FATHER ABRAHAM

 

I could write pages about Abraham. He is my favourite patriarch. And so he should be to everyone who receives the Gospel as by virtue of the Abrahamic covenant we are counted as his children (Abraham 2:10). He is the father of the faithful who obey the mandate to ‘do the works of Abraham’ (D&C 138:41; 132:32). In this respect it should be our quest to know him.

Right at the beginning of his record in the Pearl of Great Price, Abraham tells us who he is. A man is as good as his desires for desire is the catalyst of all good and bad works. These are the desires that Abraham had from the very beginning of his life:

To have the blessings of the priesthood; to possess great knowledge; to be a greater follower of righteousness; to be a father of many nations; to be a prince of peace; to receive instructions from on high; to keep the commandments of God. (Abraham 1:2)

The fact that he harboured these righteous desires in an apostate family that turned away from God through idolatry blows my mind. And here is one hint how these desires could have been born….Abraham was reading scriptures. Whilst still in the land of Ur he had somehow obtained the Book of Remembrance wherein wrote the earlier patriarchs and all inspired people called of God such as the people of Enoch (Moses 6:5; 46; Abraham 1:31). A good proof that we become what we invest ourselves in.

Another important factor in his quest for righteousness is the fact that he rubbed shoulders with the right crowd. Through modern revelation we learn that Abraham received his priesthood from Melchizedek. Most students of scripture assume that this ordination happened when Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek in Palestine (Genesis 14:19-20).

Abraham however clarifies this by saying that he became a High Priest in the land of Chaldeans, at the residence of his father (Abraham 1:1-2). Nowhere else in scripture do we find details of that ordination but considering the apostate condition of the land of Chaldeans, it is easy to assume that Abraham had contact with Melchizedek during his early manhood and that Melchizedek had strong influence upon Abraham. One clue is the fact that one of his desires was to become a ‘prince of peace’, as we know Melchizedek was known to be (Alma 13:18).

All of Abraham’s righteous desires were granted by God. These desires took him to a life of such righteousness that he has already been granted his exaltation (D&C 132:28-37). And this is where we want to be. Whereas I appreciate the generations of my family that went before me, I give thanks for one exemplary progenitor, the true father of my heart, Father Abraham.

 

When in heaven we meet

Knit together under the covenant

Of your name

Will you consider us your children

Will we in your heart forever remain?

 

Will you gather us in your arms

And kiss us each as

Your long-awaited son?

Will your heart then rest

When at last we are one?

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Artist Unknown)

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)

THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

 

 

There is something significant in Christ’s explanation to the Nephites as to why the Church should be called by His name. Besides saying that it is His Church and should therefore bear His name, He explained how this can happen: “Have [you] not read the scriptures which say ye must take upon you the name of Christ, which is my name?” (3 Nephi 27:5). In other words, we are the Church and the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12; 1 Corinthians 12:12,13).

When I was a missionary, we were told that we were representatives of Jesus Christ and that we should think, speak and do what the Saviour would do because this would show the world what the Church is about.

This mandate should not be confined to missionaries only. The reputation of the Church is built upon our backs. We are the light on a hill by which others can see the way to glorify our Father which is in heaven (3 Nephi 12:14-16).

The Church is only as good as we are. The Saviour confirmed this responsibility that we bear by saying we are built upon His gospel and we should do all things in His name and then the warning, if our works are built upon the works of men or upon the works of the devil, we will have an undesired end (3 Nephi 27:9-12).

When we take upon ourselves Christ’s name, we should represent Him in what we think, say and do. When I was baptised years ago, I heard this very poignant thought: If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence? Imagine being arrested for being a Latter-Day Saint, would there be enough evidence to prove the fact?

Each Sunday as we partake of the sacrament, we renew our willingness to bear the Saviour’s name. What we do as members of His Church is a reflection of our commitment to this promise, our love and connection to Christ, and our devotion to His teachings.

