LESSON FROM LIBERTY JAIL #3

 

LESSON FROM LIBERTY JAIL #3:

Remain Calm, Patient, Charitable, and Forgiving-

“It has always been a wonderful testimony to me of the Prophet Joseph’s greatness and the greatness of all of our prophets, including and especially the Saviour of the world in His magnificence, that in the midst of such distress and difficulty they could remain calm and patient, charitable, and forgiving – that they could even talk that way, let alone live that way. But they could and they did.

“The Spirit has a near-impossible task to get through to a heart that is filled with hate or anger or vengeance or self-pity. Those are all antithetical to the Spirit of the Lord. On the other hand, the Spirit finds instant access to a heart striving to be charitable and forgiving, long-suffering and kind – principles of true discipleship.”

-          Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Lessons From Liberty Jail”, BYU Speeches, 7 Sept 208

 

You stood in the vista of my heart

Granting me the wider view.

My eyes were opened

And I understood the meaning of You.

You came to this plane of sorrow

Your footsteps to pave the trail

To make all things anew;

I follow, I follow

To one day become like You.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Peace of God by Yongsung Kim)

THE PURE LOVE

 

I became convinced over the years that the pure love of Christ is a unique love to the Saviour and that we do not have an ability to develop this love no matter how hard we try. Moroni attests to this by saying that charity, or the pure love of Christ, is an endowment bestowed upon ‘all who are true followers of Jesus Christ’ (Moroni 7:48).

The pure love of Christ is therefore a gift, like many godly attributes that are bestowed upon us due to our righteousness but our inability to develop them ourselves…..except for one thing. None of these attributes come to us in the abstract. They are given through clinical experiences of mortality.

Elder Bruce C. Hafen discussed this very doctrine in preparing his biography of Elder Neal A. Maxwell. He talked at length about Elder Maxwell’s theory of “wintry doctrine” as opposed to what he called “warm and cuddly doctrines of the gospel”. The “wintry doctrine” was in his mind his belief that Jesus “will eventually request each of us to do those very things which are most difficult for us to do.” (Elder Bruce C. Hafen, “The Story of a Disciple’s Life: Preparing the Biography of Elder Neal A. Maxwell)

After Elder Maxwell was called to the Twelve, “he began to see discipleship as a personal growth process designed to develop Christlike attributes”. In 1996 that personal growth of discipleship became a reality as leukemia entered his life and taught him through suffering of Christ’s empathy for us. He began to experience the pure love that Christ has for other people. This is the doctrinal link that Elder Hafen gleaned from Elder Maxwell’s experience:

“Perhaps those who seek apprenticeship with the Master of mankind must emulate his sacrificial experience to the fullest extent of their personal capacity…. Only then are they like Him enough to feel His love for others THE WAY HE FEELS IT – to love, “AS I HAVE LOVED YOU” (John 13:34). That is a deeper, different love from “love thy neighbour as thyself.”  (Matthew 19:19)

“His love for all mankind is fully bound up in His exquisite pain…..Perhaps we cannot know His love without knowing His pain. If so, the personal suffering we confront…could move the pure love of Christ from a concept in one’s head to a substance in one’s heart. And once in the heart, charity will circulate all through the body, because it is being moved by “a new heart”. (Elder Bruce C. Hafen, “Preparing the Biography of Elder Neal A. Maxwell)

To have this unique love of Christ take its place in our hearts is worth all the suffering we as mortals can endure…it is priceless…

I stand in awe of Him who possesses this love…..the greatness is beyond my limited mind.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: With All My Heart by Yongsung Kim) 

LESSON FROM LIBERTY JAIL #2

 

Even the Worthy Will Suffer –

 “When we promise to follow the Saviour, to walk in His footsteps and be His disciples, we are promising to go where that divine path leads us. And the path of salvation has always led one way or another through Gethsemane.

“So if the Saviour faced injustices and discouragements, persecutions, unrighteousness, and suffering, we cannot expect that we are not going to face some of that if we still intend to call ourselves His true disciples and faithful followers. And it certainly underscores the fact that the righteous – in the Saviour’s case, the personification of righteousness – can be totally worthy before God and still suffer.”

