WALK WITH ME

 

In the 12 months of my illness and solitude, I have learnt how very important the Church is. I have suffered much isolation as I have been confined to my home. I didn’t expect the members of my ward to grace my doors every week but in this day and age when technology makes it so easy, I was not prepared for lack of contact I experienced, even from my Ward leaders.

I didn’t want to feel forgotten.  On days when I felt that even God had forsaken me, it would have mattered so much to be told that I was still remembered.

I get it, everyone is busy and dealing with their own stressful lives so thinking about others is difficult but there never has been a time of this earth where people did not live under duress of some sort and yet the call to become a Zion people has always been there.

This is my conclusion. We will never, never, never become a Zion people if we continue on this path of self-absorption and neglect of one another. Most people in the Church think the Saviour has not come because the world is not wicked enough. In reality, He will not come until we are a Zion people (see D&C 105:9-12 on how long the Lord will wait to redeem Zion and Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual commentary for these scriptures)

When the Saviour said to Enoch, “walk with Me”, He said it for this very purpose (Moses 6:34). And Enoch walked with God (v 39) and he established the city called Zion (v 18). Note, however, that this happened amidst the greatest distress for Enoch and his people as ‘from that time forth there were wars and bloodshed among the people’ and their enemies and giants of the land came to battle against them (Moses 7:13,15,16). Even so, the people of Enoch survived and still managed to establish Zion because ‘the Lord came and dwelt with them’ (v 16).

There is another who was told ‘walk with me’, with the promise that if he did, he would be perfect, and that was Abraham (Genesis 17:1). From the time he was called out of Haran, Abraham was in pursuit of the city of Zion (Hebrews 11:8-10).

“But how could he seek it if it was gone from the earth? Latter-day scripture also describes an order of priesthood available in Abraham’s day that could actually give mortals access to that translated city. According to Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis….”the order of the covenant which God made with Enoch”….for men having this faith, coming up to this order of God, .were translated and taken up into heaven (JST Gen. 14:27,32).” (E. Douglas Clark, “The Blessings of Abraham – Becoming a Zion People, p 92)

Abraham did walk with God and he became the protector, the teacher and servant of all the people he associated with. There is an endearing story in Midrash, a Jewish interpretation of biblical texts, that tells of Abraham’s concern and care of his fellowmen. It tells of Abraham sitting outside his tent one day in the heat of the day on the plains of Mamre with the breath of hell whirling the heat and the dust and the sand. He was worried thinking that there was some stranger out there lost in that dust storm so he sent his servant Eleazer out to look in all directions but Eleazer came back and said he couldn’t find anyone.

Abraham was still worried so he went out into that hell himself though he was very sick following his circumcision at such an old age (Genesis 17:24) but he found no one. Upon his return there were three strangers at his tent. It was the Lord with two others. Abraham threw himself down on his face in obeisance and it was then that he was given the promise of Isaac…..as a reward for what he had done. Abraham found someone more significant in that dust storm than he had ever imagined….he found his son Isaac.  (see Genesis 18 and “The Faith of an Observer – Conversations with Hugh Nibley, pp 28-29)

“….Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” (James 2:23). A friend is someone who walks and talks and keeps company with you. May we all do so and become not only a friend to God but to each other. Until then we will not love one another as He had loved us.....

- CATHRYNE ALLEN