Your truth pierces my soul
And binds me to Your loving heart.
Your teaching moments
Find my hungry mind
And feed me like a bird in flight
Searching for a morsel
That gladdens its hungry heart.
Your mysteries are laid at my feet
And I, when I come home, will be
Clutching these riches that are mine to
keep.
- CATRYNE ALLEN
(Artist Unknown)
Studying
about the patriarchs this year has given me a greater understanding of the priesthood.
I am developing a reverence for it I have never felt before.
I was
reading the other day about the power of godliness through the priesthood
ordinances without which no man can see the face of God, ‘even the Father, and
live’ (D&C 84:19-22). Then something else caught my attention I hadn’t
noticed before.
Verse 19
tell us that the greater priesthood administers the gospel and holds the key of
the mysteries of the kingdom , “even the key of the knowledge of God”. I
understood then that it was through the priesthood that all the revelations pertaining
to the human family are given.
I
remembered Adam, the Ancient of Days, who
bestowed his last blessing upon the patriarchs and his righteous posterity
three years prior to his death at Adam-Ondi-Ahman at which time he ‘predicted
whatsoever should befall his posterity unto the latest generation’ (D&C 107:53-56) (see also “Teachings of
the Prophet Joseph Smith” p 158). It was the priesthood keys he held that
entitled him to the knowledge he received regarding his posterity.
I
also remembered Abraham and the knowledge he was given of the universe, our
pre-mortal life, the eternal nature of spirits, foreordination, the creation,
the choosing of the Redeemer and the second estate of man, all of which we have
at our disposal in the Pearl of Great Price. If it wasn’t for Abraham’s
overwhelming desire to have the rights of the priesthood, he could never have
been given this information relative to the covenant he made with God.
This
is what confirmed to me that the priesthood is ‘the portal’ to the knowledge of
God. Joseph records in his history the time that he and Oliver went into the
woods to pray in May of 1829 to inquire about baptism for the remission of sins
that they found mentioned in the translation of the plates. While they were
praying John the Baptist appeared and conferred on them the Aaronic Priesthood.
He
recounts this: “No sooner had I baptized Oliver Cowdery, than the Holy Ghost
fell upon him, and he stood up and prophesied many things which should shortly
come to pass. And again, as soon as I had been baptised by him, I also had the
spirit of prophecy, when standing up, I prophesied concerning the rise of this
Church, and many other things connected with the Church, and this generation of
the children of men.” (JSH vs 72,73)
And
then this: “Our minds being now enlightened, we began to have the scriptures
laid open to our understandings, and the true meaning and intention of their
more mysterious passages revealed unto us in a manner which we never could
attain to previously, nor ever before had thought of.” (v 74). It is important
to note that at this time they did not have the gift of the Holy Ghost. John
the Baptist promised that was yet to come (v 70).
I
think of all of Joseph’s revelations that are contained in the Doctrine and
Covenants which give us pure knowledge about the Gospel and the mysteries of
God’s kingdom. I also think of revelations of the living prophets since Joseph,
the greatest of all being the revelation of 1978 making the priesthood
available to all the males in the Church. What other Church has what we have?
No other.
At
last my mind was taken to the One who possesses all the keys of the priesthood
and all knowledge of the mysteries of God, the Saviour of all mankind who is
our High Priest forever (Hebrews 3:1; 4:14). When He returns He shall reveal
all knowledge:
“Things
which have passed, and hidden things which no man knew, things of the earth, by
which it was made, the purpose and the end thereof – things most precious,
things that are above, and things that are beneath, things that are in the
earth, and upon the earth, and in heaven.” (D&C 101:32-34)
Last
thought….Application of the priesthood pertaining to our lives is worth the
personal pursuit….
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Joseph and Oliver Pray by Del Parson)
This was Abraham wherever he went. He was 62
when he arrived into the land of Canaan that the Lord promised him as an
inheritance, but also ‘to make of him a minister to bear His name in a strange
land’ (Abraham 2:6;14). And bear His name he did for the famine in Canaan necessitated
Abraham and all who came with him to end up in Egypt on a prolonged mission,
possibly as long as 13 years.
The land of Canaan was overrun by the idol worshipping
descendants of Cain. Going to Egypt would have been like going from a frying
pain into a fire. It was by the hand of an Egyptian priest that Abraham nearly
lost his life in the land of Ur. Egypt was the hotbed of human sacrifice to
false gods.
The famine of Canaan proved to be a blessing in
disguise because at the end Abraham returned to Canaan richer than he was
before he left on account of Sarah whom the Pharoah desired to take for his
wife. Abraham’s sojourn in Egypt reads like Arabian nights. It’s a fascinating
story.
What is of most importance of this part of
Abraham’s life is the light that he was in this evil infested land where
idolatry was blinding the children of men and the truth was obscured from their
understanding.
Before Abraham left for Egypt, he had an
encounter with the Lord who told him: “Abraham, I show these things unto thee
before ye go into Egypt, that ye may declare all these words” (Abraham 3:15). Thus
proceeded a revelation which enriched Abraham’s personal knowledge of the field
of science: astronomy, the plan of salvation and organization of the world for
human habitation.
