I pledged my life into thy hands
When by example you showed me how;
I promised my trials to endure
When I was with You and do so even
now.
You dried my tears when I barely
coped
And carried me when I could walk no
more;
You fed me truths I needed to know
And nurtured my flight into the
unknown.
As I promised to obey,
You promised we’d never part;
I remember, I remember
And carry it all
In the shadow of my heart.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
There were
once two women whose sons were to change the history of the world. Two women
who shine as the brightest rubies because of their submissiveness to God’s
purposes for the good of all mankind. One was a young virgin called Mary and
the other her cousin, advanced in years and past the bearing age, called Elisabeth.
They together proved that with God nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37).
Elisabeth
and her husband Zacharias walked blamelessly before the Lord and even though
they prayed many years that Elisabeth would bear a son they arrived at the
autumn of their lives childless. It was in the year of his appointed priestly
service that Zacharias travelled to the temple in Jerusalem from their village
of Hebron to perform sacred rites and ordinances.
Just as
Zacharias was burning incense inside the temple, the multitude were outside praying
for redemption of Israel from the Gentile yoke (Luke 1:10). As the timely prayers
ascended, angel Gabriel stood on the right side of the altar of incense and
spoke: “Fear not Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard: and thy wife Elisabeth
shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John” (Luke 1:11,13).
Six months
later the same angel appeared to young Mary advising her she too will bear a
son, also of a miraculous birth (Luke 1:30-33). No doubt a young girl like Mary
was amazed to receive angel Gabriel's announcement that she shall be the mother
of the Son of God. Every woman in Israel hoped for the privilege of becoming the
mother of the expected Messiah.
Gabriel explained
to Mary how the baby would be conceived and no doubt perceiving the alarm that
must have arisen within her, he quickly told her about her cousin Elisabeth who
also was a recipient of a miraculous conception. What comfort that would have
been to such a young girl to know she did not stand alone in the realm of hard
to explain miracles. But there was another, her cousin Elisabeth, who had
conceived by a miracle so this too was possible.
Both of
these women rose to the greatest challenge of their lives. Elisabeth did bear a
son who became the forerunner of the Messiah. I think she understood her
responsibility well. As Herod’s murder edict reared its ugly head and her
husband lost his life unwilling to disclose the whereabouts of his son (Matthew
23:35; Luke 11:51), Elisabeth took baby John into the mountains and hid him
from the impending doom. This narrative does not appear in the New Testament
but it comes from the early Christian tradition such as the Infancy Gospel of
James, a text written around the second century A.D. It does, however,
correspond with the New Testament narrative of John’s upbringing in the deserts
and being raised on locusts and wild honey (Luke 1:80; Matt 3:4; Mark 1:6). It
doesn’t bear thinking that John, as an infant, would have been taken into the
mountains and left there alone without his mother.
According to
historical custom of marriage in the meridian of time, it has been estimated
that Mary had Jesus when she was around 15 years of age. Imagine a young girl
such as that submitting herself to the will of God which would ruin her
reputation as a chaste Israelite girl betrothed to another man. This was
brought to Jesus’ attention by the Jews who accused Him of being born of
fornication (John 8:41).
This young
girl grew up to be an adult woman who cried at the cross of her son’s crucible.
Did she at such a momentous time reflect back on the famous words she uttered: “Behold
the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word” or did she
remember Elisabeth’s words to her: “Blessed art thou among women and blessed is
the fruit of thy womb” (Luke 1:42). Blessed indeed…..
ODE
TO MARY AND ELIZABETH
Among valiant sons of God
Who were chosen rulers to be
Stood the daughters so fair
They echoed throughout eternity.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
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I followed all Your footsteps
And I sacrificed everything.
I did Your bidding no matter
What You asked of me.
I trusted, I had faith, I endured
All the pain that was given me.
I kept my love burning like a flame
Until I came to see the reality:
It is not my love for Thee
but Yours for me
That is consuming me.
-
Cathryne
Allen
Proverbs
2:6: For the Lord
giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
Proverbs
4:7: Wisdom is the
principal thing; therefore, get wisdom: and with all the getting get
understanding.
