NOT YET

 

The promises that we receive through the Gospel are legitimate but many come with a caveat of “not yet”.

I reflected on Abraham again yesterday and how rich he was in cattle, gold, silver and servants yet he lived in tents his whole life never owning a piece of land. And when death came knocking on the door, he purchased a cave for his and Sarah’s burial from the sons of Heth (Genesis 25:9,10).

The land of Canaan was promised to Abraham even though he never possessed it personally (Genesis 17:7; 13:15; 17:8). This was a classic example of “not yet”:

“The Lord gave the promise to Abraham that he should have Palestine, or the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession. Yet…Abraham never received as much as a foot of it as a possession while he lived. Then what did the Lord mean in making a promise to Abraham of that kind?....

“Simply this, that the time would eventually come, after the resurrection from the dead, when Abraham and his children who have been faithful in the keeping of the commandments of the Lord, should possess that land, and they shall also spread forth as far as it is necessary for them to receive an inheritance.” (Smith, “Doctrines of Salvation”, 1:88)

So why “not yet”?  Because this life is the time for faith and not fulfilment. In his epistle to the Hebrews, Paul expounded on this perfectly. He listed in detail prophets and people of renown who led amazing lives of faith but never received the promises and “confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13)

Paul goes on to say that they through faith “subdued kingdoms, stopped the mouths of lion, quenched the violence of fire,  were tortured, scourged and imprisoned, stoned and sawn asunder, slain by the sword, were destitute, afflicted and tormented, wandered in deserts and in mountains and caves of the earth…..yet they never received their promises”……  And then he gives the reason why…..”God having provided some better things for them through their sufferings, for without sufferings they could not be made perfect……and obtain a better resurrection” (Hebrews 11:33-39; JST 40a)

“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” (Hebrews 10:35;36)

“….and in time ye shall possess the goodly land.” (D&C 103:17-20)

 

I suffer the passing of time

In this season of my discontent;

And count the moments of

Loneliness that rob me of my promises.

I am so far from home I once knew

I ache and ache

For the reality of You.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Come by David Bowman)

DESIRES

 

“A knowledge of the plan of happiness can help you through the difficult times and you can face problems you otherwise could not endure.

“For example: Some years ago a president of a student stake asked if I would counsel with a young couple. The stalwart young man and his lovely wise had recently been told, with some finality, that they would never have children of their own. They were heartbroken as they sobbed out their disappointment. What they wanted most in life….they now were to be denied.

“I consoled them as best as I could and offered comfort that really was insufficient. As they were leaving the office, I called them back and said: “You are a very fortunate and very blessed couple.” They were startled and asked why I would say such a thing as that.

“I answered: “Because you want them. In the eternal scheme of things that will be of inestimable and eternal value.”  The Lord has said that He “will judge all men according to their works, according to the desires of their hearts (D&C 137:9). Many people now do not want children or want few of them or consider them a burden rather than a blessing. They were a very blessed young couple.

“When you understand the plan, you can cope with challenges in life which otherwise would be unbearable.”  (President Boyd K. Packer, The Play and the Plan, CES fireside 7 May 1995 in Kirkland, Washington)

This life is a life where we find out what it is that we really want. How we live the Gospel is a good indication of what that is. Imagine if all our desires were fulfilled in this life. How many of us would abandon our journey to a glorious eternity?

“Abraham’s desires led him to God, to the gospel of Jesus Christ, to the priesthood, to the covenants of salvation, and to a life in which the Lord promised to lift Abraham from a mortal, fallen world. He was promised the happiness of being an eternal parent responsible for worlds and countless children.

“The “covenantal lifting” of Abraham came as he was willing to sacrifice the things of this world, showing to the Lord that he wanted to be like God more than he desired the treasures of the world or life itself.” (Jerry A. Wilson, The Great Plan of Happiness, p 61)

Abraham has now ‘entered into his exaltation and sits upon his throne’ (D&C 132:29). First the probation, then the desires of our hearts……

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Hope Deferred by Chris Brazelton)

THE FAVOURED WEAK

 

 

“Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven….that it might be fulfilled, which was written by the prophets: The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones…..” (D&C 1:17-19)

Surely the Lord could not have found anyone weaker than Joseph Smith. An uneducated boy from a poor family, a farmer no less…..yet obedient and  humble and brought up to be God fearing. One might ask why the Lord would choose ‘the weak things of the world’ to do such important work.

Herein is the wisdom of our God. The answer lies in the definition of ‘weak’ in this context. The ‘weak things of the world’ are lacking professional skills, prominence and means recognized by worldly standards.

The reason why God would use such men to accomplish His purpose lies in verse 19. Those who are esteemed by the world do not seek to honour God but seek the honour for themselves. The world would also, in turn, give them credit and honour instead of God. Many would be at risk of being deceived in this way by the persuasions of men and would learn to rely on ‘the arm of flesh’ rather than God.  