As Christians we are resilient to life’s trials, we forge forward with faith, we love and sacrifice for each other, we endure persecution, we resist temptation, we don’t despair…… we are the body of Christ and we reflect His works, His character, His love and when in clouds of heaven He appears, and we stand in the shadow of His frame, we will want to hear the Saviour say:

 

I love what you have done with my name!

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Sign of the Dove by Liz Lemon Swindle)

A LIGHT ON A HILL

 

In Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount, we read that Christ said to His disciples and members of His Church: “Ye are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14) but when speaking to the Nephites, the Book of Mormon records that He said: “ I give unto you to be the light of this people” (3 Nephi 12:14).

The variation is clear, the Saviour was not saying that we are the light just by virtue of having the truth, but that we are commanded to be the light, to light the path for others to see the way to salvation by our example of good works, charitable deeds and Christ-like characters. In other words, by what we have become because we follow the Master of perfection.

This is a tall order considering many of us are struggling to live the Gospel in the first place which depletes our reservoir of self-confidence and fosters self-doubt. Some of us consider we are never good enough for someone else to follow.

One year as I studied the New Testament, I was amazed at the confidence and bravery with which Jesus, over and over, testified of himself as the Son of God and Saviour of the world. One example of this remains with me still.

During His active ministry, Jesus and his disciples celebrated the Jewish feasts, one of which was the Feast of the Tabernacles.

At the close of the first day of this feast, amid ritualist pageantry, while hymns and songs of praise were sung, the blowing trumpets and dancers holding flaming torches in their hands, four of the sons of Levi lighted the four great golden candelabras. Amid the shining light of the temple that was lighting up every court in Jerusalem dispelling the darkness, stood up Jesus and proclaimed: “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). (see also The Mortal Messiah 1 by Bruce R. McConkie, p 180)

Imagine the fortitude to stand up and proclaim yourself the Saviour of the world to a people who thought you were possessed of a devil and sought to kill you (John 7:19,20). This he had to testify to the people who expected the Messiah to come as the King of Glory (Isaiah 9:6,7), knowing that they would reject the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53:11) who would come first. Was there, however, a better opportunity for Him to proclaim himself as the light of the world?

We might say that it was easy for Jesus, knowing explicitly who He was, to have the confidence to be the ultimate light on a hill, and that we mere mortals, in our weakness cannot be expected to do the same, nevertheless, the mandate stands and to make it easier, here is the key:

“The closer you draw to our Heavenly Father, the more His light and joy will shine from within you. Others will notice that there is something unique and special about you. And they will ask about it” (Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Missionary Work: Sharing What Is In Your Heart, General Conference April 2019).

Do you know of anyone who was closer to Heavenly Father than Jesus was? He repeatedly stated He and the Father are one, therefore, if there is light in one, there is light in the other. Those who believed in Christ saw this light in Him…..but this light is not exclusive to the Godhead but to all who would glorify Him that they ‘may be one’ with the Father and the Son (John 17:20,21; 3 Nephi 19:28,29).

Should the stars fall from heaven,

And the sun refuse to give its light;

Should the earth become the darkest night,

You would ever be my only guiding light.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Lord of Light by Chris Brazelton)

LETTERS TO THE WORLD

 

When I was on my mission, it was regularly emphasized to us that we were representatives of Jesus Christ and had to act and speak as the Saviour would. We were, so to speak, no longer ourselves, but were standing in for Christ in all things. It was a large order for a group of kids  considering our tender age.

Apostle Paul suggested to Corinthian saints that they were ‘epistles known and read of all men’ (2 Corinthians 3:2). The suggestion is that we, the members, represent the Church and Christ’s gospel and through our conduct the Church and the gospel are judged. And not only the Church and the principles we have committed to live by, but even Christ himself is judged by the lives we live (see New Testament Institute Manual for abovementioned scripture explanation).