-          Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Lessons From Liberty Jail”, BYU Speeches, 7 Sept 2008

 

I was tempted my burdens

To lay to Your charge;

I considered them acutely unfair.

Then you opened my heart

And showed me Your godly task,

Beyond human capacity to bear.

 

Knowing where you had gone

I would never have to go,

I sorrowed and sought

My arrogance to bury;

In humility I assent,

Your mortal burden,

So valiant, so holy,

I would never in this life

Have to carry.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Gethsemane by Danny Hahlbohm)

THE CROSS

 

Sometimes we encounter on our path a person who leaves an indelible imprint on us. This person might not have been placed there to enrich your life. This person might have been placed in your life for their benefit, and not yours. This person might have been placed alongside you for their betterment, for their testing ground, or even for the path to their salvation. This person might have been someone you carried on your back in the shape of a cross.

If you have been damaged by someone who has left a lasting scar on your soul, you will know who this person is. You might have berated yourself for ever becoming involved with them by not having foresight into long term effects of such a union. And then there is an even tougher pill to swallow….you might not have had any control of such involvement.

This person might have indeed become a better person because of knowing you. They might have repented and turned themselves around, or they might still be persisting in their self-destructive ways. You might often wonder what the purpose was of this part of your life.  I speak from experience.

Some years ago I had a priesthood blessing from my Bishop. In it I was told that my life had been planned in pre-earth life and that I accepted this plan because of my deep faith in Jesus Christ. I suspect this was the case for us all because everything is subject to man’s moral agency. Perhaps we were a tad naïve. It’s like a pregnant woman preparing for a birth she has never been through before.

One thing I know. The Father loves all His children and He wanted all of them saved. In His wisdom He could see that some of us could be the saving path for others and so He planned that we be inter-connected for each other’s highest good. He knew that some of us would have to suffer but He also knew that it was for overall good of our collective salvation. Just imagine the Father’s aching heart for all the tears you have shed…..how difficult it must have been to devise such a plan.

This also I know. Just as some of us would have to be sacrificed in some ways for the benefit of others, someone would be sacrificed for us too: a man of integrity, a man of perfection, a man of strength and power, an older brother, a giant of a brother! A brother who no doubt watched over us in our innocence, allayed our fears, gave advice, applauded our progress….a brother we trusted could carry all of us on His back, forgive all our blunders, wipe out all our sorrows, and heal all our cracks. Now imagine the Father’s sorrow over that…..

And this is His promise: “I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten……which I sent among you.”  Joel 2:25

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: In His Tender Care by Jay Bryant Ward)

LESSON FROM LIBERTY JAIL #1

 

Everyone Faces Trying Times -

“The righteous will be called upon to face trying times. When that happens we can sometimes fear God has abandoned us. When suffering, we may in fact be nearer to God than we’ve ever been in our entire lives. When what has to be has been and when what lessons to be learned have been learned, it will be for us as it was for the Prophet Joseph. Just at the time he felt most alone and distant from heaven’s ear was the very time he received the wonderful ministration of the Spirit and wonderful, glorious answers that came from His Father in Heaven.

“Even though seemingly unjust circumstances may be heaped upon us and even though unkind and unmerited things may be done to us – perhaps by those we consider enemies but also, in some cases, by those whom we thought were friends – nevertheless, through it all, God is with us.”

-          Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Lessons From Liberty Jail” BYU Speeches,7 Sept 2008

 

The winds of tribulation scatter my hopes

Like feathers they lift to the sky.

They find You there

ever waiting to answer my pleas;

To restore that which is lost,

To renew that which is broken.