“The great truths shown to Abraham were not for
him alone. He was to declare “all these words” to the Egyptians. The Lord knew
that some of the learning of the Egyptians would be passed on to the Greeks and
that the Greeks in turn would teach the Romans. He also knew that through Rome
this knowledge would spread to other parts of the world as a blessing to
humanity. During these transitions many precious truths were lost but some of
them survived and became the foundation for modern science.” (W. Cleon Skousen, The First 2,000 Years, p
285)
“In the Egyptian Alphabet compiled by Joseph
Smith at the time he translated the Book of Abraham, we are given the added
information that Abraham was called as a missionary of Christ to go into Egypt
and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Egyptians.” (Clark, James R., “Before
Ye Go Into Egypt”, Vol 2, p 2)
I think of the recent mandate of the leaders to
the membership of the Church to flood the earth with the gospel. We need to be
well informed of the doctrine, convinced of its efficacy, bold and unafraid of
the opposition. The light needs to shine from us as bright as the sun.
I stand in awe of Abraham and his fortitude in
spreading the light in a darkened world. He is the prototype of Christ who came
to enlighten our understanding of the truth. Without His light we would be lost
in this world of darkness which seeks to engulf us in its misery and woe. He is
the light that shines, the light we must follow. He is the light of the world,
the only light…..
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: A Light in the Wilderness by Rose Datoc Dall)
There
is a place in Daviess county, Missouri, which is called Spring Hill. This place
“was named by the mouth of the Lord, Adam-Ondi-Ahman”, literal translation
being “Where Adam-having taken-God” (Ahman being the name of God in pure
language) (“History of the Church”, 3:34-35). This is the place where one of
the most tender events occurred on the American continent, the knowledge of
which we owe to modern-day revelation through the modern-day prophet Joseph
Smith.
This
is where Adam, the Ancient of Days, bestowed his last blessing upon the
patriarchs and his righteous posterity three years prior to his death (D&C
107:53-56). When the Saviour appeared to this congregation, Adam’s posterity
“rose up and blessed Adam, and called him Michael, the prince, the archangel”.
The Lord then administered comfort unto Adam and said unto him: I have set thee
to be at the head; a multitude of nations shall come of thee, and thou art a
prince over them forever.” (D&C 107:54-55).
After
the Lord administered to him, Adam stood up even though he was ‘bowed down with
age, and being full of the Holy Ghost, predicted whatsoever should befall his
posterity unto the latest generation’ (v 56). When Joseph Smith visited Spring
Hill in 1876 he was privileged to see Adam, the Ancient of Days, in a vision of
this momentous meeting (“Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith” p 158).
Adam
lived 930 years according to Genesis 5:5 and Moses 6:12 but died in the ‘same
day’ he partook of the fruit as the promise of death was spoken by God when the
earth was still subject to the Lord’s time which was after the time of Kolob
(Abraham 5:13). Imagine living and enduring that long…..
There
will come a time when Adam will return to Adam-Ondi-Ahman: “He will call his
children together and hold a council with them to prepare them for the coming
of the Son of Man”…..The Son of Man will stand before him, and there will be
given Him glory and dominion. Adam will deliver up his stewardship to Christ,
who holds the keys of the universe, but will retain his standing as the head of
the human family (“Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith” p 157).
This
is the great Council of which neither the Church members nor the world will
know about which will take place prior to the Saviour’s Second appearing as a
‘thief in the night’ (D&C 106:4) (Elder Joseph Fielding Smith, “Way to
Perfection” pp 290-91; also D&C Student Manual p 288)
There
is no greater summation of the Plan of Salvation that is as emotionally touching
as this. Adam, the head of the human
family, having fulfilled his role so righteously as the father of all living, delivers
his stewardship to the Saviour, the executor of the Plan of Salvation, at the
winding up scenes of this earth. Promises kept, mission completed, humanity
reared and saved.
Whereas
Adam is the prince over us ‘forever’, the Saviour is the King. If not for Him,
we would not be. And if not for continuous revelation we would not have
glimpses of momentous occasions like this which bring to life the truth of our
existence and which light the fire of our testimonies.
Every
time I read the Doctrine and Covenants, my testimony of Joseph as the revelator
and prophet increases. There is not one verse in that book of scripture that
can convince me that Joseph had the intelligence and seership to produce such
of himself.
The
Saviour lives and guides His Church through living prophets. May our
testimonies be such that we will bear witness of this when one day we kneel at
Jesus’ feet.
Between the more prominent patriarchs like Seth,
Enoch, Noah and Abraham, there are those which are less prominent but of equal
importance because they carried the priesthood line throughout all the
generations of time. They are: Enos, Cannan, Mahalel, Jared, Methuselah,
Lamech, Shen, Arphaxad, Salah….
Moses tells us that a book of remembrance was kept
from the time of Seth, “in which was recorded, in the language of Adam, for it
was given unto as many as called upon God to write by the spirit of
inspiration.” (Moses 6:5). I would love to know what these other patriarchs
wrote in this book: their views, their sacred experiences, their faith and
challenges.
