BESIDE ME THERE IS NO SAVIOUR

GOD'S WINGS -

An article in National Geographic several years ago provided a penetrating picture of God's wings. After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno's damage. One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a stick. When he gently struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother's wings. The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had carried her offspring to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise. She could have flown to safety but refused to abandon her babies. When the blaze had arrived and the heat had scorched her small body, the mother had remained steadfast. Because she had been willing to die, those under the cover of her wings would live.

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how oft would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathered her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!"  Matthew 23:37

As the unrepentant Judah neared Babylonian captivity, prophet Isaiah made a valiant attempt to bring the covenant people to a remembrance of the God of Israel. Chapters 40-47 of Isaiah are written in a completely poetic style and contain the most beautiful scriptures about the promised Messiah in all the standard works. Even when prophesying of captivity, Isaiah does not leave the covenant people without hope revealing Judah's future deliverance from bondage and the destruction of Babylon that had been Judah's oppressor. Isaiah brings the Saviour to the world's attention as its' only hope of deliverance from sin, oppression, despair, fear, hopelessness and death. Over and over Isaiah reiterates that there is only one Saviour and beside him there is no other:

Isaiah 43:10,11 - "...beside me there is no Saviour"
Isaiah 44:6 - "....beside me there is no God"
Isaiah 45:5,6 - "....there is none beside me"
Isaiah 45:14 - "...surely God is in thee and there is none else"
Isaiah 45:18 - "....I am the Lord and there is none else"
Isaiah 45:21,22 - "...there is no God else beside me"
Isaiah 46:9 - "...I am God and there is none like me"

Through modern day revelation we learn more of the Saviour's majesty, might and power and why He has the right to say that there is none other beside Him. Consider the following scriptures that speak this truth:

"O Lord God Almighty, hear us in these our petitions, and answer us from heaven, thy holy habitation, where thou sittest enthroned, with glory, honor, power, majesty, might, dominion, truth, justice, judgment, mercy and an infinity of fullness, from everlasting to everlasting." (D&C 109:77)

"He comprehendeth all things, and all things are before him, and all things are round about him; and he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is round about all things, and all things are by him, and of him, even God, forever and ever." (D&C 88:41)

Isaiah's exhaustive efforts to bring Israel back to their God provides a very thorough list of the Saviour's incomparable qualities. One cannot help but feel that this prophet knew the Saviour on a personal as well as revelatory level. Here is a list that in all reality teaches us that truly there is none other beside Him equal in wisdom, knowledge, might and power:

1. No one can teach Him or Counsel Him: Isaiah 40:13,14
2. He never fails nor gets weary: Isaiah 40:28-31
3. He created the heavens, the earth and the nations: Isaiah 40:12,15,16,21,22; 45:12,18
4. He can help when no one else can or will: Isaiah 41:17,18
5. He is never discouraged with us. He never quits or gives up: Isaiah 42:3,4
6. He will turn darkness into light and make crooked paths straight: Isaiah 42:16
7. He will stay with us in our trials: Isaiah 43:1-4
8. He will blot out our transgressions: Isaiah 43:25
9. He blesses our families: Isaiah 44:3,4
10. He carries us at all times: Isaiah 46:3,4
11. He will never forsake us nor forget us: Isaiah 49:14-16

Despite His majesty and power by which He can thrash the nations, the Saviour appeals to us mostly through sentiment enticing us back into His arms. The most effective metaphor which he uses to do this is one of motherhood. Could it be that we at present, in our mortal state, cannot relate to the grandeur of His godhood but can very well relate to the parental bond that exists between a parent and a child that is so much a part of mortality? Every woman that has experienced motherhood could understand this statement: "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?  Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee" (Isaiah 49:15). It is unthinkable, is it not, for a woman to forget to feed her newborn baby? Yet, that is more likely to happen than for the Saviour to forget to succor us. And consider the hen who would sacrifice her life for the sake of her baby chickens. Would not any mother do this? More than his qualities of power, the Saviour would have us know that his heart is like a mother's: loving to the point of self-sacrifice, relentlessly caring and aggressively protective. He would have us know that within the shadow of His wings, He gathers us and protects us from the world which seeks to tears us down. Israel of old led themselves into Babylonian captivity by committing two foolish sins: they had forsaken the one true and living God, and they placed their trust in the powers of the world instead. It tugs on the heart strings to hear the Lord's lamentation concerning this: "For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water" (Jeremiah 2:13). 