I
must admit reading Proverbs sometimes makes me feel like I am just reading nice
words…because of Solomon and his humanity which rejected the most important component
of wisdom, that of moral conduct. Wisdom is a conglomeration of pretty, useless
words if there is no moral conduct to support them. The conduct is the fruits
of wisdom.
Because
the word ‘wisdom’ is feminine in gender, it is allegorized as a woman in the
book of Proverbs. The adulterous woman in Proverbs is a metaphor for
foolishness as foolishness is opposite of wisdom. It is fascinating to me that Solomon’s
moral conduct was consumed by the ‘strange’ women he married out of the
covenant who turned his heart to idolatry (1 Kings 11:1-8)
The
scriptures use the metaphor of marriage to describe the Lord’s covenant with
His people. They portray the House of Israel as the bride and the Saviour as
the bridegroom. Among many references are these:
Isaiah
54:5-6: “Thy Maker is thine husband…the Lord hath called thee as a wife of
youth…”; Hosea 2:19-20: “I will betroth thee unto me for ever; Matthew 25:1,10:
the parable of the ten virgins going to meet the bridegroom; Revelation 19:7,9,
21:2,9: the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready…..prepared
as a bride adorned for her husband…the bride, the Lamb’s wife; D&C
109:73-74: that thy Church shine forth…and be adorned as a bride for the day of
the Lord’s coming.
In
Proverbs Chapter 7, Solomon admonishes his son to keep the commandments and
cling to wisdom as his ‘sister’ (v 4) that he may be protected against ‘the
strange woman’ (v 5) which would lead him into ‘whoredom’ or ‘adultery’ . The
mind boggles that he could not apply this to himself.
The
idolatry born out of foolishness as opposed to the moral conduct of wisdom, is considered
as adultery in the case of the marriage covenant between the Lamb and Israel,
His bride:
Exodus
34:14-15: the Lord warns Israel not to worship other gods, “lest they go a
whoring after their gods”; Jeremiah 3:8-9: Israel ‘committed adultery with
stones and with stocks’ meaning idols made of stone and wood; Hosea 2:2,5:
Israel is portrayed as an unfaithful spouse – “put away her whoredoms…and her
adulteries” as she says “I will go after my lovers” referring to false gods; Ezekiel
16:32: compares covenant unfaithfulness to a wife committing adultery ‘taking
strangers instead of her husband’.
My
hair stood on end when I read this about immorality in heathen worship:
“Among
the ancient nations of the East, with the exception of the Jews, prostitution
appears to have been connected with religious worship, and to have been not
merely tolerated but encouraged…in Egypt, Phoenicia, Assyria, Chaldea, Canaan
and Persia, the worship of Isis, Moloch, Baal, Astarte, Mylitta and other
deities consisted of the most extravagant sensual orgies and the temples were
merely centers of vice. In Babylon some degree of prostitution appeared to have
been even compulsory and imposed upon all women in honour of the goddess
Mylitta. In India the ancient connection between religion and prostitution
still survives.” (Encyclopedia Britannica, (1952 Edition) Volume 18, p
596)
Maybe
the God of Israel knew what He was doing when He gave Solomon all that wisdom
he desired…..because he knew that one day he would become a symbol of
foolishness…..oh the irony!
As
Israel, we have trodden worldly paths
That
have left us battered, scarred,
And
parched in search of love.
Our
lovers were many but
Our
hearts were empty.
At
long last
We
embrace the love that lasts,
We
prepare for the wedding feast
And
abandon our treacherous past.
It was
revealed to me a while ago that I was strong and fearless in my pre-mortal life
but I suspect that I was so self-assured that I was bordering on being
cocky. I think I honestly thought I was
going to ace it here on earth.
Being an
idealist, I was attracted to the Church in my youth because it felt like I had
found the principle that was going to give me power to become who I wanted to
be and that principle was obedience. I thought through obedience to the Gospel
laws I was to become this giant of endurance and strength in the face of evil,
temptation and tribulation. Obedience became everything to me. I did well
enduring trials for many years so then my goal morphed into something else –
dying with amazing achievements under my belt and going home in triumph. I was
going to return home with honour.
What I
didn’t realise is that honour lies in un-glamorous attributes such as
endurance, repentance, humility and compassion amongst others. Honour lies in
what you become and not in what you have achieved. Never did I expect that an invisible monster
called pain would come to live on my back with its claws in my flesh and would
have so much power over me. This monster has taken me on a roller coaster of struggling
emotions and has robbed me of motivation to achieve anything on more days than
I care to admit.