I am convinced that Joseph Smith was sent to a poor family so that he could not receive an education because it was imperative that an uneducated man translate the ancient record that became the Book of Mormon. How else could the Lord prove His partnership with him in bringing this book to light?

None other but a weak, uneducated man would admit to this partnership. An educated and qualified man recognized for his intellectual and academic abilities would claim credit for such a work.

This the Lord proved when he instructed Joseph to take some of the translated manuscript of the gold plates to a ‘learned man’ as per Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 29:11,12) outlined in great detail in chapter 27 of 2 Nephi.

The ‘learned’ and educated man was Professor Charles Anthon who certified the translation as being correct and true but when Martin Harris told him that Joseph was instructed by an angel to find the plates, the Professor tore up the certificate saying there was no such thing as ministering of angels and asked for the plates to be brought to him for translation, ‘because of the glory of the world and to get gain’ (2 Nephi 27:16). Imagine what claim to fame would Professor Anton obtain if he had got his hands on the golden plates? He most certainly would not have worked in collaboration with Moroni….

According to Nephi, the Lord said to the ‘unlearned man’ who had no skills to translate: “I am able to do my own work, I WILL GIVE YOU the words which you shall read” (2 Nephi 27:20). And He did. Because of it Joseph gave glory to God and he paid a heavy price for it too. The ‘weak’, yet willing and  favoured of God.  

The Lord still uses ‘the weak and the simple that the fulness of His gospel might be proclaimed unto the ends of the world’ (D&C 1:23). When I look back on my missionary days as a young convert I fully understand this scripture. Young, no secondary education, barely understanding the full significance of the Church, no prominence in anything except a burning testimony and a deep faith in God.

As a young missionary I carried my testimony from door to door as I proselyted for 18 months and  had success in leading people to acceptance of the truth. We were so young and inexperienced and imperfect yet people listened to us. I am so grateful for that experience because it taught me that I am nothing without Him. I was my greatest convert.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: I Will Go Before Your Face by Kenneth Turner)

WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?

 

“From the perspective of man, the gospel is a better way of life. It is life bursting forth in a wilderness of darkness. It is faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is signs, gifts and miracles. It is persecution and suffering and trials. It is learning to live as becometh a saint. It is overcoming the world until, eventually, in glorious immortality, the true saints dwell with Him who is their Friend and into whose image they have been molded.

 

“From the perspective of him who is our Redeemer, the gospel is the atoning sacrifice which puts into full operation and makes binding and efficacious all that the Father has prepared for them that love Him. It is our Lord’s birth in Bethlehem, his childhood in Nazareth,  his ministry in Judea and Perea. It is the miracles he wrought, the works he did, the laws he made known. It is the Garden of Gethsemane and the hill of Calvary. It is great drops of blood dripping from every pore, as he took upon himself the sins of the world. It is a Roman spear piercing a sinless side. It is an open tomb outside a city wall. It is all power given him in heaven and on earth. It is immortality as a free gift for all and eternal life for the faithful. 

 

“The gospel is all this and ten thousand times ten thousand things more. But all that it is, all that it has ever been, all that it shall ever be, all that appertains to it, centers in Him of whom the prophets testify….” 

(Bruce R. McConkie, The Promised Messiah, p 52-3)

 - CATHRYNE ALLEN

THE GOSPEL TRAIN

 

 

 

I want to share with you a very motivating and uplifting excerpt from my daughter’s Sacrament talk:

 

“My Grandma had battled cancer for nearly 3 years. One Saturday we received a phone call letting us know she had taken a bad turn and we needed to come and say our goodbyes. As hard as that experience was, I look back on it fondly as it left me with a very special lesson to learn, a lesson that I would continuously draw upon for the rest of my life. My whole family was present but I remember her particularly targeting me, my siblings and my cousins. She wasn’t able to talk much but when she did, all she kept saying was: “Stay on the gospel train”. At first we didn’t think much of it but she became increasingly persistent: “Stay on the gospel train”. I love a good analogy – In fact, I look for it in everything and so, naturally, I ended up finding one in her message. We are all passengers on the train of life. The tracks are our personal divinely written journey that we cannot always navigate on our own. When we board the train, we have a specific destination in mind but we don’t ever see it until we get there. Sometimes during our journey, there may be track work that slows us down. There may be other stations along the way that look more appealing than our final destination, so we get off and explore them. Sometimes we may travel through a dark tunnel or two without being able to see the light at the other end. Thankfully, we have a train conductor. Without him, we wouldn’t be able to navigate the twists and turns of the tracks or make our way through that dark tunnel. Without him, we wouldn’t even be able to find our way back onto the train after getting off at one of the stations. So we show faith by putting our trust in the train conductor. We get to know him and love him because we feel safe in his hands. So we decide to stay on the train. Every now and then, he puts our train on a different set of tracks and opens our eyes to the possibility of a destination we have not yet considered. Throughout our journey we begin to see that he understands the characteristics of the tracks much better than we do so we sit back and let him drive our train and we let him decide where we will end up. We must stay on the gospel train though to experience joy at our final destination.”  (Christie Parton, Tuggerah Lakes Ward, Australia Newcastle Stake)

 

I want to pay homage to my mother-in-law who arrived at the end of her journey so valiantly and left a priceless legacy to my children but most of all I want to honour the Conductor of my train, He who has engineered, created, atoned and made my journey possible: the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace…..

