THE GATHERING

 

Israel’s exodus from Egypt was epic. So momentous and powerful was it that it has been remembered as an unparalleled act of God’s power to this day but something much bigger is yet to happen to show the mankind who is in control of this project we call ‘earth’.

Subsequent Prophets to Moses both in the Near East and the Americas spoke often of the Exodus to keep this momentous deliverance of Israel fresh in people’s minds. They used the event as remembrance of Jehovah’s power and His mercy toward the covenant people. I am reminded of Nephi bringing Moses to his brothers’ remembrance when faced with the challenge of recovering the brass plates from Laban (1 Nephi 4:2,3).

Besides the Exodus, another sensational and dramatic example of Jehovah’s deliverance is found in the book of Daniel. I was reading the other day of Daniel’s prayer for forgiveness on behalf of the exiles in Babylon and I was enthralled with the beauty of his words through which he acknowledged Jehovah’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt (Daniel 9:15).

And herein is the beauty of it all. Daniel prayed because he knew that God would deliver the exiles from Babylon too and he knew it because of Isaiah’s prophecy (2 Chr 36:22-23; Isaiah 44:28; 45:1).

It is suggested by historians that when Cyrus conquered Babylon, he found Daniel there in his governmental capacity,  and that Daniel  pointed out to him the prophecy of Isaiah that was given 140 years before the fall of Jerusalem, that the Lord would raise up a mighty king who would free the Jewish captives in Babylon and allow them to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and the holy city. Isaiah even named Cyrus by name.....180 years before he even appeared in Babylon.

Astonishing isn't it? It certainly was to Cyrus because he sent out the proclamation amongst the Jews in Babylon that ‘the Lord God of heaven….had charged [him] to build Him a house in Jerusalem’ (Ezra 1:2) and asked who among all of God’s people wanted to return home. He actually offered freedom to anyone who wanted it. Proof that God always accomplishes His purposes in miraculous ways because nothing is beyond His power. It was no parting of the Red Sea but think about it…a Persian king liberating the Jews….just for some perspective - ancient Persia is modern day Iran.

In our day, the Lord will perform another miracle of restoring those that are lost. As early as 1831 the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith that the translated Apostle John was fulfilling a mission among the Ten Tribes preparing them for their journey to Zion (“Essentials in Church History, p 126).

This will be an event of enormous proportions, greater than the dividing of the Red Sea. So much so that ‘the boundaries of the everlasting hills shall tremble at their presence…’ (D&C 133:31-33). 'The boundaries of the everlasting hills' being North America (Orson Pratt, in “Journal of Discourses”, 18:167-68; see also Genesis 49:26).

So great will this event be that ‘it will no longer be said “The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt but, the Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands whither he had driven them…” (Jeremiah 16:14,15) because “this is the blessing of the everlasting God upon the tribes of Israel …”  who proclaims:

“I am he who led the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; and my arm is stretched out in the last days, to save my people Israel.” (D&C 133: 34; 136:22)

We will come to Zion

With songs of everlasting joy

To worship our Lord and our King

And to Him forever our praises we will sing. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Joyful by Graphic Arts Design)

THE FOCUS

 

“Prophets, priests and kings…..have looked forward with joyful anticipation to the day in which we live; and fired with heavenly and joyful anticipations they have sung, and written and prophesied of this our day; but they died without the sight; we are the favoured people that God has made choice of to bring about the latter-day glory; it is left for us to see, participate in and help to roll forward the latter-day glory, ‘the dispensation of the fulness of times’.”

-          Joseph Smith, “Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith” p 231)

I have been thinking about this for a couple of days. It took me back to when I joined the Church at 18 years of age and I remembered how excited I was as a new member. I was care-free and idealistic. The Gospel was simple: obey the commandments and you will reap the blessings. That was 50 years ago and of course over the years, the hardships of life have taught me that focus is not as simple as that.

We are living in that ‘exciting’ day that Joseph Smith spoke of but this exciting day is not looking so exciting if the focus is on the world. We are surrounded by wars, crime, financial hardship, mental health crisis and more. Sometimes we might think that it is difficult to view our day with all its perils as an exciting time to be alive.

The Dispensation of the Fulness of Times holds within it a big responsibility, a responsibility to build a Millenial society. Like the prophets, priests and kings who looked forward to our day, we might have to look forward to the Millenial Day.

We know it will be a time of peace when the Saviour will reign as the King of Kings so there will be no wars; when all things shall be revealed (D&C 101:23-35); when the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord so there will be no persecution of the believers (2 Nephi 30:8-17); when there will be no sickness or death (Isaiah 65:20; D&C 63:51); when Satan will be bound and will tempt no man (D&C 101:28); when ‘whatsoever any man shall ask, it shall be given  him’ (D&C 101:27).

