A CHRISTMAS CONNECTION

 

I spent Christmas Day 2022 alone. Circumstances dictated I would have no family, friends, gifts or festivities to focus on. I was ok with it. In fact I looked forward to it resolving it would be the most spiritual Christmas of all: Church, intense study of the Saviour’s life, listening to Handel’s Messiah, watching Passion of the Christ. I was going to have the greatest connection to the Saviour yet. 

 

Christmas Day came and found me in bed sick with a heavy head cold, too sick and unmotivated to carry out my good intentions. No Church, no study, no spiritually charged reflection….just loneliness and misery but…..a connection nevertheless. My aloneness and state of being did more to give me insight than all the planned inspiration that never eventuated. A vista of Christ’s life presented itself to my mind from the humble and unceremonious birth to the horror of Golgotha and Calvary, and in between I saw….loneliness. 

 

This is what I came to understand: the lonely road The Saviour travelled while here would have been fraught with longing for what He had left behind…….something nobody else could understand with their mortal, finite minds. Even though some believed Him to be the Son of God, they would never have understood what it meant to leave His throne; they would have never understood the glimpses He had into eternal worlds He could not speak of; they would have never related to the higher ground He stood on; and they would never have grasped the agony awaiting Him. In short, the Saviour travelled a lonely road. One no doubt paved with many tears. It is true that once He had full knowledge of who He was, He would have had Father’s comforting spirit and the company of angels, nevertheless, these moments of reprieve must have made His feelings of isolation even more acute once they  were withdrawn. The thought that comes to mind: so close, yet so far. 

 

When we come to the stage in our lives where this world becomes less of a ‘reality’ and the yearning for the eternal becomes what is more real, we get a glimpse of the Saviour’s mortal life. This is the point where the longing for Father’s presence sets in. It is the moment to live for, because then we can leave the world behind and do anything necessary to make it back home. We abandon sins; we seek the living water that gives us life and power of endurance; we become bearers of truth and anchors of souls….we become like Him. 

 

Did You miss

Your godly robes

That You traded for 

The swaddling cloths of Calvary?

Was the ground rough beneath

Your feet as You traversed

The dust of Galilee?

The baseness of this earth,

So willingly suffered despite hostility.

Yet, You came:

The Father to reveal

And to Him forever

Our yielding hearts to seal.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Master by Hayley Miller)

 

IN FATHER'S ARMS

 

I had a vivid memory as I prayed today, of being in Father’s embrace, leaning against His ample chest and such love and longing for His presence enveloped me that I wept. After the prayer my mind was cast upon banished Cain who exclaimed: “….from Thy face shall I be hid….my punishment is greater than I can bear.” (Genesis 4:13,14). I came to understand that being banished from the Father’s presence for eternity would be a punishment greater than I too could possibly bear. And I imagine it will be the same for all of us in that day when we are brought to Him to be judged and we are re-acquainted with His presence (Helaman 14:16-18). We will want to stay with Him forever.

 

Those of us who will qualify for this eternal blessing will rejoice that there was someone who made this possible, a Saviour who will have the power to sanctify us so that we can live in Father’s presence forever. The qualification for this ultimate sanctification has to start here and now. The longing has to be so great that we will do anything we are asked, obey every law we are given, repent of any sin and weakness, and place everything we can of ourselves on the altar of sacrifice.

 

May we reflect this Christmas, upon the highest blessing the baby in the manger made possible two Millenia ago. May we connect to the real purpose of His coming: to bring us to Father, to save us from the jaws of hell, to exalt us on high above the stars of heaven. May we long for the Father and be lifted to fly to Him upon His Son's arms of faith....... 

 

I yearn to feel the closeness of Thy presence

And once again feel the warmth of Thy embrace.

I come to You, Father,

Through the gift of Thy Son's benevolent grace.