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

ARTIST: David Bowman

RESCUING THE LOST

"For the Son of man is come to save that which

was lost.

How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, 

and one of them be gone astray, 

doth he not leave the ninety and nine, 

and goeth into the mountains, 

and seeketh that which is gone astray?

And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, 

he rejoiceth more of that sheep, 

than of the ninety and nine

which went not astray.

Even so it is not the will of your Father

which is in heaven, 

that one of these little ones should perish."

Matt 18:11-14

Indeed it is not the will of the father that not one of us should perish. A will that sacrificed one of us for the good of all of us. Such is the love of a Father who desires to give us His all, who desires to give us eternal life. And so Jesus came to protect us, love us and claim us as His own. A shepherd who loves the one and will go and seek the one until that one is no longer lost. It matters not to Him how the sheep became lost or why, all that matters to Him is the rescue. How glorious and wise to relay His love for His sheep in such a poignant way. By leaving the ninety and nine he is not saying to them that they are not as important as the one that was lost, but to impress upon them that in Him is found true safety and protective care. In other words, by leaving the ninety and nine the Saviour was saying to them: 'If you get lost, I will come find you for this is what I do, I am come to save that which was lost."    

Since the beginning of man, the Lord has relied on His 'under shepherds' to do His work. Such under shepherds are found in prophets, Church leaders and anyone who possesses the truth. We are commanded to seek out and rescue the lost sheep but more often than not, we allow feelings of inadequacy to hold us back. We tell ourselves that we are not important enough or skilled enough for people to listen to us and believe our words when in fact we as the under shepherds and are endowed with power to do this sacred work. When Moses was called to his holy calling, in trepidation he replied that he was 'slow of speech'. The Lord replied, "Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say" (Exodus 4:10-12). In other words, 'do not suppose that this is your work, but mine, and you will say what I want you to say and I will empower you to say it'. 

When doing God's work, the power of the word is in God. It is never in us. When we speak with the tongue of angels, it is not by our brilliant skills but by the power of the Holy Ghost which not only empowers the bearer of the word but gives understanding to the hearer also. Such was the case for Enoch who was made mighty despite his claim that he also was of 'slow speech'. The Lord's reply was the same to him as it was to Moses: "Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled, and I will give thee utterance..." (Moses 6:32). So Enoch did and so great grew his power that when he spoke the word of the Lord, the earth trembled, and the mountains fled and the rivers of water were turned out of their course and all nations feared greatly 'so great was the power of the language which God had given him" (Moses 7:13) Not all went well for Enoch in the beginning though as he started his ministry. Even though he proclaimed the gospel with a 'loud' voice 'all men were offended because of him' (Moses 6:37). This is when most of us would give up. Fear of rejection and offence is a strong emotion so our rescuing efforts never get off the ground or become aborted when the going gets tough. Enoch, however, did not give up and he was rewarded, he was rewarded with rescuing a whole city, a city which became so righteous that the Lord took it unto Himself. 

The Lord never gives a commandment without attaching a blessing to it. Such is the case with the mission of rescue. The blessings attached to this work should negate all the fears we might have of rejection and offence and inadequacy. Proclaiming the gospel comes with a two-fold blessing. The Lord says clearly that if we get rejected, we will 'dwell with Him in His glory' and if we don't get rejected and those we are preaching to accept the testimony which is given to them, we shall have 'joy in the fruit of our labours' (D&C 6:29-31). In short, we cannot lose. Either way, rescuing will yield rewards.

And what of those who need to be rescued? How long and how hard should we expend our efforts, our time and our energy in offering them salavation? For as long as it takes. We should never give up on those who are receptive, even in the smallest way and proclaim them a 'hopeless cause'. Consider this example: "Like many of you, I have shared the gospel with some who are soon baptized or activated, and others - such as my nonmember friend Tim and his less-active wife, Charlene - take much more. For over 25 years I engaged Tim in gospel conversations and took Tim and Charlene to temple open houses. Others joined the rescue; however, Tim declined each invitation made to meet with the missionaries. One weekend I was assigned to preside at a stake conference. I had asked the stake president to fast and pray about whom we should visit. I was shocked when he handed me the name of my friend Tim. When Tim's bishop, the stake president, and I knocked on the door, Tim opened it, looked at me, looked at the bishop, and then said, 'Bishop, I thought you told me you were going to bring somebody special!' Then Tim laughed and said, 'Come on in, Merv.' A miracle occured that day. Tim has now been baptised, and he and Charlene have been sealed in the temple. We must never give up" (Elder Mervyn B. Arnold, To The Rescue: We Can Do It, Ensign May 2016, p 54). 

