I marvel that a powerful being
such as You would love
Such a weak being like me.
With
thankfulness, You remember the me
That
once walked the clouds with Thee;
That
You see who I once used to be,
And
value me despite my fragile humanity.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
If there is
one thing we can learn from the characters that grace the pages of our
scriptures it is that they too were imperfect. Sometimes we tend to remember
those who are deceased only for their good qualities. This is where written
history helps us see things in a better light. Even those exemplary leaders in
the House of Israel had their weaknesses and imperfections.
Herein is
the mercy of God. He favours even the imperfect and makes them His chosen
people. We are perfect examples of that. We were chosen as the elect of God and
assigned to the tribes of the House of Israel before we were even born (see
James Talmage, “Articles of Faith” pp 193-94). We were elected based on our
capacities, our willingness, our faith and our thirst for the truth:
“…the House
of Israel is composed of the spirits from pre-mortal life who there developed a
talent for spirituality, and who are therefore entitled to the blessing of
heaven in this life on a preferential basis.” (Bruce R. McConkie, “Mortal
Messiah Book 3” p 11)
On Judgment
Day, our desires, our faith and our love of God and the truth will be considered
as much as our good deeds. In writing to Romans, Paul told them that Abraham’s
faith was accounted to him for righteousness and that man is justified by
faith, righteous works, and grace (see Romans 4).
The Church
has given us some guidelines to follow when we study about the House of Israel
and consider the covenant people we belong to:
1. Is there any evidence in the
scriptural record that imperfect behaviour was in any way overlooked, condoned,
or excused by the Lord?
2. Can we learn from the faults and
failings of our ancestors as well as from their strengths and successes?
3. Do you see any evidences of growth,
development, repentance, and commitment in the record of the earliest covenant
people?
4. Do the human interest details, such as the rivalry between Rachel and Leah, make it easier or harder for you to believe that God is a loving and patient Father, and that you, too, in spite of your own failings, may become a covenant person?
-
Old
Testament Student Manual Genesis – 2 Samuel p 90
These guidelines suggest one thing very clearly. God is the same
yesterday, today and forever (Mormon 9:9). He cannot look upon sin with the
least degree of allowance so He holds us all to the same standard in that
respect (D&C 1:31). As for the human condition of weakness, there is grace.
I marvel that you would love
Such an imperfect being like me.
With thankfulness, You remember the me
That once walked the clouds with Thee;
That You see who I once used to be,
And value me despite my humanity.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Compassionate Christ by Greg Sargent)
I read
recently Elder Holland’s glowing tribute to his wife Patricia. He basically
described a perfect woman who always had the scriptures in her hands. I walked
away feeling less than good about myself wondering how anyone can be so
perfect.
Do you know
people who seem to have easy, wonderful lives and who seldom get touched by any
trial? I do. I don’t know why some people get away with simple, seemingly
perfect lives and others don’t. I would imagine a lot of factors play a part.
All I know according to personal revelation is that my life was planned for me and
I am trusting that. I certainly don’t begrudge anyone an easy life, in fact I
am glad someone has that.
One thing I
do know. No matter how perfect you are in this life, you still need the
sanctifying blood of the Atonement. Abraham, Job and Noah were the most perfect
according to the scriptures but they still needed saving simply because our
mortality is a fallen state. There is no other way to be redeemed and be
reconciled with the Father and be brought back into His presence but through
the grace of Jesus Christ.
Noah was a ‘just
man and perfect in his generations’ (Genesis 6:9). Abraham was ‘the father of
the faithful’ (D&C 138:41), one of the ‘great ones’ who was in Christ’s
bosom long before this earth began (Abraham 3:23), a man whom the Saviour
called ‘my friend’ (James 2:23; Isaiah 41:8) and Job, what hasn’t been said about
Job? A man who ‘was perfect and upright
and one that feared God, and eschewed evil’…… and yet his life turned into a
ruin (Job 1:1).
Another thing I know. We do not walk in other people’s
shoes. We only know what is available to the eye. We are each a walking sum of
our choices, our desires, our achievements, our abilities, our
responsibilities, our challenges and our opportunities. We are all different
people with the same destiny. We are God’s children destined for eternal glory.
When I joined the Church I did not desire to be
perfect. Instead my desire was to be a strong person. I wanted to be valiant to
the end. I wanted to be like Job. This is someone I admired the most. A man who
endured against all odds and still sang praises to God. He was the perfect
example that the trial equals the stature of the man. The trial of faith has to
have the power to destroy that faith.
Another thing I saw in Job – his humanity. His soul
became weary of living and he wished to die (Job 3:3; 10:1). I have been there…more
than once. Now I am learning about endurance I am often reminded of my hero Job
who was rescued by the greatest hero of all who suffered it all……
You
sank so deep
Into
the mire of your pain;
Nobody
followed you
Nobody
sang praises to your name.
In
your hour of agony
You
gloried in His name
You
became my beacon of hope
that
I can do the same.
He
stood as sentinel
to
your yielding heart
Knowing
your trust
would
stand the test of time.
He
crushed the enemy
of
your soul in the final hour,
His
glory, His might,
His
unfathomable power.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Artist Unknown)
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)