 

 

 - CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Arms of Faith by Youngsung Kim)

ANTICIPATION OF HIS BIRTH

 

Have you ever wondered how the Saviour felt in anticipation of His birth? In that sobering interchange between Job and Jehovah, Job was told that when the foundations of the earth were laid, ‘the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy’ (Job 38:4-7). My patriarchal blessing tells me I was one of those morning stars and that my voice was heard singing praises to our Heavenly Father that I was going to have a privilege of following in the footsteps of a Heavenly Mother. In other words, I was rather happy that my mortal experience was to be a reality.  I imagine all of us were equally happy….all because of one man. Now imagine this:

 

“If anticipation be pain, then in one sense the Saviour’s suffering did not commence with manhood, but eons before – in the premortal existence when He proclaimed these words, “Here am I, send me” (Abraham 3:27). The anticipation of His Atonement since premortal times did not replace the staggering reality of Gethsemane and the cross (which was beyond even His telescopic expectations), but certainly it must have added to the magnitude of pain he bore. In this sense, His suffering extended far beyond the confines of the Garden and the cross.” (Tad R. Callister, The Infinite Atonement, p. 154)

 

We experience a lot of joy every Christmas that comes around. It most certainly is a time for joy, for without the holy birth, there would have been no salvation. The Saviour’s mortal experience, however, was far from joyful. It was filled with pain, rejection, suffering and sorrow, and He started it all the day He willingly lay on the bed of straw to honour our individual worth by the irrevocable promise He made. May we connect with that purpose this Christmas day and honour the Christ, the Lord, the Saviour of us all.

 

Did You miss Your throne divine

When You crossed the threshold of the stable?

Or did You clutch my worth inside You

Stronger than the bonds of death,

That would make Your task so divinely able?

 

I heard the angels in the field

Sing praises to Your holy name;

And I sorrowed knowing, like holy water,

Your love would spill on sacrificial altar. 

 

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(ART: Submission by Dan Wilson)

TO THIS END WAS I BORN

 

We are about to celebrate Christmas. Whereas Christ’s humble and miraculous birth is at the forefront of our celebration, it is also a celebration of His death. When He said to Pilate: “To this end was I born” (John 18:37), He meant He was born that He might die, and He would die so that we might live. Where there is birth, there is always death, His being the most significant of all. Christ came to not only bear witness of the truth but to offer us the greatest gift of all the gifts of God, that gift being the gift of eternal life. 

 

I have contemplated the two facets of this gift: It is a gift from the Father because it cannot be earned. Because we could not earn it on our own merit, the Saviour has bought that gift and paid the price by His life. We could never qualify for this gift but we can qualify for the GIVING of the gift by Him in whose possession it now is, the qualification being the penitent heart. If we could ever qualify for that gift on our own, there would not have been a need for the Mediator who alone could pay the price. Another component of the gift is the Saviour’s sacrifice of His life. That’s the gift that makes the other gift possible. Since eternal life is both the gift of the Father and the Son, we can never say we earned it on our own, that it is our work and our effort that opened the gates of Celestial Kingdom. 

 

Many of us sacrifice of ourselves at Christmas time when we buy gifts for those we love. Some of us even go into debt to do so. Every Christmas I wish I could do more because I do so little. I reflect on Christ’s love and what it took for Him to give us the greatest gift He could possibly give. Such bravery, such commitment, such love, such mercy…..

 

The baby in the stable

So innocent and sweet,

On the altar of sacrifice 

Lay at the Father’s feet.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art by Jennifer Hickey)

STANDING IN HOLY PLACES

 

 

 

“The Church is a gathering place for imperfect individuals who love God and who are willing to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. That willingness is rooted in the reality that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. This divine truth can be known only by the power of the Holy Ghost. Therefore, our willingness is directly proportionate to the amount of time we commit to be in holy places where the influence of the Holy Ghost is present.” (Elder Kevin W. Pearson, "Are You Still Willing?", General Conference October 2022)