I stand amazed at Your love, Your care:

Your everlasting token.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Comforted by Lester Yocum)

SUFFERING OF THE RIGHTEOUS

 

In July of 1831 the Prophet Joseph received a revelation designating Missouri as the place “consecrated for the gathering of the saints” and the building up of “the city of Zion” (D&C 57:1,2)” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “Lessons From Liberty Jail”, 7 Sept 2008, Brigham Young University Speeches, speeches.byu.edu)

Imagine the most intense persecution the early saints had experienced in the very state they were told to gather. By 1838 they were being driven out of Missouri and the Prophet and 6 others were incarcerated in Liberty Jail during the coldest winter on record for that state. These wrongfully imprisoned men slept on bare stones of the prison floor covered by bits of dirty straw without inadequate blankets to keep them warm and eating contaminated food they were driven to eat from hunger which drove them to be violently ill.  The Prophet described the jail in his letters to be ‘a hell, surrounded by demons’ and that no “pen, or tongue, or angels” could adequately describe “the malice of hell” that he suffered there. (ibid)

We could very well ask why the Lord would instruct the saints to go to Missouri to meet such extreme suffering? The pioneers of this Church are an indisputable proof that God allows the righteous to suffer, and for a reason.

Reason number 1 is this: “My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom” (D&C 136:31). The chastisement had to come in the form of persecution because of their failure to adhere to the celestial laws of Zion. In other words, to value something, you must feel that you have earned it.

Reason number 2 is this: “….man’s extremity is God’s opportunity, and if we will be humble and faithful, if we will be believing and not curse God for our problems, He can turn the unfair and inhumane and debilitating prisons of our lives…..into a circumstance that can bring comfort and revelation, divine companionship and peace.” (Jeffrey R.Holland, “Lessons From Liberty Jail” BYU Speeches 2008)

I would add one more thing. The debilitating prisons of our lives compel us to take up our cross and follow Him who carried His. Be assured that each cross was carefully weighed to match each individual’s capacity to carry. That cross you are carrying is moulding you into the bearer of the heaviest cross in human history.

I carry my cross every day to the foot of Calvary

Where You carried yours to the top

I wait for You there to lift me 

where I cannot go alone,

To meet you at the foot of Your gilded throne.

-CATHRYNE ALLEN 

Art by Liz Lemon Swindle

 

TO LOVE

 

“While we should oppose evil, the Lord has directed the Saints to show love for enemies of the Church. President Spencer W. Kimball closed a conference talk with this plea:

“Brothers and sister, pray for the critics of the Church; love your enemies. Keep the faith and stay on the straight and narrow path. Use wisdom and judgment in what you say and do, so that we do not give cause to others to hold the Church or its people in disrepute….This work, which Satan seeks in vain to tear down, is that which God has placed on earth to lift mankind up!” (In Conference Report, April 1980, p 6; or Ensign May 1980, p 6; D&C Student Manual p 303, commentary for 123:11-14)”

I do not know of anyone in our dispensation who has had cause to hate his enemies more than Joseph Smith. We all know the horrors of Liberty Jail yet in his letter to the saints from this diabolic establishment, Joseph wrote of the duty of the saints, not to hate in response to the persecutions they suffered, but to uphold the truth for the sake of those who do not have it (D&C 123:12,17):

“Therefore, that we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness, wherein we know them; and they are truly manifest from heaven – these should then be attended to with great earnestness…..Therefore, early beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God….”

In October 1976, President Spencer W. Kimball advised the membership of the Church that Governor Christopher S. Bond of the state of Missouri had rescinded the 138-year-old old executive order of Governor Lilburn W. Boggs calling for the extermination or expulsion of the Mormons from the state of Missouri. By the year 2001 there was a temple in St. Louis and over 50,000 members of the Church in Missouri.

Would this have been possible if the saints had retaliated and the Church made the state of Missouri their enemy for 138 years? I think not. What was accomplished was done by the example of the members of the Church who lived their religion in peace despite the past.

I think of the greatest example of forgiveness and love toward His enemies and the undeserving…. Would there be Christianity today if the Saviour had left a legacy of hate and war and retaliation. Would a Gospel of love ever been known in the world? Would salvation have been possible at all? Joseph learnt and understood well…..

