She had heard of His wonderous works
As His fame spread throughout the land.
With fear and shame she approached,
Afraid to ask for a miracle at His hand.
If she could just touch, not having to beg,
His power would make her whole
And a clean woman she would again be.
He speaks: “Daughter, thy faith hath
Made thee whole, come, follow me.”
- CATHRYEN ALLEN
(Art: Divine Healing by Ron DiCianni)
When Joshua and the leaders of Israel who
served under him died, tribal loyalty replaced nation unity. Each tribe looked
to its own resources without giving help or asking aid from their fellow
Israelites.
As the people chose evil by worshipping
heathen gods, the Lord allowed them to fall into the hands of their enemies. It
is then that the people remembered their God and cried to Him for deliverance (Judges
3:9). The Lord then raised up ‘judges’ to deliver them. The so-called
judges of this period were more military heroes rather than officers of the
judiciary. The twelve judges of Israel and their tribes of leadership are
outlined in the book of Judges chapters 3, 4, 6, 10, 11, 12 and 15. Their
conquests make fascinating reading.
There are two significant judges that stand
out to me, Gideon of Manasseh in Chapter 6 and Samson of Dan in Chapter 15.
GIDEON:
His is one of the most intriguing and
faith promoting stories of the Old Testament. He was obedient to the call, tore
down his father’s grove and the altar for Baal worship and in their place
erected an altar to Jehovah. This, I think, was the cause of his success. Gideon started off with 32,000 soldiers in his
army which was required to defeat a Midianite army of 130,000 (Judges 8:10).
This alone would have sent fear through Gideon, but things got worse.
By the process of elimination, the Lord
reduced this army to 300 that ‘the help of the Lord’ might be apparent to
Israel so that they might not boast in their own strength (Judges 7:2) but
Israel was hard of heart and did not stay on the right path. This mistake led
them into bondage to the Philistines for forty years (Judges 13:1). I guess you
can take Israel out of Egypt but you can’t take Egypt out of Israel…..
SAMSON:
Samson, born of a barren woman in the
tribe of Dan, had the potential to be one of the greatest leaders in Israel
since Joshua. Foreordained and chosen by the Lord to be a Nazarite who would
conquer Philistines and end Israel's 40 year bondage, his birth announced by an
angel (Judges 13:4,5), Samson fell into the chosen category with Isaac, John
the Baptist and Jesus himself.
“A Nazarite was someone who was separated
from others by a special vow of self-dedication to Jehovah. The term ‘set apart’
is used to mean that one has been given a special calling or position and is
thus separated from others” (OT Student Manual Book 1, p 259). A Nazarite could
never cut his hair for the length of his hair was indicative of the length of
the vow thus when his hair was cut, it was an indication of the end of his vow
and not his strength (Judges 16:17).
Samson was born with tremendous gifts, one
of them being a gift of incredible strength. His courageous feats include
slaying a young lion with his bare hands (Judges 14), killing 1,000 Philistines
with jawbone of an ass (Judges 15), ripping away the doors and posts of Gaza's
gate and carrying them 40 miles to Hebron and bringing down a whole building
killing himself and 3000 Philistines (Judges 16).
Samson had massive potential but his is a
story of self-indulgence, immorality, selfish seeking for revenge and violation
of the covenant. Instead of conquering Philistines, he repeatedly joined
them and even married one of them. His misfortunes began when his
confidence in God turned into conceit and pride, the breaking of his vows as a
Nazarite and violating the commandments, including the law of chastity (Judges
16:1). He began great but ended up being one of the greatest tragedies of
history.
The Book of Judges is one of the most
fascinating books in the Old Testament. It offers endless lessons and showcases
Jehovah’s mercy and tolerance towards His people. It shows us clearly that the
power to break the Abrahamic covenant lies solely with us, and NEVER with Him
(Det 4:31; Leviticus 26:44,46; Isaiah 49:15,16; 2 Kings 13:23).
Out God is a God of mercy, grace,
forgiveness and love. He is worth our adoration, worship and life-time
commitment. He is the light, the truth, and the way….He is the Creator, He is
the Redeemer, He is the Saviour…..and there is none else.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Artist Unknown)
“For the gospel to be written in your heart,
you need to know what it is and grow to understand it more fully. That means
you will study it. When I say study, I mean something more than reading. For
conversion you should care more about the amount of time you spend in the
scriptures than about the amount you read in that time.
“I see you sometimes reading a few verses,
stopping to ponder them, carefully reading the verses again, and as you think
about what they mean, praying for understanding, asking questions in your mind,
waiting for spiritual impressions, and writing down the impressions and
insights that come so you can remember and learn more.
“Studying in this way….you will be giving place
in your heart for the word of God, and He will be speaking to you. Remember
Alma’s description of what it feels like: “It beginneth to enlarge my soul;
yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be
delicious to me.”
“You will know that the gospel is being written
in your heart, that your conversion is happening, as the word of the Lord from
His prophets, past and present, feels more and more delicious to your soul.”
-
Elder
D. Todd Christofferson, “When Thou Art Converted” April 2004 GC
I add my testimony to that of Alma and Elder
Christofferson. I began to study the scriptures in earnest 30 years ago during
the darkest time of my life. They became my lifeline……I would get lost for an
hour or more every day as I pondered, searched and savoured how delicious those
words became to my soul…..and in them I found more than I expected. I found the
Saviour.