My last Relief Society lesson was based on the abovementioned talk by Elder Pearson. As I was preparing the lesson I reflected upon my favourite ‘holy place’ where I feel the influence of the Holy Ghost the most. That holy place for me is my daily scripture study. I have noticed over the years how the Holy Ghost has not only borne witness of the truths I have been learning but has broadened my panoramic view of things of eternity to enlarge my understanding. I have especially noticed that this year as my ability to glean scriptural insights has increased. Some days during my study I have been reduced to tears when the spirit has flooded my mind and my heart. I testify that the Holy Ghost is a personage without whom our understanding of truth would come to naught. But there is more….. “The gift of the Holy Ghost…… inspires: virtue, kindness, goodness, beauty of person, form and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation, and social feeling. It develops and invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual mind. It strengthens, invigorates, and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being.” (Elder Parley P. Pratt, Key to the Science of Theology, p. 101). Who would not want him for a companion?

 

I am certain that without the influence of the Holy Ghost, I would not know the Saviour as I know Him today. I am certain he brings me to the foot of His throne each time I contemplate the truths of eternity. That contemplation points the path and the way to Him who is the source of all truth and who is the author of my salvation: Jesus Christ, the lover of my soul, the Son of the living God. 

 

ODE TO THE HOLY GHOST:

The days you embrace my heart

I can scarce contain my tears.

You are the witness,

The Testator of truth,

The illuminator of my path.

I crave your presence

In the caverns of my heart.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: As One (The Godhead) by Danny Hahlbohm)

DANIEL IN BABYLON

 

Never before has Daniel’s life touched me to the core. As I finished my study of his life this year, I wept when I read of the Saviour’s appearance to him who greeted him thus: “O Daniel, a man greatly beloved” (Daniel 10:11). And not only Christ but also Michael who greeted him: “Oh man greatly beloved” (Daniel 10:19 and Gabriel who came to teach him and who told him: “I am come…for thou art greatly beloved” (Daniel 9:23).

 

When we talk of Daniel we almost always focus on his survival in the lions’ den. Daniel was only a youth when he was taken to Babylon in 605 B.C., during the first siege of Jerusalem.  He was trained there for service in the king’s court. Through his righteous influence he rose to the status of incredible power becoming an advisor to five kings and the governor of all the Jews in Babylonia’s exile. He was a prophet of God and a companion of kings. 

 

At the beginning of this year I read extensively about ancient Babylon and I was amazed at its grandeur and its corruption. I wondered how it was possible for a stalwart Israelite to live in such an environment and stay true to one’s faith. This is what Daniel taught me…..it is possible to survive Babylon…..and to even rise above it, if you have a connection with the God of Heaven. Consider just a few words of his worshipful prayer that testifies of this: “I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might……blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his….he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding……” (Daniel 2:20-23). Is it any wonder that the Saviour told him he was beloved; that He gave Him wisdom to interpret dreams; that He showed Him visions to the end of times; that He sent him angels to teach him? This connection with heaven was how Daniel survived Babylon the Great…..

 

We are living in spiritual Babylon today. We, members of Christ’s Church, are Israel, the royal priesthood, a peculiar treasure of the living God (1 Peter 2:9; Exodus 19:5). We are Israel, the chosen, not because of our superiority, but because of our willingness to believe in the Son of God. We are, therefore, harnessed with Him in the work of the redemptive power of salvation. We can survive Babylon and we can be of such righteous influence whilst in it that those around us will call us “servants of the living God”, even as King Darius called the beloved Daniel (6:20). And may we who center ourselves on Christ receive His approbation and hear Him say to us, even as He said to Daniel of old: “thou art greatly beloved”……

 

ODE TO DANIEL

Your spirit bears me up

On wings of faith and

I stand as a witness of

Thy holy name.

I fear not the height

Nor the depth

As I sail dangerous seas

Never mindful of the waves

That in the end bring me to Thee.

