A BETTER WORLD

 

I happened to see a YouTube video recently that attempted to teach us that there are three words we should never say.

Apparently according to ‘the law of attraction’ the number one thing we should never say is, “I hope”. The self-help gurus teach that ‘hope’ lacks tangible stability and will therefore always have you chasing something that isn’t real rendering what you hope for incapable of manifesting into reality.

To me it spells this: those who teach we should invest ourselves in the law of attraction for our success, well being and survival in life, teach the techniques and wisdom of the world. I believe in the sustaining power of hope. My whole world revolves around it.

Imagine if there was no hope in the world. Would we ever stop seeing doctors if we had no hope that we would one day get better? Would we ever stop educating ourselves if we never had hope of getting a job commensurate with our level of education? Would we ever attempt to date if we had no hope that one day we will find a marriage partner? Hope propels us into action manifesting those things in life which are within our control.

 Now take this a step further to realise how this principle would destroy our faith in God for the reality of those things which are not within our control.  Would we ever stop praying because we had no hope of God’s help? Would we ever survive and endure this life if we had no hope of a better one? Would we ever accept Christ as our Saviour if we had no hope in His salvation?

"Every one of us has times when we need to know things will get better. Moroni spoke of it in the Book of Mormon as a "hope for a better world" (Ether 12:4). For emotional health and spiritual stamina, everyone needs to be able to look forward to some respite, to something pleasant and renewing and hopeful, whether that blessing be near at hand or still some distance ahead.

“It is enough just to know we can get there, that however measured or far away, there is the promise of 'good things to come'. My declaration is that this is precisely what the gospel of Jesus Christ offers us, especially in times of need. There is help. There is happiness. There really is light at the end of the tunnel. It is the Light of the World, the Bright and Morning Star, the 'light that is endless, that can never be darkened'. It is the very Son of God Himself."

- Holland, Jeffrey R., "An High Priest of Good Things to Come", October 1999

Imagine if this world was perfect. If there were no calamities, wickedness or turmoil....Imagine if this telestial life was an easy ride; one of constant happiness and devoid of strife. Would we, as disciples of Christ, be yearning and hoping for our Celestial home which is our ultimate destination?

Some say that there have been bad times on this earth since year one and what we are experiencing now is not new. That is true but never before have calamities and scourges come with such intensity, frequency and speed.

There will soon come a time when there will not be a period of respite; when we will long for peace, rest and freedom from oppression of every kind; when we will know beyond a shadow of doubt that He is our only hope, our Deliverer, our God; when we shall have hope through the Atonement and Resurrection of Christ, to be raised unto life eternal (Moroni 7:41).

It will be a time when we will say, in the words of John the Beloved: Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20) for if a man have hope he will also have faith, for without faith there cannot be any hope (Moroni 7:42).

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Second Coming by Brent Borup)

THE SCHOOL OF LIFE

 

I asked the school of life

What it could teach me best;

The teacher I was given

Never gave me rest.

She gave me many useful lessons

That helped me shun despair

And taught me how to master

The magic art of care.

But the greatest skill she gave me

Was the skill to banish fears

Which spared me untold moments

Drowned in helpless tears.

Right now the world is drowning in fear. This fear is mostly generated by the governments of the world. Whoever is at the top has the most power to dictate which way the tide will go. Not only is this fear debilitating mentally but it is turning us against each other and depriving us of family togetherness.

I met a lady last year who told me her sister had died of Covid. I said to her: "Oh that's terrible! How are you coping?" She answered: "We're ok. People die. People die of all sorts of things, every day. My sister died of Covid." And never a greater truth has been spoken. People die just walking out of their house. My father-in-law did. He was hit but a car crossing the road and died instantly. Consider all the deaths that happen that we rarely anticipate and fear: wars, natural disasters, crime, sickness that comes and goes, traffic accidents....just too name a few.

The thing is, we often fear things that never come to pass so a lot of distress is experienced unnecessarily. A lot of times though, we attract what we fear. Energy is a real thing. The law of attraction works both ways, it attracts the negative as much as it attracts the positive. I am reminded of a little story I read years ago that goes something like this: A man was walking on a road one day when he met Plague and Fear. They told him they were on their way to a neighbouring town where they were going to kill 2,000 people. The man said to the Plague: "I guess you have your work cut out for you" but the Plague replied: "Oh no, I am only going to kill 200, Fear is going to do the rest".

