THE POWER OF SELF-FORGIVENESS

 

That I May Heal You by B. Laura Wilson

There are two worthy examples of the principle of self-forgiveness in the scriptures and the power that can come from it and they are Apostle Paul and Alma, the son of Alma from The Book of Mormon.

Paul, who considered himself ‘the least of the apostles’ and not worthy to be called such because he persecuted the church of God (1 Corinthians 15:9) became the greatest missionary in the meridian of time and one of the foremost leaders of the Saviour’s Church. When I study his epistles I am amazed at the grand scale of his growth, the depth of his understanding of the doctrine of Christ and his repeated testimony of the only source of our salvation.

He will forever be remembered as a spiritual giant among men and here is why. Even though Paul testified about God’s grace vehemently and gave credit to it for what he became (1 Corinthians 15:10), he would have had to at one stage forgiven the man who misled him to offend God, and that man was himself. I believe he arrived at that place of self-forgiveness when he could in clear conscience say: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Paul, after years of unrelenting, selfless service became a beacon of hope for all sinners.

Alma became a living testament of the Saviour's power of deliverance.  Not only because Christ forgave him for his horrendous sins and saved him from spiritual death but also because He freed him to become a great man.  After Alma came out of his three days of torment he immediately began to preach of Christ's mercy and His power to save (Mosiah 27:32). Nowhere in the scriptures does it say that he moped around and agonised over his past sins and felt bad about himself. 

Alma became a great example of someone who had his guilt ‘taken away from his heart, through the merits of God’s Son’ (Alma 24:10). Alma, who went about with the intent to destroy the Church became Alma who led the Nephite armies in battle, who sat naked with Amulek in dungeons, who was spat upon by the unrepentant, who dumbfounded an anti-Christ, who baptised thousands of souls unto repentance (Alma 4:4-5), who the Lord in the end took up unto himself (Alma 45:19). 

I learnt something about self-forgiveness recently. Sometimes we can give our imperfections power over us as much as our sins and not realise they too are deserving of self-forgiveness.  I have led a pretty good life, carefully avoiding serious sin but I have been very hard on myself because I have not been ‘perfect’ in mortality. I consider all my imperfections,  weaknesses and my very humanity as my ‘earthly indignities’.

As a result of my unwillingness to forgive myself for the minutest things, I have carried inside me a self-deprecating picture of myself, a belief that I am not ‘good enough’, for much of my adult life. It is just now that I am beginning to understand that it doesn’t matter so much what I used to be like, what matters the most is what I have repented of and changed, and as a result continue to become.

The Saviour who forgives understands mortality. This was the whole point of His earthly ministry. You might say He experienced mortal life at ‘ground zero’ because He ‘descended below all things that he might comprehend all things’ (D&C 88:6). What things? Our difficulties, our sorrows, our sins, our imperfections, our sufferings, our inabilities, our mortal weakness…..the ultimate comprehension coming through the Atonement where He came to understand what it is to be you and me.

If you are still 'harrowed' up by your past sins and the negative things you have allowed to define you, you are missing the person that you could be.  If you believe you are no good, the Lord can make nothing of you.  In this state you are not good to anyone; not to yourself, not to God, not to your fellowmen.  If you consider yourself a bad person because of your past and do not possess inner peace, you will eventually start seeking it elsewhere.  And some of the places you can end up in have the potential to distance you from God forever.

When you look at Paul and Alma, do you see broken men with a past or do you see powerful servants of the Lord?  If you have repented of your sins but can't let them go, you are giving them more power than you are giving God. The adversary wants nothing more than for your sins to continue to have power over you, even after you have forsaken them, because he hopes one day you will return to them.  Your forgiveness is not complete until you allow the Saviour to take away your remorse. The power of the Atonement can complete this process.  The Saviour can extend mercy, He can forgive, He can make of you a new person, He can wipe your slate clean. Believe it, trust it, ask for it.  The Lord has work for you to do and He is waiting.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN  

THE WISH

 

O that I were an angel, and could have

The wish of mine heart,

That I might go forth and speak

With the trump of God,

With a voice to shake the earth,

And cry repentance unto every people!

(Alma 29:1)

Is there a more poetic scripture in the Book of Mormon than this?