To live in that kind of society means we have to BE that kind of society. We are to survive the turmoil of today by letting God prevail in our lives so that we can enjoy the fulness of tomorrow. If we focus on that ‘tomorrow’, we will see in our mind’s eye peace in turmoil, clarity in confusion, satisfaction in discontent and power in endurance….until the day that we will be able to rest from all our labours and the fulness will be complete…..when He comes to make us free.

 

How can I explain my peace

because of Thee?

Whenever my mind idles,

My thoughts fly to Thee

And I am free;

Whenever my mind empties,

It fills with thoughts of Thee

And I am free;

Whenever my mind wanders,

It finds a path to Thee

And I am free;

Whenever my heart aches

It runs to Thee

And I am free.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Dove of Peace by Doc Christensen)

SALVATION

 

 

I saw You today in my heart and I wept knowing

As more believe, the tree that bore Your weight keeps growing.

I saw the love flow from the deepest

Well within Your soul - Your salvation for us all.

 

My heart was rent knowing Your pain

And the tears You spilt on that day remain.

They are the gems I treasure in my heart…

I am one of Your many children of light. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Way In The Wilderness by Chris Brazelton)

TO PROSPER

 

“Consider President George Q. Cannon’s approach to tithing when he was an impoverished young man. When his bishop commented on the large amount of tithing poor young George was paying, George said something like: ‘Oh Bishop, I’m not paying tithing on what I MAKE. I’m paying tithing on what I WANT to make!’ And the very next year George earned exactly the amount he had paid tithing on the year before!” (Wendy Watson Nelson, “Becoming the Person You Were Born to Be” BYU-Hawaii Devotional for Young Adults Jan 10, 2016)

President Cannon’s example is not a get rich quick scheme but it is the way of taking faith to the next level when an increase in livelihood is needed.

When I was 17 I read about the Church in a library book. I loved everything I read and didn’t find fault with any principles the members were asked to live by. I accepted everything and yearned to be baptized. One Sunday I made my way to the closest chapel during meeting time. I walked past it several times looking at it longingly thinking I was not allowed in because I was not a member. 

For some reason what came into my mind was the law of tithing. I was working in an office full time by then and earning $100 per week. It was a lot 50 years ago. I felt rich. My response to the thought was: “I would gladly give my entire pay to the Church for the privilege of sitting in that building.”  And so began my Church membership and my testimony of the principle of tithing.

I had no problem paying tithing until I was a struggling single mother following my divorce. I learnt that falling behind in paying it made me feel terribly unworthy and inferior in God’s kingdom. I learnt it was not worth being half-hearted in my obedience. Since then, as part of my penance, I have paid my tithing first and foremost before I paid any bills. I made it my biggest priority.

I cannot tell you that I ended up financially well off but I can tell you that something much greater happened. Even though I had wished at certain times of my life that I was more financially secure, the pursuit of something far greater than temporal blessings became my main focus, and this is what became my focus: “true prosperity is the growth in the knowledge of God, and in a testimony, and in the power to live the gospel…” (“Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant [2002], 124)

The Book of Mormon prophets talked at great length about ‘prospering in the land’, Alma in particular (1 Nephi 2:20; 2 Nephi 1:9,20,31; Jarom 1:9; Mosiah 1:7; Alma 36:1,30; 37:13; 38:1; 49:30; 50:20). To understand what true prosperity is, it’s imperative to know what it isn’t. In the scriptural sense prosperity means to have the blessing of being close to God, to be in His presence in this life…because to NOT prosper means to be cut off from His presence: 2 Nephi 1:20; 4:4; Mosiah 7:29; Alma 9:13; Mosiah 1:7; 2:22; Omni 1:6; see also The Book of Mormon Student Manual p 234).

I have never forgotten that moment in time when I was 17 when I regarded the Church far greater than the money I was earning. As a result I have never paid tithing throughout my Church membership in expectation of financial blessings in return.

I have paid it because I wanted to be a worthy member of His Church: worthy of having the truth He had blessed me with; worthy of the commandments He had given me so that I would never become lost; worthy of the trust He had in me to live by the covenants I had made with Him; worthy of the spiritual knowledge He was bestowing upon me; worthy of His Spirit which encircled me in the arms of His love many, many times.

I am not negating temporal blessings here as a result of tithe paying. My patriarchal blessing says if I pay my tithing and offerings I will be blessed beyond my fondest dreams. At first glance, anyone would think that would mean I would be rich in this life……but the scriptures are more right than anyone…… I testify true prosperity has exceeded my fondest dreams….

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: His Love Fills My Heart by Greg Collins)

ODE TO MARY

 

You carried your precious boy

So close to your beating heart,

Hoping it would protect Him

From the fate that would tear you apart.

