   PAUL for having forsaken ALL for ‘the excellence of the knowledge of Christ’ and his unrelenting missionary labours;
• -       LEHI for being a revelatory dreamer and choosing hardship by obedience over his prosperity;
• -      ALMA THE YOUNGER for his personal journey, for progressing from being one of the vilest of sinners to sorrowing over the sins of his people;
• -       MORMON for his steadfastness in the most evil society by proclaiming himself to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, and his impeccable care and compilation of ancient records for our benefit;

And last but certainly not the least, NEPHI, for always giving credit to God and for his tenacious, inexhaustible faith, but most of all for the exactness of his unfailing obedience. What a delight this man must have been to his parents. Imagine having a son who never questions your wisdom and follows your counsel and guidance with exactness, never wavering. Imagine having a son who does not think your ideas are outdated and your dreams foolishness. A son who is willing to follow you to the ends of the earth and who respects your patriarchal leadership within the family. Imagine a son who never shirks from what you ask of him no matter how hard the task; one who has complete trust in God and never deviates from his commitment to Him. A son who knows his limitations and strengths yet never allows pride to lift him higher than his fellow beings. This was Nephi.

Nephi modelled himself after another obedient son, whom he knew through close association (2 N 11:3) and whom He followed diligently. The more he followed, the more like the Master he became.  What a legacy of obedience Nephi left to all who would see the man behind all he endured, even as did the Son of Man. Nephi, the greatest start to a record that qualifies so valiantly as the second witness of Jesus Christ. Nephi, who fittingly ended his record by summing up the integrity of his character in three most profound words found in scripture: 'I must obey'  (2 Nephi 33:15).

How much you must love those

Who bear witness of Thy holy name.

Thy prophets, Thine everlasting friends,

Thine angels who herald

Thy gospel and Thy name;

To the ends of the earth they speak

And their words forever remain.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art by Liz Lemon Swindle)

HEAVEN'S GIFT

 

I love this painting of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Not only because it is aesthetically pleasing but because of its’ title, “As One”. It tells me everything about the Plan of Salvation at a glance. Our rise to godhood could never happen without the combined efforts of these three holy personages: the Father’s Plan, the Son’s implementation of the Plan and the Holy Ghost’s refining process which enables our rise to the pinnacle of that Plan. Each are dependent on the other and without all three nothing would be possible. I am in awe of this process.

We know that without faith, repentance and baptism, exaltation is not possible (2 Nephi 31:17,18). A crucial component of this process is the fourth element being the Holy Ghost through whom comes  remission of our sins, by fire (v 17). This is how important the Holy Ghost is: “You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not done in view of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half – that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 5:499)

Elder David A. Bednar pointed out something significant to this end: “Following our baptism, each of us had hands placed upon our head by those with priesthood authority and was confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and the Holy Ghost was conferred upon us (see D&C 49:14). The statement ‘receive the Holy Ghost’ in our confirmation was a directive to strive for the baptism of the Spirit…..We were baptized by immersion in water for the remission of sins. We must also be baptized by and immersed in the Spirit of the Lord, ‘and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost’ (2 Nephi 31:17)’ (in CR April 2006, 29; or Ensign May 2006, 29). Receiving the Holy Ghost is not a passive gift, it is a striving for its cleansing power.

Elder Lynn A. Mickelsen of the Seventy confirmed this theory and explained how it is dependent on the Atonement of Jesus Christ: “Through the Atonement, the Saviour, giving Himself as the ransom for our sins, authorizes the Holy Ghost to cleanse us in a baptism of fire. As the Holy Ghost dwells in us, His purifying presence burns out the filthiness of sin. As soon as the commitment is made, the cleansing process begins” (in CR Oct 2003, 11; or Ensign Nov 2003, p 12). This is suggestive of the gradual process of sanctification just as repentance is sometimes not instantaneous but gradual. The important part of sanctification is the commitment of repentance when we partake of the sacrament. After that, our striving for the companionship of the Holy Ghost should be our daily pursuit.

Father’s Plan cannot come to fruition without the Atonement and neither can sanctification that comes through the mercies of the Atonement by the Holy Ghost. Sanctification cannot happen without the Atonement and the Atonement is not complete without the sanctification. Both the Atonement and sanctification, however, are the necessary components of Father’s Plan. This is the Godhead, As One.

My understanding of and gratitude for the Holy Ghost has increased over the years. I yearn to know this personage once again as I knew Him before. I have wept on many occasions when I have felt Him close; when He has enlightened my mind to understand the truths of eternity; when He has encircled me in the arms of my Father’s love. I am deeply grateful for His administration to me and His sanctifying power as I strive to walk in paths of righteousness.

 

You are the flaming fire

That burns with sacred might;

I surrender my sins

And grant you entrance

To the caverns of my heart.

CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: As One by Danny Hahlbohm)

UNTIL DEATH

 

I am constantly amazed at the way the Book of Mormon clarifies the doctrines of Christ and it amazes me equally how often some of us miss these clarifications. One ordinance in the Church that often gets misunderstood is baptism. I have for many years in the past, like many others no doubt, partaken the sacrament each Sunday with the idea that if I do so I will walk away from the chapel 'clean' as on the day of my baptism. This is of course false. There is only one purpose to our weekly partaking of the sacrament and that is to renew our baptismal covenant of obedience.