"In ancient times, a king was welcomed to his throne in a great processional, often after victory in battle. A new highway would be built for the king and his parade of soldiers; workers would level the road and straighten it to make a path for the royal progress to the throne. Isaiah counsels us to 'prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God' (Isaiah 40:3). This appeal is an invitation to welcome the Lord into our hearts, to enthrone Him there instead of the proud, deceptive king of Babylon who desires only to keep us enslaved" (Breck England, "Beside Me There Is No Savior", Meridian Magazine). 

We do not belong in Babylon. We belong in the shelter and shadow of His wings. We of the House of Israel wish to proclaim to the world that He is the King of Kings and that there is no other beside Him. We want to be gathered from all nations into his loving and protective care so that when He comes, this, His plea, will not be true of us:

"O, ye nations of the earth, how oft would I have gathered you together as a hen gathered her chickens under her wings, but ye would not!" D&C 43:24

A PLACE OF REFUGE

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law; and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem".   Isaiah 2:2-3


The central theme of Isaiah's prophecies is the destruction and restoration of the House of Israel. Because of this, many of his prophecies had dual meanings. The beauty of his writing is not in the destruction of Israel, nor in his repeated call to repentance but the restoration of the splendor of Zion which would come about in our day and which Isaiah saw with prophetic clarity. He, as a prophet and seer, who witnessed the iniquities of Israel in his day, also witnessed the calamities and wickedness of this dispensation which could easily have weighed heavily on his heart yet what comes through his works the most is the beauty of Zion and the Millennial day. No dispensation of earth's history has ever had as much as we have. The Kingdom of God established to no more be destroyed, with all the rights of the priesthood, a true and only path to the salvation of man. I wonder if we know how incredibly important we are in the history and preservation of Israel and its spiritual destiny. We, of the tribe of Ephraim, the modern Israel, are the hope of the world as we progress the Kingdom and offer to the children of men a refuge from the storm.

The 'mountain of the Lord' spoken of by Isaiah refers to the restoration of Christ's church in this the last dispensation. President Harold B. Lee said: "The coming forth of His Church in these days was the beginning of the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy when 'the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains'" (Conference Report, Apr. 1973, p. 5). Elder LeGrand Richards has said: "How literally (Isaiah 2:3) has been fulfilled, in my way of thinking, in this very house of the God of Jacob right here on this block! This temple (Salt Lake), more than any other building of which we have any record, has brought people from every land to learn of his ways and walk in his paths" (Conference Report, Apr. 1971, p. 143)

The question begs to be asked, are we spiritually sensitive enough to recognise the storms of from which we need protection or are we in our comfort zone being politically correct with the rest of the world that calls 'evil good and good evil' (Isaiah 5:20)? Do we long for the Millenial day when they that are proud no longer 'grind the faces of the poor' (Isaiah 3:15) and we co-exist in Zion splendor where all are equal in possession and stature? Do we strive to protect our children from the influences which are beckoning and threaten to destroy the moral fibre of our society? Do we appreciate and treat the Church as the spiritual haven that it is for ourselves and our families? If we don't recognise it as such now, there will come a day when we will be forced to. I know not of any more powerful words than these uttered by Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone, which he spoke at the Manti Temple in April of 1987:

"Before the Saviour comes the world will darken. There will come a period of time where even the elect will lose hope if they do not come to the temples. The world will be so filled with evil that the righteous will only feel secure within these walls. The Saints will come here not only to do vicarious work, but to find a haven of peace. They will long to bring their children here for safety's sake...

We will not be alone in our temples...