I have
always admired Job because he was a ‘strong person’ in the midst of his
tribulation but now that I understand that monster that was on his back too,
what I think he stands for the most is the proof of the reward of his
endurance. More of that as we study the book of Job.
“Enduring
‘well’ means passing the breaking point without breaking, having cause to be
bitter – as men measure cause – without being bitter. Enduring ‘well’ means the
disciple in the very trough of his difficulties avoids, as Job wisely did,
having ‘charged God foolishly’.” (Neal
A. Maxwell, Meek and Lowly, p 115)
We are told
that we are here to walk by faith but I would say that the higher path of faith
is trust. It is easy to believe in God
but it is not easy to trust Him. For instance, King Mosiah of the Book of
Mormon tells us that unless we submit to ‘all things which the Lord seeth fit
to inflict upon us’, even as a child submits to his father, we can never
overcome the natural man (Mosiah 3:19). This is a hard doctrine that asks of us
an exorbitant amount of trust in the process that will refine us and make us
rise above the mortal self to eternal glory. Job understood this when he said
regarding his suffering: “when he hath tried me I shall come forth as gold”
(Job 23:10). This is trust, when you can accept your extreme suffering
believing it will be for your ultimate good.
When we can
trust in a God, we cannot see, and His plan for us, which we cannot remember
ever agreeing to, that is ultimate trust. I am a firm believer of freedom of
choice that existed even before this life but I didn’t know our freedom to
choose determined the course of our earthly lives to such an extent as it does.
This was confirmed to me just recently when I asked God if my illness was in my
life’s plan and received an answer I did not expect: “Yes. You chose it over mental illness. You
wanted to keep your brain so you could understand the doctrines of the kingdom
and teach it to others and so you could bear witness of Christ.”
This
revelation made amazing sense of my life. The next day I reflected on it and
realized the exact nature of that choice I made so long ago. I remembered my physical illness runs in my
family as does dementia. I think I was told when my plan was devised that these
two illnesses will be in the genetic legacy of my family and I was given the
choice as to which one I would prefer to suffer. I chose the monster and I know
my choice went beyond my desire to keep my mind.
Trust was the
major component of our willingness to come to a world of suffering. Our trust
in the saving grace of the Atonement of Jesus Christ would have been supreme
before we came. No sane person would accept a painful plan with the risk of
being lost, without a sure way of eventual escape. It would be like entering a
tunnel knowing there is no exit at the end. We knew that the Saviour could do
it and would do it. Trust is also double sided. The Father’s ability to send us
to temporary affliction shows His utmost trust in His Beloved Son and the
process of the Atonement, knowing full well that because of it we would
survive.
When I
entered my stage of illness I became very introspective of my life. Somehow I
felt I was to blame for the hard life I was given but a realization came to me
that I followed my heart in all my major decisions and steps I took and I realized
I was being guided and I responded to that guidance with trust. Knowing that
freed me from self-accusation. I am learning now to accept submission in this
the hardest leg of my journey…..and I’m hearing clearly the agony of those
famous words coming from Gethsemane: “nevertheless not my will but thine be
done” (Luke 22:42)
I
viewed my life as hopeless pieces
And
shame consumed my fragile heart.
I
questioned every move and every choice;
I
berated; I gave no value to any part.
Not
until my trust consumed me
And
my will to heavens flew
Did
solace nestle in my soul
And
such freedom as I never knew.
"As a
small boy in grammar school, I had a teacher who made King Arthur and the
knights of the Round Table come alive. She caused me to become so
obsessed with stories of knights that I played and dreamed that I was
one. One evening I dreamed that I was a white knight on a white horse
riding over the greens of England. Suddenly, without warning, a knight
dressed in black armour and mounted on a black horse appeared at the edge of
the forest. We measured each other carefully, lowered our lances, and
charged at full gallop. The lances struck target and both of us were
knocked off our steeds.
