THE GLORY OF A GOD

 

There are some in the Church who believe that the destruction of the wicked at the Second Coming will happen due to natural elements that will occur because of our destruction of the planet. This is a mistaken belief which undermines ‘the perfect workmanship’ of Christ’s hands that is our planet and denies His power and glory as a resurrected and exalted being that He now is which will be evident at His coming.

We are told that the righteous will be caught up to meet Him and in the process be transfigured while the wicked will remain on the earth. Why will the righteous be transfigured? So that they can withstand the brighteness of His glory and not be consumed. It makes for logic that those who remain in their raw, mortal state will not be able to withstand such light and will be destroyed by it (see D&C 5:19; McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary)

For those who want a more scientific approach, here it is. We are also told that when the Saviour appears, the sun will hide its face in shame (D&C 133:49). Why the shame? Because the Lord’s brighteness will outshine the sun.

According to science, the energy of sunlight can reach extremely high levels, with the highest-energy sunlight recorded reaching nearly 10 trillion electron volts….hence the ozone layer. If it were not for the ozone layer which acts as a shield to protect life on earth, we would all be fried to a crisp. When the Saviour comes, He will be more powerful than the sun and will come right through that ozone layer.

A reader with a more scientific mind, calculated that “every molecule in a resurrected body is ‘oscillating’ nearly the speed of light and if that’s so then if a normal healthy mortal puts out 100 watts of body heat, then an ‘exalted’ being will radiate 36.525 megawatts of heat. At that level of energy state, we are talking about hard X-rays and Gamma rays and blinding lights! The scriptures back that up by saying ‘a man will wither and die in His presence unless he is ‘quickened’” (Jon, Sieffert).

When the Saviour returns, this will be the result of the light and heat He will radiate:

1.      Mountains will flow down at His presence (D&C 133:40,44; Micah 1:4)

2.      The waters on the earth will boil (D&C 133:41)

3.      All nations will tremble at His presence (D&C 133:42)

4.      The sun will hide, the moon will withhold its light, and the stars will be hurled from their places (D&C 133:49)

5.      The wicked will be burned by the brighteness of fire of the glory of the Lord (Malachi 4:1-3; 2 Thessalonians 2:8; D&C 5:19)

How both glorious and terrible will be His appearing!!! He will come and subdue all enemies under His feet (D&C 76:61). He will need no sword or weapon or natural elements. He will accomplish this simply by being who He is, by the glorified nature of His person. This is what righteousness and perfection is, it destroys the wickedness and evil.

How great is our Saviour, our Redeemer, our King! There is none greater than Him. May we rise to meet Him in His glory and bend our knees to confess He is our everything!

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Come Unto Me by Yongsung Kim)

KINGDOM OF OPPOSITION

 

There is a directive in Section 18 of Doctrine and Covenants which begs for our serious consideration. It says: “Contend against no church, save it be the church of the devil” (v 20).

When we think of the term ‘church’, we usually take it to mean a religion. Satan’s church, however, denotes a ‘kingdom’, the sphere of his influence, which spreads throughout the earth. This is his domain and so he is viewed as the god of this world.

In the scriptures, Satan’s kingdom is known by various names: Babylon, the great and abominable church, the mother of harlots, the church of the devil, and the kingdom of the devil (see 1 Nephi 22:22; 2 Nephi 28:18-19; Mormon 8:28-38; D&C 10:56; 18:20).

The Dictionary defines the word ‘contend’ to mean both “struggle to surmount a difficulty” and it also means to “assert something as a position in an argument”.

The second meaning directs us to the 11^th Article of Faith which states that we allow all men the privilege to ‘worship how, where, or what they may. In other words, we are to respect the religious beliefs of those around us and not argue on points of doctrine. We are also told not to contend within the Church regarding the doctrine of Christ as contention leads to division (D&C 10:63; 3 Nephi 11:28-29)

The first meaning, as in a personal struggle to overcome, suggests resisting an influence, principle or persuasion that does not align with our knowledge of the truth and therefore not assimilating it into our lives. It means holding on to the iron rod without taking leave to travel on questionable roads that take us away from God.