The importance of example cannot be over-rated, however, there is one problem with that. When your friends and colleagues know you are a member, they watch you like a hawk to bear witness of your mistakes. They become your judge. I have been a witness of that. I think we are judged more harshly than members of any other Church. The challenge here is then not to emphasise our mortal ‘perfection’ as members of the Church to those around us but rather our mortal ‘imperfection’ and with it our spiritual dependence on Christ relative to it.

We, like all others, have been born into the weak condition of mortality. Those who know us need to know that when we have been called upon to endure trial, our strength comes from Christ to do so; when we transgress, our forgiveness comes from Christ who shows mercy to the penitent; when we find ourselves in lack, our reliance on Christ to bless us in our need is paramount to our survival. Our example as Christians should be grounded more upon our connection to the Saviour than upon our imperfect knowledge of the Gospel and our even more imperfect adherence to its laws. Our dependence on Him to succor us needs to shine brighter than all else because this is what the world needs the most.

Our connection to Christ is ‘written not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart’ (2 Corinthians 3:3). It is in the heart that an anchor to the divine is forged to survive the weak condition of mortality. We are letters written to the world…..letters of hope of deliverance, of strength, of endurance. We are letters of love unfeigned, signed and delivered through the grace of Christ.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Divine Companion by Yongsung Kim)

WITHOUT A CAUSE

Some years ago I was travelling in my car through the streets of my neighbourhood when a car came suddenly from the street on my right and pulled in right in front of me risking a collision. The incident shook me to my core. My shock quickly escalated into intense anger. The anger reached a crescendo when I noticed that the driver of the vehicle in question was an Asian woman. I could not just let this go by. I am ashamed to say that I chased this woman through the streets of my neighbourhood with intense rage attempting to force her to stop her vehicle so I could heap upon her the full force of my indignation. I could tell the woman was frightened but I was a woman driven by a cause. The cause being that she was negligent and callous rather than that she made a mistake through wrongful judgment. Why didn't I see her actions as a bad call in judgment? Because my anger was fueled by simmering racism. Those close to me back then knew that I was intolerant of the driving skills of Asian people and their seeming unwillingness to assimilate into the Australian culture. I did not see this race of people as fellow citizens of my country but as 'Asians'. This incident has stood out as one of the most un-Christlike acts of behaviour of my life. Not my finest moment....

I have read the Sermon on the Mount many times during my spiritual journey through the scriptures. Each time I have read this sermon I have noticed different things but never before had I noticed the severity of Christ's admonition that I think is the hardest for many of us to live. When the Saviour taught the Sermon on the Mount to the ancient Americas he said this: "But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of his judgment. And whosever shall say to his brother Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire" (3 Nephi 12:22). 'Hell fire'??? For considering someone a fool??? On that shameful day that I chased a poor Asian woman through the streets of my neighbourhood I was certainly at risk of 'hell fire'. Here is why: what I never noticed before is that this scripture varies slightly to the one in Matthew 5:22 where the Sermon was delivered to the Jews, which reads: "....whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause....". This difference in directive makes all the difference. JST omits the phrase 'without a cause' as the earliest known manuscript for Matthew 5:22 does not contain that phrase (see Daniel K. Judd and Allen W. Stoddard in How the New Testament Came to Be, p 161). Why would this tiny phrase make all the difference?

To understand this it is important to understand the historical background of the Sermon on the Mount and to know to whom exactly it was given. Beside the city of Capernaum there is a mount where Jesus delivered the lengthiest discourse recorded in the entire Bible and which covers chapters 5-7 of the Gospel of Matthew. As great multitudes of people followed Him from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judaea and even beyond Jordan, Jesus ascended the mount leaving the ease of valley travel and leaving behind those who followed Him for cures only, ensuring that only the most loyal of his disciples would follow. And so it came to be that, contrary to popular belief, Jesus did not deliver his most famous sermon to multitudes but only to His disciples (Matthew 5:1) who were no doubt already baptised and had taken upon themselves His name. Taking the disciples to the heights of the mount symbolised higher expectations and commitment of the truly converted.  Those who made the upward journey were willing and prepared to live the higher law leading to exaltation. In ancient Americas, the sermon was delivered by Christ to the 'more righteous' who were spared the destruction of many cities following His death. These people believed and looked forward to His coming. They were ready and willing to embrace His teachings and covenants. From these two groups of people we can surmise that the Sermon on the Mount contains the higher law, the obedience to which is expected of the true disciples of Christ.