“I scrambled
to my feet knowing that swords would be drawn and that hand-to-hand combat was
imminent. Fear gripped my heart as I saw my opponent rushing toward me
flashing a long, gleaming sword. Instinctively, I reached to my side and
drew forth from the scabbard my weapon. That is when the dream turned
into a nightmare! For in my hand was a small, dinky dagger - not a long,
gleaming sword. I woke up in a cold sweat screaming for help.
“When the
Lord draws you forth as His instrument in combating evil forces, what does he
have in his hand - a long, gleaming sword or a dinky dagger?...The saving
virtue of a sword is related to its strength, sharpness, cleanliness, and the
hand which guides it. Is it not the same with people? I would pray
that you would seek strength of character, sharpness of mind, and cleanliness
of soul so as to become gleaming swords of righteousness. By doing this,
there will be no embarrassment, no disappointment, and no nightmare when He
draws you out in battling the powers of darkness" (Elder Carlos E. Asay,
"Instruments of Righteousness", New Era, June 1983)
There is a
battle we are all engaged in with the enemy that cannot be seen. This enemy is
cleverly disguised in many evils of mortality who carefully draws his bow and
fires his darts and arrows aiming to wound so we would slowly bleed to death.
Since the
battle is directed at the destruction of our souls, meaning both body and
spirit (D&C 88:15), Paul admonished the saints of his day to put on ‘the
whole armor of God that they might be able to stand against the wiles of the
devil’ (Ephesians 6:10-13). This armor
is one of obedience and commitment to the commandments we have been given.
Every act of
disobedience creates cracks in the armour that is supposed to protect us. And
it is just such cracks that the adversary targets. Many cracks make a loose
armour. A cracked and loose armour is sufficient to cause discomfort leading to
the conviction that the armour is useless and not needed after all. Think of
how many people regard the commandments of God to be inconvenient and
restrictive.
The full
armour of God that Paul admonished the Ephesians to wear addresses all the
vulnerabilities of mortality:
Loins
(reproductive organs): typifying virtue and chastity
Heart: in the
scriptures the heart is always used to typify our conduct
Feet: typify
objectives and goals in life which would take us to perfection
Head: a place the
thoughts are stored which lead to actions
"Well,
now, the apostle Paul went one step further. He didn't leave the man just with
the armour on and expect him to cope against an army, seen or unseen. He had
his armoured man holding in his hand a shield and in his other hand a sword,
which were the weapons of those days. That shield was the shield of faith, and
the sword was the sword of the spirit which is the Word of God. I can't think
of any more powerful weapons than faith and a knowledge of the scriptures in
the which are contained the Word of God. One so armoured and one so prepared
with those weapons is prepared to go out against the enemy [and] is more to be
feared than the enemies of the light" (Harold B. Lee, "Feet Shod with
the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace", Speeches of the Year,
1954, pp 2-4, 6-7).
Don’t fear
the enemy, make him fear YOU…..
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
There was once a king by the name of Ahab who ruled the northern kingdom of Israel from 885-874 B.C. He was the most wicked king Israel had ever had and in my mind, the most brainwashed man if there ever was one because he married the notorious Jezebel.
Jezebel was a Phoenician princess who brought with her the worst worship of Baal as the religion of state (1 Kings 16:30-33). Ahab and Jezebel killed God’s prophets and had Elijah on their hit list persecuting him to the point of madness. More of that when we study Elijah.
Ahab teaches us, however, something profound in the manner of his death. When he led his army against the forces of Syria, he took every precaution to avoid being injured, even disguising himself so that the Syrians would not recognise him to focus on his destruction. The only thing he didn’t do was wear enough protection so someone drew his bow at random and hit the king between the sections of his armour. By night-time he had bled to death (1 Kings 22:30-35). Random indeed…..
Ahab’s manner of physical protection from danger equalled the negligent spiritual protection he provided for himself. So it is with us…..The degree of protection we have from the adversary is proportional to the diligence and heed we give to the Lord's commandments. The extent and strength of our armour is a good indication of how valiant we are in our testimony of Jesus. We cannot afford to choose which commandment we will obey and which we will let slide because each commandment provides a section in our armour against sin.
If you ever wanted to be a hero, this is the time and the place. Examine the cracks in your armour and sharpen your sword of righteousness. President Ezra Taft Benson said: "You will never have a better opportunity to be a greater hero in a more crucial battle than in the battle you will face today and in the immediate future. Be warned that some of the greatest battles you will face will be fought within the silent chambers of your own soul. David's battles in the field against the foe were not as critical as David's battles in the palace against a lustful eye. We will each find our own battlefield". (Ezra Taft Benson, "In His Steps", 1979, Devotional Speeches of the Year, 60).
