A LOVE DIVINE

"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.....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.....and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:3-5)

Two miles from Jerusalem, on the southeast slope of Mount Olivet lay a village called Bethany, a name meaning 'house of the poor'. It is in this beloved village, in the home of Simon the leper, among his most devoted and beloved friends, Lazarus whom He had raised from the dead and his sisters Mary and Martha, that Jesus and His disciples spent the holy week of the Passover. It can only be imagined with what sorrow and heavy hearts His last week on earth was spent in the company of those who accepted Him as the Son of God, and who knowing of His impending death (Matt 26:2) prepared and offered support. It is in this home that He received the holy anointing in preparation for His kingly burial as the beloved Mary, who loved to sit at Jesus' feet and hear His words of eternal life, took from her treasures an alabaster box containing the costly ointment of spikenard with which she anointed the Saviour's head and feet and wiped them with the hairs of her head and no doubt, her tears. Later in the week He sat at supper with His disciples, who 'were His own and who He loved unto the end' (John 13:1) instituting the sacrament that they might always remember Him and have His spirit with them, washing the disciples feet admonishing them to be servants of all and commanding them to love one another as He had loved them.

Outside Jerusalem's walls, there was in Jesus' time, a pleasant garden spot by the name of Gethsemane where Jesus and his disciples retreated for pondering and prayer. It is here that He taught them the doctrines of the kingdom and where they together communed with the Father of us all. It was in this sacred spot, following the Passover, and on this holy ground where the Saviour of the world took upon himself the sins of all mankind. Gethsemane, meaning 'oil-press', exacted from Him who created us all, the greatest suffering known to man. 'Just as oil is pressed unmercifully from an olive in order to extract each precious drop, the law of justice exacted its full payment from the Saviour of Mankind as He willingly wrought out the infinite Atonement' (Larry D. Keeler, Gethsemane).

As the Saviour wrestled with His agony wanting the cup to pass from Him, we no doubt, with all the host of heaven, stood in line clutching our burdens of mortality, waited with bated breath, hoping against all hope that He would not shrink back from the bitter cup and leave us unransomed and lost.  As He subjected Himself to the agony of Gethsemane, the scope of which He never imagined, the 'oil-press' extracting blood through every pore, the Saviour, assisted and comforted by an angel from on high, fulfilled His promise that not one tear would fall unnoticed and not one sin be overlooked during the exquisite agony He suffered for our sakes. It is in that moment of His total submission to the Father's will, when the price was paid, the slates wiped clean and the tears of our sorrows wiped away, that we understood the worth of our souls and the love which He bore for those who had been given Him as His own. The plan conceived before the world was, at once became the plan achieved.

Later, as He hung on the cross, enduring the physical pain of crucifixion, 'all the infinite agonies and merciless pains of Gethsemane recurred. And finally, when the atoning agonies had taken their toll....he voluntarily gave up the ghost. As the peace and comfort of a merciful death freed him from the pains and sorrows of mortality, he entered the paradise of God....[and there] consisting of all the holy prophets and faithful saints from ages past; these, comprising all who had taken upon them His name, and who being spiritually begotten by him, had become his sons and his daughters, even as it is with us; all these were assembled in the spirit world, there to see his face and hear his voice' (Bruce R. McConkie, The Purifying Power of Gethsemane, Conference Report, Ensign May 1985). What love must have flowed at the sight of the Saviour who did not shrink back from drinking the bitter dregs of a cup that we might live and live more abundantly (John 10:10). The sacrifice given, the suffering completed, the sting of death removed eternally.

"The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, [as they mourned and wept (Mark 16:10)] and saith unto them, They haven taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple......so they ran both together....." 

