INEXPRESSIBLE JOY

 

My patriarchal blessing tells me that my voice was heard singing praises to our Heavenly Father ‘when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy’ as we rejoiced about the Plan of Salvation.

I have often wondered what it was that I was singing. Does ‘praises’ mean my individual expression of gratitude or does it mean a set song that we all learnt and sang in unison? The fact that the Lord told Job that we sang together would mean it was a set song (Job 38:7). There is another indication that this might be correct.

We are told in Doctrine and Covenants that the righteous will be gathered out from among all nations and come to New Jerusalem singing songs of everlasting joy at the onset of the Millenium (D&C 45:66-71). In particular, we are told we shall sing a NEW song indicating that it will supposedly supersede the OLD song we sang in pre-earth life (D&C 84:98-102).

Whereas the old song we sang heralded our joy of journey’s beginning made possible by Christ our Redeemer, the New Song will shout our grateful praise to Him who has fulfilled all promises made to us so long ago.

This song will be so powerful and edifying that ‘no music has yet been produced that will compare with the music for this song’ (Smith, “Church History and Modern Revelation, 1:345; Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual p 185). Here are some of the words of vs 98-102:

“The Lord hath brought again Zion;

The Lord hath redeemed his people, Israel,

According to the election of grace,

Which was brought to pass by the faith

And covenant of their fathers.

The Lord hath redeemed his people;

And Satan is bound and time is no longer.

The Lord hath gathered all things in one.

The Lord hath brought up Zion from above.

The Lord hath brought up Zion from beneath.

For he stands in the midst of his people.

Glory, and honour and power, and might,

Be ascribed to our God, for he is full of mercy,

Justice, grace and truth, and peace,

Forever and ever, Amen.

We who will have begged the Saviour to come and had waited anxiously for His return will sing praises to His name with inexpressible joy. We will rejoice that we are at the threshold of the Millenial era of peace where our God and our King will reign in our midst with righteousness, peace and glory. Get ready…..

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Second Coming by Jechoon Choi)

A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

 

I often hear members of the Church expressing that the Saviour is bound to come very soon because of the overwhelming wickedness in the world. Certainly, the world is wicked but its wickedness in no way surpasses that of the ancient world in which the Saviour came for the first time.  Consider this view:

“…in the time set apart for our Lord’s coming, corruptions and evils were everywhere. A few righteous souls – a Zacharias here, an Elisabeth there – stayed, as it were, the plagues of destruction, but the wickedness of the world was everywhere and the stench of sin covered the earth.

“Even the covenant people, in the main, had gone astray. No longer were they a leaven to the worldly lump……nothing but a new day of righteousness and light, ushered in by one greater than the prophets, could bring hope again to men”.

-        Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah Book 1, p 289-290

Elder McConkie went on to say that such state of the world’s wickedness had not been upon the earth since the flood in Noah’s time. Knowing the condition into which the Saviour was born to bring balance to the world of darkness by His light, helped me understand the Omnipotent Wisdom of God in choosing the proper and right time for the birth, ministry and death of His Son.

All things are done in the wisdom of Him who knows all things, even the planting of His Son on the earth when it needed His saving power the most. The Messiah was meant to come in a dark and dreary day, as the Son of David, to deliver his people and redeem the nation from sin.

When He comes again, He will come at the perfect appointed time; once again, according to the Omnipotent Wisdom of God. Only this time it will be vastly different.

When He returns, the light of His glory will cleanse the world of all unrighteousness. The knowledge of Him will not be contained by one nation but will cover the whole earth.

All who have been free from wickedness and corruption will survive the cleansing and the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea…..and all who live during the Millenium will eventually know the Lord and will join His Church (see Jeremiah 31:31-34; D&C 84:98; also Doctrines of Salvation, 1:86-87; Journal of Discourses, 21:325).

This, however, is in greatest contrast to the Saviour’s first advent:

“When the New Jerusalem is eventually built, and Jesus Christ returns to earth in glory, the need will disappear for the sun and the moon to give light to God’s covenant people. The Lord Himself will be an everlasting light……Zion will not need the sun when the Lord is there, and all the city is lighted up by the glory of His presence.”  (The Institute Manual commentary for Isaiah 60:19-22; Orson Pratt, in Journal of Discourses, 14:355-56, see also D&C 133:57-58)

Is this not something we should look forward to??? And we’ll owe it all to the babe in the manger…..

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Tender Shepherd by Eva Koleva Timothy)