The covenants and ordinances will fill us with faith as a living fire. In a day of desolating sickness, scorched earth, barren wastes, sickening plagues, disease, destruction, and death, we as a people will rest in the shade of trees, we will drink from the cooling fountains. We will abide in places of refuge from the storm; we will mount up as on eagles' wings; we will be lifted out of an insane and evil world. We will be as fair as the sun and clear as the moon.

When the Saviour comes He will honour His people. Those who are spared and prepared will be a temple-loving people. They will know Him.

Our children will bow down at His feet and worship Him as the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings. They will bathe His feet with their tears and He will weep, and bless them for having suffered through the greatest trials known to man.

Let us prepare them with the faith to surmount every trial and every condition. We will do it in these holy, sacred temples".

UNDERSTANDING ISAIAH

 Imagine being a prophet, a writer and a poet. Now imagine that your revelations and literary works are so great that Jesus Christ himself issues a command that they should be studied and understood. Jesus quoted Isaiah more frequently than any other prophet. He issued the following edict to all who would be his true disciples: ".....a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah" (3 Nephi 23:1). The operative word in this commandment is to 'search'. To search something means having the intent to find and discover. This takes reading Isaiah to another level. Most people do not like reading Isaiah because quite simply, they do not understand what it is they are reading. Even Nephi of old recognized this predicament. Even though he and his family came from the same geographical area and lived in the same general time period as did Isaiah, Nephi acknowledged that Isaiah was hard for many of his people to understand (2 Nephi 25:1). Nephi loved the teachings of Isaiah and quoted him a lot because he wanted his people to know what he knew regarding his prophecies. For this reason he provided a formula for comprehending Isaiah's writings which is found in 2 Nephi 25:1,4,7. Here Nephi instructs us that we need to:

• Understand 'the manner of prophesying among the Jews'. This manner of prophecy can best be learnt through scriptures and their commentaries: "The Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the New Testament - provide quotations and commentaries from 42 of the 66 chapters in the current text of Isaiah. There are also allusions and paragraphs from eight of the other 24 chapters. Thus Isaiah is broadly commented upon by these three sources. No more reliable or enlightening sources are available, and Latter-Day Saints would do well to search these scriptural commentaries along with the book of Isaiah itself to obtain a deeper and fuller understanding of the great words of Isaiah."(Monte S. Nyman, Great Are The Words of Isaiah, GospeLink 2001). Regarding the Book of Mormon, Bruce R. McConkie said: "The Book of Mormon is the world's  greatest commentary on the book of Isaiah. And may I be so bold as to affirm that no one, absolutely no one, in this age and dispensation has or does or can understand the writings of Isaiah until he first learns and believes what God has revealed by the mouths of his Nephite witnesses as these truths are found in that volume of holy writ of which he himself swore this oath: "....as your Lord and your God liveth it is true." (D&C 17:6, Ensign Oct. 1973, p. 81)

• Be 'filled with the spirit of prophecy'. In Alma 17:2-3, we are told that the sons of Mosiah had the spirit of prophecy because they had 'searched the scriptures diligently' and 'had given themselves to much prayer and fasting'. This gives us a perfect formula along with teachings of modern day prophets who have expounded the scriptures and have given new scriptures to the world gives. In particular, "the Prophet Joseph Smith was divinely called to declare God's word to this generation and his writings and teachings should be considered scripture (D&C 5:10). The book Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, a compilation of many of the doctrinal teachings of Joseph Smith, contains at least 35 quotations, paraphrases and commentaries on the text of Isaiah." (Monte S. Nyman, Great Are the Words of Isaiah, GospeLink 2001);

• Live in the days when the prophecies of Isaiah are fulfilled. This is probably the most important one but yet the most overlooked. It is of great importance that we recognise fulfillment of prophecies to gain proper appreciation and testimony of them. Nephi declared that "in the days that the prophecies of Isaiah shall be fulfilled men shall know of a surety, at the times when they shall come to pass" (2 Nephi 25:7). One evidence of this is the fulfillment of a prophecy in chapter 29 of Isaiah concerning a sealed book being taken to a learned man. As Latter-day Saints we know that this fulfillment came through Joseph Smith. Non-LDS scholars, however, are still pondering the meaning of this chapter. Personally, it astounds me to read of events of our day that have been written about so long ago and this particular one about the Book of Mormon is a classic.