The devil’s kingdom spreads far and wide throughout the earth and has infiltrated a lot of organisations and causes. His methods are subtle and often presented under the guise of something good.

President Nelson has issued us a warning to avoid Lucifer’s cunning snares who has ‘through eons of time honed his craft. He is skilled at distraction, distortion, deception and misdirection.” (Russell M Nelson, A Prophet’s Voice)

Last time we studied the Doctrine and Covenants, I took particular notice of what I was learning about this foe of humanity who was once ‘a son of the morning’ (D&C 76:26; Isaiah 14:12; 2 Nephi 24:12). Did you know that his pre-existence name of Lucifer literally means ‘the shining one’ or ‘lightbearer’? (Bible Dictionary).

So great was he in the beginning that he was in authority in God’s presence until his pride led him to thirst for prominence and power (D&C 76:25-6). He was so great that the heavens wept over him when he fell. When I reflected on this I sorrowed that we had lost someone with so much promise, who now seeks to make all men miserable like himself (2 Nephi 2:27).

I sorrowed so much that I penned this poem. May we remember that fall from grace and what he has become that we might not follow him in his misery…….but rather may we remember that the Saviour called Satan ‘a thief in the night’ who comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). May we instead walk with Christ in whom the grace of salvation lies.

 

Like a thief in the night,

He seeks to steal, kill and destroy.

He is the collector of ruined lives,

The Master of ravaged souls.

 

He is the Son of the Morning,

His pride yielded irreversible cost

In the beginning we sorely wept

When his soul was forever lost.

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Whispers of Whispers by Ivan Guaderrama)

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)

OPPOSITION

 

 

If you are doing well, especially spiritually, there will always be someone who will in some way try to pull you down or destroy your relationship with God and the Church that you hold dear to your heart. The adversary will use others to accomplish this. He never sleeps. I have just been through an experience of such nature myself. It left me reflecting on the Saviour and how He endured so much opposition in his earthly life, especially during his three years of ministry.

There are also people who will uphold you, believe in you, and build you up. It’s a gift from above. These are angels sent to ensure your endurance. It always gives me comfort to reflect on the people who loved the Saviour too.

This is what I see in the Gospel of John. The most endearing is his account of events prior to Christ’s death. John records that six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany (John 12:1-3).  Why Bethany? Because in Bethany lived Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha. This is where Jesus was loved, comforted, accepted and believed so Bethany was his place of refuge. The Passover was imminent and it heralded the beginning of the end. 

Imagine with what heavy heart Jesus came to Lazarus' house for the last time. And imagine what solace He felt as the woman who anointed Him was Mary, who sat at His feet and hungered for His words of eternal life. It makes sense that Mary would be the woman who would anoint Him for his burial (John 12:7). Mary anointed not only his feet but his head also (Mark 14:3), 'an act of reverential homage rarely rendered even to kings' (James Talmage, "Jesus The Christ", p 512 ). 

Mary spared no expense for the one she loved for she anointed Him with the costly ointment of spikenard. Lazarus' family was wealthy and well known to all the Jews in Jerusalem, especially to the Jewish Council who sought to kill him because Christ raised him from the dead which caused many of the Jews to believe on Him (John 12:10-11).

And did Lazarus withdraw his hospitality and shun Jesus because his life was in jeopardy? No, because he loved Him.  So, you see He was in a house of love before He began His journey to His death. John is the only one who made detailed mention of this trip to Bethany because I believe it was important to him to record that even though Christ was despised, bruised and rejected, He was also loved.

The very jaws of hell were wide open ready to swallow the Christ and prevent Him from fulfilling His purpose but He never faltered believing in His ability to see it to the end. What in my mind sealed His determination and commitment was His unwavering relationship with the Father. He promised and He desired to bring Him glory.