We, as members of Christ’s Church, carry the banner of brotherhood and Christian ethos. This is us: “And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few…and I Nephi beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the Church of the Lamb and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth, and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.”  (1 Nephi 14:12-14)

And this is our mandate: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." (Matthew 5:44)

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Behold the Man by Christopher Young)

HOPE

 

I have been actively in pursuit of perfection since I joined the Church in my youth. I thought that’s what the Church was all about and I latched onto such an endeavour because I am a perfectionist.

I have always maintained that by the time you reach the last leg of your journey, you should pretty much be extremely close to perfection. I thought by the time I get to the age I am now, I would have myself all together. Imagine my surprise when I arrived here to discover that is not the case.

On a positive note, I have noticed greater strides in improvement from where I was 20 years ago. The lessons have been amazing; my patience has improved and my expectations are getting more realistic as my kindness toward myself grows.

Over the years I have come to understand that opposition in all things, the impact of others on our lives, and life circumstances make us fall short of excellence over and over and so our awareness that perfection is an unattainable ideal in this life becomes our reality. At this point some of us start to battle with yet another challenge called discouragement.

We are constantly living in the gap between the ideal and the real in just about every stage of our lives. Consider raising a young family. Before you marry you have visions of the ideal but after children are littering your home, you realise how very naïve you were.

Elder Hafen painted a good picture of this: “Somehow it has not been altogether natural for our children to glide reverently into their places all at once and all on time, prepared to ponder thoughtfully the wonders of eternity. More than likely, especially when they were young, they seemed to come swinging into the family room on the chandeliers like Tarzan on the vines, then would stand on their heads or flip themselves over the back of the couch during most of the lesson” (Bruce C. Hafen, “The Broken Heart” p 178).

Then you think, my life will be perfect when the children are grown and have lives of their own and I have myself back. To my surprise, that hasn’t worked out for me either.  It would seem the motivation levels in retirement take a nose dive. It keeps getting harder and harder to keep up with the pace that my idealistic level of achievement requires.

The truth is, this life is far too messy to be perfect. Perfection is an eternal incremental process and the path has to be laced with hope to make it lasting. That hope becomes viable when it is coupled with realism of the expected perfection. President Spencer W. Kimball has said that being perfect means to triumph over sin. Perfection in that respect is an achievable goal (see Miracle of Forgiveness, p 208). Perhaps our focus should be righteousness. Perhaps this is what the Saviour meant after all when He commanded us to be perfect (Matthew 5:48; 3 Nephi 12:48) because this is the greatest realism there is:

The only way we can reach perfection is through the atoning grace of Christ, after all we can do on our own (2 Nephi 25:23). This will happen long after we leave this mortal existence, become resurrected and made complete in Him who has the power of perfection.

Until then He is our hope: “For I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.” (D&C 84:88)

You enliven my spirit;

You bring me to life;

You enrich my impoverished heart.

You are the God of power and might;

You make of me what I alone could never be,

You light my way into eternity.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Light by Land of Dreams)

THE HARDEST ROAD

 

When, following much suffering in Liberty Jail, Joseph Smith begged God for deliverance in March of 1839, The Lord offered him peace and comforted him by telling him his afflictions would be but a small moment.

I don’t know what comfort that was to Joseph who was in the thick of things but I know it gave him hope and I believe it came via this promise:

“If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among false brethren, if thou art in perils among robbers, if thou art in perils by land or by sea; if thou art accused with all manner of false accusations, if thine enemies fall upon thee….and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb….

“And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee, if thou be cast into the deep, if the billowing surge conspire against thee, if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.” (D&C 122:5-7)

The hope would have been based on this one promise: “…if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high….” (D&C 121:8). This is the ultimate reward. Joseph had many revelations. The heavens were opened to him on a number of occasions. He might have known what that promise really looked like.

We, on the other hand, don’t have a proper concept of exaltation in this earthly life. We cannot conceive what it is like. We don’t see it or understand it…and we can’t imagine it. We are in the telestial world. What we do know is that exaltation comes at a price. A hard road has to be travelled to earn it. Joseph proved this.