This book is not even mentioned in the Old Testament.
The chronology of the patriarchs receives only a mention in Genesis 5. It
starts with Adam and within a matter of one chapter arrives at Noah. It
basically only states how long these men had lived. Enoch is the only one that
gets a longer mention and that of only 4 verses that say how long he lived,
that he walked with God and that God took him (v 21-24). We know nothing from
the Old Testament about him as a man, his calling, his city, his return to
earth in the Millenium.
This brings me to my point….modern-day revelation,
namely the Book of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price. This is what we know
further about the Book of Remembrance thanks to these books of scripture: Enoch
and his people wrote in it (Moses 6:46); it was brought to America by the
Jaredites which is a good indication that it survived the Flood (Ether 8:9); it was possessed and cherished
by Abraham (Abraham 1:31).
We know that the first five books of the Old Testament
were written by Moses. They are collectively called the ‘Pentateuch’. Such
vital information was lost from these five books that the Lord in His mercy
revealed it to Joseph Smith from June 1830 to February 1831. When I think of
all the knowledge and insight I have received about Enoch alone from the Book
of Moses, I want to weep with gratitude for the power of revelation and
especially for the Prophet Joseph Smith.
From the beginning of time, God has called prophets to
cry repentance, to direct the work of God and to lead people to Christ. They
have been listened to, followed, rejected, and even stoned and killed (Matthew
23:37).
Generally, when the world looks back on the prophets
of old, they do not remember them as humans with flaws and imperfections. They
revere them because they were rejected, reviled and killed and because they are
canonized in the scriptures……except for Joseph. It would seem that the very
jaws of hell opened when he was called to be the prophet of this dispensation
but what a witness he became of the burden these men carry that even leads them
to death!
I look forward to the day when Joseph will be recognised
as much as the prophets of old, when people will have a witness of his divine
calling. I will bow in reverence before him that day and my gratitude will know
no bounds for giving us a glimpse of heaven through the revelations he was
given.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: The Translation Process by LDS Art)
I
have gravitated towards the Old Testament during my entire Church membership
and for one reason. It has so many roots: the root of our existence, the root
of the Abrahamic covenant, the root of the identity of the House of Israel, the
root of the generations of Christ.
I
love beginnings and roots are beginnings. I love to see how things started and
I love seeing people rise to great heights: Abraham, the father of the faithful
with whom God made the greatest covenant ever for the benefit of the children
of men; the mighty Jacob who became Israel; Moses, who rose to be the great
lawgiver of God’s favoured people; the Plan of Salvation which propelled the
Son of God to become the God of Creation and Redeemer of mankind. I love
beginnings and I love evolvement.
The
Old Testament begins with the root of Creation but to me it begins with its
author, Moses, who wrote the first five books of the Old Testament and to whom
was revealed the why and how we came to be here…..the most important part which
was lost and which the population at large wonders about still.
God
knew that this would happen so he promised Moses that He would ‘raise up
another’ like him to restore His words which were taken away (Moses 1:40-41).
Enter beloved Joseph who received this vital information through revelation
whilst translating the Bible in June 1830 to February 1831.
Both
these men prove one thing – God chooses His most valiant children for key
positions on earth as they can be trusted to accomplish their assignments,
because “the works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be
frustrated, neither can they come to naught (D&C 3:1)
God
knew in the very beginning that Moses would have the fortitude to turn his back
on the luxuries and glories of the Egyptian court, accept the role of a
shepherd for forty years and then be called to lead 2 million people out of
Egyptian bondage and slavery.
Imagine
being an 80 year old shepherd, removed from a complicated life in Egypt and
enjoying the ease of pastoral life until one day you happen to come across a
burning bush and are asked to take the shoes off your feet and show reverence to
the maker of the Universe (Exodus 3:4-5)
That
sacred experience was the beginning of the tutoring of Moses to whom God
revealed himself and showed him the roots of man’s identity who is in the
similitude of God’s Only Begotten, the Saviour of all mankind (Moses 1:6). And
then the greatest root of all, God’s purpose of creation of this earth and of
all the living on it: “For behold, this is my work and my glory to bring to
pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39)
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Moses by Greg Sargent)
I
had a personal moment with the powers of heaven yesterday which led me to
contemplate about Him who affords the salvation to my inadequate soul, a soul which
would otherwise be doomed for eternity.
As
I reflected, my most favourite scripture, from Paul, came to my mind: “….I
count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but
dung, that I may win Christ.” (Philippians 3:8-10)
Paul
was ‘a real Jew, circumcised, of the stock of Israel, a Pharisee of the tribe
of Benjamin’ (Philippians 3:5; Romans 11:1). He was highly respected in his
Jewish community yet he turned his back on it and his Jewish family. He
abandoned it all for the ‘excellency of the knowledge of Christ’.