This life is a life of opposites. We cannot expect joy, happiness and wellness without experiencing sadness, grief and sickness. Otherwise, what would be the point of us being here? God knew we would experience all the bad with the good so He gave us the gift of resilience, power and faith. Fear is inverted faith. With each situation in life we are choosing either one or the other. May we greet each day of this precarious life with the echo of these words of wisdom and decide which way our day will go:

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)

• Cathryne Allen
  (ART: The Doors by Markus)

ASK AND YE SHALL RECEIVE

There is much talk today about the Universe among the modern day philosophers who seek to promote the law of attraction. One of their theories is that you should not ask for anything because that sends the message to 'the Universe' that you are lacking and putting out the message of lack attracts lack. In other words, whatever you say and think attracts the like because the Universe 'seeks' to match the vibrations which you send it which suggests that the Universe is mindless. They argue that words like 'want' and 'hope' should be eradicated from our vocabulary because they contribute to the lack mentality. Rather, they reason, when in need of something you should think and speak as if you already have it. Whereas imagining and saying that we already have what we want is a great way to exercise faith, it should in reality be the method employed after we ask and not a method that replaces asking. Consider the story of Lehi who said "I have obtained a land of promise" (1 Nephi 5:5) after God had revealed it to him and before he set foot on the American continent.

Whereas laws have been placed in the Universe that allow us to receive according to our actions and obedience (D&C 130:20,21), there is a huge flaw with the world's theory of the 'mindless Universe'. The law of attraction largely surpasses God in the equation because it eliminates the action of asking encouraging us to believe we will get it no matter what. It suggests the Universe is an entity devoid of the mind of God. It also surpasses and denies the mediator in whose name we have the right to approach God and place our petitions before Him. These two factors combine to perpetrate a gross violation of the spiritual law to love God and glorify Him through His Son. The world tells us we do not need to believe in God so we are led to have faith in His creation rather than Him. Because the Universe can be seen and there is scientific proof of it, it is easier to worship it and ignore the very first commandment, to love God.

Jesus said to His disciples: "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (John 14:13). By asking in Christ's name we acknowledge Him and His supreme role in our lives as our Creator and our Saviour. By acknowledging Christ, we acknowledge the Father and glorify His name (John 14:9,10).

I know there are many pragmatic people in the world who prefer to have faith in practicality of life and their own capabilities rather than exercise faith in a being who they cannot see and do not understand the workings of.  How can we comprehend God and his ability to be mindful of all His children and attend to so many of us at the same time? There is an interesting scripture that could offer an explanation for this. When Moses saw God face to face, God gave him a vision of the earth and every living soul that belonged to it and 'their numbers were great, even numberless as the sand upon the sea shore' (Moses 1:27-8). The interesting part is this: The scripture says 'there was NOT A SOUL which he beheld not' (v 28). it does not say that he saw masses of people but that he saw souls. Now how could Moses see numberless people, individually, in such a short time, perhaps even all at once? The scripture goes on to say that he discerned them by the spirit of God. This gives us somewhat of a glimpse into the mind of God and how it works, because it is clear that God's spirit allowed Moses to see things the way God sees them. This would suggest that God is able to entertain multiple thoughts simultaneously. He does not think one thought at the time like we do. If He can think multiple thoughts at once, that means He can have more than one child on his mind at any given time too and know their thoughts and hear their prayers all at once. This could also explain how Christ, being God, could atone for infinite number of people at one time without losing individual focus (see "The Infinite Atonement" by Tad R. Callister)

We of the finite minds and finite world do not understand what it means to be a God and the power and capabilities that lie within godhood. Beyond the realm of our finite limitation lies faith. Without that limitation we would be as gods, understanding as they do and knowing as they know. This is our goal and our destination, but for now it is our responsibility to recognise the path that will get us there and in the process to glorify the Father through His Son who has proclaimed: "This is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). We cannot bypass the reverence that He so fully deserves. This is the path and there is no other; this is the way and there is none else; He is the way, the truth, the life....

WORDS

I love words. I love words like some people love numbers. My teaching assignments are always preceded with a prayerful request that I be allowed to speak with 'the tongue of angels' (2 Nephi 32:2). Very often when I pray I begin the prayer asking that the Holy Ghost give me the words that I should speak. Like Nephites of old, who did not 'multiply many words' and who were given what they should pray (3 Nephi 19:24) I believe best prayers are those born of the spirit. I don't do this because I am a highly spiritual person but because of my love of words which at times fail me and because I believe that the greatest words that can possibly be uttered are those that come from above. There are instances in the Book of Mormon where the prophets were forbidden to write down the words that were given them (1 Nephi 14:28; 3 Nephi 28:14,25; 3 Nephi 26:11:16; 3 Nephi 27:23; 3 Nephi 17:15; 3 Nephi 19:32,34; 3 Nephi 26:16,18; Ether 4:1; Ether 13:13). When all things are revealed I will wait in line with those who want to know the 'forbidden' words.