Alma affirmed that God grants unto men according to their desire (Alma 29:4). Consider the process of fulfilment of desires and how they affect our personal development and eventually determine our eternal blessings:

“Desires….become real determinants, even when, with pitiful naivete, we do not really want the consequences of our desires…..therefore, what we insistently desire, over time, is what we will eventually become and what we will receive in eternity….Righteous desires need to be relentless, therefore, because, said President Brigham Young, ‘the men and women, who desire to obtain seats in the celestial kingdom, will find that they must battle every day’ (in Journal of Discourses, 11:14). Therefore, true Christian soldiers are more than weekend warriors…..” (Neal A. Maxwell, “According to the Desire of Our Hearts”, October 1996 GC)

It is clear that educating and cultivating our righteous desire means doing everything possible that is our part in its fulfilment. The cultivation of Alma’s desire began with something extremely personal – born out of his own painful repentance and godly sorrow, Alma came to sorrow greatly and continually for the sins of the people (Alma 7:5; 8:10,14; 31:1,2,30,31; 35:15). This sorrowing evolved into relentless missionary service so much so that ‘he could not rest’ when his sons went to preach ‘and he also went forth’ (Alma 43:1). I am also certain that his personal spiritual preparation was such that the time came for him to be given to speak with the tongue of angels (2 Nephi 32:2).

Alma’s desire to be an angel preaching repentance was no doubt realised past his natural mortal life. We are told that he was translated, even like Moses ‘to be a ministering angel unto many planets’ until the time of resurrection (Alma 45:18,19; Deuteronomy 34:5,6; Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 4:210)

Alma, who was once one of the 'very vilest of sinners' (Mosiah 28:4) became Alma who led the Nephite armies in battle, who sat naked with Amulek in dungeons, who was spat upon by the unrepentant, who dumbfounded an anti-christ, who baptised thousands of souls unto repentance (Alma 4:4,5), and who the Lord in the end took up unto himself (Alma 45:19).  This is where Alma’s wish of the heart took him.

 

ODE TO ALMA:

He stood between you

And the gaping jaws of hell,

He cherished your soul

And snatched you from everlasting

Misery of the damned.

He planted the seed of faith

In your willing heart

But you, you tilled the ground

And nurtured the tree of faith

Growing the fruit, so exquisite and sweet.

So heavy in your overflowing arms

You sought to feed the spiritually maimed.

He who stood at the gates of Hell

Your soul to save

Gathered the fruit,

Your path to His throne to pave.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: O That I Were An Angel by Jay Bryant Ward)

LEAVING THE PAST

 

I tend to look back a lot now that I am in my twilight years. Not surprisingly, my rear-view mirror syndrome has brought up a lot of issues that have long been buried and caused me a great deal of guilt that I was not aware of. I have lived a good life but this is what happens when you are very hard on yourself. You are never good enough to the most important person you have to live with – yourself.

I realised in my reverie that I was in sore need of self-forgiveness. This made me reflect on the two men from scriptures who are in my mind perfect examples of this principle, Paul of Tarsus and Alma, the son of Alma.

When I study Paul’s epistles I am amazed at the grand scale of his growth, the depth of his understanding of the doctrine of Christ and his repeated testimony of the only source of our salvation. His words expounding doctrine have been studied for over 2,000 years. Yet in the beginning, presumably because of his guilt, he considered himself ‘the least of the apostles’ and not worthy to be called such because he persecuted the church of God (1 Corinthians 15:9).

Paul eventually came to recognise his good deeds and self-worth through the greatest tool of all: “By the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). I believe he arrived at that place of self-forgiveness when he could in the end, in clear conscience say: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

In his day, Alma became a living testament of the Saviour's power of deliverance.  Not only because Christ forgave him for his sins but because He freed him to become a great man.  After Alma came out of his three days of torment he immediately began to preach of Christ's mercy and His power to save (Mosiah 27:32).

Nowhere in the scriptures does it say that he moped around and agonised over his past sins and felt bad about himself because ‘he had his guilt taken away from his heart, through the merits of God’s Son’ (Alma 24:10). Alma, who went about with the intent to destroy the Church became Alma who led the Nephite armies in battle, who sat naked with Amulek in dungeons, who was spat upon by the unrepentant, who dumbfounded an anti-Christ, who baptised thousands of souls unto repentance (Alma 4:4-5), who the Lord in the end took up unto himself (Alma 45:19). 

When you look at Paul and Alma, do you see broken men with a past or do you see powerful servants of the Lord?  If you are still 'harrowed' up by your past sins, you are missing the person that you could be.  If you believe you are no good, the Lord can make nothing of you.  If you have repented of your sins but can't let them go, you are giving them more power than you are giving God. Your forgiveness is not complete until you allow the Saviour to take away your remorse. The power of the Atonement can complete this process. 