Remember, when the devil sends his mighty winds and storms to beat upon you, he shall have no power to drag you down to the gulf of misery, if you are built upon the rock which is the Redeemer of your soul (Helaman 5:12). He will ensure you will have His strength to survive and He will send you His love to protect you.  

Your arms are my shelter,

Your heart is my home,

My only hope

For protection from the storm.

 - CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Light of the World by Howard Lyon)

BEING A WITNESS

 

 

It’s quite surprising, is it not, that all three witnesses of the Book of Mormon plates who saw an angel, left the Church at some point.

David Whitmer left and never came back, Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris were eventually rebaptized and died in full fellowship. I don’t know why David Whitmer never came back but I was happy to read he died with a testimony on his lips as he addressed those around his bedside:

“Now you must all be faithful in Christ. I want to say to you all, the Bible and the record of the Nephites (Book of Mormon) is true, so you can say that you have heard me bear testimony on my death-bed. All be faithful in Christ, and your reward will be according o your works. God bless you all. My trust is in Christ forever, worlds without end. Amen.”  (In Jenson, Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:270)

Martin Harris also bore his testimony on his deathbed: “I did see the plates on which the Book of Mormon was written; I did see the angel; I did hear the voice of God; and I do know that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God, holding the keys of the Holy Priesthood.”  (In Francis W. Kirkham, New Witness of Christ, 1:253-4)

It would seem that David Whitmer was in contact with Oliver Cowdery as he witnessed his death and said this concerning his departure: “Oliver died the happiest man I ever saw. After shaking hands with the family and kissing his wife and daughter, he said,: ‘Now I lay me down for the last time; I am going to my Saviour’, and he died immediately with a smile on his face.’ (In Francis W. Kirkham, New Witness of Christ, 1:248)

The persecution of the early saints was horrendous and I guess even seeing an angel would not have eliminated the stress and pressure these men were under hence the walking away. However, a lot of them that never saw the gold plates or an angel survived and remained in full fellowship. It goes without saying, the testimony of the spirit is stronger than one of sight.

No judgment here. I don’t know what the persecution of that time was like but I have faced opposition to my testimony during my life. I am facing it even now from someone close to me. I don’t know if I would be able to withstand it if I had never nurtured the seed of my faith for the past 49 years since my baptism, and never allowed it to sprout and grow into a tree as per Alma’s inspired discourse in Alma 32.

The promise is that because of diligence and patience in nourishing the word, we shall eventually pluck the fruit of the tree, ‘which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and we shall feast upon this fruit even until we are filled, that we hunger not, neither shall we thirst’ (Alma 32:42).

The fruit of our faith is none other than Christ himself. Because of the fulness of our faith in Him, we too can exclaim at our departure, “I am going to my Saviour” and leave with a smile on our face……This is the sweet death that we should want.

Your truth pierces my soul

And binds me to Your loving heart.

Your teaching moments

Find my hungry mind

And feed me like a bird in flight.

My faith is laid at Your feet

And I, I come to you dear Saviour

Clutching these riches that are mine to keep.

 

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Gift by Annie Henrie Nader)

A STEP CLOSER TO GOD PART 2

 

 

The bestowal of the priesthood of the Great High Priest who is Christ the King to men of this earth would have to be the greatest gift He could possibly give us for our earthly sojourn, for “without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live” (D&C 84:22) It is a huge step that brings us closer to His Godhood and ultimately, ours.

My understanding of the priesthood is pretty basic. I haven’t been schooled in it like the men in the Church have so my offering here will be more of a personal one as opposed to a doctrinal one.

I wrote a couple of days ago about my gratitude for the Aaronic priesthood being the gate to salvation through baptism. This priesthood is the beginning of our path to God and our experience with ‘the power of godliness’ (D&C 84:20)

I have been very fascinated with the promise of this power that is given us through the priesthood ordinances, and this is why. In his vision of us, Nephi indicated that in the last days ‘the power of the Lamb descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb and upon the covenant people of the Lord….and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory’ (1 Nephi 14:14).