(John 20:1-4)

Not yet fully understanding and not really believing that such joyous news could be real, that their Lord had assuredly risen (Mark 16:11), and fearing the Jews (John 20:19) who had the power to take His body away, the beloved disciples must have harboured a spark of hope, that what the women who had seen Him had said was true, and that they will once again walk by His side and hear the words of eternal life come from His lips, for they who had loved Him before, had loved Him still. The grief and the sense of irreparable loss of yesterday must have turned to wonder and anticipation that He truly lived once again, for the women who had 'wept at the cross and sought to care for His wounded and lifeless body and had come to His tomb to weep and worship their Master' (Bruce R. McConkie, DNTC, 1:843) had testified that they had seen Him and worshipped Him at His feet. It is to them that the angel announced 'He is risen!' and it was they who were honoured to see the resurrected Lord first. With what joy and wonder the beloved apostles received Him when He first came to them within the closed doors of a room where they were assembled! For forty days He ministered to them and taught them all they needed to know concerning the building up of His kingdom and rolling forth of His great work (Acts1:3). How they must have believed all that He told them would be fulfilled for His resurrection bore witness of the truthfulness of His words. Now that His sacrifice was complete, their work was beginning. They were to take His gospel to the ends of the earth, to all nations, to the Jew and Gentile alike, that all may know that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah and Saviour of the world, that He alone is 'the way, the truth, and the life' (John 14:6). 

"And now, as pertaining to this perfect atonement, wrought by the shedding of the blood of God - I testify that it took place in Gethsemane and at Golgotha, and as pertaining to Jesus Christ, I testify that He is the Son of the Living God and was crucified for the sins of the world. He is our Lord, our God, and our King. This I know of myself independent of any other person. I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears. But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God's Almighty Son......" 
(Bruce R. McConkie, The Purifying Power of Gethsemane, Ensign May 1985)

THE SON

"A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art. When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son. 

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said: "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art." The young man held out the package. "I know this isn't much, I'm not really a great artist but I think your son would have wanted you to have this."

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. he thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. "Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift."

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected. The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?"

There was silence. Then a voice in the back of the room shouted: "We want to see the famous paintings! Skip this one." But the auctioneer persisted: "Will somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?"  Another voice angrily: "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!" But still the auctioneer continued: "The son! The son! Who'll take the son?" Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the long time gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the painting." Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. 

"We have $10, who will bid $20?"

"Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters."

"$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?"

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for the collections.

The auctioneer pounded the gavel: "Going once, twice, sold for $10!"

A man sitting on the second row shouted: "Now, let's get on with the collection!"

The auctioneer laid down his gavel and said: "I'm sorry, the auction is over."

"What about the paintings?"

"I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!"

God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: "The Son, the Son, who'll take the Son?"  

Because you see, whoever takes the Son, gets everything.

- Author unknown

IN THE FINAL HOUR

"And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people. And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray. And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them; and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea....."  (Mark 6:45-48)

Sailing into the calm of the Galilean sea as the Master had asked of them, the obedient disciples who would have fain stayed with Him following the miraculous feeding of 5,000, found themselves deep in the night enveloped by boisterous waves of the sea as the wind blew in a troubling storm. Doing all in their power to avoid a disastrous shipwreck, the disciples toiled all night against the contrary wind no doubt wishing the Master was with them to once again speak those memorable words to the raging sea: "Peace be still" (Mark 4:39). But the Master, seeing their struggle, whether from the shore or by the power of the spirit from the mountain on which he prayed, stayed away until the fourth watch of the night. 

There is great significance in the 'fourth watch' of the night for it denotes the final hour. Because of their Mediterranean neighbours, the Greeks and the Romans, the Jews in Jesus' time divided the night into military watches instead of hours. The first watch lasted from 6 pm to 9 pm; the second from 9 pm to midnight; the third from midnight to 3 am and the fourth watch was from 3 am to 6 pm, being the 'final hour' of the night (as cited in Student Manual, The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, p. 89). When the final hour came, Jesus walked over to the troubled ship amidst the foaming waves to test the faith of those on board for He walked as if He 'would have passed by them' (Mark 6:48). Already faced with a possible demise into the depths of the sea, the apostles 'cried out for fear' (Matt 14:26) and then a reassuring voice like a Father's to a child: "It is I, be not afraid" (Matt 14:27). Immediately Peter propelled by the love and the need of comfort from his Master, ignoring the boisterous waves that up to now threatened to engulf him into the depths of the sea, asked not that Jesus come into the boat but that He enable him to come to Him. And so Peter walked on water until the fear pulled him into the angry deep. But Peter knew where his saving grace lay and He called out: "Lord, save me!" (Matt 14:30). And of course the Saviour came saying: "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" (Matt 14:31). Peter, who had just witnessed and quickly forgotten the feeding of 5,000, failed to grasp the Saviour's admonition 'Fear not. Only believe' (Luke 8:50). 