Remember, consequences of sin keeps your wrong doing in your memory discouraging backsliding better than guilt. Guilt just stops you from moving forward.

Mortality is not for the faint hearted. It affects each of us negatively in different degrees but the grace of Him who died to make all things new is our only saving grace (2 Corinthians 5:17)

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Lean On Him by Chris Brazelton)

PURPOSE

 

Over the years I have had revelations that had given me clarity about my life’s difficulties but this morning I was given such clear understanding that it made me reflect on our purpose here at a deeper level.

I am beginning to see that salvation is not an individual responsibility but a collective effort to save the human family. We are not single entities but links in a chain that binds us together in the Plan of Salvation. Some of us might never survive without the efforts of those around us.

And here is an important component of this principle. We cannot strengthen others without having had experience in difficulties ourselves which give us compassion, empathy and wisdom. Alma is a great example of this. Alma became the single greatest missionary in the ancient Americas who baptised ‘thousands of souls’ (Alma 4:4,5)

He could never have obtained his zeal for relentless missionary service had he not faced the jaws of hell during his 3 days of repentance (Alma 36:6-24; 43:1). His amazing sorrowing for people was born walking through the fire of his own experience with sin ((Alma 7:5; 8:10,14; 31:1,2,30,31; 35:15).

One of the greatest lessons I learnt from the Old Testament is about being a link in the chain. As ancient Israel conquered cities before them, lands were appropriated to them for their settlement. Among the first to receive land were the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half of Mannesah. They settled in the land of Gilead which divided them from the rest of Israel by the river Jordan (Numbers 34:14,15; Deuteronomy 3:12,13; Joshua 22:9).

After they had assisted in further conquest of the land, Joshua sent them back to Gilead to live peacefully in their newly appointed inheritance. Upon their return home, these tribes built an altar by the river Jordan. When the rest of Israel heard of it they were outraged presuming the altar was built for idol worship.

These three tribes had to defend themselves by explaining the altar was built to be "a witness between us that the Lord is God" (Joshua 22:34) and that even though they were geographically divided from the rest, they were still a link in the chain. They knew that if they turned to the worship of other gods, the ripple effect would be detrimental to the spiritual salvation of the whole House of Israel.

My greatest lesson in all this is my belief that the difficulties we go through are not just for our benefit but for a human being we might have the ability to save. We are the under-shepherds and saviours on mount Zion following in the footsteps of the greatest healer who did the same by taking upon himself our infirmities that His bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh that He might know how to give relief and aid to the human family in their suffering (Alma 7:12).

I am just now beginning to understand the willingness of Him who embraced pain for our sake…..

Next time you are suffering through something, know there might be a greater purpose….

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Knock and Ye Shall Receive by LDS Art)

REMEMBER

I was reminded today by a beloved friend that some days we need to rely on remembering our special moments because it is all we have. It is the days we feel unloved, forsaken, directionless, and alone in our suffering. My special moments are my glimpses into heaven. They keep me going when I wonder, despite all my knowledge and testimony, is all this worth it….

It would seem that heaven thinks remembering is the way to go too because I don’t think there is a more significant word in the Book of Mormon that is repeated more often than the word ‘remember’. It was an important concept amongst the ancient Israel who used festivals, harvests and commemoration days for this purpose.

King Benjamin spoke of ‘remembering’ 15 times in his speech to his sons and to the people gathered to hear him (Mosiah 1:3,4,6,7,17; 2:40 twice, 41 twice; 4:11,28,30; 5:11,12; 6:3).  Alma used the verb ‘remember’ 6 times in speaking to his sons (Alma 37:13,14,32,35; 42:11). Helaman used it 11 times in speaking to his sons in Helaman 5. The legacy of remembrance passed on from Alma to Helaman was so strong that Helaman named his sons Nephi and Lehi for this very purpose (Helaman 5:6).

Perhaps the greatest example of the importance of this word comes from Alma and this is why. As he lay unconscious he ‘remembered’ his father’s prophecy concerning the coming of Jesus Christ and when he pleaded with Christ to have mercy on him, he could not ‘remember’ his pains anymore (Alma 36:17, 19). Remembering brought Alma to Christ.

When we pass on from this life, we hope we will be remembered for ‘something’. None of us want to be forgotten. Nephi is remembered for his obedience, Alma for his repentance, Helaman for his strategic warfare, Captain Moroni for his passionate patriotism, Mormon for his discipleship, Moroni for his endurance, but one thing they all have in common…….they remembered Christ, always….in all their endeavours.