There was a time in my life when I was lost. I was attending Church every Sunday and living the gospel but in my heart I was harbouring resentment, feelings of betrayal and acute aloneness. I was freshly divorced and felt terribly betrayed by God. I had done all the right things from the time of my baptism and yet there I was with my heart in shreds and my life a shambles. Sometimes we see people at Church regularly and we do not know that they are lost in corridors, in Sunday School lessons, in fake smiles. But the Lord knows. He knows and He will reach out and send his under shepherds to find them and cradle them in the arms of His love. Such was the case for me. Following my divorce I moved and changed wards. I came into a freshly created ward where the Relief Society President was someone who was prepared by the Lord to be in that calling to rescue me. Through intricate, spiritually engineered sequence of events this sister was placed in my new ward and she became my source of security when I had none. She cried with me and she loved me and she cared for me. And she was not the only one. The Lord provided two other people who held me up, my Bishop and another sister who became my mentor and confidant for many years but my true under shepherd when I was hanging by a thread was my Relief Society President. To her I owe much more than I can repay for she provided comfort and grounding to me when I could not stand alone. She was sent at a particular time for a particular season in my life. I owe a debt of gratitude to her for her willingness to find the one that was lost.

"Our Saviour, the Good Shepherd, knows and loves us.

He knows and loves YOU.

He knows when you are lost, and He knows where you are.

He knows your grief. Your silent pleadings.

Your fears. Your tears.

It matters not how you became lost - 

whether because of your own poor choices or because of

circumstances beyond your control.

What matters is that you are His child.

And He loves you.

Because He loves, He will find you.

He will place you upon His shoulders, rejoicing.

And when he brings you home, He will say to one and all,

'Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost'"

- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"He Will Place You On His Shoulders

and Carry You Home"

Ensign May 2016

PRESS ON

"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ,

 having a perfect brightness of hope, 

and a love of God and of all men. 

Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, 

feasting upon the word of Christ, 

and endure to the end, 

behold, thus saith the Father: 

Ye shall have eternal life."

- 2 Nephi 31:20

I had a disheartening conversation with a friend the other day who advised me she no longer attends Church. During the course of the conversation she revealed that her life has become such a burden to her that her only hope lies in sudden death. As my tears flowed and as I urged her to put herself in God's hands and to trust that He will make something better of her life, her reply was that God doesn't really care and when she was doing the right things it didn't make any difference. She said she had lost hope for a better life here and in eternity. Unfortunately this friend has zig zagged between obedience and disobedience all her life. Her lack of consistency has undermined her power of endurance and enhanced her expectation of lasting happiness and perfection in this life, which in reality is a futile pursuit. In expecting fulfillment here and now she has totally overlooked the fact that this life is not only 'a growing season' but also our testing ground.

The design of mortality is such that it should motivate us to look forward to perfection in the next, not to wile away our days in frustration blaming God that we are not lying on a bed of roses or cursing Him because we cannot 'take happiness in our sins' (Mormon 2:13). This friend and some others who have crossed my path have expressed to me that they wonder if they had ever really chosen godhood as their eternal destination. They feel that they were somehow forced to choose it because the alternative would not have been such an attractive outcome. They whine about the unfairness of having to choose between godhood and damnation and ask why they were not allowed to stay where they were, sitting on a fence, not choosing either. All of a sudden godhood has become a price too high to pay and they rationalize that they never really wanted it anyway. But the funny part is that they did, as all of us did, way back in our "beginning". We were never ever forced into anything.

To better understand the exercise of our agency in relation to this life we need to know the true meaning of 'the beginning': "After revealing to Abraham that there are infinite, uncreated intelligences, God showed him that some of the intelligences 'were organized before the world was' (Abraham 3:22). If our individual intelligences have agency it must have been our choice to be organized into our first estate.....Our 'beginning' was the moment we chose to have our intelligences 'added upon' by being born into the spirit world......our spirit bodies were conceived by our Heavenly Parents to house our uncreated intelligences. We are gods in embryo, with the full potential to mature and to become like our Celestial Parents.....The gospel is the 'everlasting gospel', not only because its effects are everlasting, but because it has always been in place, from eternity....It is the 'hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began' (Titus 1:2)" (B. Grant Bishop, M.D., The LDS Gospel of Light, pp108-111). I venture to say that there might have been some intelligences who did not choose to be 'added upon' and chose to remain as they were.