I do know one thing. When we were in the realms of heaven, we had the picture of exaltation before us and we understood well what it would take to qualify for it. I do not believe everyone wanted it because of the hard road that led to it. I think some of us chose easier roads that led to lower kingdoms (see D&C 88:28-32).

Those of us who wanted exaltation were willing to risk a perilous journey “by land or by sea”. In fact, I am sure we covenanted we would travel it and that we would endure for the reward…and for one reason…..the Saviour would pay the price of suffering, greater than any of us can begin to imagine, ensuring our ability to endure….(D&C 122:8)

Now that we are here travelling, may we always remember the promised reward which Joseph himself received: “For I am the Lord thy God, and will be with thee even until the end of the world, and through all eternity; for verily I seal upon you your exaltation, and prepare a throne for you in the kingdom of my Father…..” (D&C 132:49)

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Lord and Master by Greg Collins)

UNBREAKABLE CONNECTION

 

There is a certain connection we have with God which surpasses even our freedom of choice and it is this: thoughts. Consider these scriptures:

·       He knows every single thing that comes into our mind (Ezekiel 11:5);

·       He sees every thought of men’s hearts (Genesis 6:5);

·       There is nothing that He doesn’t know (2 Nephi 9:20);

·       Only God knows our thoughts and intents of our hearts (Helaman 9:41; D&C 6:16)

·       Thoughts, words and works will condemn us on judgment day (Alma 12:14)

·       God knows our thoughts which lead to wickedness of the heart (Jacob 1:4-6)

This is the first danger of unworthy thoughts: “Yes, as a man thinketh, so does he. If he thinks it long enough, he is likely to do it, whether it be theft, moral sin, or suicide. Thus the time to protect against the calamity is when the thought begins to shape itself. Destroy the seed and the plant will never grow. (President Spencer W. Kimball, “Miracle of Forgiveness”, pp 113-4).

And this is the second danger: “Every man and every person who lives in this world wields an influence, whether for good or for evil. It is not what he says alone; it is not alone what he does. It is what he is. Every man, every person radiates what he or she really is…It is what we are and what we radiate that affects the people around us.

“As individuals, we must think nobler thoughts. We must not encourage vile thoughts or low aspirations. We shall radiate them if we do. If we think noble thoughts; if we encourage and cherish noble aspirations, there will be that radiation when we meet people, especially when we associate with them.” (President David O. McKay, “Man May Know for Himself”, p 108; see also 2 Nephi 13:9)

And here is the hope: President Kimball also said that “man alone, of all creatures of earth, can change his thought pattern and become the architect of his destiny” (ref as above)

And here is a formula that we could relate to: “When temptation comes, you can invent a delete key in your mind….your mind is in charge; your body is the instrument of your mind. When some unworthy thought pushes into your mind, replace it with your delete key.” (President Boyd K. Packer, “Prayer and Promptings”, Ensign Nov 2009, 46)

And here is the greatest reason why, with a holy promise: “….let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God….” (D&C 121:45)

On judgment day we will want to stand pure in body and mind in front of Him who is the purest of us all and who knows all things….

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Christ by David Beraru)

THE ELECT AND THE CHOSEN

 

“To be called to be a member of the Church and kingdom of God on earth; it is to be numbered with the saints; it is to accept the gospel and receive the everlasting covenant; it is to have part and lot in the earthly Zion; it is to be born again, to be a son or a daughter of the Lord Jesus Christ; to have membership in the household of faith; it is to be on the path leading to eternal life and to have the hope of eternal glory; it is to have a conditional promise of eternal life, it is to be an inheritor of all the blessings of the gospel, provided there is continued obedience to the laws and ordinances thereof.” (Bruce R. McConkie, “Doctrinal New Testament Commentary”  3:326; see also D&C Student Manual p 298, commentary for 121:34)

I look back on the time I felt driven to join the Church. My motivation back then was very simple but today, after all the knowledge I have gained through the Church, I believe I was called.  I think of only one thing: “My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). Being called means to have been elected in pre-mortal life to have the privilege of being a member of Christ’s kingdom on earth.