I don’t want accolades at my funeral. I am hoping that people will ‘remember’ what I have taught them about the Saviour and that they will talk of Him. My fear is that I would be remembered for not enduring to the end. I know remembrance of my glimpses into heaven are crucial for my endurance.

The Saviour died over 2,000 years ago and He is still remembered by many but many are also trying to forget Him. He, however, will never forget us…..because….He has graven us upon  the palms of His hands  and He has worn the crown of thorns on His head (Isaiah 49:16; John 19:2). In the words of a dear friend Bonnie Lake Bloomfield:

 

I don’t know how the sun remembers to rise,

Or how the stars remember their places.

I don’t know how the flowers remember to bloom,

Or how in spring the leaves fill their spaces.

It’s enough for me to know who created it,

And I’ll never be the same;

Because I know I have a God who loves me

And a King, who remembers my name.

 

My King, who remembers my name;

A mighty King, who remembers my name!

He is the Lord of all creation,

And yet, my King remembers my name.

I’m a small creature compared to His greatness;

I’m only one and the same,

But I’ll always be His, and He will be mine –

A King, who remembers my name!

 

I look at the world today with people

Rushing about without thinking of why;

Why we’re all here, and what is life about

And where we all go when we die.

But I know, and I’ll ever be thankful

That I know from whence I came.

I’ll go home to heaven once more,

To my King, who remembers my name.

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Crown of Thorns by Mindi Oaten)

 

A DEFENDER OF THE FAITH

 

For as long as this earth exists, there will be an Amalickiah who opposes the truth (Alma 46:1-3). The Amalickiah who lived in 73-72 B.C. was a man who desired power over the people and who led away others from the truth by his flatteries and promises that they too can be rulers over others if they would give him their support (v 4-5). Thus he sought to overthrow the freedom and liberty of the people. Remind you of someone???

Enter Moroni and his title of liberty. His passion for his God and preservation of righteouesness leaves me breathless. Such a pure and righteous desire can only invite the spirit of God to ignite the hearts of the people. Imagine Moroni navigating the streets of Zarahemla waving his rent coat as the title of liberty and crying with a load voice inviting people to enter into a covenant of obedience (v 12-20). So strong were the flames of the spirit that people came running to him dressed in armour and rending their garments as a token of their covenant (v 21-22).

Here is the lesson for us today. Note that Moroni’s title of liberty was about freedom to choose God and obedience to His commandments which Amalickiah and the dissenters would have taken away had they risen to political power (v 13).  Despite the valiant efforts of Helaman and his brothers, who were high priests, to care for the spiritual welfare of the people, political ambitions were fostered by the lower judges of the land as a means to draw people away from the Church (v 4-7). The Church members who dissented followed the doctrine of the adversary and his thirst for power to destroy the spiritual welfare of those whom he sought to rule over.

We fight the forces of darkness today which seek to take away our spiritual liberty. Satan still seeks to rule over us. He employs subtle means and ways to control us. Using his worldly enticements of popularity, power and praise, he employs the following tactics:

HIS THREE DOCTRINES:

1. There is no punishment for sin;

2. There is nothing after death;

3. He does not exist.

HIS THREE LIES:

1. Just once won’t hurt;

2. No one will know;

3. Everybody is doing it.

HIS VALUE SYSTEM:

1. Selfishness;

2. Self-indulgence;

3. Immediate gratification.

HIS SALES TECHNIQUES:

1. Pacifying;

2. Flattering;

3. Lulling.

HIS GOAL:

1. To steal our spiritual identity;

2. To kill our faith in God;

3. To destroy our commitment to Christ.

In his prayer to God, Captain Moroni was clear that the attack on freedom was specifically an attack on  Christians (c 13-14). To preserve people’s faith in Christ, ‘he caused the title of liberty to be hoisted upon every tower which was in all the land’ (v 36). Whichever way they looked, the Nephites were reminded of their standard of liberty and the covenant they made with God for the preservation of their freedom.

Moroni was a man who was ‘firm in the faith of Christ’ (Alma 48:13). Mormon said ‘If all men were like  Moroni, the very powers of hell would be shaken forever and the devil would have no power over us’ (v 17). Imagine the power we would have if we never faltered in our faith in Christ. Imagine how quickly we would become like Him. We would be moving heaven and earth by our very existence.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: AI Generated)

 

ALMA, THE GOOD FATHER

 

Some time ago I wrote about the father-son relationships in the Book of Mormon. I find nothing more endearing than a strong father figure. When I read this touching declaration in the Book of Mormon: "I am Helaman, the son of Alma" (Alma 58:41), I go weak at the knees. Alma’s legacy of righteousness and service had no doubt great impact on his sons, but his parenting was not a whit behind. Alma took the command he received to teach his sons with great seriousness (Alma 39:12). His counsel to them reads like personalised scripture sermons.