This is not taught as gospel doctrine but it makes sense to me that we chose godhood "in the beginning", when we were yet only intelligences, and with it the process of being born first spiritually and then physically. The alternative would have been lack of free agency. The plan for godhood had to be in place prior to the spirit world so the innate agency of our intelligences would be respected. It could not have been a random act for Heavenly Father to have created numerous amounts of spirit children and then had to decide what to do with them! Godhood was not a drummed up plan that gave us 'something to do' but rather a plan that has always existed, based on free agency. If Heavenly Father was once a mortal like we are now, then His purpose was always to gain exaltation, have eternal increase and provide the way for His children to gain the same. That is certainly the plan for us also as has been revealed through modern-day revelation and scripture. As Lorenzo Snow once put it: "As man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may become" (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, 2011, Chapter 5: The Grand Destiny of the Faithful). The understanding that we decided in the very beginning that we wanted godhood should be enough for us to press on, however, 'the greatest gift of God' does not seem to mean much to some of us who focus too intently on happiness here and now. The seeming ease of telestial life is simply too hard for some of us to resist so we keep looking down instead of up for pursuit of lasting joy and fulfillment.

Joseph Smith taught that "the fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it" [Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 49]. So basically, the Saviour's death and resurrection should be the main focus of our religion. Why would that be? Because the Saviour's resurrection brings about immortality and immortality brings about a 'fulness of joy'. According to the following scripture we cannot have this fulness in this life: "For man is spirit, the elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy. And when separated, man cannot receive a fulness of joy" (D&C 93:33,34). Right now we are not inseparably connected, we are very much in that fragile state of being where death is imminent. Thus the principle of resurrection "gives us the strength and perspective to endure the mortal challenges faced by each of us and by those we love, such things as the physical, mental, or emotional deficiencies we bring with us at birth or acquire during mortal life" (Dallin H. Oaks, Resurrection - The Beginning of Immortality, Ensign March 2016, p 80)

When we are not staying on the 'strait and narrow path' with a goal to endure by 'passing the points of breaking without breaking' (Neal A. Maxwell), we are not valuing eternal life. Some of us are of the opinion that the price to pay for such a life is far too high but is the telestial life, without the sustaining power of Christ, easier to live than the life of obedience that the gospel demands of us? In short, the former exacts hardship while the latter asks for endurance, endurance that is made possible with Christ's sustaining power: "Enduring to the end means that we have planted our lives firmly on gospel soil, staying in the mainstream of the Church, humbly serving our fellowmen, living Christlike lives, and keeping our covenants. Those who endure are balanced, consistent, humble, constantly improving, and without guile. Their testimonies are not based on worldly reasons - they are based on truth, knowledge, experience, and the Spirit" (Joseph B. Wirthlin, in CR Oct 2004, p 107; or Ensign Nov 2004, p 101)

It is not enough for us to experiment living the gospel from time to time to see if we will be blessed for it. Pressing forward and enduring to the end requires consistent coming unto Christ through a life of obedience. It is only this consistent effort that brings us to the point of conviction that will see us to the end. This point of strength makes endurance possible and thins the veil to the point where we can develop a desire for what is on the other side of it. It is something one cannot obtain overnight. It is a reward for nourishing faith, foregoing self-gratification and standing firm on the testing ground. When my friend pointed out to me that I have basically nothing much to show for my years of endurance and adherence to the gospel, I reflected on what I do have and concluded that the way I have come to feel about the Saviour after 40 years of cultivating my seed of faith is the greatest treasure I could possibly own and one that I would not trade for all the riches of this life. I felt saddened that my friend was only looking at my temporal blessings as a measure of my personal success. Sometimes I fear that we are like spoilt children wanting to be rewarded for every little thing we do right when in reality God has already done more for us than we can ever repay. He owes us nothing. This earth was created for our sake and the Saviour atoned for our sake, all out of the goodness of His heart and His mercy. We cannot possibly expect more. The path to eternal life has been paved. It is up to us to tread it. But we are not alone. He is there, ever waiting, ever wanting, ever hoping that we will come to Him. His arm of mercy is extended. He is ever ready to encircle us in the arms of His love. In them there is safety, in them there is joy, in them there is life eternal. Press on.

Yes, my fretting, frowning child,

I could cross the room to you more easily,

But I've already learnt to walk so I make you come to me.

Let go now, there, you see!

Oh, remember this simple lesson child,

And when in later years you cry out with tight fists and tears,

Oh help me God please!

Just listen and you'll hear a silent voice,

I would child, I would, but it's you, not I, who needs to try

Godhood.

-  Carol Lynn Pearson

BY THE GRACE OF GOD PART I

"A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light and God appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might.

So this the man did, day after day.

For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all of his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain. 

Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind: "You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn't moved". Thus, he gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. The Adversary said: "Why kill yourself over this? Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough".

So that's what the weary man planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of prayer and to take his troubled thoughts to the Lord. "Lord", he said, "I have laboured long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?"