You stood weeping at the foot of the cross

In the valley of humiliation and death,

Your pain and sorrow unable to suppress.

You are a mother, like no other……

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Pieta by Rose Datoc Dall)

BELOVED MASTER

 

The most exhilarating part of the Saviour's earthly life would have to be post resurrection.

Imagine abandoning your profession to be an apostle of a man who claimed to be the Son of God. Imagine all the time you have put in being His disciple, all the hope you had in His promises and His teachings. Imagine the tutoring and the love you have experienced at His side.

Then imagine all of that coming to an end as you saw Him crucified.   Imagine having your witness of His divinity crushed as you saw Him dying on the cross because He would not fight back. Most likely an enormous wave of doubt would flood your whole being. Could the Romans, who were mere men, kill Christ if He was really God?

All hope seemed to be gone. Then on the third day, the grief would not end for the Master whom His disciples loved was gone from the sepulcher where He lay. With haste Peter and John ran to see for themselves the emptiness of the tomb with no doubt the Master’s words echoing in their ears:

“A little while and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me…..ye shall weep and lament….and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy” (John 16:16,20). Did they run to that tomb with hope against hope in His saying that He must rise again from the dead??? (John 20:9). Was it really true???

This was the moment in time when the lives of Peter and John changed forever. The Saviour’s life came to an end but theirs was just beginning. Imagine their joy and excitement as they saw their beloved Master again, in His immortal body, and were given the understanding of the scriptures which spoke of His death and rising from the dead the third day (Luke 24:45,46).

The third time Jesus showed himself to His disciples at the sea of Tiberias, He made it clear what their mission was. Lacking in direction, Peter and some of the Twelve went fishing (John 21:1-3). After all, this is what they knew best but that night they caught nothing.

When in the morning they saw Jesus standing on the shore, they followed his instruction to cast the net on the right side of the ship and when they did so, the net came up full for ‘the multitude of fishes’ (John 21: 6). This was the lesson: they were to ‘feed His sheep’ and be the fishers of men (vs 15-17)

Peter and John were spiritually transformed following the ascension of Him whom they called the Beloved Master (Luke 8:24; Mark 9:5; 13:1; John 13:13). A leader in his own right, appointed by the Saviour himself to hold the keys of the Kingdom (Matthew 16:13-19), Peter became a spiritual giant whose very shadow was believed would heal the sick in the streets (Acts 5:15).  

He accepted graciously the manner of his death as foretold by Jesus (John 21:18,19; 2 Peter: 1:13, 14) and died in Rome during the reign of emperor Nero in 64 A.D. In the Roman Empire, crucifixions took many shapes which are too indelicate to mention (Seneca, Dialogue “To Marcia on Consolation”, in Moral Essays, 6.20.3).

According to tradition, Peter was crucified upside down, a death of his choice having felt unworthy to die in the same manner as his Master. Perhaps his three denials of Him echoed in his pool of memories to the very end (John 13:38; Mark 14:66-72).

And what can we say of John, the most beloved disciple (John 21:7,20) whom the Saviour named the Son of Thunder (Luke 9:52-56: Mark 3:17)?  He who lives still and sorrows for the sins of the world. Peter chose a speedy death to be reunited with the Beloved Master but John chose a more noble path by remaining on the earth to bring souls unto Him until the end of the world. I am in awe of John the Beloved.

I am grateful for the legacy these men left behind, a legacy of faith and works and their powerful testimonies in the words that I am privileged to read.

I had three images for this post. All three done by different artists depicting amazing emotion of expectation and hope of Peter and John as they ran towards the sepulcher. I couldn’t choose which one to use. In the end I used all three across my three platforms, my personal FB page, my FB Group and my Blog. I imagine myself running, like them, when my time comes, to fall at the feet of my Saviour who lives…..

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Sepulcher by Dan Bur)

HE IS RISEN

 

He Is Risen…..

 

The suffering endured

The power displayed

The love manifested

 

(Tad R. Callister, The Infinite Atonement)

(Matthew 28:6)

The Hope of Israel

King of Nations

The Lord of Hosts

Eternal King

The Son of God

The Balm of Gilead

The Son of Man of Holiness

The King of Zion

The Rock of Heaven

The Son of Righteousness

The Great I am

The Good Shepherd

The Stone of Israel

The Son of Man

The Great Amen

The Mighty One of Jacob

The Shepherd of Israel

The Word of Life

Man of Counsel

The Bright and Morning Star

The Holy One

Endless

Eternal

Messiah

The Lamb of God

The Great Jehovah

The Rock of Our Salvation

The liberator of the captive, the succor of the weak, the balm of the afflicted, the well of all perfection, the fountain of all righteousness…..

 - CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Jesus Ascends by Chris Brazelton)