What the Saviour was actually saying in the Sermon on the Mount to His loyal followers, is that they should not get angry with their brother no matter what, not even when there is a cause; that they should not consider anyone a fool for their actions, behaviour or the way they are. Why is that? Because we do not know people's hearts. We do not understand their frame of reference, their weaknesses, the complexity of their lives or their true intents. On that fateful day that I allowed my rage to run loose I was driven by a cause, not by a possibility that the driver of the other car might have been distraught, worried, distressed or even lacking faith in her abilities. In this context, when one acts with a cause, one acts with selfishness. They are more concerned about themselves than their fellowman. This selfishness leads to absence of love, mercy, goodwill and lack of kindness. We see an example of this with the Jaredites in the Book of Mormon. Their lack of consideration, kindness and love for one another towards the end of their civilization became so acute that they could not hold onto their possessions. If a man laid down his tool or his sword upon his shelf, in the morning it would be gone (Ether 14:1). Imagine living like this: "Wherefore every man did cleave unto that which was his own, with his hands and would not borrow, neither would he lend; and every man kept the hilt of his sword in his right hand, in the defence of his property and his own life and his wives and children" (Ether 14:2).

On March 7, 1831, Joseph Smith was given a revelation in which he was told of the condition of the world prior to the Saviour's coming. Amidst all the turmoil, wars and commotion we are told that "men's hearts shall fail them" and "the love of men shall wax cold" (D&C 45:26,27). Describing the perilous times of the last days, Apostle Paul described men as 'lovers of their own selves....without natural affection'  (2 Timothy 3:1-3). When we are lovers of our own selves, we can hardly be lovers of others and when we have no natural affection, we have no kindness. We can see the lack of kindness in our society on the roads, in supermarket queues, during telemarketing calls and the love of many waxing cold through jealousies, gossip, ill will,  murder, theft, uncaring and selfishness. One trembles at the thought that we might become like the Jaredites in the last minute of the last hour of this dispensation.

Of course we also have in our day and age great examples of people who do unselfish deeds. My heart leaps when I hear of an individual who sacrifices themselves for the good of others: a retired man who spends his days on a notorious bridge savings those who would suicide; a fashion designer who sold everything she had including her profitable business and opened an orphanage in Indonesia where she now lives; a woman who works with the police to give discarded, dead babies a proper funeral and burial in her home town. These are just some among many inspiring people who perpetuate the positive energy of human kindness and good will that are the saving grace of this planet. These are the unsung heroes to whom the welfare of others matters greatly. At times, it matters to them more than their own well being as is evident in the following story:

"A year ago last winter [1981], a modern jetliner faltered after takeoff and plunged into the icy Potomac River. Acts of bravery and feats of heroism were in evidence that day, the most dramatic of which was one witnessed by the pilot of a rescue helicopter. The rescue rope was lowered to a struggling survivor. Rather than grasping the lifeline to safety, the man tied the line to another, who was then lifted to safety. The rope was lowered again, and yet another was saved. Five were rescued from the icy waters. Among them was not found the anonymous hero. Unknown by name, 'he left the vivid air signed with his honor" (Stephen Spender, 'I Think Continually of Those -' in Masterpieces of Religious Verse, p 291).