The Lord responded compassionately: "My friend, when I asked you to serve me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed but is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown; your hands are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. True, you haven't moved the rock but your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in my wisdom. That you have done. Now, I, my friend, will move the rock".

- Author unknown

Sometimes on our life's journey we come to think that everything depends on us: enduring, serving, overcoming, accomplishing, obeying. Considering the many responsibilities placed on our shoulders day in and day out, this seems like a logical conclusion for many of us. We tend to forget that in this mortal sphere, we are intended to walk by faith and not by capacity. In other words, we are not meant to 'do' this life alone. We of ourselves can do nothing. Even the Saviour of the world admitted this to be true of Himself: "I can of mine own self do nothing, as I hear I judge and my judgment is just because I seek not my own will but the will of the Father who sent me" (John 5:30). The scriptures tell us that our faith can be so powerful that it can move mountains but in our exerted efforts of pushing and straining we tend to overlook who is at the other end of our faith. By all means, we should exercise the faith that moves mountains but  we must remember that it is still God who moves them.

All God asks of us is willingness and obedience. We, by our own weak efforts and finite wisdom could never make of ourselves what He has intended for us to be. It was His purpose from the beginning that we become co-heirs with Christ in His kingdom. To become those heirs, we have been given saving ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ and commandments to live by. The interesting thing here is that none of us can live up to these commandments of ourselves. If we could, we would not need the saving ordinances to save us, or the Saviour to die for us. President Lorenzo Snow said that the gospel was so designed that it would be too hard for us to live it without God's help. Perhaps if it was designed so that we could live it without divine help we would lose focus of our eternal home. Perhaps if we had the power to save ourselves we would become as the Son of the Morning who fell because of self-righteous pride. President Snow's theory should give hope to many of us who are struggling to live the Gospel and feeling sharply our shortcomings:

"The character of the religion that we have espoused demands a certain course of conduct that no other religion that we know of requires of its adherents; and the nature of those demands upon us [is] such that no person can comply with them, unless by assistance from the Almighty. It is necessary that we comprehend, at least, in part, the great and important blessings that we are to derive, eventually by complying with the requirements of the religion or gospel that we have received. The sacrifices that are required of us are of that nature that no man or woman could make them, unless aided by a supernatural power; and the Lord, in proposing these conditions, never intended that his people should ever be required to comply with them unless by supernatural aid, and of that kind that is not professed by any other class of religious people. He has promised this aid...." (Lorenzo Snow, Teachings of Presidents of the Church, With God All Things Are Possible, p 178-9)

This aid that God has promised to all His children so they could live the Celestial law in the telestial world is called grace. Grace is both God's good will and a divine power that we can access here and now for our personal perfection. Grace is twofold. Our part is the willingness to obey and the Lord's is to empower us beyond our natural capacity. In other words, all we need is to be willing to push whatever rock the Lord requires of us, but He in the end removes the rock: "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them" (Ether 12:27). The Saviour would not ask of us anything that He himself has not done. The amazing thing is that He subjected himself to the temptations and weaknesses of mortality not because He needed them but so that He could, through overcoming, gain compassion and power to succor us and perfect us. To 'succor' means to come to one's aid, help or relief. Because He himself has overcome the world, He has gained the power He can give us to overcome also: "Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me" (D&C 50:41).

Our willingness to obey and to overcome the weaknesses and trials of mortality, through God's grace, brings us greater rewards than the reward of salvation. The Lord tells us of this significant reward in Revelation: "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God..." (Rev 3:12); "A pillar in the temple of my God" means "a person of stature and eminence in the Celestial Kingdom of God. Heaven itself, the house and abode of God, is a temple, the chief and supreme temple of eternity" (Bruce R. McConkie). Christianity at large focuses only on salvation and the role of grace pertaining to that doctrine as outlined by Paul who said: "For by grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9). Well did Paul say that salvation is free and none of us are to boast that we have in any way earned it. Through the infinite sacrifice of Jesus Christ all men will be saved and resurrected through no effort of their own. Exaltation, however, is a different matter. Exaltation must be earned: "Salvation in all its forms, kinds, and degrees comes by the grace of God....Men are saved by grace alone in the sense of being resurrected; they are saved by grace coupled with obedience, in the sense of gaining eternal life..." (Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, Volume II, Acts-Phillipians, p 492-3).

Eternal life does not only mean 'life with God' but 'life as gods'. As Revelation points out, he that overcomes will not only be a pillar in the temple of God but shall have God's name written on him: "God's name is God. To have his name written on a person is to identify that person as a god. How can it be said more plainly? Those who gain eternal life become gods! Their inheritance is both a fullness of the glory of the Father and a continuation of the seed forever and ever. Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them" (D&C 132:19-20) (McConkie, DNTC, 3:458, The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, p 453).