The New Testament teaches us that baptism is important, but to me, the reasons why, are quite vague. The idea of purification by baptism as suggested in Acts 22:15-16 stands more as a symbol than a reason, probably because we associate water with cleanliness. The act of baptismal cleanliness is not due to immersion in water but the purifying power of the Holy Ghost for the redemption of sins, which follows (2 Nephi 31:17), but that’s a subject for another post. Paul also symbolises baptism with burial and resurrection in Romans 6:3,4. The greatest symbolism of baptism is, however, re-birth. Just as we are born physically coming forth out of the water of the womb, we are born spiritually in Christ coming forth out of the water of baptism.

Book of Mormon is clear on this fact: baptism's first and foremost objective is to make a covenant of obedience with God.  If the act of baptising was to wash away sins, Jesus being without sin would not need to be baptised. The obvious reaction to this is: He was baptised to be an example to us. But an example of what? This is where the Book of Mormon excels in clarification. Nephi makes it clear that Jesus' willingness to 'fulfill all righteousness' was not to exemplify washing away of sin but to make a covenant of obedience (Matthew 3:15; 2 Nephi 31:5,6,7). In other words, at the time of His baptism, Jesus was making a covenant with the Father that He would be obedient, and in the process, making an example for us to do the same. And, indeed, the renewal of this covenant of obedience is what we hear in our sacramental prayers every Sunday (Moroni 4,5)

When Alma who had fled from King Noah with a small band of followers preached to them the covenant of obedience by the waters of Mormon, the people were so overcome with joy that they committed to baptism there and then (Mosiah 18:10,11). Alma's first baptism was a man called Helam. The words he used as he baptised Helam took the baptismal covenant to a new level. He said: Helam, I baptise thee, having authority from the Almighty God, as a testimony that ye have entered into a covenant to serve him until you are dead...." (Mosiah 18:13). This is serious stuff. Especially considering that anciently covenants were not broken even at the point of death.

Nehi makes it clear that enduring to the end is an essential component of baptism, one on which the whole concept of salvation hangs (2 Nephi 31:16). But there is another reason. Nephi says we must endure "in following the example of the Son' (2 Nephi 31:16). The Saviour endured to the end in every sense of the word. Not just to the end of His life, but to the end of His 'death'. You will recall that His suffering began in the Garden of Gethsemane where His mental anguish caused Him to bleed 'at every pore' (D&C 19:18). This suffering returned to Him when He was upon the cross enduring the physical break-down of His body (see Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p 661 and Tad R. Callister, The Infinite Atonement, p 141). Did Jesus have the power to come down from the cross? Absolutely. But He chose to endure to the end, when all the mankind was redeemed and every soul accounted for, when He could say "it is finished' (JST Matthew 27:54, John 19:30). His death was His moment of choice. All things suffered, all things endured. Obedience made possible. Until death.

How noble You were

When You stepped

Through the water’s gate;

I bequest to You my earthly deeds

And fly to You

With my arms of faith. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art by Chris Brazelton)

THE ROCK

 

 

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof, and so on. You knew that these jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently, He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace.”  (C.S. Lewis, “Mere Christianity” (NY MacMillan 1960) p 174)

Indeed when we make God our partner in life, He will make of us something far more than we ever expected, and yes at times the construction will hurt. There is one aspect of that construction, however, that C.S. Lewis omitted, and that is the foundation. Why is the foundation important? Compare a recklessly built wooden shack (that most of us build of ourselves) on a sandy beach to a sturdy palace with a foundation firmly embedded in the rocks of the earth. Which one would survive the winds of inclement weather and storm? Consider the Salt Lake Temple presently undergoing reinforcement which is addressing seismic concerns and building ‘a foundation that will withstand the forces of nature into the Millenium’ (President Russell M. Nelson, October 2021 General Conference). Think about what goes on in the temple and see the symbolism of how temple endowed members can have a firm foundation.

In relation to continuing revelation of God’s word in the last days, the Lord said through Nephi: “….wo unto all those who tremble and are angry because of the truth of God! For behold, he that is built upon THE ROCK receiveth it with gladness, and he that is built upon a sandy foundation trembleth lest he shall fall” (2 Nephi 28:28).  And the rain can descend, and the floods come, and the winds can blow, and beat upon that house and it shall not fall if it is founded upon this ROCK (Matthew 7:24-27). Which rock do you ask is this that can withstand all the theories and misguided teachings of men and all viles of the adversary? Only one rock: The Rock Our Redeemer, The Rock of Heaven, The Rock of Our Salvation (Helaman 5:12; Moses 7:53; Deut 32:15;). He is the Rock, the only Rock that can be an invincible foundation. He is Christ the Lord, the God of our hearts, the Redeemer of our souls…..glory be to His name forever!

