HOLY WITHOUT SPOT

 

 

As the Saints of the Most High through baptism and spiritual re-birth, we have two destinies.

The first is the New Jerusalem where we can enjoy the peaceful fruits of the Millenium and the second is our ultimate destiny in the celestial kingdom of our God. It would seem that both of these have a condition upon which we can arrive at both.

The Prophet Ether spoke at great length about the destiny of America and the New Jerusalem that will be built upon it. And this is the condition: “”…..and blessed are they who dwell therein, for it is they whose garments are white through the blood of the Lamb….(Ether 13:10).

John the Revelator spoke of the ultimate destiny, the celestial kingdom, which he saw in a vision, populated with ‘a great multitude, clothed with white robes, who came out of great tribulation and had washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb’ (Revelation 7:9,14).

This washing of our garments is a figure of speech representing sanctification for forgiveness of sins. According to Moroni, sanctification is a process that looks like this: come unto Christ, deny yourself of all ungodliness, love God to receive His grace, seek forgiveness, recognize His power, receive remission of your sins, become holy without spot (Moroni 10:32-33).

The reward of the process of sanctification through which we wash our garments pure through the blood of Christ is without price. The alternative doesn’t bear thinking and the alternative is this. If we do not sanctify ourselves through Christ’s redemptive power, we are destined to spiritual suffering beyond our comprehension by paying for our sins ourselves (D&C 19:4,15-18; Mosiah 2:38).

Understanding suffering has been a quest of mine for some years. I’ve tried to understand why suffering is so encapsulated in mortality and why it is so necessary for salvation. Through the Inspired Version of Hebrews 11:40a, we learn that without sufferings we cannot be made perfect.

Over the years I have gleaned some of the reasons for this necessity for perfection from my personal life and from the scriptures: suffering is a great teacher which refines our character developing in us attributes such as patience and tolerance; suffering teaches us to reflect on Christ’s suffering for us; suffering can prove our character and faith in God through trials as in Job; suffering can foster our faith in God and the power of His deliverance.

The greatest lesson I have learnt however, was the one I received through revelation. It was given me to understand that suffering in this life gives us a glimpse into spiritual suffering and anguish of soul we would have to bear if we did not repent of our sins and take advantage of Christ’s power of redemption…..hence the necessity to wash our garments in the blood of Christ.

The avoidance of spiritual suffering should not be our only motivation but THIS should be: “……the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

When He comes, we will be His when He makes up His jewels (Malachi 3:17) and we will shine forth as fair as the sun having been washed clean to dwell in the Kingdom of our God, now and forever.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Washed by the Blood by Danny Hahlbohm)