"He that overcometh shall inherit all things:

and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment:

and I will not blog out his name out of the book of life,

but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, 

even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 

(Rev 21:7, 3:5,21)

".....and a book of remembrance was written before him

for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.

And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, 

in that day when I make up my jewels......

(Malachi 3:16,17)

THE HEART OF AN EAGLE

Seems that a certain man went through the forest looking for any kind of a bird of interest and he came upon a little baby eagle that had fallen out of his nest. He took it home and put it in a pen with the chickens and the turkeys and the ducks.

Several years later a naturalist came by his house and passing through the garden said:
"Sir, that's an eagle, not a chicken."
"Yes Sir, but I've trained it to be a chicken. It's no longer an eagle, it's a chicken even though it measures 15' from tip to tip of his wings."
"No" said the naturalist, "It's an eagle, it has a heart of an eagle and if you let me, I'll make it soar to the heights of the heavens."
"No" said the owner, "it's a chicken. It will never fly."
They agreed to test it.
The naturalist picked up the eagle and said:
"Eagle, thou doest belong to the sky and not to this earth. Stretch forth thy wings and fly."
The eagle turned this way and that and very nervously looked down and then jumped to be with his friends the chickens.
The owner said:
"I told you it was a chicken."
"No" said the naturalist, "it's an eagle, give it another chance tomorrow."

So the next day he took it to the top of the house and said:
"Eagle, thou art an eagle, stretch forth thy wings and fly."
But again the eagle seeing the chickens jumped down and fared with them.
The owner said again:
"I told you it was a chicken."
"No" said the naturalist, "it's an eagle, it has a heart of an eagle and if you give it another chance it will soar like an eagle".
The next morning he arose early and took the eagle outside the city away from the house to the foot of a great mountain.
The sun was just rising gilding the top of the mountain with gold and every crack was glistening with the joy of that beautiful morning. He picked up the eagle.
"Eagle, thou art an eagle, thou doest belong to the sky, not to the earth, stretch forth thy wings and fly."
The eagle looked and trembled as if new life was coming to it but it did not fly. The naturalist then made it look straight into the sun. 
Suddenly it stretched forth it's mighty wings and with the screech of an eagle, it flew."

- Author Unknown

The beginning of early Christianity was also the beginning of the Great Apostasy. Within mere 30 years following Christ's ascension into heaven, the profound and simple truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ started to be blended with philosophies of men and eventually 'the wisdom of God was rejected as foolishness. The miracles of the Atonement, the Resurrection, and the ordinances were diluted and deleted. Men, blinded to the wisdom of God by their own intellectual conceit, added and subtracted at will from the truths revealed by God. Gradually and inevitably, these precious truths were changed, perverted, and lost. The simple was embellished, the holy corrupted, the truth falsified' (The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, p. 229). Under the Saviour's admonition to take the Gospel to other nations, Paul and the Apostles took the Gospel beyond the walls of Jerusalem to dispersed Jews, then Samaritans and then the Gentiles, more specifically, the Mediterranean world ruled by the Roman Empire. The Gospel which they preached was grounded in the eyewitness testimony of Jesus for many had seen the Saviour following His resurrection, therefore, their testimony and message was not based on Christ's teachings only but more importantly, on their witness of His resurrection which left no room for speculation. This non-speculative nature of the Christian faith conflicted with the philosophical conjecture in the Mediterranean which was heavily under the Hellenic influence, meaning Greek philosophy. Where Jews sought signs, Greeks sought wisdom and it is the wisdom of men which they revered more than the simple truths of the Gospel. With time the Christian resistance to Greek philosophy broke down and the strange admixture of Christian truth with pagan philosophy and practice constituted the Great Apostasy (see The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, p 233).

The tragedy of the Great Apostasy and the loss of simple truths of the Gospel cannot be over-stated. From about 100 A.D. until 1820, the children of men groped in darkness relying on the wisdom of men regarding their origin and destiny. Even today, despite the restoration of the truth, the world at large does not understand the meaning and purpose of life and looks to the wisdom of men, men who are 'ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth' (2 Timothy 3:7). This means many of us are confused not knowing who we truly are and what we can become. We cast our lot with men of the world who are as chickens pecking the group for gems of knowledge. We are looking down when we should be looking up. The tragedy of this is that the wisdom of men cannot elevate us above this telestial world. It teaches us to live here and now and gives no hope of anything better. The wisdom of men strives to keep us in the chicken coop not allowing us to believe that we are eagles meant for greater heights than this mortal sphere in this telestial world.