"So then if, like Peter, we fix our eyes on Jesus, we too may walk triumphantly over the swelling waves of disbelief, and unterrified amid the rising winds of doubt; but if we turn away our eyes from Him whom we have believed - if, as it is so easy to do, and as we are so much tempted to do, we look rather at the power and fury of those terrible and destructive elements than at Him who can help and save - then we too shall inevitably sink" (F.W. Farrar, The Life of Christ, quoted by Bruce R. McConkie in The Mortal Messiah Book 2, p 362)

When the winds of adversity and the binding chains of sin are licking our feet like the threatening waves of a troubled sea, we must remember that Christ has power over all and that our faith in Him can calm the turmoil and empower us to weather the life's stormy seas.We do not need to be frightened that we will be overcome, destroyed or lost, if we only believe that He who has saved us from the sting of death promises to save us from the turbulence of mortality. All it would take is a small utterance on our behalf, like Peter of old: "Lord, bid me come unto thee" (Matt 14:28). And like the sea of Galilee that calmed as the wind ceased when Peter and his Lord entered the ship, so the turbulence of our lives will cease as the Saviour's calming influence is felt in our hearts through our belief.

When we are buffeted by the winds of life, enduring terrible trials, being afraid that we will be swallowed in the depths of the sea, the Saviour will come but most often than not, He will come in the final hour when the lessons have been learnt, the faith increased and hope illuminated. Until then he watches and waits and hopes against hope that we will hear Him say: 

"I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you." (John 14:18)

I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE

".....I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst" (John 6:35)

The Gospel of Matthew records that the second time the Saviour fed the multitudes was to the inhabitants of Decapolis which were presumed to be Gentile. Besides prefiguring the future presentation of the living bread to the Gentile nations (Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal NT Commentary, Vol 1, p 375), the Saviour fed this multitude out of compassion. The people had been with Him for three days and had nothing to eat and He did not want to send them away fasting 'lest they faint in the way' (Matt 15:32) . This multitude numbered 'four thousand men, beside women and children' (Matt 15:38). They followed him bringing with them 'those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others' casting them at Jesus' feet that they might be healed giving no thought to the necessity of sustenance. When the dumb were made to speak, the maimed made whole, the lame enabled to walk and the blind to see, 'they glorified the God of Israel' (Matt 15:31). Jesus then proceeded to feed this multitude with 'seven loaves and a few little fishes' (Matt 15:34). When all were fed, there were seven baskets full that remained. This mixed multitude from the east of the Jordan proved more receptive than the members of the chosen seed.

The first time Jesus fed the multitudes, He did so to the House of Israel with a calculated purpose which was to proclaim himself as 'the bread of life' (Matt 6:6). By performing the miracle of feeding this multitude with five loaves and two fishes, He bore record of 'heavenly bread' of which all men must eat if they are to gain eternal life. The Gospel of John records that in this instance there were 5,000 men gathered 'because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased' (John 6:2). This feeding of so many with so little signaled to the multitude that this indeed was the promised Messiah (John 6:14) who they should crown as the King of the Jews (John 6:15). Had they not been subject for centuries to the Jewish tradition which taught them that the Messiah, when He came, would reveal Himself by repeating the miracle of 'manna from heaven' so prolific in Jewish history? "As the first Saviour - the deliverer from Egyptian bondage, said the Rabbis, caused manna to fall for Israel from heaven, so the second Saviour - the Messiah - will also cause manna to descend for them once more" (Geikie, pp. 516-17, as quoted by Bruce R. McConkie,  The Mortal Messiah Book 2, p. 368). This Messiah who could provide bread from heaven, as in the days of Moses, would break the Gentile yoke and fulfill all their expectations. He would give them 'corn without sowing, harvests without reaping, bread without baking. No longer need we labour at our oars and struggle with our nets when two small fish, at the Messiah's touch, will feed thousands. The Deliverer is here; he will feed us as Moses fed our fathers. Give us loaves and fishes forever and in thy beneficent goodness add raisins and oil and wine to our diet. Surely we shall now feast more sumptuously than Herod himself' (Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah Book 2, p 371).