The most important battlefield we will ever get to fight on is in our souls. The adversary will use every tactic to bring us down. When Joseph lost 116 pages of the Book of Mormon manuscript, the Saviour told him that if he had been faithful and not feared man He would have supported him against all the fiery darts of the adversary (D&C 3:7,8). The foundation of our faith in Christ and our obedience to Him is the strength of our defence. When the war is over and the battle won, whose side will you be found on?
He is the Captain of our souls:
His
arms are our shelter,
His heart is our home,
Our only hope
For protection
from battle’s storm.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
“They
(those in the great and spacious building of Lehi’s dream) look happy and free,
but don’t mistake telestial pleasure for celestial happiness and joy. Don’t
mistake lack of self-control for freedom. Complete freedom without appropriate
restraint makes us slaves to our appetites.
Don’t envy
a lesser and lower life….the people in that building have absolutely nothing to
offer except instant, short-term gratification inescapably connected to
long-term sorrow and suffering. The commandments you observe were not given by
a dis-passionate God to prevent you from having fun, but by a loving Father in
Heaven who wants you to be happy while you are living on this earth as well as
in the hereafter.”
-
Bishop Glen L. Pace, Ensign November 1987, p 39
Some years
ago I heard a mother in the Church say she just wanted her teenage son to come
out of the closet so he can be ‘happy’. That son eventually did come out of the
closet but to this day he is not happy. He is an alcoholic with a ruined liver
who was told by the medical profession he will not live a long life. It always
amazes me how intent some people are to be happy in this life.
The
greatest outline of mortal happiness can be found in 2 Nephi Chapter 5. This
was the early period of time in ancient
America when Nephi separated himself and his followers from his brothers who
sought to take away his life (v 4).
The story
begins with Nephi following the Lord’s warning to alienate themselves from
those seeking their destruction and thereafter following the path to spiritual
prosperity. Nephi begins his account of their new life on the American
continent with the most significant pattern for ‘mortal happiness’: “And we did
observe to keep the judgments, and the statues, and the commandments of the
Lord in all things….” (v 10).
Thereafter
the story unfolds with blessings of physical abundance of food (v 11); possession
of scriptures (v12); building of a temple (v 16); industry of the people ( v
17); and then comes: “And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of
happiness.” (v 27).
Happiness
in this life is a huge subject to tackle. I get it, this life is hard and it is
hard for everyone, even those in the Church who are being obedient. I guess the
importance lies in your definition of happiness and which happiness you want. Notice that Nephi said "manner" of happiness......insinuating it's not a permanent, complete and iron clad happiness. This kind of happiness can only be found in the eternal presence of God.
In this
life of lack of permanency, the only real 'sense' of happiness comes from being
close to God. Nephi accentuates this truth. Whereas Nephi and his people had
achieved that happiness, his brothers and their followers were cut off from the
presence of the Lord (v 20). Being cut off from God and His influence would
have to be the most detrimental and miserable state of being.
When I
think of living after ‘the manner of happiness’ I think of Zion. I think this
is why Nephi called it so because His people were one and united in obedience
and striving for the same outcome. Being in a community such as Zion alienates
you from worldly values of destruction and unites you with people who are on the
same path of righteousness, with the same goals and the love of God which binds
you together. I think this is what Nephi identified as happiness. This is what
should be our goal as we prepare ourselves for the return of our God.
He will
come and reveal Himself to those who love Him and then we will know what true
happiness is…..it is worth waiting for and striving for.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Love and Faithfulness by Chris Brazelton)
We are about to study the book of Joshua this week. Joshua is one of those Old Testament figures we don’t talk about much yet there is so much to admire about the man. I feel he is overlooked to our detriment because he too, like Moses, was a prototype of Christ:
“Joshua, the son of Nun, of the
tribe of Ephraim, was first called Oshea or
Hoshea,….[Numbers 13:16], which
signifies saved, a saviour, or
salvation; but afterwards Moses,
guided no doubt by a prophetic spirit, changed his name into….Yehoshua or Joshua, which signifies he shall save or salvation of Jehovah; referring, no doubt, to his being God’s
instrument in saving the people from the hands of their enemies, and leading
them from victory to victory over the different Canaanitish nations, till he
put them in possession of the promised land…in the New Testament he is
expressly called….Jesus [see Acts 7:45; Hebrews 4:8].” (Clarke, Bible Commentary, 2:3). In other words, in the original Hebrew
both Joshua and Jesus were the same name.”