Both Elder McConkie and President Harold B Lee claimed that the lives we lived in pre-mortal life very much determined the privileges we would have in this life, especially that we would be granted opportunities to accept the truth; that it is “reasonable to believe that what we have received here in this earth life was given to each of us according to the merits of our conduct before we came here” (President Harold B. Lee, in CR October 1973, Ensign January 1974; see also “A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p 512 by Bruce R. McConkie)

We read in Doctrine and Covenants that “many are called but few are chosen” and it is so because their hearts are set on the things of the world (121:34-5). Somehow the glare of this earthly life blinds so many of us and in that glare we sell our birthright for a mass of pottage.

The membership number of the Church for 2025 is a little over 17.5 million. Compare that to the world population of 8.25 billion.  When you put that into perspective, you can see how privileged, valued, and special you are to be in the sheepfold of the Saviour’s flock. If you ever get tempted to leave, just remember: “I am the door of the sheep…..I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” (John 10:7,11).

How dear to the heart of the Shepherd

Is the flock of His sheep;

With tenderness and love

He watches over those in His keep.

How much do they love their Shepherd!

How closely they stay by His side!

With every footstep they follow,

To forever with Him abide,

In all eternity wide.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Comforter by Yongsung Kim)

THE PRINCE AND THE KING

 

There is a place in Daviess county, Missouri, which is called Spring Hill. This place “was named by the mouth of the Lord, Adam-Ondi-Ahman” (“History of the Church”, 3:34-35). This is the place where one of the most tender events occurred on the American continent.

This is where Adam, the Ancient of Days, called his righteous posterity three years prior to his death, to bestow upon them his last blessing (D&C 107:53-56). Picture this solemn occasion where the Saviour appeared to this congregation, upon which appearing, Adam’s posterity “rose up and blessed Adam, and called him Michael, the prince, the archangel”. The Lord then administered comfort unto Adam and said unto him: I have set thee to be at the head; a multitude of nations shall come of thee, and thou art a prince over them forever.” (D&C 107:54-55).

After the Lord administered to him, Adam stood up even though he was ‘bowed down with age, and being full of the Holy Ghost, predicted whatsoever should befall his posterity unto the latest generation’ (v 56). When Joseph Smith visited Spring Hill in 1876 he was privileged to see Adam, the Ancient of Days, in a vision of this momentous meeting (“Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith” p 158). This is one vision I would love to have.

Adam lived 930 years according to Genesis 5:5 and Moses 6:12 but died in the ‘same day’ he partook of the fruit as the promise of death was spoken by God when the earth was still subject to the Lord’s time which was after the time of Kolob (Abraham 5:13). Imagine living and toiling that long…..

There will come a time when Adam will return to Adam-Ondi-Ahman: “He will call his children together and hold a council with them to prepare them for the coming of the Son of Man”…..The Son of Man will stand before him, and there will be given him glory and dominion. Adam will deliver up his stewardship to Christ, who holds the keys of the universe, but will retain his standing as head of the human family (“Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith” p 157).

This is the great Council of which neither the Church members nor the world will know about which will take place prior to the Saviour’s Second appearing as a ‘thief in the night’ (D&C 106:4) (Elder Joseph Fielding Smith, “Way to Perfection” pp 290-91; also D&C Student Manual p 288)

There is no greater summation of the Plan of Salvation that is as emotionally touching as this.  Adam, the head of the human family, having fulfilled his role so righteously as the father of all living, delivers his stewardship to the Saviour, the head of the Plan of Salvation, at the winding up scenes of this earth. Promises kept, mission completed, humanity reared and saved.

Whereas Adam is the prince over us ‘forever’, the Saviour is the King. If not for Him, we would not be. No one can rival His power and His glory.  May it be His forever and ever!

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

ART:  Beside Still Waters by LDS Bookstore

 

THE PRIVILEGED CHURCH

 

With General Conference behind us I have reflected on the divine structure of our Church which is like no other on the earth today and this is why. Our Church is founded on something no other Church has. It goes back to the meridian of time when Jesus acknowledged ‘the rock of revelation’ through which Peter, the first President of His Church, received a witness of Jesus’ divinity (Matthew 16:13-18).

