THE ONLY ONE

 

When I joined the Church, I was very grounded in it. I felt like I had come home. The doctrine of the kingdom sunk deep into my soul. I loved it all: the members, the meetings, the leaders. I revered the prophets who led me to Christ but prophets come and go and yet this truth remains….there is only one source of salvation and that is our Saviour Jesus Christ. His power and glory will endure forever. He is our focus, He is our model, He is our all…..

Through “The Lectures On Faith” we are told that we need three kinds of knowledge for salvation: 1. The knowledge that God exists; 2. The knowledge of the characteristics and attributes of God; and 3. The Knowledge that our course of life is agreeable to God (Jerry A. Wilson, “The Great Plan of Happiness, Insights from the Lectures On Faith”, p 9)

Who is our God? It is He who has created this earth and made himself the author of our salvation. It is He who works to bring about the purposes of the Father regarding His children. Whilst we are here, the Saviour, the Christ, the Rock of Heaven, the He who was crucified for the sins of the world is our God. He is the one who deserves the glory, the adulation, the love….more than anyone.

I wager that most people in the world know that God exists. Somehow it seems innate in us to believe in higher power. The privilege we, as Latter-day Saints have, through the restored gospel, is the knowledge of the character of God we worship, the Son of the Father:

 1. He was God before the world was created; 2. He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abundant in goodness; 3. He changes not, He is the same yesterday, today and forever; 4. He is a God of truth and cannot lie; 5. He is no respecter of persons, He offers salvation to all who will believe and accept Him; 6. He is a God of love.  (ibid p 28). He is the same as God the Father and in that respect they are one God.

In our present sorrow, there is great comfort because we have such a God, He who endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2); the joy of uniting the human family beyond the sting of death…..we owe it all to Him: our family and friend associations throughout eternity, our everlasting life, our glorious destiny for all eternity.  Is it not a time to rejoice??? 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Majestic Christ by Chris Brazelton)

THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH

 

I want to testify of the sacred role of the Holy Ghost who reveals all truth to the true followers of Jesus Christ……the Revealer, the Comforter, the Spirit of God, by whom all revelation is given to the children of men through his power.

It came to me recently to understand something that has corrected my misunderstanding of the Saviour’s nature. For a while now I have been of the opinion that the Saviour is excessively merciful and tolerant towards us. This error was brought to my attention unexpectedly through the story of King David. I don’t know why, but this story flooded my mind, in the middle of the night as I slept, and taught me something I had not seen before.

To recap…..there was not a king who loved the God of Israel more than King David. When he conquered Jerusalem he brought the ark of the covenant into the city ‘with gladness’ and led a procession of Israelites playing instruments, shouting, singing and dancing ‘before the Lord with all his might’ in praise of the God he worshipped (2 Samuel 6:12-15). No king of Israel was more free from idolatrous inclinations or practices than David. Because of this, he became the standard of excellence that all subsequent kings came to be measured by.

David’s valour and his accomplishments as a king were outstanding. His reign is known in the annals of history as ‘the golden age of Israel’. His love for the God of Israel can leave you breathless through the psalms he wrote about him. And who can forget his valiant Israelite spirit as he slew Goliath exclaiming: “Is there not a cause in Israel?”

David’s fall from grace we know well. What is less observed in that moment of history is his godly sorrow and repentance. Equally impressive is his rejoicing and his hope of a lesser degree of eternal reward praising God because ‘He will not leave his soul in hell’ (Acts 2:25-26). This hope of the resurrection of the unjust is known as ‘the sure mercies of David’ (see Bruce R. McConkie, The Promised Messiah, p 272).

I can think of no one who would have wept more when this tragedy unfolded than the Saviour himself. To lose someone with so much promise and faithfulness would have been agonizing to Him. If there was anyone the Saviour could have been excessively merciful to, it would have been David. But where would that have left Uriah, and his innocent blood that was spilt? One truth remains….mercy cannot rob justice (Alma 42:25).

I always thought I understood the relationship between mercy and justice but now I understand it at a deeper level because I was taught through the medium I would understand. David’s story has always tugged at my heart.

Can you see the perfect nature of a God that we worship and trust through this story? On Judgment Day, the balance between justice and mercy will be so perfect that we will not be able to question it…..for our God knows all: He knows our hearts, our capabilities, our intents, our souls, our pains, everything that could induce mercy….but yet He obeys all the laws that He himself is governed by and ensures there will be no one left without justice.

This understanding of the Saviour’s perfect character came to me through the power of the Spirit. My intent is to bear witness that the Holy Ghost can teach us what we need to know and more importantly, he can broaden our vista of knowledge of God. And this is why it is important for us to know Him: “Three things are necessary in order for a person to exercise faith in God unto life and salvation: 1. The idea that He actually exists; 2. A correct idea of His character, perfections, and attributes; 3. An actual knowledge that the course of life which he is pursuing is according to His will.” – Joseph Smith, Lectures on Faith, Lecture Third.

 

ODE TO THE GOD WHO SEES MY SOUL:
You who know me well
Teach me all that I need
And send me Him
My soul to feed.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Spirit of God by LDS ART)

THE ALL KNOWING GOD

 

I read a long time ago Joseph Smith's statement in "Lectures on Faith 3" that we cannot have proper faith in God unless we know Him so that has been my goal for many years. I came to understand over time what peace just knowing one of His attributes can give me.

Nephi says that God knows all things and that ‘there is not anything save he knows it’ (2 Nephi 9:20). In other words, God has perfect and complete knowledge. God is not progressing and adding to His intellectual reservoir, like some people have come to believe. Why would this give us peace? Because if God's knowledge was not complete, He could not bring to pass our immortality and eternal life. If it were not so, prophecies would be mere predictions; the Plan of Salvation would always be under review; and the outcomes of our lives would be forever changing according to new knowledge that He would acquire. But God does not make mistakes and He does not create messes….because He is perfect, His knowledge is perfect and He changes not (3 Nephi 24:6; Moroni 8:18; Mormon 9:9-10; Moroni 7:22; Moroni 10:34; D&C 19:11-12; 20:12; 20:17).

But this is not all. This is what gives me the greatest peace regarding His perfection: Because God is perfect in His knowledge, He knows the outcomes of our lives and this enables Him to have patience and tolerance for us throughout our progress. God is mostly concerned with the end product; not what we have been but who we are going to end up. He is focused on the direction we are facing. All that is in our past: repented of, changed because of, and progressed from, is forgotten. God always looks at who we are at this moment, rather than who we have been. Does this not give you peace?

Are you discouraged with your progress? Are you guilt ridden because of your past? Are you ashamed in any way that you are not ‘there’ yet? Time does not exist for God. God is without beginning of days or end of years (Moses 1:3). Past, present and future are continually before Him (D&C 130:7). The merciful sacrifice of one member of the Godhead makes your progress to sanctification and eternal life possible. You are not alone in this. His power is behind you, beside you, in front of you. God sees the polished gem you are yet to become. Let it light your way to believe in yourself.

How commendably patient Thou art

With the slow progress

Of my proud heart;

How great Thy wisdom,

How great Thy mercy,

How great Thy love

That fills my joyful heart;

How very great Thou art!

- Cathryne Allen

(Art: Creator by Greg Olsen)