When the crowds pursued Him wanting to make Him King, Jesus answered them: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me not because ye desire to keep my sayings, neither because ye saw the miracles but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled. Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the father sealed" (John 6:26,27, JST). This is not something the crowds wanted to hear let alone wished to understand that the only crown that would adorn His head would be one of plaited thorns. As the Saviour proceeded to deliver His sermon on the Bread of Life He sealed His fate that would eventually bring Him to the cross of Calvary. By proclaiming Himself to be the only 'bread of life' that the Father would ever send them (John 6:35), He refused to conform to their concept of a temporal Messiah. Where up to now people followed Him and flocked to Him with emotional frenzy, from this time 'many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him' (John 6:66). The miracles forgotten, the healings ignored, the spirit rejected. Thus the Bread of Life sermon marked the saddest and the most heartbreaking point in the Saviour's mortal life for it instigated the parting of ways between Him and the common people. Whereas previous opposition was primarily contained within the circles of the scribes and Pharisees, the Rabbis and rulers, the Saducees and Herodians, now even some of his nearest followers hardened their hearts against Him with bitter disappointment, rejecting the gift of eternal life that He alone could give. Even though He knew well that He was headed up the lonely path to Calvary, the rejection must have been devastating to the gentle heart of the Saviour who had loved them, taught them and healed them of their infirmities; who had come to give His all that they might have all.

"He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by he Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is the bread which came down from heaven; not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. (John 6:56-58)

To keep us, His saints, who have taken upon ourselves His name and accepted His teachings, in constant remembrance of our commitment to accept and obey Him, the Lord has given us the ordinance of sacrament.  Those who love Him and serve Him and keep His commandments observe with diligence the ordinance to 'eat his flesh and drink his blood' which they do in the spiritual sense rather than the literal one. This we must do for His body broken for us, is the very spiritual food which gives life, thus we must eat and drink if we are to be His and have life with Him in the mansions of our Father who has sent Him. 

No doubt, among the disciples who fell away when they heard the Saviour's discourse on the Bread of Life, were both investigators and those who had entered into the covenant of baptism. "By the simple expedient of teaching strong doctrine to the hosts who followed him, Jesus was able to separate the chaff from the wheat and choose out those who were worthy of membership in His earthly kingdom....Unable to believe and accept His strong and plain assertions about eating His flesh and drinking His blood, even many classified as disciples fell away" (Bruce R. McConkie, Mortal Messiah Book 2, p 385). This process of sifting continues with us today. Those of us who are unwilling to 'drink His blood and eat His flesh', rejecting the spiritual life force the Saviour can give, will when the tests of time come, fail in our love for Him who has given His all that we might live. May we be as Peter, who replied when the Saviour asked the Twelve:  'Will ye also go away?': 

"Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life"

THE GENTLE SOWER

When gospel truth is gently sown

in my unlearned heart,

I hope it finds no hardened crust

on wayside paths apart.

Nor even drops on softer spot

with hardness just below,

Where faithless, poorly rooted sprouts

are doomed to never grow.

I pray it shall not fall in dirt

where thorns have made their bed.

Where choking plants, 'mid worldly cares',

grow fruitless, nearly dead.

But let that seed find fertile soil

in deep and clean abode,

And drawing life, yield true and full

to Him who gently sowed.

-  Anonymous

"Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold." (Matt 13:3-8)

Matthew tells us that Jesus spoke many things to His hearers in parables (Matt 13:3). When His disciples asked Him why, among the reasons He had given them, was one that shows the compassionate nature of the Gentle Sower. The reason for delivering His message of gospel hope and peace was not so that only the spiritually literate would understand but also to show mercy to those who were not so: 'Had He always taught in explicit declaration, such as required no interpretation, many among His hearers would have come under condemnation, inasmuch as they were too weak in faith and unprepared in heart....to accept and obey the saving word' (James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p 295-298). Thus the Lord gave to His hearers that portion of His word and His teachings which they were prepared spiritually to receive without condemnation for the rest. 