This has been one of my favourite scriptures for a long time. It gives me hope that I, as one of the covenant people, can overcome the influence of Satan in my life and conquer the enemy of all righteousness (Moroni 9:6)

Here are some benefits I have notice in my life that fulfil the promise of ‘the power of godliness’ through the priesthood ordinances:

1.      The Sacrament: my focus on the Saviour in remembrance of Him has invited His spirit into my life daily. It wasn’t always so but it’s been cumulative over the years.

2.      The Temple: I have noticed that the stricter my obedience to the covenants I have made in the Temple, the greater my desire for righteousness and the more refined my spiritual nature gets.

3.      Priesthood Blessings: This is my favourite priesthood ordinance. It has been many a time that I have wept through a priesthood blessing because I could hear God’s voice just for me. He has told me things that would apply to only me, personal things that only He knows about. It has many times affirmed to me the fact that God knows me, loves me, and is heavily invested in my spiritual progression and my struggles in this life.

This, however, is my greatest appreciation for the Melchizedek Priesthood. This Holy Priesthood is “the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God” (v19). It has been my greatest desire for many years to come to ‘know’ God…..as much as a person can get to know Him in this life. I thirst for this……

My second desire has been to know the ‘mysteries of the kingdom’. Mysteries are, of course, the aspects of Christ’s kingdom we do not yet understand…..and they are available to all worthy saints (D&C 76:5-10).  I thirst for this also…….

Such wonders and blessings overwhelm me. And I owe it to Joseph, the prophet of this dispensation who under the hands of Peter, James and John received the restored Holy Priesthood ‘after the order of the Son of God’ to bless my existence now and forever…… 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Restoration by Liz Lemon Swindle)

A STEP CLOSER TO GOD PART 1

 

 

“Joseph Smith explained the circumstances surrounding the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood (see JS-H 1:68-72), which took place along the bank of the Susquehanna River near Harmony, Pennsylvania. Oliver Cowdery, who was with the Prophet on this occasion, was filled with awe and wonder, for it was his first experience with a heavenly messenger. He wrote:

“On a sudden, as from the midst of eternity, the voice of the Redeemer spake peace to us, while the vail was parted and the angel of God came down clothed with glory, and delivered the anxiously looked for message, and the keys of the gospel of repentance! – What joy! What wonder! What amazement! While the world was racked and distracted – while millions were groping as the blind for the wall, and while all men were resting upon uncertainty, as a general mass, our eyes beheld – our ears heard.

“His voice, though mild, pierced to the center, and his words, ‘I am thy fellow-servant’, dispelled every fear. We listened – we gazed – we admired! ‘Twas the voice of an angel from glory – ‘twas a message from the Most High! And as we heard we rejoiced, while his love enkindled upon our souls, and we were wrapt in the vision of the Almighty!

“Where was room for doubt? Nowhere; uncertainty had fled, doubt had sunk, no more to rise, while fiction and deception had fled forever……what joy filled our hearts and with what surprise we must have bowed, (for who would not have bowed the knee for such a blessing?) when we received under his hand the holy priesthood.”    (Times and Seasons, 1 Nov. 1840, p 202)

When I joined the Church, I didn’t know very much about the Church, its’ organization or most of its teachings. I just knew that I wanted the way of life I could have in the Church and that one day I would have an eternal family. What I understood the least was the priesthood.

When I stepped into the waters of baptism at the tender age of 18, I did not expect to experience my first encounter with the Holy Ghost who descended upon me so forcefully when I came up out of the water that I wept uncontrollably. That was my first experience with the priesthood of God and the powers of heaven and the beginning of my journey with God. The priesthood gave me that.

How godly You were

When You planted the heavens

And laid the foundations of the earth.

How noble when you gave me hope

Of salvation through the water’s gate.

I now fly to You on my wings of faith.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Upon You My Fellow Servants by Linda Curley Christensen)