BE GATHERED

 

The third needful step in preparation for the Second Coming according to Doctrine and Covenants 133:4 is for the House of Israel to be gathered. Two things are accomplished by this endeavour:

“Firstly, those who have thus chosen Christ as their Shepherd, those who have taken upon themselves his name in the waters of baptism; those who are seeking to enjoy his Spirit here and now and to be inheritors of eternal life hereafter – such people need to be gathered together to strengthen each other and to help one another perfect their lives.

“Secondly, those who are seeking the highest rewards in eternity need to be where they can receive the blessings of the house of the Lord, both for themselves and for their ancestors in Israel who died without a knowledge of the gospel, but who would have received it with all their heart had opportunity afforded.”

-       - Bruce R. McConkie, “Come: Let Israel Build Zion”, Ensign May 1977, p 117

No concept of the Gospel ignites my heart more than the House of Israel as the chosen people of God who has favoured Israel above all the nations of the world, the great Jehovah who has proclaimed: "I am a father to Israel and Ephraim is my firstborn" (Jeremiah 31:9).

The proclamations of Saviour’s love for Israel are prolific in the scriptures. Perhaps the greatest of them is this: “O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine….I have loved thee… Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east and gather thee from the west…..I will say to the north, give up; and to the south, keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth….” (Isaiah 43:1-6)

Numerous scriptures refer to Israel as Jehovah’s jewels (Exodus 28:17-21; Malachi 3:17; D&C 60:4; 101:3) and ‘the apple of His eye’  (Deut 32:9,10; Zechariah 2:8). These are incredibly intimate and loving expressions.

It is simply not enough to physically be of the House of Israel. One must be so spiritually to be the 'apple of His eye'. Love is a two-way street. He loves us because we are the believing, the repentant, the obedient. And if not, then we should be.

We have accepted the Holy One of Israel to be our God. We are gathering from among all nations to be one people and one day we will kneel together at His feet and acknowledge Him as the God of miracles who has preserved us, loved us and brought us home to the kingdom of our God.

Thy love for Thy people is beyond compare,

Thy mercy affixed forever more.

Thy power delivers us and

Thy loving kindness gathers us;

We are restored by Thy merciful might,

We are Israel, children of light.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Love Everlasting by Youngsung Kim)

A LEGACY OF SACRIFICE

 

I stand in awe of the early priesthood leaders who strengthened the Church through their missionary labours by leaving their families to further the cause of Zion and to gather Israel. Some sacrifices they made are unfathomable for us in this day and age.

Besides Joseph, my favourite person in all of Church history is the Apostle Orson Hyde. I will attempt here to summarise one particular mission of his that embodies such emotion of feeling that my efforts could not do his achievements justice.

“Sometime in 1832, the Prophet Joseph Smith laid his hands upon the head of a new convert by the name of Orson Hyde and told him, “In due time thou shalt go to Jerusalem, the land of thy fathers, and be a watchman unto the house of Israel; and by thy hands shall the Most High do a great work, which shall prepare the way and greatly facilitate the gathering together of that people.” (Daniel C. Peterson, “Abraham Divided”, Prologue/xv)

Until 1840, Elder Hyde spent most of his missionary labours among the Gentiles but in March of that year, a vision opened to him showing him in succession the cities of London, Amsterdam, Constantinople and Jerusalem. A voice said to him: “Here are many of the children of Abraham whom I will gather to the land that I gave to their fathers; and here also is the field of your labours…..” (Prologue/xvi)

In the April conference of that year, the vote for Elder Hyde’s mission to the Jewish people was approved by a unanimous vote. Elder Hyde and Elder John E. Page departed for Jerusalem on 15^th April 1840.

I can’t explain to you what Elder Hyde went through to reach Jerusalem. This was the age before automobiles, steamships and aircraft. The journey entailed different forms of transport. Elder Page lost interest in Pennsylvania and Elder Hyde had to proceed on his own. In Pennsylvania a total stranger approached him with a purse of gold to finance his passage across the Atlantic to Europe where he became the first Church missionary to travel across the continent of Europe and Asia Minor to proclaim the gospel.

From there he travelled by sea and was reduced to eating snails gathered from the coastal rocks due to shortage of food on the vessel. Once arriving in Jaffa, he had to pass through a lawless area where people were often killed or robbed by marauding Bedouins.

It took more than a year and a half in total to reach Jerusalem.

Before dawn on the morning of Sunday, 24 October 1841, Elder Hyde arose from sleep and “went out of the city as soon as the gates were opened, crossed the brook Kedron, and went upon the Mount of Olives, and there in solemn silence, with pen, ink, and paper, just as he saw in the vision, offered up a prayer to HIM WHO LIVES FOREVER AND EVER”. (Prologue/xxi)

The dedicatory prayer of the land of Jerusalem for the gathering of the Jews that Elder Hyde offered is three full pages long in small print in the History of the Church by Joseph Smith. Today, a garden of five and a quarter acres commemorates Orson Hyde’s visit to the Near East in late 1841. The garden houses a large brass plaque with passages from Elder Hyde’s dedicatory prayer in both English and Hebrew. The garden was dedicated by the Prophet Spencer W. Kimball on 24 October, 1979.

Jerusalem housed 20,000 inhabitants when Orson Hyde arrived. Now it has a population of 7.7 million Jewish residents.