To Helaman, the heir apparent, Alma entrusted the gold plates and impressed upon his mind the seriousness of his charge and the importance of scripture. He stressed that the record in his possession was sacred because it will be the instrument of salvation for future generations  (Alma 37:18). He impressed upon him that the safety of the record depended upon Helaman’s obedience to the commandments (v 16). And then the warning: if he transgressed the commandments, the plates will be taken away from him ‘by the power of God’ and he shall be delivered up unto Satan, ‘that he may sift him as chaff before the wind’ (v 15). I think you cannot get more serious than this. Considering who Helaman became, we can conclude that he understood that. “I am Helaman, the son of Alma” has more meaning than just a parental lineage, I think it also stands for “I am my father’s son”……..

Whereas Helaman’s counsel consisted of two lengthy chapters, the righteous Shiblon who was chosen for the mission to the Zoromites, only received one relative short one but the emotive tone of this chapter is unmistakable. Shiblon’s faithfulness, patience, diligence and long suffering during his ministry was rewarded with terrible treatment from the Zoromites to the point of stoning (Alma 38:4). It makes one weep to read of it. One cannot fail to feel Alma’s joy about this obedient son. His main counsel to Shiblon was to remember to put his trust in God, always, for his deliverance (v 4). I think Alma felt Shiblon would need that remembrance for future trials he might have to suffer.

Alma recounted his conversion experience to both Helaman and Shiblon but not to Corinaton who engaged in serious sin and abandoned his mission (Alma 39:2-3). His counsel to Corinaton was extensive and covered four chapters during which he called him ‘my son’ 24 times. The anguish and compassion and love is unmistakable in these chapters. It is evident that all three sons received counsel they individually needed. What Alma addressed in his talk with Corinaton was what he ‘perceived’ this son needed to hear (40:1; 42:1). This was obviously needed more than his father’s conversion story because Corianton repented and resumed his missionary labours (Alma 42:31). He remained ‘a just man walking uprightly before God’ like his brother Shiblon (Alma 63:2).

Reading ‘my son’ so many times in four chapters reminded me of someone else who said the same. When Joseph was a prisoner in Liberty jail in 1839 he called upon the ‘Lord God Almighty’ out of his anguish and in response he received: ‘My son, peace be unto thy soul….” (D&C 121:4,7). In 1830 Joseph received a revelation for Emma in which the Lord addressed her as ‘my daughter’ (D&C 25:1). As a side note, this is another proof of Joseph’s validity as a prophet because it would have never occurred to him to call his wife ‘his daughter’.

The Saviour confirmed that ‘all those who receive His gospel are sons and daughters in His kingdom (D&C 25:1), therefore every bit of advice, every bit of counsel, every warning, every expression of love, mercy and tenderness in the scriptures given to us from the Saviour is counsel, guidance and command from a concerned, loving and invested Father. He is the ultimate ‘Alma’. May we view the scriptures we hold in our hands as the fatherly counsel we should cherish all the days of our lives. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Suffer the Children to Come Unto Me by B. Laura Wilson)

LIAHONA

 

I have a ‘rearview mirror syndrome’. I am forever evaluating and re-evaluating my life to see if I had followed God’s plan for me properly or if I have missed opportunities to make my life better or if I have plain and simple, made blunders. The dictionary defines this word as a stupid or careless mistake. I know I have been faithful to God’s commandments my entire life but it’s those finer things that always have me questioning. It doesn’t help that I am an idealist and a perfectionist which is a double challenge to live with and be kind to yourself at the same time.

I am fascinated with Alma’s insight into the function of the Liahona, a compass prepared by God and given to Lehi and his family which was to guide them to the promised land (Alma 37:38). The first point of interest is that the Liahona didn’t work without any effort of the people who possessed it. There had to be faith in God for the compass to work (v 40). The second was that Lehi’s company became ‘slothful’ in exercising their faith hence the eight years of travel in the wilderness where they suffered hunger and thirst (v 42). The inference here is that they would have travelled the direct course and avoided the affliction they suffered had they not become complacent about their faith in God. No doubt, however, the journey would still have been difficult enough through a desert "so compelling that even the hardened Bedouins avoid like the plague...detestable certainly describes the place in the eyes of Lehi's people, who 'murmured' bitterly at being led into such a hell." (Hugh Nibley, Lehi In the Desert, p 51). It was not, however, necessary to wander in this wilderness for eight years suffering constant hunger, being the rule of the desert; danger from encounter with ever warring Arab tribes; loneliness from isolation; taxing marches down the Arabian Peninsula and fear from possible camp raiders. The lesson here is that we make our lives harder sometimes than they need to be. Isn’t life hard enough without us complicating it more through complacency and disobedience?