 

 - CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: God of Heaven and Earth by Annie Henrie Nader)

A KINGDOM FOR A KING

 

“When I was president of the Southern States Mission, one of our missionaries preached on that dream of Nebuchadnezzar in one of our meetings where we had some investigators, and I stood at the door to greet them as they went out. A man came up and introduced himself as a minister and he said, 'You don't mean to tell me that you think the Mormon Church is that kingdom, do you?' And I said, 'Yes sir, why not?'. He said, 'It couldn't be.' I said, 'Why couldn't it?' And he said, 'You can't have a kingdom without a king, and you don't have a king, so you don't have a kingdom'. 'Oh', I said, 'my friend, you didn't read far enough. You just read the seventh chapter of Daniel, where Daniel saw one like the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, "and there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him" (Daniel 7:14). 'Now', I said, 'my friend, tell me how can the kingdom be given to him when he comes in the clouds of heaven if there is no kingdom prepared for him? That is what we Latter-day Saints are doing." (In CR Oct 1975, pp 76-77 or Ensign Nov 1975, p 51)”

 

Many of us are wondering how much more wicked the world has to become before the King of Heaven makes His appearance but only a few of us are wondering how much more righteous WE have to become before He can come.  It’s more the state of US, His covenant people that will determine the time than the state of the world. Why? Because a King cannot come if there is no kingdom. Since the Lord works through us and He honours our free agency, our wickedness and righteousness can impede or accelerate His work (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual, p 258).

 

I am always amazed when I hear a teacher at Church ask this pointless question: “If you knew that the Saviour was coming tomorrow, what would you do to prepare?”  I am equally amazed by some answers such as, missionary work. How much missionary work could you do in one day to make up for years of not doing it? My answer is, you could do nothing in one day to prepare for His coming, the time to prepare is NOW! The Kingdom awaits…. 

We Israel, Thy chosen seed

Bow before Thee on bended knee.

Strengthen us in the hour of our need

That we might never stray again

And cause Thee sorrow;

And help us wait for Thee

in the dawning of tomorrow.

 

 - CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Time Is At Hand by Danny Hahlbohm)

THE PRIDE OF THE WORLD

 

Do you ever look at the world and get discouraged? Does it seem at times like the adversary is winning? Just one serious study of the Book of Ezekiel can make you see that this can never be so. Ezekiel’s detailed prophecies of destruction which befell the nations of ancient Near East gives us a clear picture that Satan does not stand a chance against Christ’s power.  It seemed for a long time that the adversary was winning there too as the Canaanite nations afflicted Israel and led her into idolatry but when Israel fell into captivity, Jehovah revealed His mighty arm in vengeance by destroying these nations and empires of Egypt, Assyria, Tyre, Sidon, Damascus, Persia and Idumea. The Lord calls them ‘the mighty that are fallen….which are gone down to hell’ (Ezekiel 32:27). Egypt, which was the power to be reckoned with was probably the greatest tragedy. Ezekiel devoted four chapters (29-32) to the description of Egypt’s beauty, prophetic destruction and lamentation. Much like Tyre, Egypt’s splendour was destroyed because it sought to exalt itself to the status of God (Ezekiel 29:9; 31:10). 

 

After pronouncing judgment on these ancient nations and affirming that the destruction will be His doing (71 times no less),  Jehovah testified: “I have caused my terror in the land of the living” (Ezekiel 32:32). Why such terror and such terrible destruction? Because these nations were built up on excessive pride and what is built on pride cannot stand. Pride is the foundation of a kingdom that cannot last, the origin of which we know well. It cannot last because there is only one true and living God and we all know who HE is. 

 

And so it is with our world. The day is coming when the Saviour will come to reveal the arm of His power and crush the enemy of all righteousness. He who has said: “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God….I will be like the most High (Isaiah 14:12-15), has never received a body, and though the king and ruler of world-wide empire of spiritual Babylon, he shall never have a tomb or monument to his name and the kings of the earth will exclaim in amazement when they see him cast down to hell: “Is this the man that made the earth tremble, that did shake the kingdoms?” (v 16).  Stripped of his power and his pride, he will not stand…..