It took Elder Hyde three years in total to accomplish his mission to carry Jehovah’s message to His people Israel which He gave him himself: “Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished – that her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received of the Lord’s hand doubly for all her sins.”  (Prologue/xvii)

Glory be to the Holy One who pardons and forgives and gathers His people Israel……

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Orson Hyde Dedicates the Holy Land by Clark Kelley Price)

THE FINAL HARVEST

 

 

“Therefore, when ye shall receive this record ye may know that the work of the Father has commenced upon all the face of the land.”  (Ether 4:17)

Chapter 23 of Leviticus contains a series of holy days that the Lord commanded all Israel to observe. Three of the most important are: 1. The Feast of Trumpets; 2. The Day of the Atonement and; 3. The Feast of the Tabernacles. The Feast of Trumpets in particular signifies: 1. The beginning of Israel’s final harvest; 2. The day God had set to remember His ancient promises to regather Israel; 3. A time for new revelation that would lead to a new covenant with Israel and; 4. A time to prepare for the Millenium.

I am in awe of the fact that we hold in our hands the very book which began the final harvest for on 22 September 1827, the very day Israel celebrated the Feast of Trumpets, Moroni gave the golden plates to the Prophet Joseph Smith. The timing of its deliverance was not coincidental. This was a carefully orchestrated and rehearsed event for four years prior. It sends shivers up my spine to picture Joseph receiving the golden plates from Moroni whilst trumpets blew in Israel. The God of Israel responded and He began His ‘marvelous work and a wonder’ for He remembers His promises to His people Israel. (see The Golden Plates and the Feast of Trumpets by Lenet Hadley Read, Ensign 2000)

We know that many truths have been lost and taken away from the Bible, but none more significant that the prophecies of the restoration of the gospel in the latter days missing from Isaiah 29 and which Nephi quoted in its completion in 2 Nephi 27 as were contained on the brass plates: 1. Letter-day context of the prophecy (2 Nephi 27:1); 2. A ‘book’ that Isaiah prophesied would come forth in the last days (verse 6); 3. The book would be ‘sealed’ (verses 7-8); 4. Roles of Moroni and Joseph Smith in bringing forth the Book of Mormon (verses 9-10); 5. ‘Three witnesses’ who would behold the ‘book’ and testify ‘to the truth of the things therein’ (verses 12-13)

Is it hard to see the importance of the Book of Mormon when we consider that these prophecies of the coming Restoration were removed from the Bible??? I stand in awe of God who orchestrates His work with such perfect precision to fulfil His purposes which cannot fail. The adversary might be working hard to ‘pervert the right ways of the Lord that he might blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men’ (1 Nephi 13:27) but he cannot win. God’s plan for our salvation runs like clock-work with every step put into place long before its’ reality. So ordered are the events that will transpire upon this earth that they cannot possibly fail, because ‘God created all things spiritually before they were naturally upon the face of the earth’ (Moses 3:5). Everything was designed, proven and tested before it came into being. Does this not give us ability to trust that God has us in the palm of His hand???

The Final Harvest has begun. The Book of Mormon is its’ proof. The sacredness of it leaves me in awe. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Preserved by the Hand of God by Simon Dewey)

ISRAEL, THE CHOSEN II

 

I was blessed with a marvellous revelation this past weekend, after seeking understanding to bring me peace regarding the world as we know it that is crumbling at our feet. It not only brought me peace but discernment of what we, the saints of the last days, are facing. In the midst of all the commotion in the world, we will be part of exciting events that are hastening the return of Him whom we so eagerly expect. Now is the time to not only lose fear and trust in His protection but to hang onto the promise President Uchdorf made in October 2020 General Conference that 'God will yet do something unimaginable'. I believe what is ahead of us is of more grandeur than what is behind us in regards to the 'great and marvelous work' the Lord has set His hand to.

Since the beginning of the Church, we have been engaged in the gathering of the House of Israel. This has been a noble endeavour but this is nothing compared to what is ahead. Jeremiah tells us that the day will come when the Lord will no longer be referred to as the Lord who brought the children of Israel out of Egypt in a mass Exodus, but that he will be known as the Lord who 'brought up the children of Israel from all the lands whither he had driven them' (Jeremiah 16:14-16). This is the most profound prophecy of our day and it will be fulfilled on a massive scale. There are some amazing things ahead of us and we should begin to look forward to them.

We are a special body of people, a 'peculiar' people'. We should be happy to bear this label upon our heads. The original meaning of this word in Hebrew means 'private property which is laid up or reserved; select, precious, endeared, something exceedingly prized and diligently preserved'. We are a 'particular' people. We are Israel, God's chosen people, because we are on the covenant path. We are a 'peculiar treasure' (Exodus 19:5); a 'royal priesthood, an holy nation' (1 Peter 2:9). We have reason to rejoice because we are part of something grand. He who is preparing to return has chosen us for such a time as this, where we will shine forth as valiant people who have covenanted with Him long before the world began that we will stand firm in the midst of evil and bring forth a 'marvellous work and a wonder'.

We Israel, Thine inheritance

Are the workmanship of Thy hands;

We have eaten the bread of adversity

And drunk the water of affliction;

We wait upon Thy promises

To gather us and nourish us

With peace as a river

And righteousness as the waves of the sea;

We will come to Zion with songs

And everlasting joy upon our heads

To shout praises to Thy holy name

To worship Thee as our God and our King.

• Cathryne Allen

(Art: Second Coming by John McNaughton)