Alma’s most powerful insight came as he compared ‘the words of Christ’ to the Liahona (v 44-45). He pointed out that the way which has been prepared for us to obtain eternal life is the easy part. Our complacency and slothfulness in being observant of Christ’s words, and living by them, will not make our life’s journey as easy as it could be, but if we will ‘look’ on Him as the Liahona of our lives, we will ‘live forever’ (v 46)

I guess it comes down to what we ultimately want. Some of us are content to wander through this life and never arrive at our destination. Some of us are content to live in the wilderness. If only we could have a glimpse of the destiny which awaits us. We are told that ‘the glory of the telestial world surpasses all understanding’ (D&C 76:89). Imagine what life with God the Father and His Son would be like. I don’t think we are capable of that kind of imagination. We shouldn’t want to imagine it anyway, we should want to live it.

I long to be where I once was,

To return to my eternal home.

I long to see the God of love

And with Him walk the heaven’s floor.

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Guiding Light A Serene Encounter by Ivan Guaderrama)

THE SEED, THE TREE, THE FRUIT

 

Alma delivered an amazing discourse on faith when teaching the Zoromites, which is found in Alma 32. Most of us are familiar with this chapter as it is always referred to when we talk about faith. However, this discourse is not just about the principle of faith. This chapter is about faith in Christ.

Alma compared faith to a seed, which, when nourished, grows into a tree and eventually produces fruit. And not just faith in anything but in the word of God (v 28). Elder Jeffrey R. Holland explains what that word really is: “In the brilliant discourse of Alma 32, Alma moves the reader from a general commentary on faith in the seedlike word of God to a focused discourse on faith in Christ as the Word of God, grown to a fruit-bearing tree, a tree whose fruit is exactly that of Lehi’s earlier perception of Christ’s love….” (Christ and the New Covenant [1997], 169). See John 1:1 for clarification of the Word of God being Christ.

Alma compares faith to a seed because in the beginning it is something small, and really only just a belief, but this seed has the ability to produce something great, a fruit that becomes knowledge. Alma identifies this fruit as ‘most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet’ and those who have nourished the tree will eat of it and they shall not ‘hunger’ and also not ‘thirst’ (Alma 32:42). This is clear reference to Christ being ‘the fruit’ because Jesus is ‘the bread of life’ (John 6:31,51) which takes away hunger and He is ‘the living water’ which takes away the thirst (John 4:6-15; 7:37).

Again, in the words of Elder Holland: “Christ is the bread of life, the living water, the true vine. Christ is the seed, the tree, and the fruit of eternal life”. Elder Holland continues to say that “the profound and central Tree of Life imagery in this discourse is lost, or at least greatly diminished, if the reader does not follow it on into the next two chapters of the Book of Mormon” (Christ and the New Covenant [1997], 169). Alma mentions the Son of God 7 times in chapter 33 and Amulek speaks of Him 11 times in chapter 34, which makes it plain to see that Alma 32 is a discourse on faith in Christ. 

When our faith bears fruit, our belief in Christ becomes knowledge through the power of the Holy Ghost. We then have a sure witness of the spirit and not tangible proof of His existence. How many of us ‘know’ that He lives? Everyone in the Church who has a testimony. I hear it across the pulpit on Fast Sundays. This ‘knowing’ is acknowledged because of the spiritual witness of those who bear testimony. I have never heard anyone say, ‘I know Jesus Christ lives because I’ve seen Him’. That is not to say that nobody has, but we bear testimony because of the spiritual witness we have received.  This is knowledge that Alma spoke of.

We can have faith in many things but the ultimate faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the very first principle of the gospel. Why? Because He is the foundation of this Church, of the Gospel, of mortality, of eternal life, of all. Without Him we would not be. At what stage is your faith? Is it a seed, a tree or are you feasting on the fruit that is most desirable and delicious above all?

 

The fruit, so precious and sweet,

The Father laid at our feet.