This privilege of revelation the Church is founded on continues with every new President that is sustained by the entire congregation of the Church. Having the God ordained structure of the Church with prophets, seers and revelators, offers the Church membership security against the deceptions of the world. This is a privilege like no other.

The latter-day prophets are here to guide, warn and direct us as the need of these last days dictate but the core of our doctrine is in Doctrine and Covenants as given by revelation to the prophet of this dispensation. We cannot go past the elemental knowledge concerning the nature of the Godhead that we owe to Joseph beginning with the First Vision and added upon by so much more:

“While visiting with brother Joseph in Philadelphia, a very large church was opened for him to preach in, and about three thousand people assembled to hear him. Brother Rigdon spoke first, and dwelt on the Gospel, illustrating his doctrine by the Bible. When he was through, brother Joseph arose like a lion about to roar; and being full of the Holy Ghost, spoke in great power, bearing testimony of the visions he had seen, the ministering of angels which he had enjoyed; and how he had found the plates of the Book of Mormon, and translated them by the gift and power of God.” (Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, p 260)

The legacy of revelation this Church is built upon is indeed a ‘marvellous work and a wonder’: “I, the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith Jun, and spoke unto him from heaven….to bring forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only TRUE and LIVING church upon the face of the whole earth….” (D&C 1:17,30)

What makes the Church the true Church? The correctness of the organisation as established by Christ himself when upon the earth. There is, however, only one thing that makes it a living Church and that is continuous revelation from heaven. This is the privilege. This is the saving grace…..because God is not dead. He lives and He cares….as much as He ever did.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Jesus Radiance of Divine Revelation by Ivan Guaderrama)

LOVE

 

“I am struck by the similarity between the process of developing a testimony and the process of falling in love. Love and testimony are two of the most important human experiences, yet often we are unsure how we can be certain that either has come fully into our lives.

“In finding the love we seek during the courtship years, we often have in mind the personal qualities we are looking for. But even when we meet someone who has everything on our list (the test of reason), there may be something missing: the “spark”, that mysterious something that makes us FEEL love, not just think it (the test of feeling). Yet rational satisfaction and good feelings are still not enough.

“To know if this relationship is the real thing, we must give it some time (the test of experience). We must see how things go when the “new” wears off. We need to know how the relationship holds up under pressure, whether it grows and stirs, almost whether it takes on a life of its own. As it is in the search for love, so it is in the search for testimony…….through reason, feeling, and experience.”  (Bruce C.Hafen, “The Believing Heart”, p 23-4)

Out testimony is in essence, a courtship. Whether it will lead to marriage when the Saviour appears is something we are yet to see. The marriage depends on one thing: if “the spark” has passed the test of time. I often hear some converts say that they miss those early days of their Church membership: the excitement, the discovery of spiritual moments and doctrine, the motivation of Church involvement. I know it all because I have been through it. But so often the spark dulls over time and is sometimes even lost altogether. That’s when people leave.

The path is clear: “If thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”  (Deuteronomy 4:29). For those who leave the seeking seems too much work.

The degree of our acceptance of Christ as our personal Saviour and our testimony of His Gospel is proportionate to our love for Him and vice versa. Seeking Christ and the truth does not end at baptism. It is just the beginning. How much we seek Him thereafter will determine how bright the spark is on the wedding day. It’s about the heart and about the love. Is it any wonder the Saviour compared our relationship with Him to a marriage covenant?

I followed all Your footsteps

And I sacrificed everything.

I did Your bidding no matter

What You asked of me.

I trusted, I had faith, I endured

All the pain that was given me.

I kept my love burning like a flame

Until I came to see the reality:

It is not my love, but Yours,

That is consuming me.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

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

THE LESSONS

 

I wrote yesterday about the practical knowledge of mortality that is essential for us in our rise to godhood. We acquire this knowledge through lessons we are given that provide an opportunity for acquisition of godly attributes and skills.