One cannot read and study Isaiah without feeling his passionate plea to the House of Israel to come unto their God. We cannot help but see the admonition to repent and turn to Him who longs to forgive us and to encircle us in the arms of His love. How can we not know Him when we read: "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:3-5). And how can we not trust Him when we hear Him say: "For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee" (Isaiah 54:10). When scriptures such as these help us find the Saviour of the world, we will come to proclaim with Him, "Great are the words of Isaiah".

THE LIVING WORD

"While I was on a trip to Brazil with two colleagues from Brigham Young University-Idaho, we had the opportunity to spend several days in the Amazon Jungle on the Rio Negro. The river is enormous beyond imagination, and the vegetation in the jungle is thick. One could easily lose his way if he were to venture into it without a guide. Our guide, Moreno, was a native of Italy. He knew the jungle and the river well. Now in his late 30's, he had realized his childhood dream of living in the Amazon Jungle.

Our small group boarded a canoe docked at our floating hotel and departed for the starting point of our hike. We were fascinated by what we saw and impressed by Moreno's deep knowledge and his ability to lead us through the thick and imposing jungle. As we walked he would explain the various plants, animals, insects, and vegetation that surrounded us. He taught us about plants and insects that could be harmful if we were not careful. He also pointed out various plants that Amazon Indians had used for medicinal or other useful purposes. Deeper into the jungle we went. We truly had no idea where we were going. We merely followed Moreno and trusted that he would get us safely back to our canoe and eventually our hotel.

At one point, Moreno stopped the group, and we all gathered around him. "This jungle is hot and humid", he said. "We are at least a mile from the river, and a person cannot live here without water. You would die quickly. There is water right here, right now, where we are. Can any of you see it?" We could not. All we saw were trees, vines and shrubs. The mosquitoes seemed to be everywhere. None of us had any idea where there might be water nearby. With a smile on his face, Moreno said, "Let me show you." He grabbed his machete and walked to a vine, lightly covered with green velvet moss. After two quick swings, he was holding a piece of the vine in his hand. We still didn't understand. "Water is right here", he said, "right in my hand". Just then he lifted the vine vertically and clear, cool water came dripping out! We were all amazed. As we looked around, we could now see similar vines everywhere. Some were large, others small but once we were taught by one who knew, we saw that in this jungle there was an abundance of water. We each took turns drinking from the vine. As we hiked back to our canoe we continued to see that water was everywhere now we knew where to look.

I have since thought about this experience in relationship to the true vine, living water, and following one who knows. In John 15:1, Jesus teaches us that He is the true vine and His Father is the husbandman. In 1 Nephi 15:15, we read Nephi's prophetic teachings to his unbelieving brethren regarding the remnant of Lehi's seed: "Yea, at that day, will they not receive the strength and nourishment from the true vine?"  In John 4:14, the Saviour teaches a woman of Samaria that He is the one who gives living water: "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life". As we read about what Nephi saw in vision in 1 Nephi 11:25, we also learn of the 'fountain of living waters.....which waters are a representation of the love of God'.

Just as Moreno guided our group through the jungles of the Amazon, modern-day prophets can lead us through the jungles of life. If we trust them, they will point us to the true vine and living water."
(Bruce C. Kusch, "Living Water in the Rain Forest", Ensign Feb 2006)