 

Where is the sting of death,

The enemy of righteousness,

And humanity’s foe?

The fire of its power lies in ashes

Quenched at Calvary long ago.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Second Coming by Dan Wilson)

THE PRIDE OF TYRE

 

I was mesmerised with the fall of Tyre as I studied Ezekiel this year. This island was anciently located between Carmel in Israel and Beirut in Lebanon. In short, Tyre was a major destination for merchant ships in the eastern Mediterranean. Because of this commerce Tyre amassed obscene wealth and became the crown jewel of the seas (Ezekiel 27:5-9). The Lord compared it to the Garden of Eden….until iniquity was found in her (Ezekiel 28:15).  So great was Tyre that Ezekiel devoted three chapters to lament the fall of its glory (chapters 26,27,28). Chapter 26 states the reason for the fall is Tyre’s rejoicing in the fall of Judah but an even more serious crime becomes evident by chapter 28: “Thus saith the Lord God: Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou has said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God.” (v2). Sound familiar???

 

Because Tyre had set its heart as the heart of God (Ezekiel 28:6) Jehovah pronounced: I will destroy thee…I will cast thee to the ground….I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth…and never shalt thou be any more (vs 16-18). Because of its strong fortifications, nobody could conquer Tyre and so the more detailed prophecies of its destruction remained unfulfilled for nearly three hundred years….until 332 B.C. when Alexander the Great swept in and reduced this island to rubble. Today the island of Tyre is nothing more but a small peninsula jutting into the sea where the local fishermen come to spread their nets to dry. 

 

I look at the world today and I see the pride of Tyre….even those who are not swimming in wealth are lifted up in the pride of their hearts elevating themselves and fortifying the culture of self-importance and self-identity. We are encouraged from all sides to put ourselves first so we can become our own gods and worship the father of me-ism who is Lucifer, son of the morning (Isaiah 14:12);  the author of all sin (Helaman 6:26-31); the source of ultimate pride (Moses 4:1); the thief in the night who comes to steal our spiritual identity, kill our faith in God and destroy our commitment to Christ (John 10:10).

 

Imagine there was no Atonement and we were heading for certain destruction without any hope of delivery. Imagine we were destined for death and hell without any hope of saving grace. But there IS hope…..He who loves the Father without compare has ensured the penitent will not be swallowed up in the despair of the damned. He has ensured our victory over death and sin. He has saved us and paved the way to our safety. He is the antidote to all the destruction the adversary can bring upon us. He is the light, the truth and the way. To all who want to be saved He says:

 

I wait for you to come

Into the shadow of my wings;

I have paid the price: come unto Me,

Your God and Your King. 

 

 - CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: The Invitation by Jenedy Paige)

LIVING WATER IN A CUP

 

A short reflection on the power of Sacrament we will partake this Sunday…. 

 

Perhaps the most soul wrenching proclamation the Saviour made regarding ancient Israel is this: “…..they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters” (Jeremiah 2:13). Biologically, we mortals are made up of 60% water. Because of this we cannot sustain life without drinking it. Jehovah, who created us, thus gave us life temporally. But not only temporally, but also eternally. Each Sunday, through the sacramental cup, we are given life eternal through His atoning blood. Thus the water we bring to our lips becomes living water in a cup. This is the power of the Sacrament. As we lay our sins upon the sacramental table this Sunday and covenant to repent, may we reverence Him who bled that we might live….

 

Thou art the source of all my blessings,

Thou art the source of all my joys,

Thou art the living water

I drink with haste

And savour each and every drop

So careful of tragic waste. 

Feed me God ever more

The love that flows with every cup

Grant me my fill each day

That keeps me living and bears me up. 