Paul
endured terrible hardships and paid an enormous price for his discipleship and
thereby became the greatest missionary of early Christendom. Repeatedly
imprisoned, thrice beaten with rods, once stoned and left for dead, survived
three shipwrecks, spent a night and a day in waters' deep, dwelt in peril
of robbers and of his own countrymen, lived amongst heathen, in hunger and
thirst, in cold and nakedness (2 Corinthians 11:23-27). And this supersedes it
all....he was scourged by the Jews 5 times, 39 lashes each time (2 Corinthians
11:24). And he considered it all worth it for the ‘excellency of the knowledge
of Christ’.
I
could write pages about Paul. What fascinates me the most about him is that he
viewed his earthly troubles as dross compared to knowing and having Christ in
his life. I imagine we will all one day come to see the advantage and beauty of
this.
This
is the truth that came to me yesterday: There will come a day when all we have
ever stressed over in this life will seem as dross: our sins, our weaknesses,
our worries, our inadequacies, our earthly indignities, our failings, our hurts,
our lack, our embarrassments, our wrongs, our insecurities, our injustices…..
When we stand at the judgment bar
of God with Christ between us and the justice of the Father, we will then see
that all we have been through in this life is but dross compared to our
‘excellency of the knowledge of Christ’ and our faithfulness to Him as our
personal Saviour. Nothing else will matter but this. His mercy will be
extended, the debt to justice paid, the forgiveness given, the slate wiped
clean. We, the penitent, will bow before Him and wash His feet with our tears
and we will go free.
If you were
not,
I would not be,
Silence would
have wept at Calvary!
If you were
not,
I would not be,
Joyless would
be my eternity.
I
love Lehi of The Book of Mormon. I love him because he was a dreamer. He
certainly proves that the path of faith is not for the faint hearted. Dreams,
visions and revelations are in the spiritual realm and that’s where Lehi was.
His
older sons couldn’t accept their father’s inclination for the spiritual because
he was ‘a visionary man’ (1 Nephi 2:11). If that’s Nephi’s description of him,
I am certain it was a complimentary one. If it was his brothers’, it would have
been a scornful one leaning to opinions of lunacy. And this is how all
unbelievers view the spiritual realm.
I
can relate to Lehi. For many years now I have held Section 76 of the Doctrine
and Covenants close to my heart. It contains a promise to the faithful saints,
the fulfilment of which I have often prayed for: revelation of mysteries of the
kingdom, wonders of eternity, wisdom, understanding, enlightenment, knowledge
of things ‘which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the
heart of man’ (v 5-10). This was the world of Lehi.
I
can also relate to his son Nephi. He also thirsted for knowledge of ‘the
mysteries of God’ (1 Nephi 2:16). Because of this noble desire, Nephi was
‘highly favoured of the Lord’ and his wish was granted (1 Nephi 1:1).
Since
my quest to understand God’s ways, I have been blessed over the years with
dreams, revelations and memories from my pre-earth life. At times I have
wondered if my imagination was just a tad too fertile but I know deep down, I
too have been favoured of God. All that was revealed to me has been pertinent
to my life and my progression, even my understanding of the scriptures.
I
know there are many of you that have enjoyed the same privileges. We are all
entitled to them, if we want them….as long as we want them for the right
reason.
I
have reflected on Lehi’s spiritual riches and have realised what a
responsibility it is to be so endowed with such knowledge and understanding…..”for
of him unto whom much is given much is required, and he who sins against the
greater light shall receive the greater condemnation” (D&C 82:3). Lehi endangered
his life by preaching to the Jews (1 Nephi 1:20) but how dangerous his path
would have been if he disregarded God’s messages? Can you see the
responsibility of the path of faith that Lehi honoured? What is given us is not
to be trifled with.
Surely
we are blessed above all the people of the earth……if we are faithful, the
Saviour of this world who guides His Church and oversees the salvation of humanity,
will fill our spiritual cup daily with His Spirit which will enlighten us and give
us understanding that will reach to heaven….(D&C 76:9,10).
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Fill My Cup Lord by Danny Hahlbohm)
I have
always had the Brother of Jared on a pedestal because of his perfect faith that
rent the veil and revealed the Saviour standing before him. This faith has been
the identifier we use in the Church for this man but I am fascinated with a
couple of things that occurred prior to this event.
The Brother
of Jared was ‘highly favoured of the Lord’ and his mighty and frequent prayers
were ‘cries’ unto God to separate him and his company of family and friends
from the situation of the Tower of Babel (Ether 1:34; 43). The Lord obliged and
promised to lead them to ‘the choice land above all other lands’ (Ether 1:42;
2:13).
The company
travelled in the wilderness and crossed many waters in the barges they had made
and were constantly led by God (Ether 2:5,6). And this is the puzzling thing. When
they arrived to the coast, they pitched their tents and settled there for four
whole years! (2:13). Were they tired of all the travel? Did they survey the
area and thought, ‘this is good enough’, we’ll stay here? Did they get too
comfortable in having been removed from the situation they tried to evade and
accepted the coast as their promised land?