When we come to want for others what we want for ourselves we will be considered true Christians and disciples of Christ. It is then that we will be following in His footsteps. He is the perfect example because He wanted for us what He himself had, an inheritance in the Kingdom of God. For this He performed the greatest act of benevolence known to man. For this He stands on the bridge with the suicides. For this He feeds the children at the orphanage. For this He buries discarded babies. For this He never ever considers even one of us a 'fool'.  The unsung heroes mentioned are extreme examples of kindness, love and mercy. We who have Christ's perfect example and who have committed to live the higher law as delivered by Him have no excuse not to be merciful, kind and loving. It is not everyone's path to spend their days saving the suicides or burying discarded babies but it is everyone's duty to love, cherish and help another without a cause.

A MODEL OF OBEDIENCE

Imagine having a son who never questions your wisdom and follows your counsel and guidance with exactness, never wavering. Imagine having a son who does not think your ideas are outdated and your dreams foolishness. A son who is willing to follow you to the ends of the earth and who respects your patriarchal leadership within the family. Imagine a son who never shirks from what you ask of him no matter how hard the task. One who has complete trust in God and never deviates from his commitment to Him. A son who knows his limitations and strengths yet never allows pride to lift him higher than his fellow beings. This was Nephi.

What a delight this man must have been to his parents. Lehi would never have succeeded in putting his foot on the promised land if it were not for his obedient son. Besides the physical requirements of such a journey which were beyond Lehi in his later years, such as obtaining the brass plates, hunting for food and building a ship, one other instance stands out to prove this theory. When Nephi broke his bow and the family were facing dire consequences from want of food, even his father began to murmur against God together with the rest of the family (1 Nephi 16:20). It must have looked to Nephi like the whole enterprise of this little colony was at peril of falling apart giving way to mutiny if his father lost focus so Nephi chose to be proactive and mend the situation. He made a bow of wood and proceeded to ask his father where he should go to hunt (1 Nephi 16:23). It would have been so easy for Nephi to step in right there and then and take over as the leader of his family. After all, he came up with the solution and he brought the relief. He was showing initiative as a leader. Nephi, however, knew that the journey to the promised land had to be under the leadership of him who first received the revelation and he also knew that all credit for guidance and deliverance had to be given to God (1 Nephi 16:29), so he asked his father where he should go to hunt. How useless Lehi would have felt had his son undermined him by taking matters into his own hands. Instead Nephi placed him back on the path of leadership and repentance before the Lord. So Nephi not only provided his father with physical support but a spiritual one also.

Perhaps in no other way was Nephi more Christ-like than in the principle of obedience. What enalbled Nephi to be so completely obedient to a god who did not spare him from hardships and perils of life? Nephi himself gives us the answer to this question: 'to follow God, one must want God'. Early in Nephi's record he states plainly that he sought to understand the mysteries of God and that this seeking alone bore such fruit that he had no desire to rebel against his father or against God (1 Nephi 2:16). Knowing God and having God in our lives therefore is the first step towards the ability to be obedient. The second most important thing that Nephi did was make God his partner in life. This he did by swearing with an oath when he had to accomplish difficult tasks, such as obtain the brass plates. On more than one occasion Nephi uttered the words "As the Lord liveth" cementing his determination to achieve the desired end. Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained the significance of this statement:

"This matter of swearing with an oath in ancient days was far more significant than many of us have realised. For instance: Nephi and his brethren were seeking to obtain the brass plates from Laban. Their lives were in peril. Yet Nephi swore this oath: 'As the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us' (1 Nephi 3:15). Thus Nephi made God his partner. If he failed to get the plates, it meant God had failed. And because God does not fail, it was incumbent upon Nephi to get the plates or lay down his life in the attempt." (Elder Bruce R. McConkie, C.R. April 1982, pp 49,50)

Hugh Nibley's explanation of the significance of the words of the oath helps us understand further Nephi's seriousness of this partnership:

"....the oath is the one thing that is most sacred and inviolable among the desert people: 'Hardly will an Arab break this oath, even if his life be in jeopardy,' for 'there is nothing stronger, and nothing more sacred than the oath among the nomads,' and even among the city Arabs, if it be exacted under special conditions. But not every oath will do: to be most binding and solemn an oath should be by the life of something, even if it be but a blade of grass; the only oath more awful than 'by my life' or (less commonly) 'by the life of my head,' is the wa hayat Allah, 'by the life of God,' or 'as the Lord liveth'....." (Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol. 5, Part 1, p 103-104)