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Artist Unknown)

AS I LIVE

 

 

There is a certain phrase I have noticed in the scriptures where the Lord bears witness of His existence. This phrase is: “AS I LIVE”. It is mostly used in conjunction with His promises to carry out judgment on rebellious Israel, or blessings in time of gathering. To me, the Lord is simply bearing witness of Himself. This phrase can be found in Ezekiel 11 times: 5:11; 14:16; 16:6,48; 17:16,19; 18:3; 20:3; 33:11; 34:8; 35:6.

 

There is another phrase in Ezekiel that the Saviour uses often that He will affirm His existence to us either through His just punishment or His saving grace and that phrase is: “YE SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD”. It can be found in Ezekiel 21 times: 6:7,14; 7:4,9; 11:10,12; 12:20; 13:9,14,21,23; 14:8; 15:7; 16:62; 17:21; 24:24,27; 25:5,7; 36:11; 37:6. This phrase is also used in conjunction with His promise to carry out His judgment upon the inhabitants of the earth where He proclaims: “and they shall know that I am the Lord” (6:14; 30:19,26; 32:15; 35:4,9,15; 38:23; 39:6) thus flooding the earth with knowledge and proof of His existence. 

 

I can bear witness to the ‘saving grace’ nature of the second phrase. Some time ago, I took a certain petition to God in prayer and, as is my custom, I retreated to the scriptures afterwards to see if He would give me an answer through His written word. The scriptures opened to a page with only one phrase highlighted: “Ye shall know that I am the Lord”……I knew in that instant that the Saviour lived, that He had heard my prayer, and that He would grant me my heart’s desire. I knew that I was kneeling in front of Him who has all power, might, mercy, wisdom and love. I knew the Lord that day because He bore witness to me of His reality. 

 

How great Thy wisdom,

How great Thy mercy,

How great Thy love

That fills my joyful heart;

How very great Thou art!

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Artist Unknown)

THE SAVING GRACE OF RELAPSE

 

Very often some of us have this misconception that once we receive a spiritual perspective to help us over the hump of difficult days, our lack of faith, or doubts of our spiritual understanding, we feel our life should then be smooth sailing with no relapses. This is especially difficult for the perfectionists who strive to ‘fix’ things once and for all. I have beaten myself up whenever my relapses happened chiding myself for hitting the floor once again not understand that surviving a relapse and keeping on is more important than not having the relapse in the first place. Relapses will always happen because of the nature of mortality and the fallen world we live in at this present time. 

 

The ups and downs are needed so that we will one day come to know and enjoy fully what Elder Bruce Hafen terms ‘authentic’ joy that is the state of gods we aspire to become. There will be no relapses in that state of perfection and ultimate being. Only serenity, perfection and absence of fear, doubt and lack. Imagine if we did not experience the bitter, would we fully appreciate the sweet that will become our eternal state of being? Would we fully understand what it means to be in the godly state of holiness when in Father’s presence again?

 

The Saviour did not just suffer. He endured and overcame, thereby giving birth to unfathomable strength which we can access by virtue of our discipleship to endure the ups and downs of our humanity (Alma 7:17). He is the saving grace that picks us up when we hit the floor if we choose to look up to see Him there. His is the enabling power that makes our endurance possible and our journey to authentic joy a certainty. May glory be His forever. 

 

Will I be lost in crowds of heaven 

When my mortal shell at last I leave,

And will this earthly life appear unreal

When my true home is to me revealed?

 

Will I come to see Thy face

I so often sought on bended knee,

And forget all the lowly moments

I suffered with merciful help from Thee?

 

My heart will rend within my chest

When I kneel before Thy throne;

I will weep with grateful heart

For cherished truths that I have known.