I rather
suspect it was this. The Brother of Jared did something uncharacteristic when
they arrived there. He stopped praying….and so the guidance to keep going
stopped too. Did he think it was no
longer necessary? When the Lord came to him after four years, He ‘stood in a
cloud and talked with him and chastened him for the space of three hours ‘because
he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord’ (2:14). Obviously, it was
very much necessary.
Can we
relate this to us? Often we settle for something that is ‘good enough’ when in
reality God has something so much better for us. We take the reins of our lives
and think we don’t need to be guided so much so we stop turning to God. I know many people who are very grateful to be
on this earth and don’t want to go further because there is much to be liked
and enjoyed here. The promise of eternal life seems just too costly and far
away.
People of
the world fear death and view it as something dark and terrible. I know someone
who is 101 years old and has a 10 year plan. He is determined not to die. The
world is invested in anti-aging and longevity. This earth however, is our
coast, and the promised land is waiting. There is more, so much more, if we are
brave enough to cross the great waters to enter ‘the choice land above all
other lands’.
Let’s not
settle and become too comfortable. The Brother of Jared didn’t. He repented and
the next step of the journey surpassed all his expectations. The heavens
parted, he saw the premortal Christ and he stepped through the veil to see the
mysteries of eternity (Ether 3:18,20).
This brings
me to more food for thought. The Lord solved the problem of needed air in the
barges but he asked the Brother of Jared to solve the problem of needed light
(Ether 2:25). I don’t know why this man thought of the stones which could be
illuminated. There are a number of Jewish sources that say that God had Noah
suspend precious stones or pearls inside the ark to lighten it (Tvedtnes, John
A., “Ancient Texts in Support of the Book of Mormon”). Perhaps the Brother of
Jared had heard about this and reasoned he should do the same.
The
important thing here is that the Lord asked him to think deeply and see the
possibilities beyond the obvious which require faith to be brought into
reality. Following the illumination of the stones came the greatest spiritual
illumination known to man (Ether 4:4). So great were the things that the
Brother of Jared was permitted to see, that he was forbidden to tell no man
(Ether 3:21).
This
knowledge remains hidden from the world to this day in the sealed portion of
the gold plates to be revealed when we, the Gentiles ‘become clean before the
Lord’ and exercise faith in Him as the Brother of Jared did (Ether 4:6,7). This
knowledge of eternity is more valuable than the promised land of America the
Jaredites arrived at. This knowledge is a glimpse into our eternal home. This
is the real promised land.
“Come unto
me, O ye house of Israel, and it shall be made manifest unto you how great
things the Father hath laid up for you, from the foundation of the world……”
(Ether 4:15)
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Worlds by Greg Olsen)
Some years
ago I fell into following a lovely lady on YouTube who had her own ministry in America.
She was inspirational and called herself
‘the cheerleader of your dreams’. She quoted a lot of scriptures but took many
out of context and adapted them to her premise of ‘living your dreams’ and
getting everything you wanted.
With time I
realized her understanding of the scriptures was rather limited and even
shallow because she did not understand the connection of most of them to the
House of Israel concept, Christ’s Church or the Plan of Salvation. In other
words, she didn’t understand them deeply enough. She presumed the scriptures
were tailored to the individual and missed the bigger picture.
In the end
her scripture quoting frustrated me because I knew better what those scriptures
meant, not because I was smarter but because I had been exposed to additional
scriptures we have in the Church which give us the complete truth. I became so
grateful for the treasure trove of scriptures we have and the continuous
revelation we believe in.
I reflected
on all the people in Christendom who believe that the Bible is complete and who
cry: “A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible”
(2 Nephi 29:3). Christ called such people fools who supposed that the Bible
contains all His words. Those who reject so thoughtlessly more of His words,
reject Him.
Just
recently I read an absolutely excellent article printed in the January 1995
Ensign titled “Scripture Reading and Revelation” by Elder Dallin H. Oaks. I
could not possibly summarise here the wealth of knowledge and instruction given
by Elder Oaks but there is something that stood out to me that I would like to
share.
The premise
of the article was gaining understanding of scriptures with what he called ‘open
canon’, meaning the scriptures are open to greater understanding through
revelation by the Holy Ghost and the living prophets, just to name a couple. I
highly recommend you read this article.
The
greatest proof of revelations of the living prophets comes to us through Joseph
Smith. The Church has adopted these revelations into our theology and compiled them
into Doctrine and Covenants. This set of scripture is actually an ‘open canon’
in a very important way because it continues to incorporate additional
revelations as they come from the living prophets.
One example
of this is one of my favourite sections in the entire Doctrine and Covenants,
Section 138, which records the vision President Joseph F. Smith had of the Saviour’s
visit to the spirit world during the three days His body lay in the tomb. This
Section records the most powerful moment in time when the Saviour, having completed
His crucible, came to the faithful in the world of spirits who awaited Him
anxiously ‘rejoicing in the hour of their deliverance from the chains of death’
(v18).