Nephi was true to his word in making God his partner. He demonstrated this over and over again as he showed his dependence on Him: "..... no one on the trip was asked to do more than Nephi - he obtained the plates, made a bow, foraged for food, scrambled to mountaintops to pray, made plates and built a ship. Yet he intimately came to know that all he could do was not enough, for 'it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do' (2 Nephi 25:23). In the wilderness, when the righteous come face to face with their limitations, they see that God is there to take up the slack."  (Scot and Maurine Proctor, BOM Lesson 5 "Hearken to the Truth and Give Heed Unto It", Meridian Magazine, January 19, 2016). Part of being dependent on God means to have trust in Him and Nephi did just that. He was not spared or excused from any difficulties of the journey that were suffered by his brothers. On the contrary, he had more of them. What Nephi did learn through these difficulties was the Lord's power of deliverance (1 Nephi 1:20, 17:3, 18:16, 18:11). The examples throughout his life are endless and because of them he was able to exclaim: "O Lord, I have trusted in thee and I will trust in thee forever" (2 Nephi 4:34).

In his father's dream of the tree of life, Nephi partook of the fruit which symbolises the love of God. When Nephi enquired of the Lord the meaning of the tree of life an angel appeared to tutor him. He asked him if he knew what the tree represented. Nephi answered that it was 'the love of God which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men' (1 Nephi 11:22). Immediately following his answer Nephi saw a vision of the Son of God and his ministry among mortal men. From this we can conclude that God's greatest love for us is manifested through His Son Jesus Christ. Nephi understood this and was therefore able to say: "...the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love" (2 Nephi 1:15). To me there is a deeper meaning in this. Because of his willingness to follow Christ and his acceptance of the Atonement I believe that Nephi was endowed with the Saviour's ability to be obedient. This is true for all of us. How do we know this? Because Isaiah said so: "For he giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength" (Isaiah 40:29). With God as his partner Nephi could not fail in anything for "if God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31).

Because of Nephi's obedience he kept company with angels and saw the Saviour (1 Nephi 2:16, 2 Nephi 11:2) in fulfillment of His promise to the ends of the earth: "...If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him" (John 14:23). Nephi taught his people that the Saviour, needing no baptism, fulfilled all righteousness by being baptised to witness to the Father 'that he would be obedient unto him....' (2 Nephi 31:6,7). Elder Bruce R. McConkie once said that "righteousness is not simply the absence of evil or impropriety; it is the active seeking of the mind and will of the Father and compliance to that will". To the Saviour, doing the Father's will was everything. Luke tells us that as Jesus grew to manhood He 'increased in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and man' (Luke 2:52). Jesus found favour with God because of His obedience. Nephi knew the Saviour through close association and no doubt his life's quest was to follow in His footsteps. The more he followed, the more empowered he became to be like the Master himself. May we be like Nephi who at the end of his record, summed up the integrity of his character in three most profound words found in scripture:

'I must obey' 

 (2 Nephi 33:15).

THE EXAMPLE OF ABRAHAM

How would you feel if you were told that through you all the nations of the earth will be blessed?  Would it make a difference in how you view yourself, how you live your life and how you parent your children?  How much would such a promise strengthen your commitment to God and to living righteously?  This promise was given to Father Abraham after he had passed the ultimate test of being asked to sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham's whole life was a life of righteousness and perfect example to us, his posterity. In his First Presidency Message in 1975,  President Kimball claimed that Abraham was such a model of righteousness that following his example will lead us to eternal life:

"As we follow Abraham's example, we will grow from grace to grace, we will find greater happiness and peace and rest, we will find favour with God and with man.  As we follow his example, we will confirm upon ourselves and our families joy and fulfillment in this life and for all eternity." (President Spencer W. Kimball, Ensign, June 1975, p 7)