With those of us who are hearers of the word and who have received the seed rests the responsibility to nourish the soil of our hearts and nurture that seed lest it be choked and overcome by the influence of the weeds and thistles that chance to also take root there for it is not enough to just receive Christ's teachings but we must also be valiant in the testimony of Jesus. It behooves us not to allow the cares of the world to choke the word within us lest we be overcome by tares which will at the last day be discarded. The tares which are spoken of in Jesus' parable of the wheat and the tares is the weed called 'bearded darnel' which is very similar in appearance to wheat with the roots of the two often intertwined. The darnel 'is easily distinguishable from the wheat and barley when headed out but when both are less developed, the closest scrutiny will often fail to detect it' (James E Talmage, Jesus the Christ, p. 301). For this reason even the farmers do not attempt to separate the one from the other whilst it is developing.

"Now we learn by this parable (the wheat and the tares) not only the setting up of the Kingdom in the days of the Saviour, which is represented by the good seed, which produced fruit, but also the corruptions of the Church, which are represented by the tares, which were sown by the enemy, which His disciples would fain have plucked up, or cleansed the Church of, if their views had been favoured by the Saviour. But He, knowing all things, says, Not So. As much as to say, your views are not correct, the Church is in its infancy, and if you take this rash step, you will destory the wheat, or the Church, with the tares; therefore it is better to let them grow together until the harvest, or the end of the world, which means the destruction of the wicked...." (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp 97-98)

"....blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear" (Matt 13:16)

When the Saviour visited the Nephites following His resurrection, the wicked and the ungodly among them had been destroyed leaving only those who were willing to hear and receive the word of truth. To the unbelieving Jews, Jesus taught in excess of 40 parables and to the receptive Nephites he taught none, teaching them instead in simplicity and plainness (McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, pp 553-54). Receiving the seed into the soil of our hearts is only the beginning for those willing to believe. Through the parables lies an open invitation to come unto Christ, to learn more of Him and His doctrine, to ponder the truths which will lead to salvation and eternal life. "They teach arithmetic to those who have the capacity to learn calculus in due course. They are the mild milk of the word that prepares our spiritual digestive processes to feast upon the doctrinal meat of the kingdom....for no parable, no teaching, no mystery, no hidden thing, is to be kept from the knowledge of the faithful; eventually all things shall be revealed, and the righteous shall know them" (McConkie, The Mortal Messiah, p. 245-246).

Jesus came to preach the gospel to those who would accept Him and to bear the sins of all those who would believe His words and live His laws. He came to bring good tidings of salvation, to disperse the darkness of unbelief and to bring light to the world. He came to give every man as much of the truth as each man's soul would permit him to receive but most of all He came to gather His own. He was the ultimate sower who sowed the seeds of truth in the souls of His sheep (Matt 13:37). To become golden grain of God we must act on the word which has taken root in our soil. We must be doers of the word and not hearers only. To be golden grain when the harvest comes, our works must reflect the teachings of the Lord of the Harvest for 'no man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light' (Luke 8:16).

True hearers are a light to the world bringing forth good fruit from the seed which was sowed. True hearers of the word are the labourers in His vineyard who bring light and compassion to the inhabitants of the world, who sow seeds of love and exemplify the Gentle Sower in their doings and who are valiant in their testimony of Jesus in all things and in all places.  The following story related by President James E. Faust is useful in helping us understand the difference between studying the parables of Jesus and applying them in our lives: "A group of religion instructors were taking a summer course of the life of the Saviour and focusing particularly on the parables.When the final exam came the students arrived at the classroom to find a note that the exam would be given in another building across campus. Moreover, the note said, it must be finished within the two-hour time period that was starting almost at that moment. The students hurried across campus. On the way, they passed a little girl crying over a flat tire on her new bike. And old man hobbled painfully toward the library with a cane in one hand, spilling books from a stack he was trying to manage with the other. On a bench by the union building sat a shabbily dressed, bearded man [in obvious distress]. Rushing into the other classroom, the students were met by the professor, who announced that they had all flunked the final exam. The only test of whether they understood the Savior’s life and teaching, he said, was how they treated people in need. Their weeks of study at the feet of a capable professor had taught them a great deal of what Christ had said and done. In their haste to finish the technicalities of the course, however, they failed to recognize the application represented by the three scenes that had been deliberately staged. They had learned the letter but not the spirit. (Cited by President James E. Faust, Ensign, May 1998, p.18, from Church News, 1 October 1988, p. 16)  As with all the teachings of the Savior, the really worthwhile results come not from hearing but from doing (Ted L. Gibbons, NT Lesson 11, He Spake Many Things Unto Them In Parables)"

"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, 

I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock ..."