"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets"
Amos 3:7

When Amos was called to preach repentance to the House of Israel around 750 B.C., the Israelites were so far gone in iniquity that they were no longer considered a 'peculiar people'. In fact the Northern Kingdom of Israel and Judah were included in the list of evil nations upon which Amos pronounced curses and calamities which which the Lord would punish them. Israel, who was once favoured was condemned all the more because of the privileges they had enjoyed by virtue of being a covenant people. They had been given the law of God and, therefore, more was expected of them. Instead of living up to that expectation, they squandered their right to be the favoured people by going in the opposite direction. So gross were their sins of idolatry and oppression of the poor that the Lord rejected the whole nation's present and future sacrifices and offerings. So addicted were the Israelites to idolatry that they carried everywhere they went miniature replicas of heathen gods Moloch and Chiun that the Israelite women had adopted (Amos 5:26). And so evil had the women of Samaria become (Amos 4:1-3) that they 'urged their husbands to bring them food bought with money squeezed from the poor' (Old Testament Student Manual, 1 Kings-Malachi, p. 92).  The oppression of the poor was rife amongst the whole nation which showed no mercy or justice to the point where the people 'longed to see the poor in such a state of misery that they threw dust on their heads (a sign of mourning)' (Old Testament Student Manual, p. 91).

We can learn several lessons from the ministry of Amos:

• The Lord always gives us a lot of opportunities and ample time to repent. In the course of Amos' ministry, Israelites were afflicted with famine, drought, earthquake, floods, heat waves, dust and sand storms, wildfire, excessive rain, mildew and crop blight, insect infestations (grasshoppers, palmerworm etc.), siege, battle losses, and even captivity of various cities or areas for periods of time. When recounting these afflictions, Amos repeatedly points out: 'yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord'. Then he issues a most chilling edict: 'prepare to meet thy God, O Israel' (Amos 4:6-12).

• The Lord never does anything regarding his children without telling them so first through his prophets. In Amos' words: "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7). What is a prophet and what are the secrets he reveals? In a broad sense, a prophet is someone who bears special witness of Jesus Christ, meaning we all could be prophets. Anciently, there were periods where several prophets were called at the same time. It is supposed that Amos was a contemporary of Isaiah and Hosea and that they administered to the House of Israel concurrently. The Office of a Prophet, however, is held by one man at a time who is also the President of the Church. In that capacity, he is also a seer and a revelator. In simplistic terms, a prophet is a teacher of known truth; a seer is a perceiver of hidden truth and a revelator is a bearer of new truth. Many of the 'secrets' Amos talks about deal with the future,, often the latter days - our days. God would have no secrets between us. He wants us to know most and eventually all of what He knows. For this purpose He calls prophets to impart knowledge to us. Once God reveals his mind to humanity, there are no secrets, only revelations.

• God is fair and extremely patient and long-suffering but He is also just. His repeated many warnings during Amos ministry did nothing to bring the people to repentance. In all fairness then, they were warned. All God's judgments that Amos pronounced upon Israel and their enemies were fulfilled within 30 years of his ministry. In 721 B.C. Assyria swept out of the north, captured the Northern Kingdom of Israel and took the ten tribes into captivity.  Amos' prophecies for our day are also being fulfilled.  With war and pestilence and famine, with poverty and desolation in the world today, it behooves us to pay attention to the prophets, seers and revelators  to lead us to 'through the jungles of life to the vine and living water' that ancient Israel so blatantly rejected. 

Because Israel rejected the word of God, Amos predicted a famine of His word, which served as a dual prophecy: "The hardness of their hearts reached such a state that from 400 B.C. until the ministry of John the Baptist, which began in 30 A.D., as far as we know there were no prophets in Israel. But Amos' prophecy was also fulfilled at a later time. After Christ re-established His Church on earth, it too eventually fell into apostasy. Again revelation ceased, and there was a great famine of the word of God, this famine lasting for well over a thousand years." (Old Testament Student Manual, 1 Kings-Malachi, p. 94). That's a long time to go without a prophet who is the embodiment of 'the living word' which flows through revelation from God to His children. This period of time embedded in people the belief that revelation was dead and that the scriptures are the only directive we have to rely on. God, however, in his mercy and never-ending kindness does not wish for the destruction of his children. His plan is secure and all his purposes will be fulfilled.   