(see Old Testament Student Manual Book 1 p 236)
As a preface to the Ten
Commandments which Jehovah gave to Moses he made it clear why they were given: “I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of
Egypt, out of the house of BONDAGE.” (Exodus 20:2). The operative word here is
‘bondage’. It has reference to the Ten Commandments which are meant to give
Israel freedom. If Israel cleaved to obedience of the Law, they would never
again be in bondage, physical or most importantly, spiritual.
Thereafter, Moses made it a point
to define the deliverance from Egypt as deliverance from ‘bondage’ (Det 6:12;
8:14; 13:5). After Jehovah confirmed to Joshua that he is to take charge of the
Tribes and lead them to the promised land, He charged him to make the law the
basis of all he did. He was not to vary from it or depart from it, all that he
spoke was to conform to it, and he was to meditate upon it constantly (Joshua
1:5-8). Joshua followed these rules to the letter and like Moses, reminded
Israel that they had been delivered from ‘the house of bondage’ in the land of
Egypt (Joshua 24:17). He understood clearly what the God of Israel had done
which made him a spiritual leader of God’s people as well as the physical one.
At the onset of conquest of the
promised land, the mighty Jehovah spoke to Joshua and told him he is to conquer
all the land from Lebanon to the river Euphrates (Joshua 1:4). In actuality, this
meant the region south and southwest of the Lebanon mountains, north and east
of Egypt, east of the Mediterranean coastal plain and west of the Arabian
desert (OT Student Manual 1, p 236). In other words, the land that lay before
Joshua was massive. Overwhelming, isn’t it? But Jehovah issued an admonition to
Joshua to ‘be strong and of good courage’ three times (Joshua 1:6,7,9) assuring
him: ‘I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee….be not afraid, neither be thou
dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest’ (vs 5,9).
And then the promise: Joshua was told that he must adhere strictly to the law of Moses and he shall have success (v 8) but not just any success, he was promised that his success would be so great that there shall not any man be able to stand before him all the days of his life (v 5). This Joshua did, obeying all of the Lord’s instructions with exactness (fascinating examples of this to look out for in his story). The result of his meticulous obedience? A success unsurpassed: the Lord was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country’ (Joshua 6:27).
We, of the House of Israel, are standing on the earth which is our ultimate promised land. This earth will one day be redeemed and sanctified from all unrighteousness that it may be prepared for the celestial glory, that the bodies who are of the celestial kingdom may possess it forever and ever (D&C 88:17-20). This is our promised land. This is our ultimate forever home.
Before each of us is the vastness of our mortal probation fraught with challenges
and trials to conquer and overcome. It is also the ‘house of bondage’ from
which the Saviour has delivered us through His atoning sacrifice if we will but
obey the commandments, the path to unsurpassed freedom.....
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Artist Unknown)
I wrote
yesterday about the influences of the world enabled through technology and how
they lead us to idolatry.
The
greatest shield against the penetrating strength of our modern-day living is
strict obedience to the commandments of God. There simply is no better
protection and acquisition of strength. I was all the more convinced of this as
I read something very interesting about the very last of the Ten Commandments
(thou shalt not covet) which many people
would not think was a important as the preceding nine but this illustrates just
how all the commandments are so intertwined that none can be broken without
weaking all the others:
“He who
covets the mere material things of life may have ‘other gods before him’.
“He who
covets may desecrate the Sabbath day to get gain.
“He who
covets may fail to sustain his father and his mother in their need.
“Some who
have coveted have killed to get gain.
“Many who
have coveted a ‘neighbour’s wife’ have committed the grievous sin of adultery.
He who
covets is more likely to steal (or to swindle or embezzle or engage in sharp
practices).
“He who
covets may bear false witness to get gain.