Matthew 7:24

THE EASINESS OF THE WAY

 "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."   (Matthew 11:28-30)

"In Biblical times, the yoke was a device of great assistance to those who tilled the field. It allowed the strength of a second animal to be linked and coupled with the strength of a single animal, sharing and reducing the heavy labour of the plow or wagon. A burden that was overwhelming or perhaps impossible for one could be equitably and comfortably borne by two bound together with a common yoke....

Why face life's burdens alone, Christ asks, or why face them with temporal support that will quickly falter. To the heavy laden it is Christ's yoke, it is the power and peace of standing side by side with a God that will provide the support, balance, and strength to meet our challenges and endure our tasks here in the hardpan field of mortality." (President Howard W. Hunter, Conference Report, October 1990)

The yoke in mortality that each one of us must bear is the responsibility to become perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect. This responsibility is our journey to godhood and eternal life, a journey that we cannot travel alone for a yoke requires two to pull the burden attached to it. We cannot choose whether to bear a yoke, that choice was made before this world was, but we can choose which yoke we will bear. We can either choose to bear the yoke of Christ or the yoke of the Adversary. Christ has offered us His yoke and has promised that His yoke is easy. This yoke entails covenants and obedience and sacrifice. We might well ask ourselves, how can such a yoke be easy? The yoke of 'perfection' is easy because Christ is yoked by our side, gently leading us in the direction we should go to avoid the pitfalls and heartaches and shouldering the weight we cannot bear. His strength compensates for our lack and empowers us to overcome and become. With Him comes power and enlarged capacity. In short, he makes the way easy with the endowment of His grace.

A life of sin with scorching consequences which is the yoke of the Adversary is a far heavier and harder yoke to bear in mortality than Christ's yoke of commandments, covenants and sacrifice. When you are yoked with the adversary, you are left to bear the burdens of sin such as shame, addiction and moral degradation alone. The Adversary is not interested in being yoked with someone to bear burdens and consequences of sin. He is only interested in placing the yoke of oppression that leads to spiritual destruction on those who are willing to take it.  Satan's is a 'yoke of iron' that 'brings us down into captivity' (1 Nephi 13:5). Christ's yoke, on the other hand, offers freedom from sin and its devastating consequences. His compassion and mercy make it possible for us to cast off the yoke of sin and bondage and be free as is illustrated by the sinful woman who dared to enter the house of Simon, the Pharisee and who wept as she bathed the Saviour's feet. This woman would have found no forgiveness from Simon, a representative of the austere 'law' she was subject to but in his house she found the Saviour who was willing to take the burden of her sins upon Himself, to pay the price of justice in the winepress that He had to tread alone (Isaiah 63:3).

Simon, who was repulsed by the sinful woman, who omitted to observe the custom of the day to treat a distinguished guest with 'marked attention; to receive him with a kiss of welcome, to provide water for washing the dust from his feet, and oil for anointing the hair of the head and the beard' (Jesus The Christ, p. 261) stood in poor contrast to a sinful woman who acknowledged Christ's saving grace, who 'stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment' (Luke 7:38). This woman 'represents all of us with our burdens, making our way to the one true source of rest and relief. Knowing that ridicule might well follow her entrance into the eating chamber, knowing that her reputation would accompany her, and knowing that she would not be welcome by some within, still she entered. She was heavy-laden with the recognition of her sins and the downward spiral of her life' (Ted L. Gibbons, NT Lesson 10: Take My Yoke Upon You and Learn of Me, March 2011).

To those of us who are weighed down with heavy burdens of remorse and sin, mortal hardship and pain, sorrow and discouragement and who are often overwhelmed with the requirements for exaltation, the Saviour offers relief and peace, comfort and help. He alone has the capacity to carry all our burdens and all our sorrows and all our imperfections. He who has hung on the cross has taken upon Himself the hardships of mortality for each one who would come to Him and believe. He alone can wipe the slate clean and wash our garments though they be as scarlet to once again be white as snow (Isaiah 1:18). If we come to Him, He will set us free and He will encircle the faithful in the arms of His love (D&C 6:20).

For "he shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom............" (Isaiah 40:11).