When He
appeared “….they bowed the knee and acknowledged the Son of God as their
Redeemer and Deliverer….the radiance from the presence of the Lord rested upon
them and they sang praises unto His holy name.” (v 23, 24)
This vision
was accepted as scripture and added to the Doctrine and Covenants in 1918. The
point is this. If our present prophet had a vision that the Council of the
Twelve accepted as scripture and they added it to the Doctrine and Covenants,
how would each of us feel about ‘open canon’? How we would feel would be a sure
indication of how strong our testimony is of our present prophet.
When I
study Doctrine and Covenants I know the icing on the cake is coming at the end.
I know I will meet the Saviour there in Section 138 and I will cry tears of joy
for the life He laid on the sacrificial table for all the faithful who love Him
and accept His word.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art by Land of Dreams)
There are
two valuable privileges that we have in the Church that go together as well as bacon
and eggs. I speak of the scriptures and revelation. This is my favourite
subject and this is why, they both involve the heart to be understood. I have a
personal testimony of this because I understand the scriptures more emotionally
than intellectually.
I always
thought we are all wired differently so my understanding comes differently to
others but it would seem the operative word in the scriptures and revelation is
‘the heart’, which we all have:
“Revelation
comes as words we FEEL more than HEAR. Nephi told his wayward brothers, who
were visited by an angel, “Ye were past feeling, that ye could not FEEL his
words” (1 Nephi 17:45). The scriptures are full of such expressions as: “I will
tell you in your mind and in your heart” (D&C 8:2), or “Speak the thoughts
that I shall put into your hearts” (D&C 100:5). There are hundreds of
verses which teach thus of revelation.”
(Boyd K. Packer, in CR Oct 1994, p 77, Ensign Nov 1994, p 60)
But this is
not all, something is needed of us who are listening: “Nephi teaches us, “When
a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost, the power of the Holy Ghost
carrieth [the message] unto the hearts of the children of men” (2 Nephi 33:1).
Please notice how the power of the spirit carries the message UNTO but not
necessarily INTO the heart.
“A teacher can
explain, demonstrate, persuade, and testify, and do so with great spiritual
power and effectiveness. Ultimately, however, the content of a message and the
witness of the Holy Ghost penetrate into the heart only if the receiver allows
them to enter. (Elder David A. Bednar, “Seek Learning by Faith” [An Evening
with Elder David A. Bednar], Feb 3, 2006] www.ldsces.org
It is
obvious from these two quotes that we ultimately receive the most knowledge and
understanding from the scriptures and revelation combined together with our
willingness to receive and incorporate into our lives the truth that is given.
When Jesus taught
the people of Capernaum, He taught them in parables. The Gospel of Mark says: “And
with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear
it.” (Mark 4:33) Joseph Smith changed the word ‘hear’ in the Inspired Version
to “bear’ ( v 33a). To bear something involves the mind and the heart.
What we are
given in the scriptures is meant for all of us. In fact the Lord confirms this
several times in the Doctrine and Covenants by saying: “This is my voice unto
all” (25:16) and “I give unto you a commandment that what I say unto one I say
unto all” (D&C 61:18; 82:5; 92:1; 93:49. The revelation that we receive
though whilst hearing what He tells us adapts the needful application to each
of us as we need it and tells us how we can utilize it. Unless we are open to
the revelation that follows, we are missing out on the real purpose of the
scriptures.
I
see your eternal flame
in
the deepest caverns of my heart.
Your
words are a lamp unto my feet;
The
pillar of fire that keeps me warm
The
beacon of light that will lead me home.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Light of the World by Douglas Bentley)
If you want proof of what God can do with you, look no
further than Joseph Smith.
In 1856 Emma Smith said this about Joseph’s literacy skills:
“When my husband was translating the Book of Mormon, I wrote a part of it as he dictated each sentence, word for word and when he came to proper names he could not pronounce, or long words, he spelled them out ….and one time while he was translating he stopped suddenly, pale as a sheet, and said, “Emma, did Jerusalem have walls around it?
“When I
answered, “Yes”, he replied, “Oh! I didn’t know. I was afraid I had been
deceived.” He had such a limited knowledge of history at that time that he did
not even know that Jerusalem was surrounded by walls. He could neither write
nor dictate a coherent and well worded letter; let alone dictating a book like
the Book of Mormon.” (Edmund C. Briggs,
‘A Visit to Nauvoo in 1856’, Journal of History, Jan 1916, p 454)
Emma
acknowledged that Joseph possessed only rudimentary literacy whilst translating
the Book of Mormon which was published in 1830. Fast forward 14 years to Joseph’s
explanation of an anomaly in the English New Testament:”
“I have an
old edition of the New Testament in the Latin, Hebrew, German and Greek
languages. I have been reading the German, and find it to be the most [nearly]
correct translation, and to correspond nearest to the revelations which God has
given to me for the last fourteen years.
“It tells
about Jacobus, the son of Zebedee. It means Jacob. In the English New Testament
it is translated James. In the 21st [verse] of the fourth chapter of
Matthew, my old German edition gives the word Jacob instead of James…..the
Latin says Jacobus, which means Jacob; the Hebrew says Jacob, the Greek says
Jacob and the German says Jacob; here we have the testimony of four against
one.