Scattered throughout the scriptures are "three word sermons", directives so to speak, to the true seekers of truth. They resonate with such, consciously and subconsciously, because their purpose is to bring men unto Christ. Such "three word sermons" as the following:

 Look and behold

Worship the Lord

Remember the Lord

Hearken and hear

Rebel no more

Awake my soul!

Hearken unto me

Put on strength

Remember my words

Prepare your souls

Follow thou me

Look unto God

O be wise

Come unto Christ

Awake and hear

Believe in God

O man remember

Come unto me

Do good continually

O repent ye!

Pray unto Him

Behold and remember

Cry unto God

Remember these words

Keep my commandments

O remember, remember

Words are energy, like everything in our universe. Because they are energy, they have a vibrational frequency which has the power to attract, affect and create. This is quantum physics. Through words we can make people feel loved, hated, belittled, valued, uplifted and demeaned. Words can hurt and words can mend. They can destroy or they can create. They have immense power: "In the beginning was the word and the word was with God, and the word was God" (John 1:1). It was through words that Christ manifested His power to heal, raise the dead, cast out devils, confound the proud and the wise, still the storms, reject Satan's temptations and bring men unto Him.

Consider this simple, yet powerful example of the effect of His words: "Now in the morning as He returned into the city, He hungered. And when He saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth and forever. And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, how soon is the fig tree withered away!" (Matthew 21:18-20). What followed this incident, however, is one of the most powerful teaching moments of His ministry. Not only did He tell the disciples that if they have faith and doubt not, they can by the power of their words move mountains, but something even more significant than mountains: "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive" (Matthew 21:22). And what is prayer? Words.

Words are power. I hear a lot about the law of attraction and how it is put into motion through words. They say whatever we speak, we bring about and I fully agree. However, I also believe that words are most powerful when they express faith in God. Through the medium of words we can express faith to be delivered, to be healed, to be comforted, to be made to understand, to be given revelations, to foster testimony, to believe. We can manifest God's power, mercy and love towards us through the words that we speak. When the chief judge of Ammoniahah came to Alma and Amulek in prison questioning them and receiving no answer, he said to them: "...Know ye not that I have power to deliver you up unto the flames?" (Alma 14:19). Alma however was familiar with flames. He stared at the fires of hell during the three days of his anguish and because of it he knew that God possessed far greater power than the pitiful judges of Ammoniahah. So Alma sat in prison with Amulek for many days suffering abuse of every kind from anyone who wished to visit them. And he said nothing. Finally when all had had a turn, their patience and long suffering was rewarded for 'the power of God [came] upon them and they rose and stood upon their feet' (Alma 14:25). This should have been a cue for all present to clear the cell. Alma however did not evoke any calamity upon his accusers but then he didn't have to. He instead spoke the most powerful words in scripture when he said: "O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance" (Alma 14:26). The cords were broken, the earth shook, the walls came tumbling down and those who despised the words of Christ were no more. Nephi, like Alma, when needed delivering from his brothers murderous' designs, spoke the same words and received the same results: "O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound" (1 Nephi 7:17). Nephi testifies: "And it came to pass that when I had said these words, behold the bands were loosed from off my hands and feet, and I stood before my brethren, and I spake unto them again" (1 Nephi 7:18). We like Alma and Nephi can have the power of deliverance to free us from our sins, addictions, weaknesses, worldly lusts and pursuits, and to help us to overcome the world one temptation at the time, daily, monthly, yearly.  All it takes is faith in Christ and appealing to His power to save through the words that we speak.

Our words either confirm or negate our faith. It is useless praying for something and then not showing forth our faith in our daily conversations and thoughts. If the Saviour told His disciples that through the power of their word they can exercise faith to move mountains, then it is so. So often we murmur and complain and stay on the negative course after we have prayed for good things to be manifested in our lives. This is a disaster because the power of our words destroy the power of faith. The following true story is a perfect example of this. Notice how Lucy Mack Smith demonstrated her faith through the words she spoke as opposed to other saints who destroyed their faith through murmuring and complaining:

"Shortly after the Church was organized in Palmyra, New York, Joseph Smith's mother, Lucy Mack Smith, remained in Waterloo, New York, with a large group of Saints while her husband, Joseph Sr., and some of their sons, including Joseph Jr., departed before her for Kirtland, Ohio. Her responsibility was to bring this group to Ohio when she received word from her son, the Prophet. Word came in early spring 1831. Lucy, with the help of some of the brethren, began to move the group to Buffalo, New York, with the intention of making passage to Ohio by ship on Lake Erie. She said: 'When the brethren considered the spring sufficiently open for travelling on the water, we all began to prepare for our removal to Kirtland. We hired a boat....;and....we numbered eighty souls'. Then, as they pushed off into the Erie Canal and headed to Buffalo, she said: 'I then called the brethren and sisters together, and reminded them that we are traveling by the commandment of the Lord, as much as Father Lehi was, when he left Jerusalem; and, if faithful, we had the same reasons to expect the blessings of God. I then desired them to be solemn, and to lift their hearts to God continually in prayer, that we might be prospered'.

About halfway to Buffalo from Waterloo, passage along the canal became impossible. Conditions for the 80 Saints were uncomfortable, and murmuring began almost immediately. Lucy, relying on the Lord, had to unite their faith. She told them: 'No, no,.....you will not starve, brethren, nor anything of that sort; only be patient and stop murmuring. I have no doubt but the hand of the Lord is over us'. When they arrived in Buffalo on the fifth day after leaving Waterloo, the harbor leading to Lake Erie was frozen. They took passage on a ship with Captain Blake, a man acquainted with Lucy Smith and her family. After a couple of days, although conditions on the ship were not conducive for all of them to stay while awaiting notice of departure, Lucy reported, 'Captain Blake requested the passengers to remain on board, as he wished, from that time, to be ready to start at a moment's warning; at the same time he sent out a man to measure the depth of the ice, who, when he returned, reported that it was piled up to the height of twenty feet [6 m], and that it was his opinion that we would remain in the harbor at least two weeks longer'. This was devastating news to the group. Supplies were low and conditions were difficult. Lucy Mack Smith further recorded her admonition to the Saints: 'You profess to put your trust in God, then how can you feel to murmur and complain as you do! You are even more unreasonable than the children of Israel were; for here are my sisters pining for their rocking chairs, and brethren from whom I expected firmness and energy, declare that they positively believe they shall starve to death before they get to the end of their journey. And why is it so? Have any of you lacked?....Where is your faith? Where is your confidence in God? Can you not realise that all things were made by Him, and that He rules over the works of His own hands? And suppose that all the Saints here should lift their hearts in prayer to God, that the way might be opened before us, how easy it would be for him to cause the ice to break away, so that in a moment we could be on our journey! Now, brethren and sisters, if you will all of you raise your desires to heaven, that the ice may be broken up, and we be set at liberty, as sure as the Lord lives it will be done'. At that instant a noise was heard, like bursting thunder. The captain cried, 'Every man to his post'. The ice parted, leaving barely a passage for the boat, and so narrow that as the boat passed through, the buckets of the waterwheel were torn off with a crash, which, joined to the word of command from the captain, the hoarse answering of the sailors, the noise of the crash, and the cries and confusion of the spectators, presented a scene truly terrible. We had barely passed through the avenue when the ice closed together again, and the Colesville brethren were left in Buffalo, unable to follow us.

'As we were leaving the harbor, one of the bystanders exclaimed, 'There goes the Mormon company! That boat is sunk in the water nine inches deeper than ever it was before, and mark it, she will sink - there is nothing surer.' In fact, they were so sure of it that they went straight to the news office and had it published that we were sunk, so that when we arrived at Fairport we read in the papers the news of our own death.' (Elder Gary E. Stevenson, With All Thy Getting Get Understanding, Ensign Jan 2017, excerpt from Lucy Mack Smith, History of Joseph Smith by His Mother, Lucy Mack Smith (1979), 195-99, 202-5)

Do I believe that Lucky Mack Smith broke that ice with the words of her faith? Absolutely. Even as the brother of Jared moved Mount Zerin when he said, 'Remove' - and it was removed (Ether 12:30). Were these people unique people who had certain powers? No. They were faithful people who performed special deeds through the power of their spoken word.

I love discovering the "three word sermons". They say so much with so little. I am a writer. Expression is my passion. To say much with few words is an art in my estimation. Not only an art, but something of great worth for how we speak and what we say is an indication of the inner man. Nephi was a man of utmost faith. The greatest indication of his faith was his obedience. Therefore, there is no greater "three word sermon" in the holy scriptures that describe Nephi better than the one he closed his account with and the words of that sermon are: I must obey.