"After centuries of spiritual darkness....we solemnly announce to all the world that the spiritual famine is ended. the spiritual drought is spent, the word of the Lord in its purity and totalness is available to all men. One needs not wander from sea to sea nor from north to the east, seeking the true gospel as Amos predicted, for the everlasting truth is available" (Spencer W. Kimball, Conference Report, April 1964, pp 93-93).

"A young lad..... Joseph Smith, of incomparable faith, broke the spell, shattered the 'heavens of iron' and re-established communication. Heaven kissed the earth, light dissipated the darkness, and God again spoke to man, revealing anew 'his secret unto his servants the prophets' (Amos 3:7). A new prophet was in the land and through him God set up his kingdom, never to be destroyed nor left to another people - a kingdom that will stand forever. The foreverness of this kingdom and the revelations which it brought into existence are absolute realities. Never again will the sun go down; never again will all men prove totally unworthy of communication with their Maker. Never again will God be hidden from his children on the earth. Revelation is here to remain." (Spencer W. Kimball, "Revelation: The Word of the Lord to His Prophets", Ensign, May 1977, p. 76)

"For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, that createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon high places of the earth, The Lord, The God of hosts, is his name." (Amos 4:13)

A CALL TO FAITHFULNESS

"And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord. So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim....." (Hosea 1:2)

"John was a thoughtful, kind young man, affectionate, with a frank and open manner. He sincerely tried to obey the Lord's commandments and found honest contentment in the joys of family life. Gayle, his wife, was young, attractive, high-spirited, but inclined toward more worldly interests and activities. The society in which they lived was, in general, one of affluence and materialism. People seemed preoccupied with temporal gain, social status, entertainment, and self-gratification. Religious leaders were concerned about the apparent breakdown in family life and moral standards.

In the early years of their marriage, John and Gayle were blessed with children, first a boy and then a girl; but Gayle seemed uninterested in her domestic responsibilities. She longed for glamour and excitement in her life and was frequently away from home at parties and entertainments, not always with her husband. In her vanity, Gayle encouraged and responded to the attentions of other men until eventually she was unfaithful to her marriage vows.

Throughout, John encouraged Gayle to appreciate the joys of family life and experience the rewards of observing the laws of God. He was patient and kind, but to no avail. Shortly after the birth of a third child, a son, Gayle deserted her husband and children and joined her worldly friends in a life of self-indulgence and immorality. John, thus rejected, was humiliated and brokenhearted.

Soon, however, the glamour and excitement that had attracted Gayle turned to ashes. Her so-called friends tired of her and abandoned her. Then each successive step was downward, her life becoming more and more degraded. Eventually she recognized her mistakes and realized what she had lost, but could see no way back. Certainly John could not possibly love her still. She felt completely unworthy of his love and undeserving of her home and family.

Then one day, passing through the streets, John recognized Gayle. Surely he would have been justified in turning away, but he didn't. As he observed the effect of her recent life, all too evident, a feeling of compassion came over him - a desire to reach out to her. Learning that Gayle had incurred substantial debts, John repaid them and then took her home.

Soon John realized, at first with amazement, that he still loved Gayle. Out of his love for her and her willingness to change and begin anew, there grew in John's heart a feeling of merciful forgiveness, a desire to help Gayle overcome her past and to accept her again fully as his wife.

Through his personal experience there arose in John another profound awareness, a realization of the nature of God's love for us, his children. Though we disregard his counsel, break his commandments, and reject him, when we recognize our mistakes and desire to repent, he wants us to seek him out and he will accept us. (Elder Ronald E. Poelman, "God's Love For Us Transcends Our Transgressions", Ensign May 1982, pp 27-28)


John and Gayle's story is a modern day version of the story of Hosea and his wife Gomer. It is a story of betrayal but the greatest love story found in all the scriptures. There is great debate amongst scholars as to whether this story is a pure metaphor or whether it was in fact true. Whether Hosea was in reality commanded of the Lord to marry a harlot is of lesser importance than the message of his story. The story might appear problematic but the message is one of simplicity and great importance to us as God's children.