The restored Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us of our divine nature. It teaches us that within each one of us are seeds of excellence, seeds of perfection, seeds of godhood. We are meant to soar to greater heights with our eyes fixed on the glory of the sun for the glory of the sun is also the glory of the "Son" by whom we receive the same glory unto ourselves. Let us be wise and not look to the philosophies of men but to the Son who disperses confusing doctrines and false teachings of men.We do not belong to the telestial realm with the chickens, pecking the crumbs of their wisdom. We are eagles who belong to the skies, reaching for the sun which reflects the glory of celestial kingdom, which is our eternal home. It is there we want to find rest, from all our burdens, from all our sorrows, from all our tears. We are meant for greatness to which only the Saviour can lift us. He is the one that gives might to our wings, He is the sun which shines brightly and guides us to our eternal home. He is the one who He gives power to those He loves and He loves those who would have Him be their God (1 Nephi 17:40).

"Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no fathoming of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint"

(Isaiah 40:28-31)

THE HEIGHTS OF DISCIPLESHIP

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 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 committment of the truly converted.  Those who made the upward journey were willing and prepared to live the higher law leading to exaltation.

The Beatitudes which constitute the Sermon on the Mount have been referred to by Bible commentators as 'the preparation necessary for entrance into the kingdom of heaven' (The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Student Manual, p 60). They embody the constitution for a perfect life and become steps of perfection that enable us to obey the two great commandments, to love God and to love our fellowman. Obedience to the first four Beatitudes lead us to the love of God: the poor in spirit who recognise their dependence on God for all they have and all they are, are led to thirst and hunger after righteousness and to mourn for their sins which leads them to repentence and acceptance of the need to enter the waters of baptism, being the gateway to His kingdom. The Beatitudes which include the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the merciful and those which are persecuted are those which are learning to love their fellowman. (The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, Student Manual, p. 60-61)

Whilst on the Mount, the Saviour assured his disciples that He did not come to 'destroy the law or the prophets but only to fulfill' (Mat 5:17). Immediately following this statement He elaborated by adding antitheses to six laws, each beginning with the statement "Ye have heard it said". It was clear by these antitheses which reflected various codes of conduct found in the Law of Moses, that the Lord intended His listeners to live these laws at a higher level (The Sermon on the Mount: "A More Excellent Way" by Bruce Satterfield,).  It is by no coincidence that the Saviour delivered the admonition to live at a higher level on a mountain. The Mosaic law given to Israel was delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai where the Lord told Moses he wanted Israel to serve Him. It was to this mountain that the Lord invited all Israel to come and commune with Him and to become 'a kingdom of priests and a holy nation' (Exodus 19:5-6). Israel, however, refused to be sanctified and to receive the higher priesthood which would lead them to exaltation. Ancient societies believed their gods lived in mountains. When temples were built to house deity, they were considered to be 'mountains'. If possible they were built on mountains or high places and if not, the structure of the building was designed to represent a mountain (The Sermon on the Mount: "A More Excellent Way" by Bruce Satterfield,)

The Saviour delivered the higher law on the heights of a mountain symbolising the higher way of living through covenants we make in the temple, the covenants which lead to exaltation and the heights of godhood. The proof of this intent can be found in the fact that He delivered this significant sermon to the Nephites in the Bountiful Temple (3 Nephi 11:1). Immediately following the sermon He issued an invitation and a challenge to the Nephites 'to be the salt of the earth' (3 Nephi 12:13). Why salt? Because salt symbolises indestructibility. Salt was used anciently in a variety of sacrifices of the Mosaic Law (Lev 2:13). "The Lord also referred to a series of obligations as a 'covenant of salt' to demonstrate the eternal nature of the covenant that had just been made between Him and Israel (Num 18:19, 2 Chron 13:5). With this understanding in mind, the invitation to become the salt of the earth was a challenge to enter into the higher law of the gospel with an everlasting covenant. This is stated clearly in modern revelation: 'When men are called unto mine everlasting gospel, and covenant with an everlasting covenant, they are accounted as the salt of the earth and the savor of men' (D&C 101:39)  (The Sermon on the Mount: "A More Excellent Way" by Bruce Satterfield,). As a preservative, salt was also used in the Mosaic sacrificial ritual as a reminder that we should remember and preserve our covenants with God (Numbers 18:19; 2 Chronicles 13:5).


True disciples of Christ belong on the mountain and not in the valley. They are meant for better and higher things than this world can offer. The heights of discipleship can lead them to eternal life and exaltation that only the Master can give. He is the light, the truth and the way. For us who have been baptised and taken upon ourselves His name, the road is simple and straight and there are no obstacles there, save the ones we place ourselves. And even then He has prepared the way . He will fill in the holes, patch up the cracks, smooth out the way, over and over and over again. We are meant to live on the mountain, far above the cares of this world. To reach higher, to look upward, to be a light to the world. We are the salt of the earth bound by the temple covenants to be His. He calls us to the mountain just like Israel of old, the mountain where He can bless us with the highest of blessings matching the heights of our discipleship. Leaving the world behind, we are admonished to think, feel and act like truly converted disciples of Christ. Only then can we become crowned with blessings of eternal life which He so anxiously awaits to give us.