From the very beginning of his life, Abraham had an acute spiritual sensitivity to the reality of the one true and living God.  Consider these insights from his early life:

"At just three years of age, as one source has it, the boy already 'began to understand the nature of God', so that the next year he resisted when his grandfather tried to teach him to worship idols.  Nor could Abraham's father, despite long and persistent effort, persuade his son to revere the statues.  Young Abraham 'was all alone with God', says Hugh Nibley, 'dependent on no man and no tradition, beginning as it were from scratch .... Having no human teachers, he must think things out for himself, until he receives light from above'."
(E. Douglas Clark, The Blessings of Abraham, Becoming A Zion People, p. 40)

"An ancient and widespread legend tells of bold action taken by the young Abraham.  The story is not found in the Bible, but it is the most oft-repeated Abrahamic narrative in the Qur'an, is found in numerous ancient Jewish sources, and was repeated by Brigham Young, John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff.  As recounted by Jewish sources, it began when the young Abraham found himself alone in a room full of idols.  But one important source, the Maaseh Avraham Avinu, specifies that this was not just any occasion and not just any room full of idols.  The event was a major religious festival called by King Nimrod himself and was centered at Nimrod's pagan temple.  Abraham had been urged to attend by his father but declined to go and was instructed to stay behind to guard the idols.

When Abraham was all alone, he acted boldly and decisively.  Some sources report that 'the Spirit of God came upon him'.  As recounted by the Maaseh Avraham Avinu, 'He took an axe in his hand, and as he saw the idols of the king sitting, he said, 'The Eternal, He is God', and he 'pushed them off their thrones to the ground, and he smote them mightily.  With the large ones he began, and with the small ones he finished.  He lopped off this one's hands, he cut off this one's head and blinded this one's eyes, and he broke that one's legs' until 'all of them were broken'.  Then, placing 'the axe in the hand of the largest idol', Abraham left.

When his father and the king returned and discovered the wreckage, they were wroth.  'The king commanded that Abraham be brought before him.  And they brought him.  The king and his ministers said to him, 'Why did you shatter our gods?'  He said to them, 'I didn't break them, no.  Rather, the large one of them smashed them.  Don't you see that the axe is in his hand? And if you won't believe it, ask him and he will tell'.  And as the king heard his words, he became angry to the point of killing him."  (E. Douglas Clark, The Blessings of Abraham, Becoming A Zion People, p. 47)

How appropriate then that the Lord would hear Abraham's cries for help whilst under the knife of the priest of Elkenah and honour Abraham's fortitude in destroying Nimrod's dumb idols.  Abraham had two admirable desires which God honoured by rescuing him from human sacrifice:  he desired to change his world by removing himself from a family and society that sought 'to do evil' (Abraham 1:6); and he sought for the blessings of the priesthood.  There would have been no more righteous desire than this that was in the heart of Abraham:

"......I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace, and desiring to receive instructions, and to keep the commandments of God...." (Abraham 1:2)

Not only did Abraham desire to be a father of many nations but he ensured he was a father that could be followed in righteousness and example in all things.  One Jewish tradition records that Abraham's deliverance from human sacrifice was so marvelous that many onlookers who witnessed it came to believe in God and bore witness to others of God's power and that Abraham was his servant (Gorion, Mimekor Yisrael, 1:45-46).  In addition, 'many followed Abraham home, and brought their children to him, and said, 'Now we see that the God in whom thou trustest, is the only true God: teach our children the truth, that they may serve Him in righteousness (Baring-Gould, Legends of the Patriarchs, 160). (E. Douglas Clark, The Blessings of Abraham, p. 58

Abraham was all a good father should be.  The available Jewish writings portray him as a man full of loving-kindness, humility, submission and gentleness.  A man who loved righteousness, was clean of heart and pure from sin and who sought to establish Zion wherever he went.  He is remembered among his Jewish descendants as 'the embodiment of hesed (loving-kindness), 'for the decisive factor in Abraham's personality was the unceasing urge to help others'.  It is remarkable to note that the three messengers who came to announce the promise of a long awaited son, were 'found' by Abraham whilst he was searching for someone who might be in need of help.