 
The story of Hosea and his wife is symbolic of God's great love, mercy and forgiveness. The story is set during Hosea's ministry from about 755 B.C. to 725 B.C., at the height of Israel's idolatry. Through the story of Hosea and Gomer, his wife, the Lord uses the medium of marriage as a symbolism of covenant of love and faithfulness between him and the nation of Israel that has spiritually destroyed itself and is without doubt to be scattered. Israel, represented by Gomer, the bride, who has forsaken the covenant of her marriage, has turned to other gods. Hosea, the faithful husband, represents the God of Israel, who through his loving kindness seeks to entice his wife back to the safety of the covenant. Pained by the betrayal of his bride, Israel, whom he has loved and nurtured and protected, the Lord laments: "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help" (Hosea 13:9). It is hard to imagine with what heaviness of heart the Lord uttered these words. It is just as difficult to imagine his unfailing willingness to extend mercy through forgiveness. Some form of the word mercy in the book of Hosea appears 12 times. The word justice does not appear once. The Lord would have us know always that his mercy can meet the demands of justice when we have strayed from his loving kindness and that in the last days He will gather the scattered Israel to once again be her God: "And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy....." (Hosea 2:23) and "...I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord" (Hosea 2:19-20)

Gomer, the unfaithful wife, is an exact portrayal of both ancient and modern Israel. After she has entered into the marriage covenant, she leaves her husband and 'turns back to her adulteries because of the two governing sins she refuses to forsake: lust for riches and sexual immorality' (Breck England, Old Testament Lesson 34, "I Will Betroth Thee Unto Me in Righteousness", Meridian Magazine). These two sins are the prevalent, corroding forces of the moral fibre of our society. Consider the demoralizing practice of prostitution that encompasses both sex and money. The pursuit of both riches and sexual immorality presents itself as a cankering threat to the institution and covenant of marriage, as it more often than not results in crime, addiction, disease, infidelity, homosexuality, divorce, abuse, pride, adultery, fraud, and the list goes on. I have just recently finished reading a book which represented with shocking accuracy the society of this 21st century that we live in. Within one family of five could be seen effects of sexual abuse, lesbianism, alcoholism, divorce, sexual promiscuity and murder. It sounds over the top but the story of this modern day family makes it absolutely plausible and leaves the reader wondering if things could get any worse. In our attempt to emancipate ourselves from God and his laws we have shot ourselves in the foot. We have become a society who has no desire to know God and is instead investing all its energy in self-gratification which is corroding the spiritual nature of our existence and our purpose here as children of God.

Yet the God of Israel will not forsake us and leave us to utter destruction. He has provided the way, He has given hope. The steps have been taken, the Gospel restored, the instructions given and the law of the harvest begun: "If you sow seeds of righteousness, you will harvest righteousness. If you sow thorns and corruption, you will reap thorns and corruption. A prophet of the Lord said, 'For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind' (Hosea 8:7). If you sow seeds of purity, you will harvest purity. If you sow seeds of petting, immorality, and promiscuity, you will harvest destruction to your godlike attributes. If you sow seeds of pure love, you will receive pure love. If you love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, you will reap God's love. If you would obtain celestial glory, you must plant into your heart and character God's heavenly ways. Jesus admonished in these words: 'For if you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you' (D&C 78:7). If you want a celestial life, you will have to plant celestial seeds. Pure religion comes from God. If you want pure religion in your life, you must plant the gospel of Jesus Christ in your heart. Remember, 'As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he'. If you think as a celestial being, you will be a celestial being. If you think as a child of God should think, you will be a member of his celestial family." (Elder Bernard P. Brockbank, "Be Worthy of Celestial Exaltation", BYU Speeches of the Year, 1974, pp 386-87)

We are modern day Israel the Lord is continually enticing back into His arms. He seeks us from all corners of the world, desiring to bring us back to the safety of the fold. We are the lost sheep and He the ever loving Shepherd. To those who hear his voice and repent, the Lord guarantees mercy and the exalting blessings of Abraham. In the day of gathering, Israel shall become the sons of the living God for the promise is this: "Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God" (Hosea 1:10)