 

There is none like Thee,

My Saviour and my King,

With power and glory in Thy wings.

Who can compare and who can equal Thee?

How great Thy wisdom,

How great Thy protection,

How great Thy love

That fills my joyful heart;

How very great Thou art!

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Wise Man by Haley Miller)

YET TO COME

 

I am sure many of us know of more records that are yet to be revealed. In relation to this, Elder Neal A. Maxwell said: “Today we carry convenient quadruple combinations of the scriptures, but one day, since more scriptures are coming, we may need to pull little red wagons brimful with books” (A Wonderful Flood of Light [1990], p 18). Does this seem overwhelming to those of us who do not study the scriptures now??? It should, because we cannot be given more if we are not ready to receive it.

This is what is yet to come: writings of Enoch (D&C 107:57); writings of Apostle John (Ether 4:16); records of the Lost Tribes (2 Nephi 29:13); the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon comprising approximately two thirds of the record (2 Nephi 27:10,11; see Elder Maxwell’s quoted book). Does it not blow your mind that what we have now is only one third??? Do we know the one third well enough to be given another two thirds to study?. This is what caught my eye the most as I studied 2 Nephi 27 in relation to the sealed portion: the revelations contained in the sealed portion ‘reveal all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof….and the day cometh that the words of the book which were sealed shall be read upon the house tops’ (vs 10,11).

And this is the most intriguing part of the sealed portion. Besides the writings of Apostle John which are also contained therein (Ether 4:16), Moroni wrote upon the sealed section ‘the very things which the brother of Jared saw; and there never were greater things made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared’ (v4). I can only assume these revelations are those that ‘reveal all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof’. Moroni also states that the Lord commanded him to write these revelations and seal them up together with the interpretation thereof (v5).

And here is something that we need to know. The Lord said to Moroni that these revelations will not be revealed until: 1. the Gentiles shall repent and become ‘clean before the Lord’ (v6) and 2. The Gentiles exercise faith in the Lord even as the brother of Jared did (v7). 'The Gentiles' here refers to us, His Church. He says the revelations were manifested to the Brother of Jared and the Lord will manifest them to us. The operative word here is MANIFEST. Why? Because the brother of Jared did not have just any old weak as water faith….he had a manifesting faith that he exercised when he saw the finger of the Lord.

I am fascinated with the concept of ‘manifesting faith’. I remember when Jesus was walking towards Jerusalem with His disciples. He was hungry and sought figs on a barren tree. He cursed the tree and it withered before their eyes (Matthew 21:19-22). This is manifesting faith….when you bring into reality something that aligns with your belief. This is the faith that manifested the Lord’s finger to the Brother of Jared. This is the faith that is going to be required of us to bring the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon into reality. I think we have some work to do…..

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Brother of Jared by Emily Pugmire) 

THE GREATEST GIFT

 

 

The never ending lessons of Nephi, the man whose soul delighted in prophesying about Christ (2 Nephi 13)….who delighted in teaching people in plainness that they may learn (2 Nephi 25:5)…..who had the spirit with him constantly (2 Nephi 28:1; 1 Nephi 4:6; 2 Nephi 25:5; 1 Nephi 11:1,11; 1 Nephi 15:1), but most of all this: “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that OUR CHILDREN may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins” (2 Nephi 25:26).

Nephi mentioned several times in his record that he wanted to teach his children about Christ (2 Nephi 11:2,3; 25:6,23,26). This I think was the dearest task to his heart because no doubt ‘his children’ would have included his entire posterity. His faith in Christ would have been his greatest legacy to them who came after him.

I think of many influential fathers from the Book of Mormon and the way they taught their children and passed onto them their testimonies of Christ. I think of Enos and his remembrance of the teachings of his father concerning eternal life which enlarged his soul to yearn for the salvation of the Lamanites (Enos 1:2, 13-16). I think of Alma the Younger who remembered his father's preaching of Jesus Christ who would atone for the sins of the world, and because of which he called upon Christ's mercy during his crucible of repentance (Alma 36:17,18).  I think of him becoming a good parent who taught his son Shiblon that Christ is ‘the life and the light of the world’ (Alma 38:9) and who taught his son Corianton the seriousness of sexual sin which led to his son’s repentance (Alma 39). I think of Alma’s son Helaman who affirmed to his father that he believed in Jesus Christ who should come and promised his father he will keep the commandments with ‘all his heart’ (Alma 45:3-7). Helaman passed his testimony of Christ onto his son, 2^nd Nephi, who passed it onto his son, 3^rd Nephi, who passed it onto his son, 4^th Nephi. And who could forget Moroni whose father’s teachings permeate most of his record, namely chapters 7, 8 and 9 of his book.

Our children will not forget our examples and our testimonies of Christ and they will one day seek salvation at His hand. This is our greatest legacy. This is our greatest joy. This is our greatest responsibility. This is our greatest gift.

I will spread the word

Your gift of salvation to honour

And satisfy my children’s hidden hunger.

I will help them know

Your arms are their shelter,

Your heart is their home,

Their only hope

For protection from the storm.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Forever by David Bowman)