“Whenever
we ignore any divine counsel or commandment, we can be sure that we weaken
ourselves and increase our susceptibility to other sins….The commandment
against covetousness does not mean that we should not have a wholesome desire
to improve ourselves or our situation….The danger comes when mere ‘things’
begin to matter too much.” (Richard L. Evans, in “The Tenth Commandment”, Part
1, “The Ten Commandments Today”, p 142-44)
“Paul, on
two occasions, equated coveting with idolatry (see Ephesians 5:5; Colossians
3:5). The implication is that when one sets his heart on things of the world to
the point that allegiance to God and His principles no longer matters, then
material things become as a god to that person; he follows after them or
worships them….Samuel told Saul that sin and iniquity were also idolatry (see 1
Samuel 15:23). (Old Testament Student Manual 1 p 135)
Think of
the serious attachments people have in this world that demand their full focus
to the point where they become addictions, such as food, drugs, alcohol, sex, even
violent crime. These addictions become
gods and they all stem from disobedience to the commandments.
These are
flaxen cords which the adversary uses to bind us to him forever (2 Nephi
26:22). This is idolatry….at all times, if we are not following God, we are
following the opposition…..
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Guiding Light by Ivan Guaderrama)
My life is a bag of choices I dare to make,
A dream of perfection eluding me still.
I grope in darkness
Hoping my choices are pleasing to Thee;
And when I leave this weak and mortal
shell
And kneel on hallowed ground at Thy feet,
Then will I cry, my Lord and my God,
Forgive my reckless sins a thousand tears
deep.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Divine Faith by Greg Collins)
The value
of the Ten Commandments cannot be overstated. I have heard it said in the
Church that the Commandments were given us for our protection and I cannot
agree more. The commandments are our most valuable asset in this life and the
second is our moral agency to choose to obey. If it wasn’t for our agency we
would be subject to this world of sin and corruption and would naturally cleave
to evil.
Consider
the pull of sin and how devastating it is to our spiritual well-being:
“Whoever
said that sin was not fun? Whoever claimed that Lucifer was not handsome,
persuasive, easy, and friendly? Sin is attractive and desirable. Transgression
wears elegant gowns and sparkling apparel. It is highly perfumed; it has
attractive features, and a soft voice.
“It is
found in educated circles and sophisticated groups. It provides sweet and
comfortable luxuries. Sin is easy and has a big company of pleasant companions.
It promises immunity from restrictions and temporary freedoms. It can
momentarily satisfy hunger, thirst, desire, urges, passions, wants, without
immediately paying the price. But, it begins tiny and grows to monumental
proportions – drop by drop, inch by inch.”
-
President Spencer W. Kimball, “Faith Precedes The
Miracle” p 229)
“It is true
that the great principle of repentance is always available, but for the wicked
and rebellious there are serious reservations to this statement. For instance,
sin is intensely habit-forming and sometimes moves men to the tragic point of
no return…As the transgressor moves deeper and deeper in his sin, and the error
is entrenched more deeply and the will to change is weakened, it becomes increasingly
near-hopeless, and he skids down and down until either he does not want to
climb back or he has lost the power to do so.”
-
President Spencer W. Kimball, “The Miracle of
Forgiveness [1969] p 117)
We fought for
our spiritual freedom in pre-mortal life (Rev 12:7-11; Moses 4:1-4). It is interesting to observe the
world today and see how we have convoluted the meaning of this principle. It is
most obvious in the way people are not willing to obey the laws of the land.
The cry seems to be, “I have my rights, I can do whatever I want”. This is the
world’s definition of freedom. Pride is
corrupting us as we reject correction from any source and insist on a ‘me’
society. This is Satan’s doctrine and his path to eventual destruction.
The Ten
Commandments are as relative today as they were when they were first given and
never more needed than today. They not only offer personal freedom but they
also bring order to a society. I cannot look at one and think it is not needed.
Our obedience to them brings honour, self-respect and spiritual strength beyond
our own. The wisdom of our God is beyond understanding.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Keep My Commandments by B. Laura Wilson)
There is an
endearing story of Abraham’s death in the Jewish tradition. Abraham was 175
years old. It was the Feast of Weeks celebration and both Isaac and Ishmael had
come to Hebron with their families to celebrate the Feast with their father.
