TO COMFORT THE COMFORTLESS

"These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son may glorify thee........I have glorified thee on earth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world.....I pray for them......that they may be one, even as we are one." (John 17)

As Jesus neared the dreaded hour when he would face His suffering in Gethsemane, where alone, forsaken, 'and without the pomp of crowds, he would win an infinite victory far greater than any defeat of Rome' (The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles p 165), he turned his attention to those whom He loved. Even though He faced the certainty of His own exquisite suffering, He sought to offer comfort to His devoted apostles and to prepare them not only for the dismal hours ahead but their own fate. That fate, though not remotely comparable to that of His own, the Saviour painted a bleak picture indeed for them whom the Father had given Him to carry on the work He had begun. Jesus warned the Apostles they will be put out of the synagogues (John 16:2) , meaning they would be excommunicated and persecuted; that whosoever killed them would think they were doing God a service (John 16:2); that they shall weep, lament and sorrow (John 16:20, 32); and they shall be scattered and have tribulation (John 16:32, 33). All these predicted and foretold tribulations the Apostles bore with dignity and faith. They were faithful to their divinely appointed callings even though they were often rejected, frequently imprisoned and even stoned and killed. 'They taught and testified and suffered and presided and waited patiently for the fulfillment of the promise that they would see Him again and that He would give unto them eternal life.' (Ted Gibbons, NT Lesson 24, This Is Life Eternal)

With what heavy heart the Saviour must have told them what they should expect once the earthly Kingdom He established was left in their hands. How He must have agonised knowing of their suffering for His sake, so much so that He prayed for them, interceding and pleading with the Father on their behalf, nevertheless, knowing that they could endure all things because they would not be alone. The Saviour promised them He would not leave them comfortless, that He would come to them (John 14:18) through the Comforter that the Father would send them in His name: the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, who shall teach them all things and bring to their remembrance all that He had said to them (John 14:26) . And so it was that on the Day of the Pentecost, this promise was fulfilled and the Holy Ghost found his abode with the members of the Church in the meridian of times; the power of the Holy Ghost being operative during the Saviour's ministry, but the gift of the Holy Ghost withheld until after the Saviour's resurrection (Bible Dictionary p 704): "While Jesus ministered among men, the gift [of the Holy Ghost] itself was temporarily withheld; one member of the Godhead dwelling with mortals sufficed. During that period, however, the Holy Ghost frequently spoke to righteous persons, as he did to Peter in the coasts of Caesarea Philippi. Just a few hours before Jesus went to Gethsemane and from there to the cross He told His disciples: "It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." (John 16:7.) This promise -- that the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit would be available -- was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. (Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.280 - p.281).

When the Saviour offered the Intercessory Prayer, He did not only pray for His apostles but for all those who would believe in Him through their word (John 17:20). This means us. It also means that all the promises the Saviour made to His apostles, He also made to us. Not wanting to leave us comfortless Jesus made the staggering promise that the obedient would not only receive the comfort of the Holy Ghost but that of Himself as well (John 14:18-24). In addition to the two Comforters, we can also qualify to bask in the presence of God the Father from time to time and converse with Him face to face as one friend converses with another ( See Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp 150-151).

"These statements about the two Comforters climax and crown the teachings of the Son of God. We have no record of anything he ever said which can so completely withdraw the curtain of eternity and open to the faithful a vision of the glories of God. Based on love, born of obedience, Jesus promises the saints that they can have, here and now in this life, the following:

1. The gift and constant companionship of the Holy Ghost; the comfort and peace which it is the function of that Holy Spirit to bestow; the revelation and the sanctifying power which alone will prepare men for the companionship of gods and angels hereafter;

2. Personal visitations from the Second Comforter, the Lord Jesus Christ himself, the resurrected and perfected being who dwells with his Father in the mansions on high; and

3. God the Father shall visit man in person, take up his abode with him, as it were, and reveal to him all the hidden mysteries of his kingdom.

(McConkie, DNTC, 1:735, The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ and His Apostles, p 166)"

We live in a fallen world, a world where sin, wickedness and tribulation abounds; a world that has gone crazy with wanton indulgence and crime; a world where people's hearts are failing them; a world filled with terror, wars, natural disasters and frustrated efforts of mankind to avert them. Despite all this madness, Jesus has promised we can have peace amidst this turbulence: "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)". After his death, the Prophet Joseph Smith appeared to Brigham Young and instructed him as follows: "Tell the people to be humble and faithful, and be sure to keep the Spirit of the Lord and it will lead them right. Be careful and not turn away the small still voice; it will teach them what to do and where to go; it will yield the fruits of the kingdom. Tell the brethren to keep their hearts open to conviction, so that when the Holy Ghost comes to them, their hearts will be ready to receive it. They can tell the Spirit of the Lord from all other spirits; it will whisper peace and joy to their souls; it will take malice, hatred, strife and all evil from their hearts; and their whole desire will be to do good, bring forth righteousness and build up the kingdom of God. Tell the brethren if they will follow the Spirit of the Lord, they will go right. Be sure to tell the people to keep the Spirit of the Lord; and if they will, they will find themselves just as they were organized by our Father in Heaven before they came into the world. Our Father in heaven organized the human family, but they are all disorganized and in great confusion. (Journal History, 23 February 1847)"

If we will but be obedient and come out of the world, the Lord's promise of peace is sure. If we will make ourselves worthy, the greatest gift to humanity second only to the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit of Truth, will lead us in paths of security and peace. It will bring comfort to our troubled souls and whisper secrets of eternity to bring us to a remembrance of things past and foster in us a longing to return there. We are not so far from home because those who have sent us here carry us in their hearts forever.

 The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose

He will not, he cannot, desert to his foes.

That soul, though all hell shall endeavour to shake,

He'll never, no never, no never forsake!

("How Firm a Foundation", Hymns, 66)