“I thank
God that I have got this old book; but I thank him more for the gift of the
Holy Ghost. I have got the oldest book in the world; but I [also] have the
oldest book in my heart, even the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p 349)
So instead
of Peter, James and John, we in actuality have Peter, and Jacob and John, the
sons of Zebedee. But what really blows me away is that Joseph had the New
Testament in four different languages.
Here we
have an almost illiterate man who could barely compose a letter to a man,
reading Latin, Hebrew, German and Greek 14 years later. No formal education but
something far greater…..the Holy Ghost: the testator, the revealer of truth, a
member of the Godhead.
The Saviour
calls the willing and the pure in heart and makes them great and capable of
doing His work. He proved that when He told Joseph, an uneducated man who could
barely read and write, that He would give him the words to translate the Book
of Mormon (2 Nephi 27:20). No education needed.
You cannot
possibly read the Doctrine and Covenants and not see that Joseph would have
become polished in his speaking and writing having had the companionship of the
Holy Ghost to receive the revelations which he recorded. That superior
intelligence of the spirit must have rubbed off greatly.
Parley P.
Pratt once said that the Holy Ghost invigorates all the faculties of the
physical and intellectual man (Key to the Science of Theology, p 101). I am
convinced he did this with Joseph.
The Saviour
has sacrificed His all for us to be tutored, shaped, moulded and refined through
the gift of the Holy Ghost so we can become like Him and inherit eternal life. He
deserves all the honour and glory for what we eventually become. To Him belongs
the credit for the riches of the Gospel through the man called Joseph Smith.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Joseph by Ken Corbett)
Since God
loves all His children and wants them all saved, the very first chapter of the
Doctrine and Covenants indicates that this book of scripture is a voice of
warning to the entire inhabitants of the earth, that God will not be mocked and
judgment awaits us all.
The major
theme of this book is to prepare for that judgment. The word ‘prepare’ is
mentioned over 90 times throughout this book of scripture.
The message
to the world is this:
1. In
this day and age where people at large, even in most corners of Christendom,
believe that revelation has ceased, the Lord has parted the heavens once again
and continues to commune with humanity. In verse 30, the Lord describes His Church
as ‘the only true and living Church’. The Church has a life, because it has
living prophets to administer to it through revelation. It does not operate on
dead doctrine.
2. It
is an offer of sanctuary to anyone who will come out of the world, repent and
enter into the covenants of salvation. Doctrine and Covenants basically says
this to the world: I will return; these are the signs of my return; if you will
repent and come into my kingdom and make covenants with me, they will lead you
to salvation and life eternal. If not, you will reap the rewards of your deeds.
The warnings and promises are the same for Church members.
It is
amazing to me that a book which contains such strong warnings for our day and contains
such important doctrine is judged and rejected so readily, and for one reason:
it encompasses the history of the Church. This is a thorn in the flesh of
non-members and inactive members alike.
When I was
doing my University degree, I studied a lot of history subjects. One of my
history professors told us one day to be careful about judging history. He said
even though history is factual it is in reality subjective because it is written
by humans from humans’ perspective.
Very often
we tend to judge people and past events by today’s standards and we readily
disparage those who are dead because they are not here to defend themselves. We
have no idea what it was like to live 1,000 or even 100 years ago.
We don’t
understand the cultural differences, limitations and difficulties people lived
with and what impact that all had on their mentality and understanding of the
human experience, just as they could not relate to the liberties and privileges
of our society today.
When it
comes to the Church, we cannot understand the cultural, religious or socio-economic
impact of the 1800s on the society of its day.
We cannot
relate to being tarred and feathered today where human rights are the rule of
the day. We cannot relate to pushing a cart across our continent and leaving
our dead children in the frozen ground along the way in a day where airplanes,
trains and cars take us wherever we want to go. We cannot relate to not having
supermarkets full of food and having to till the ground for our survival.
We do not
know what went on in the hearts and minds of people who went before us. We only
know what others could see of them and write about them. That’s history. Highly
subjective. When I think of Joseph and all he went through from the age of 14
and now see what is written about him, it makes me want to weep.
Imagine the
disbelief, the mockery, the aversion towards Joseph when he dared to tell
others of his experience. God had parted the heavens and chose him to speak to!
Not a professor, not a doctor, not anyone educated and on the pillar of society,
but just a man, a humble man, a teachable man, a willing man. “Fools mock, but
they shall mourn……” (Ether 12:26)
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Joseph Smith at Saviour's Feet by Liz Lemon Swindle)
I wrote
yesterday about the priceless gift the Saviour has given to His Church, that of
the gift of the Holy Ghost.