During the feast, Abraham praised his creator in thanksgiving and among other
things asked that God’s mercy and peace be upon the posterity of his sons ‘that
they may be a chosen nation and an inheritance from amongst all the nations of
the earth’.
During the
feast, Abraham called Jacob,‘the chosen patriarch heir and invoked the
blessings of heaven upon him and his seed forever. And this is the tender part
of Abraham’s death. Jacob and Abraham laid down together on one bed and ‘Jacob
slept in the bosom of Abraham, who kissed him seven times and his heart
rejoiced over him and he pronounced another blessing upon his head.
He then
‘blessed the God of gods, and he covered his face, and stretched out his feet
and slept the sleep of eternity, and was gathered to his fathers’ (Jubilees
22:26-30, Apocrypha and
Pseudepigrapha, 2:47; as quoted in
The Blessings of Abraham by E. Douglas Clerk, p 232, 233).
An amazing
life to leave behind for your posterity. The greatest legacy Abraham left,
however, is the covenant between him and the God of Israel, receiving a promise
that all of these blessings would be offered to all of his mortal posterity
(Abraham 2:6-11; D&C 132:29-50).
Consider
the magnitude of its promises: 1. Prosperity; 2. Property; 3. Posterity; 4. Priesthood;
5. Exaltation.
“All of
these promises together are called the ABRAHAMIC COVENANT. This covenant was
renewed with Isaac (Genesis 24:60; 26:1-4,24) and again with Jacob (Genesis 28:
35:9-13; 48:3-4). Those portions of it which pertain to personal exaltation and
eternal increase are renewed with each member of the House of Israel who enters
the order of celestial marriage; through that order the participating parties
become inheritors of all the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (D&C
132; Romans 9:4; Galatians 3; 4)
-
Bruce R. McConkie, “Mormon Doctrine” p 13)
Because the
promises of the covenant were also made to Abraham’s descendants, Jesus made it
clear that the covenant is not all fulfilled (3 Nephi 15:8; D&C 132:30-31)
and will be fulfilled in the future. This is us. We are the future.
When we
look at all the promises we can easily get the impression that the power of the
covenant is with Jehovah who made them but in reality, the power of the
covenant lies with us. We fulfil or break the covenant. That’s a lot of power for
imperfect, weak mortals….As for the God who entered into this covenant, we can
be assured of this:
“For the
Lord thy God is a merciful God; he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee,
nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.” (Deuteronomy 4: 31)
“I will
not…break my covenant with them: for I am the Lord their God….but I will for
their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors…” (Leviticus 26:44,45)
That’s the
power of a perfect, long-suffering, unchangeable God, Jehovah, the God of
Israel…..
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: I Am That I Am by John Zamudio)
“The
Eternal Father well understood the diverse natures and varied capacities of His
spirit-offspring; and His infinite foreknowledge made plain to Him, even in the
beginning, that in the school of life some of His children would succeed and
others would fail; some would be faithful, others false; some would choose the
good, others the evil; some would seek the way of life while others would elect
to follow the road to destruction.
“He
further foresaw that death would enter the world, and that the possession of
bodies by His children would be of but brief individual duration. He saw that
His commandments would be disobeyed and His law violated; and that men, shut
out from His presence and left to themselves, would sink rather than rise,
would retrograde rather than advance, and would be lost to the heavens.
“It
was necessary that a means of redemption be provided, whereby erring man might
make amends, and by compliance with established law achieve salvation and
eventual exaltation in the eternal worlds…..It was not His design that the souls
of mankind be lost; on the contrary it was and is His work and glory, “to bring
to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).
“The
offer of the firstborn Son to establish through His own ministry among men the
gospel of salvation, and to sacrifice Himself, through labour, humiliation and
suffering even unto death, was accepted and made the foreordained plan of man’s
redemption from death, of his eventual salvation from the effects of sin, and
of his possible exaltation through righteous achievement.”
-
(James
E. Talmage, “Jesus the Christ” p 18)
FATHER’S CHARGE:
Long ago,
When you lived in my arms
You wanted to fly
In the vast expanse of the skies.
I gifted you wings,
And promised I would
Teach you to fly.
Just remember, I am here, but
It is your turn now,
To rise.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: All Is Calm by Gabriel Heaton)