"....Abraham 'was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot' (JPST Gen 18:2).  It was the hottest part of a very hot day, say the rabbis, with the sun beating down mercilessly.  As one writer recounts, 'Abraham sits in his tent door enjoying its grateful shade, and looking out on the plain of Mamre, from which the sun's fiery beams have driven men, birds and panting beasts to such shelter as rocks and trees and tents can afford'.

Abraham, however, was not focused on himself and his discomfort, compounded by his recent circumcision, but was worrying for travelers who might need assistance on a day like that.  'Notwithstanding the intense heat and his own sickness he still sat there to invite any stray passer-by'.  When no one came, he sent his servant to go in search of anyone needing help, even though Abraham had planted trees for the benefit of travelers - rest stops along the way.  When the servant returned without success, Abraham determined to go himself.  It was then, says rabbinic tradition, that Abraham discovered the three travelers.

Abraham might easily have remained seated, and simply directed a servant or subordinate to attend to these travelers. Or, says one writers, 'he may wait their approach, leaving them to solicit his hospitality.  Not he - Abraham arose and despite the scorching heat, and 'although he was in great pain from his wound, ran forward to meet them'.  Genesis tells that upon reaching them he 'bowed himself towards the ground' (Gen. 18:2)." (E. Douglas Clark, The Blessings of Abraham, p. 172)

It is then that he received the promise of Isaac.

The sacrifice the Lord asked of him which followed some years later is just unimaginable in my mind. Through his willingness to offer this sacrifice Abraham proved that he loved God above all else.  Is it any wonder then that the Lord was willing to make a covenant with him that would grant him the blessings he most desired?  This covenant is known to us as the Abrahamic Covenant, a covenant with which we should make ourselves very familiar because by virtue of being of Abraham's seed, we are entitled to every blessing that comes under its' promise.  Not only are direct descendants of Abraham counted as his seed but all who accept Christ's gospel and are baptised into his Church become his 'adopted' children.  Looking at the diversity of the members of the Church, we can easily see how Abraham becomes 'a father of many nations'.

"The covenant that the Lord first made with Abraham and reaffirmed with Isaac and Jacob is of transcendent significance.  It contained several promises:

• Abraham's posterity would be numerous,
• and will bear the priesthood;
• He would become a father of many nations;
• Christ and kings would come through Abraham's lineage;
• Certain lands would be inherited;
• All nations of the earth would be blessed by his seed.

That covenant would be everlasting - even through 'a thousand generations."

(Elder Russell M Nelson, Ensign, May 1995, p 33)

These promises came to Abraham only after he married Sarah for without her he could not obtain them.  The blessings promised could not be obtained unless Abraham entered into the 'Order of the Priesthood' and this order could not be entered into without a legal wife. But not just any wife.  Sarah was in every way Abraham's equal.  She was devoted, righteous and submissive.  Together they were a perfect example of what a marriage union should be; he lead in righteousness and she followed in righteousness. "Together Abraham and Sarah were, in the words of Erastus Snow, 'models of noble character, purity of purpose' and 'superior integrity to God', whom they 'hesitated not to obey....at all hazards even to the sacrifice of that which was nearest and dearest unto them". (E. Douglas Clark, The Blessings of Abraham, Becoming a Zion People, p. 107)

We cannot have ancestral parents of more noble character than Sarah and Abraham.  Because of their exceedingly righteous example, God commands us to look to them for understanding of our origin and our destiny.  In Isaiah chapter 51, we read:

"Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock from whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit from whence ye are digged.  Look unto Abraham, your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.  For the Lord shall comfort Zion. (Isaiah 51:1-3)