Every single quality I desired in life and asked for was not freely given. What was given was a practical lesson in difficulties I had to go through to acquire the skill I wanted. Indeed, just knowledge of it could not develop a godly character. It’s a matter of doing. I have wondered which of my lessons I didn’t need and the answer is I needed all of them. I have likewise asked myself what lessons I missed that had to be repeated because I was at the time unyielding.

I think of the Saviour and wonder which ones He could have skipped. Even He had to wade through the probationary state of mortality step by step receiving “grace for grace until He received a fulness”…..and he received all power, both in heaven and on earth, and the glory of the Father was with him….” (D&C 93:12,13,17).

Now relate this to us. Verses 19 and 20 of Section 93 state that we too can receive of the fulness if we follow the example of the Saviour…but we too shall receive it “grace for grace”, one step at the time, one lesson after another. Would we have that example of fulness if the Saviour didn’t embrace ALL of His mortal experience? His subjection to receiving ‘grace for grace’ was for the benefit of the human race. He showed the way to perfection.

“He is the way, the truth, and the light, and no one can come back into the presence of our Father in heaven except through him. Christ is God the Son and possesses every virtue in its perfection. Therefore, the only measure of true greatness is how close a man can become like Jesus. (President Ezra Taft Benson, in CR, Oct 1972, p 53 or Ensign Jan 1973, p 57)

I often reflect on Him ‘who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross’ (Hebrews 12:2) and know that I can hope for the same joy if I follow Him to the end of my mortality……grace for grace…..

The lessons of my life flowed like a river

Winding through days, months and years;

I rescued a few but missed so many

From the currents as I saw them passing;

They drowned in a daze of my ignorance,

Unwanted and ignored but yet abiding.

I fish them now from the pool of my memory

And give them life everlasting.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Jesus the Symbol of Hope by Ivan Guaderrama)

COMPELLING MORTALITY

 

I read recently Elder Hafen’s rational explanation of the necessity of mortality from a vantage point I had never seen before. I was reading about the value of ‘the veil’ in his book, “The Believing Heart”, with my mouth open. He answered so logically the question many of us have asked at one stage or another: why would a loving Father devise a plan of free experience in mortality knowing that many of His children would never come back to Him? Could there not have been another way?

To me ‘the veil’ was something we lived behind in order to be tested through faith but there is so much more to this principle. It’s a matter of knowledge. Elder Hafen explains that there are two different kinds of knowledge. One involves gathering information and the other is about skill development. One is intellectual and the other is practical. You can guess which category mortality falls into. Consider this example of the importance of that:

“Imagine an innovative music school with a revolutionary approach, in which the piano students did not have to practice. The school would teach in a purely theoretical way all the rudiments; describe in detail how to move one’s fingers; go deeply into music theory and history; teach thoroughly how to read music. The students would memorize all the best books that have ever been written on how to play the piano. The course could last for four years.

“The students would each have a project, such as memorizing the score of a major piano concerto. They would be able to close their eyes and see the manuscript for both piano and orchestra flow through their minds – they could tell you everything about it. Then, when the first graduate of the “Do It Without Practice Piano Course” walks onto the stage of Carnegie Hall to perform his debut with the orchestra, what do you suppose will happen? Not much. Why?  Even though ‘thinking’ is an essential element in any form of learning, some things can be learned only by practice.”  (“The Believing Heart” p 43)

Having been through the process of qualifying for godhood, the intellectual knowledge is something Heavenly Father could give us in pre-mortal life but He could not give us the knowledge that comes through experience. No intellectual formula He could give us could produce the reality of godhood without the experience of the process. It is experience that yields skill and godly attributes.

And here is the crowning glory of this principle: “We must do all within our power, but the final achievement of celestial capacity comes ultimately through the bestowal of divine endowments…..”for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23)….”for by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ” (Moroni 10:32) (ibid p 50)

FATHER TO HIS CHILD:

Long ago, when you lived in my arms

You wanted to fly in the vast expanse of the skies.

I gifted you wings, and promised

I would teach you to fly.

Just remember, I am here but

It is your turn now, not mine,

To rise.

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Jesus of Nazareth by John Zamudio)