No greater gift He had to offer

The broken, the lost and the weary

Than the tree springing into life,

Yielding fruit with endless supply.

He gathers the fruit spilt on the ground

That multiplies with each harvest of

penitent hearts.

The fruit, so precious and sweet,

Grows on the cross at Father’s feet.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: The Tree of Life by Annie Henrie Nader)

THE LEGACY OF REMEMBRANCE

 

I don’t think there is a more significant word in the Book of Mormon that is repeated more often than the word ‘remember’. It is commonly used to teach a principle or motivate people to obedience. For this purpose, King Benjamin spoke of ‘remembering’ 15 times in his speech to his sons and to the people gathered to hear him (Mosiah 1:3,4,6,7,17; 2:40 twice, 41 twice; 4:11,28,30; 5:11,12; 6:3).

As I was reading Alma’s instructions to Helaman yesterday, I expected to come across this familiar scripture:   “O remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation….…” I was convinced it was the advice that Alma gave to his sons. However, this scripture was nowhere to be found in the book of Alma. I eventually found it in Helaman 5:12, and to my surprise I discovered this advice was given by Helaman to his sons Nephi and Lehi and not Alma to his sons. I then realized why I got that wrong. When Alma spoke to Helaman he also, at one stage, began with, “O remember, remember…..” (Alma 37:13). Like father, like son……

Alma used the verb ‘remember’ 6 times in speaking to his sons (Alma 37:13,14,32,35; 42:11). Helaman used it 11 times in speaking to his sons in Helaman 5. The legacy of remembrance passed on from Alma to Helaman was so strong that Helaman named his sons Nephi and Lehi for this very purpose (Helaman 5:6). Why did Alma put such importance on remembering? This is why:  As he lay unconscious he ‘remembered’ his father’s prophecy concerning the coming of Jesus Christ and when he pleaded with Christ to have mercy on him, he could not ‘remember’ his pains anymore (Alma 36:17, 19). Remembrance played a crucial part in his conversion.

When we pass on from this life, we hope we will be remembered for ‘something’. None of us want to be forgotten. Nephi is remembered for his obedience, Alma for his repentance, Helaman for his strategic warfare, Captain Moroni for his passionate patriotism, Mormon for his discipleship, Moroni for his endurance, but one thing they all have in common…….a firm foundation in Christ. If we want to be remembered for the same, others need to ‘see’ the Saviour through us. Our lives need to reflect our knowledge and testimony of what He is like and what He can do. This is the ultimate legacy of remembrance.

The Saviour died over 2,000 years ago and He is still remembered by many but many are also trying hard to forget Him and disregard His importance. We can, however, keep the flame burning. The testimony we bear, as His disciples, can ensure the world remembers Him. Why? Because He remembers us, and He will never forget…. In the words of my dear friend Bonnie Lake Bloomfield:

I don’t know how the sun remembers to rise,

Or how the stars remember their places.

I don’t know how the flowers remember to bloom,

Or how in spring the leaves fill their spaces.

It’s enough for me to know who created it,

And I’ll never be the same;

Because I know I have a God who loves me

And a King, who remembers my name.

 

My King, who remembers my name;

A mighty King, who remembers my name!

He is the Lord of all creation,

And yet, my King remembers my name.

I’m a small creature compared to His greatness;

I’m only one and the same,

But I’ll always be His, and He will be mine –

A King, who remembers my name!

 

I look at the world today with people

Rushing about without thinking of why;

Why we’re all here, and what is life about

And where we all go when we die.

But I know, and I’ll ever be thankful

That I know from whence I came.

I’ll go home to heaven once more,

To my King, who remembers my name.

(Bonnie Lake Bloomfield)

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Worlds Without Number by Greg Olsen)

THE MYSTERIOUS BOOK OF MORMON

 

 

When Alma handed over the records of his people to his son Helaman, he told him that they should be handed down from one generation to another until they will go forth to every nation and every people to come to know of ‘the mysteries’ that they contain (Alma 37:4).

My favourite section of the Doctrine and Covenants is Section 76 which says that the hidden mysteries of God’s kingdom and even the wonders of eternity will be revealed to faithful saints (D&C 76:5-10). I have for a long time wanted to know the mysteries and I believe the Book of Mormon has been extremely influential in the realization of this desire.

What are mysteries? President Joseph Fielding Smith has said that ‘mysteries are those principles of the gospel necessary for our salvation that are not understood by the world’; the Book of Mormon Institute Manual says that ‘they are the saving principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed because of faith and obedience’ but Elder Bruce R. McConkie gives the best explanation: “Any gospel truth, however easy and simple, that is not understood, or that is beyond present spiritual capacity of a given person to understand, is to him a mystery” (The Mortal Messiah 2, p 164).