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: I Walk by Faith by Judy Cooley) 

MERCIFUL JEHOVAH

 

I am always amazed when I cross paths with a member of the Church who does not study the Old Testament. My only reaction is: How much you miss….. I love all scriptures but my favourite is the Old Testament and here is why. In the Book of Mormon, I see the promised Messiah; in the Doctrine and Covenants, I see the majestic Christ; in the Pearl of Great Price, I see the pre-mortal God; in the New Testament, I see the loving Saviour; but in the Old Testament I see the merciful Jehovah. Out of all His attributes, this to me, is the most important, because it is His mercy in the end that grants my salvation. 

 

Anyone who studies the Old Testament and understands the history of the House of Israel cannot possibly deny the Saviour’s mercy. The book of Ezekiel alone stands as a witness of this. In Ezekiel’s day, the Lord had three significant prophets: Jeremiah, in the court of Judah, Daniel in the court of Babylon, and Ezekiel, a prophet called to the exiles in Babylonia. We know that ancient Israel rejected Jehovah and turned to other gods becoming so entrenched in sin that they became ripe for destruction and captivity.  You would wonder why after so much warning they received in Jerusalem, the Lord would even bother to call them to repentance yet again whilst in exile but so serious did He consider Ezekiel’s calling that He told him if he didn’t do it, He would hold him responsible for their sins (Ezekiel 3:17,18). And this is an interesting thing….with every instruction the Lord gave him, He told him the people will not believe him because ‘the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted’ (Ezekie2:7). Six times He called the Israelites ‘a rebellious house’ (Ezekiel 2:5,6,7,9,26,27). Despite all their wickedness and stubbornness, mercy……

 

Because of God’s foreknowledge, He knew which one of us would be saved and which would be lost. You would think because of this foreknowledge the Saviour didn’t have to atone for everyone. It would certainly lessen the pain of Gethsemane. Yet He hung on the cross despite His power to end it, until every soul was accounted and atoned for, until He could say: “It is finished” (John 19:30). Is this not mercy?

 

Will the sinner for whom you suffered, 

Who rejected and reviled Thee

Weep in the end for Thy pain and Thy sorrow?

Will his heart understand

When he kneels before Thee

The debt he owes for the existence

Of his merciful tomorrow?

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(ART: Portrait of the Christ by Richard L George)

ALL FOR ALL

 

 

Sometimes on our way to our journey’s end, we stop and ask ourselves if all our striving is worth the effort we so diligently give. Gaining exaltation and inheriting ‘all the Father has’ seems abstract and too difficult for our finite minds to comprehend. It’s at those times eternity seems too far away. 

 

The Saviour likened the kingdom of heaven to an exquisite pearl of great price in Matthew 13 for which a merchant sold all he had to obtain (vs 45-46). I am certain not even this description comes anywhere close to the reality of the place. In His attempt to explain the glory of kingdoms in ‘God’s power’ and acknowledging our finite understanding, the Lord exclaimed: “Unto what shall I liken these kingdoms that ye may understand?” (D&C 88:46). One thing I do understand regarding the glory, the beauty, the magnificence, the brilliance, the perfection of the place where God lives and owns ‘everything’ is that it is worth ALL that I can give and the highest price I can pay. This assurance comes from knowing that Christ gave HIS all for my possession of this exquisite pearl. Every drop He had, He watered the Garden of Gethsemane and spilt on the cross of Calvary……”How exquisite you know not, how hard to bear you know not” (D&C 19:15). For such an exquisite pearl, such exquisite pain.

 

Giving our all does not mean just our resources and our time but it means placing our appetites, our passions, our addictions, our sins, our sufferings, our sorrows, our afflictions, our very will on the altar of sacrifice….to match His ALL. Our part in this holy union ensures that we become recipients of ‘incomprehensible joy’ (Alma 28:8). For such exquisite pain, such exquisite joy. 

 

(My gratitude to Elder Bruce C. Hafen for understanding this concept:  “The Atonement: All for All”,  April 2004 General Conference)

 

I carried my cross to the foot of Calvary,

While you carried yours to the top.

I cried bitter tears over the injustices of my life,

While you bled valiantly for all that was lost.

