I read some years ago one
of the prophets had said something very profound about marriage. He said that
divorce is always a result of selfishness and that a marriage can be successful
when both partners put their spouse first and consider themselves guardians of
their partner’s happiness. That way both parties win and happiness ensues. I was divorced by then and I reflected back on
my marriage and understood this to be true.
Over the years as I have
studied the Gospel and most importantly, came to know the Saviour more, I have
come to the point where I am understanding more and more that selfless love is
the path to true happiness, and not just in marriage. This is the kind of love
that will prevail in celestial kingdom by law.
Consider what President
Joseph Fielding Smith said concerning the pioneers’ failure to live the law of
consecreation: “It is verily true that
before we can enter into the celestial kingdom we will have to learn how to
live in unity with the love of our fellows at heart, desiring their good as
well as our own, and not preferring ourselves before them. The Lord gave to the
Church the plan and the opportunity to prepare themselves by obedience to
celestial law. They failed, and the privilege to practice this law of
consecration had to be postponed because we were not able to esteem our
neighbour as ourselves.” (“Church History
and Modern Revelation”, 1:322)
The law of consecration
as outlined in Section of Doctrine and Covenants 82 required the members of the
Church to be equal but even more than that, the mandate was that every man
should be ‘seeking’ the interest of his neighbour’ (v 19). To seek means to be on the look-out
for your neighbour’s needs and be the source of help, even at your own expense….it
means to put others before yourself.
I know of no one in
history who is a better example of caring and constant concern for the well-being
of his fellowmen than Abraham. I have studied about his life and have found
amazing gems of his generosity, love and sacrifice for others. Abraham came the
closest to the Saviour’s character out of anyone I have heard of.
There is a story in Midrash,
a Jewish interpretation of biblical texts, that tells how Abraham earned the
promise of Isaac. It tells of Abraham sitting outside his tent one day in the
heat of the day on the plains of Mamre with the breath of hell whirling the
heat and the dust and the sand. He was worried thinking that there was some
stranger out there lost in that dust storm so he sent his servant Eleazer out
to look in all directions but Eleazer came back and said he couldn’t find
anyone.
Abraham was still worried
so he went out into that hell himself though he was very sick following his
circumcision at such an old age (Genesis 17:24) but he found no one. Upon his
return there were three strangers at his tent. It was the Lord with two others.
Abraham threw himself down on his face in obeisance and it was then that he was
given the promise of Isaac…..as a reward for what he had done. Abraham found
someone more significant in that dust storm than he had ever imagined….he found
his son Isaac. (see Genesis 18 and “The Faith
of an Observer – Conversations with Hugh Nibley, pp 28-29)
Whether embellished or
not, it’s a memorable story of our Father Abraham who went ‘seeking’ and who
sits today exalted on his throne (D&C 132:29).
There is someone else who
seeks the lost in the dust storms of Mamre. If you are there, He will seek you
and He will find you…..and He will place you on His shoulders and bring you home.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: He Will Place You on His Shoulders and Bring You Home by Sandy Freckelton Gagon)