I am often amazed by the critics of The Book of Mormon who discount what is contained therein. This book is so much easier to understand than the Bible into which certain errors had crept through ‘ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or designing and corrupt priests’ (Teachings of Joseph Smith, p 327). Don’t get me wrong, I love the Bible but every time a doctrinal principle becomes clearer to my understanding because of the Book of Mormon, I become more and more grateful for this sacred book. I guess you can say, the Book of Mormon reveals to me ‘my mysteries’.

Alma stressed the importance of scripture to Helaman in great detail but in the end he conceded that the real purpose of preserving the records is known to God who ‘counsels in wisdom over all his works’ and then he calls the records sacred because God will show forth his ‘power’ through them unto future generations (Alma 37:12, 14). Who are the future generations? I believe it is us of this dispensation of time and this is the power: “What then is the power of the Book of Mormon? It will proclaim the everlasting gospel; it will gather Israel; it will build the New Jerusalem; it will prepare a people for the Second Coming; it will usher in the Millenium – at least it will play such an important part in all of these that its value and power can scarcely be overstated” (The Millenial Messiah [1982], p 171).

These then are the mysteries which the world does not understand, the mysteries of this dispensation of time which will bring us to the Millenium. These are the mysteries which only the sheep of the Shepherd of Israel hear and understand and accept. These are the mysteries that enlarge the caverns of our hearts and which feed the soul of every Israelite in anticipation of every prophecy of the mysterious book we hold in our hands, the book which bears witness of our God, the King of Kings who will return with healing in His wings.

How much you must love those

Who have borne witness of Thy name!

Thy prophets of old, Thine everlasting friends,

Thine angels who herald

Thy gospel and Thy name;

To the ends of the earth they speak

And their words forever remain.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Moroni Burying the Plates by Katie Payne)

ON THE THIRD DAY

 

Chapter 36 of the Book of Alma is one of the richest chapters of the Book of Mormon. Not only does it recount Alma’s miraculous conversion but the lessons gleaned from that account are of exceeding worth. Consider the following:

-        No sin is bigger than the Atonement (v 14). Alma confesses that his actions had led many people to spiritual destruction akin to murder. He considered what he had done to be horrific. And horrific it was but for one thing: not only could the Atonement cover Alma’s sins but the sins of those who Alma led astray);

-        The Saviour is quick to forgive (v 16-18). As soon as Alma remembered the Atonement of Jesus Christ whilst he was ‘racked with torment’, the forgiveness was granted;

-        Repentance leads to joy (v 20, 21). This is not just any ordinary joy. This is exquisite joy that replaces exquisite pain. This is joy unforgettable. This is not joy of this world but joy of the spirit. This is joy everlasting.

-        Repentance leads to a new man and a new life (v 25,26). From the time that Alma was converted, he sought to bring the fruit of repentance to others. He laboured, he preached, he testified and he had success. This again was joy.

-        Keeping the commandments leads to prosperity (v 30). In admonishing his son Helaman to keep the commandments, Alma promised him that if he shall do so, he shall prosper in the land but if he won’t, he shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. Here is the greatest lesson in prosperity. Prospering in the land means being close to the Lord in this life and entering the Lord’s presence in the next. (See also the Institute Manual for comments on Alma 36:30).

The greatest lesson I see in Alma’s story is the one of The Great Deliverer. Alma testifies that he has grown to know the Saviour who has supported him in ‘troubles of every kind and all manner of afflictions’ (v 27). This denotes a relationship with a personal God. He also testifies that God has delivered him from ‘prison, and from bonds, and from death’ (v 27). He connects his testimony of deliverance to his remembrance of deliverance of Israel from bondage and captivity (v 28).

Alma emerged a new man after his three days ( v 10) of exquisite and painful repentance…..even as the Saviour emerged a new man from His three days in the tomb. Looking back on Alma’s extensive discourse on the role of the Redeemer, once he regained his strength after his father and others fasted and prayed for two days and two nights, it is obvious Alma received more than just forgiveness of his sins during his unconsciousness (Mosiah 27:23-31). It is no coincidence that he was in his own ‘spiritual tomb’ for the total of three days where He learnt the power of Saviour’s deliverance from death and hell. He met his fate in that tomb and he came to know Jehovah, the man, the God, the Great Deliverer. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: On The Third Day by Greg Collins)