I carried my hurts like a badge

So scornfully proud and spiritually poor,

While you rose to the heights of your exalted throne:

Perfected, ennobled and infinitely more.

You are so high

And I am so low;

I consent to climb to Calvary’s top,

I consent to be lifted to Thy throne.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Behold the Man by Christopher Young)

SHEPHERDS OF ISRAEL

 

 

There is a significant promise in the Book of Jeremiah that should make us grateful for General Conference. In chapter 3, we read of ancient Israel’s betrayal of the covenant they had made with Jehovah by pursuing other gods through idolatry. This wandering away was attributed heavily to ‘the shepherds of Israel’, meaning their leaders, who led the flock astray. However, the Lord made an amazing promise through Jeremiah that in the days of ‘gathering’, meaning our day, He will give us worthy Church leaders ‘according to MINE HEART which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding’ (Jeremiah 3:15). This has been the truth for me. I am a convert of 40 years and I can say with certainty and gratitude that the Church leaders have brought me to Christ. 

 

But there is even a more blissful promise than this. Ezekiel 34 rends my heart. It reveals the sorrowful heart of the Saviour who weeps over His flock saying: “My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them” (v6). He then proclaims a harsh judgment against Israel’s shepherds who scattered the flock anciently but then gives us a hope to surpass all sorrow: “Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep and seek them out….I will seek out my sheep….and gather them…and feed them upon the mountains of Israel….I will feed them in a good pasture….I will seek that which was lost…I will feed my flock…….ye are my flock, the flock of my pasture, and I am your God…. (v11-31)…….

 

We roam this earth

Lost, scattered, disowned,

Yet forgotten nevermore.

From the anguish of Thy heart

Thou art gathering the lost

To keep them safe in Thy keep;

Thou art the Shepherd

Who desires in His bosom

The flock of His beloved sheep.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art by Liz Lemon Swindle)

WHEN THE TRUTH BURNS IN YOUR HEART

 

I love words. I love words like some people love numbers. It’s an unusual love, I know. It’s unusual when the Dictionary is one of your pals….

 

As I started my study of Jeremiah this year it was immediately confirmed to me why he is one of the two prophets of my heart. Being called to preach, as a youth, to a people whose ‘day of grace was past with them’, much like Mormon in his day (Mormon 2:15), Jeremiah was understandably relucant. The Lord not only assured him by telling him of his greatness and his foreordination before he was even born (Jeremiah 1:5), He touched his mouth with his hand and told him he has put His ‘words’ in his mouth to ‘root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant’ (v10). Imagine the power of every word that would come out of Jeremiah’s mouth from then on…...but you wouldn’t imagine this: Jeremiah did not cease striving to save his people begging them in vain, for 40 years, to turn back to God and avert the Babylonian captivity. During that time Jeremiah was in a state of continuous suffering as he was accused of political treason, put in stocks, thrown in prison, persecuted, hunted by men of his home town who sought to kill him and so angered the elders of the Jews because his prophecies came true that they cast him into a dungeon called 'a pit prison', being lowered into it with cords through a hole in the top, where Jeremiah sank in the mire (Jeremiah 38:6).  At the height of his persecutions and suffering Jeremiah was tempted to cease preaching but he could not restrain himself because ‘His WORD was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay’ (Jeremiah 20:9). Jeremiah’s mission makes for captivating reading. 

 

May we, when the truth burns within us, speak and be heard in this world where men call ‘good evil and evil good’ (Isaiah 5:20; 2 Nephi 15:20). May we have the courage and more importantly, ask the God of Heaven to put His words in our mouth that we may be the force for good and be vessels in His hands of saving souls from destruction that is imminent.

 

I will spread the word

Your gift of salvation to honour

And satisfy man’s hidden hunger;

I will help them know

Your arms are their shelter,

Your heart is their home,

Their only hope

For protection from the storm.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Judah by Rembrandt)