This is why
I consider it the greatest gift to me. My favourite section of the Doctrine and
Covenants is Section 76. In it the Saviour gives us, the members of His church,
an incredible promise. It is this:
“I, the
Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honour
those who serve me….to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden
mysteries of my kingdom from days of old, and for ages to come….yea, even the
wonders of eternity shall they know….. yea, even those things which eye has not
seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man…….and their wisdom
shall be great, and their understanding reach to heaven; and before them the
wisdom of the wise shall perish…. (v 5-10)
This
promise is my holy grail. I don’t know if it is a curse or a blessing to be a
deep thinker. I think deeply and I yearn to known the truths of eternity. For
this reason, the Holy Ghost is to me a priceless gift because He has enlightened
my understanding as I have searched the scriptures for many years. He is my
revealer and testifier of truth.
And this is
a wonderful thing, the promise ‘to know’ was not made to the leaders of the
Church excluding the membership. This promise is to all.
Immediately
following the receipt of this promise, Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon were
privileged to receive understanding of the things of God, and upon meditation
of the same, the promise was fulfilled by granting them a vision of the Father
and the Son of which Joseph and Sidney bore record to the world (v 11-21-23).
The entire
Section 76 is filled with amazing doctrinal knowledge which was revealed to
these two men. Their entire experience was given to them for the purpose of
bearing their testimony to the Church and to the world that God and His Son
live, that they are real and that the Church contains the fulness of the
gospel.
It is my
belief that the Holy Ghost will reveal to us things of eternity according to
our capacity to receive them and to the fulfilling our purpose in this life. If
it is not necessary for us to have visions, we won’t have visions but we will
receive understanding of things we did not understand before that will be of
benefit to us in some way. It will serve a purpose.
The
mysteries of the kingdom are many and varied. They are things we do not yet
understand, hence the name ‘mystery’. As members of the Church, we understand
many mysteries that people of the world do not, because of the ministry of the
Holy Ghost, and we will receive even
more if we are but worthy.
We are
privileged to study the Doctrine and Covenants this coming year. Knowing the
true doctrine of Christ in this world of confusion, false ideologies and
interpretations of men which are leading many astray, it is one of our greatest
privileges to be taught by the Holy Ghost by whom we shall know the truth of
all things (Moroni 10:5).
Joseph
Smith once admonished the sisters of Relief Society thus: “…..If you live up to
your privilege, the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates…..”
When the
Holy Ghost takes up his abode with us, he lifts us higher in truth which leads
to greater righteousness and causes us to stand on higher ground. This is where
the angels are…..
I think Joseph
spoke from experience.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Ascension by Danny Hahlbohm)
“When Mary
told Joseph that she was with child by the power of the Holy Ghost, his
reaction was one not only of shock, of sorrow, and of dismay, but also of
disbelief…..That he wanted to believe Mary, but did not, is shown by his determination
‘to put her away privily’ with as little embarrassment as possible.
He planned
to give her a letter of divorce in the presence of two witnesses only, as the
law permitted, rather than to make the dissolution of their contract to marry a
matter of public knowledge and possible gossip. It must have been at this point
that Mary sped hastily to Hebron to find comfort in the arms of Elisabeth.”
(Bruce R.
McConkie, The Mortal Messiah Book 1, p 331-2)
Mary stayed
with Elisabeth in Hebron for three months. We may well suppose that Joseph
struggled with his problem during that time until he received the revelation
from angel Gabriel who appeared to him in a dream testifying of the divine paternity
of Mary’s expected child.
In Elder
McConkie’s words: “As with all men, his [Joseph’s) faith and his willingness to
submit to the divine will in all things [had to] be tested.” (ibid)
This
submission to God’s will would have to have been Joseph’s greatest trial of
faith. That he passed the test with flying colours is evidenced by his guardianship
and care of the Christ child and His mother.
What relief
and elation Joseph must have felt when he was assured of Mary’s condition. It
meant she was still his but he must have envisaged that fathering such an
important child that was not his own would mean he would tread a difficult
road.
Receiving confirmation
of the path we should follow in life is one thing but following that path is
another. Receiving is sometimes the easy part and following, the hardest
because it means you are conforming to God’s will instead of your own.
On a lesser
scale than Joseph’s, but also of eternal significance, is our commitment to follow the revelations we
receive:
“After you
have gotten the message, after you have paid the price to feel his love and
hear the word of the Lord, ‘go forward’. Don’t fear, don’t vacillate, don’t
quibble, don’t whine….with the spirit of revelation, dismiss your fears and
wade in with both feet…..
“Therefore,
let not your hearts faint….Mine angel shall go up before you…and also my
presence, and in time ye shall possess the goodly land (D&C 103:17-20)……What
goodly land? Your goodly land. Your promised land. Your New Jerusalem. Your own
little acre flowing with milk and honey. Your future. Your dreams. Your
destiny.”
-
Jeffrey
R. Holland, Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence, BYU Speeches , March 2, 1999
Next time
you hear the voice of revelation, do not retreat, because you might just
discover how very important you are…..to yourself….and to someone else.
When
God called,
So
willing was your spiritually tender heart
No
forces of hell could sever you
from
your appointed path.
The
guardian of my youth,
The
obedient servant of the Lord,
Thou
art Joseph
The
valiant son of God.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Mary and Joseph by Rose Datoc Dall)