In the Old Testament I saw the merciful Jehovah;
in the New Testament I saw the loving Saviour; in the Book of Mormon I saw the
promised Messiah; in the Doctrine and Covenants I saw the majestic Christ and
in the Pearl of Great Price I saw the pre-mortal promise of salvation. I saw
the whole of Him.
The scriptures are still my lifeline. It’s the
place I go to whenever I want to hear Him speak……
I
stand in awe of Your sacrifice
And
Your soul’s pain;
The
body freely given
For
nothing of You to remain.
I
ache, I ache,
Knowing
the cost;
Then
I read Your living word
And
I am comforted
Knowing
nothing is lost.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Hosanna to God and the Lamb by LDS Art)
If there is
one thing we can learn from the characters that grace the pages of our
scriptures it is that they too were imperfect. Sometimes we tend to remember
those who are deceased only for their good qualities. This is where written
history helps us see things in a better light. Even those exemplary leaders in
the House of Israel had their weaknesses and imperfections.
Herein is
the mercy of God. He favours even the imperfect and makes them His chosen
people. We are perfect examples of that. We were chosen as the elect of God and
assigned to the tribes of the House of Israel before we were even born (see
James Talmage, “Articles of Faith” pp 193-94). We were elected based on our
capacities, our willingness, our faith and our thirst for the truth:
“…the House
of Israel is composed of the spirits from pre-mortal life who there developed a
talent for spirituality, and who are therefore entitled to the blessing of
heaven in this life on a preferential basis.” (Bruce R. McConkie, “Mortal
Messiah Book 3” p 11)
On Judgment
Day, our desires, our faith and our love of God and the truth will be considered
as much as our good deeds. In writing to Romans, Paul told them that Abraham’s
faith was accounted to him for righteousness and that man is justified by
faith, righteous works, and grace (see Romans 4).
The Church
has given us some guidelines to follow when we study about the House of Israel
and consider the covenant people we belong to:
1. Is there any evidence in the
scriptural record that imperfect behaviour was in any way overlooked, condoned,
or excused by the Lord?
2. Can we learn from the faults and
failings of our ancestors as well as from their strengths and successes?
3. Do you see any evidences of growth,
development, repentance, and commitment in the record of the earliest covenant
people?
4. Do the human interest details, such as the rivalry between Rachel and Leah, make it easier or harder for you to believe that God is a loving and patient Father, and that you, too, in spite of your own failings, may become a covenant person?
-
Old
Testament Student Manual Genesis – 2 Samuel p 90
These guidelines suggest one thing very clearly. God is the same
yesterday, today and forever (Mormon 9:9). He cannot look upon sin with the
least degree of allowance so He holds us all to the same standard in that
respect (D&C 1:31). As for the human condition of weakness, there is grace.
I marvel that you would love
Such an imperfect being like me.
With thankfulness, You remember the me
That once walked the clouds with Thee;
That You see who I once used to be,
And value me despite my humanity.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Compassionate Christ by Greg Sargent)
“The Gospels are not biographies of Jesus; they are a
collection of faith-promoting accounts from the Saviour’s ministry, that, if
believed, will induce receptive souls to come unto Christ and partake of His
goodness.”
-
Bruce R. McConkie, “The Mortal Messiah Book 1”,
p 371
“No mortal can write the biography of a God. A biography is
but the projection through the eyes of a penman of what the writer ‘believes’
were the acts and what he ‘feels’ were the thoughts and emotions of another man
who had like feelings with his own.
“How, then can any mortal plumb the depths of the feelings,
or understand in full the doings, of an Eternal Being? How can one of limited
talent tell, in true perspective, the whole story of Him who has all talent,
and tell it in such a way that other dustlike creatures will catch the vision
and rejoice in the portrayal?
“….the true ‘Life of Christ’ must be written by the spirit
of revelation and of prophecy, and cannot come fort until that millennial day
when men, like the brother of Jared, have a perfect knowledge that God can show
them all things. Only then will they be able to believe and rejoice in the
heavenly account.”
-
Bruce R. McConkie, “The Mortal Messiah Book 1”,
Preface xvii
“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the
which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world
itself could not contain the books that should be written.” (John 21:25)
I live in one moment in time
And try to comprehend it all
That surpasses my understanding,
Yet I heed the call.
I hear the eternal in every step I
take
It is bringing me closer
To the God
I must never forsake.
I want to be with Him
When angels bring me home;
I want to know The Son of God,
who is the meaning of it all.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Joy to the World by Greg Olsen)
This would have to be the
greatest proof that the Old Testament is not a dead book: all scriptures are
very much alive because they contain the word of God and God is not dead. His
word will live forever.
Cast your mind on the
road to Emmaus when the resurrected Saviour joined two travellers who were
discussing the hottest topic of the day, His possible resurrection (Luke 24:13-15).
They told Him they ‘trusted’ the Galilean was the Messiah who would redeem
Israel but were now sceptical because He had died (v 21). It would seem that
nobody besides Isaiah understood the necessity of His death.
The Saviour simply
expounded ‘unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning
HIMSELF….beginning at Moses and all the prophets’ (Luke v 27). He thought the written word of the past was
all they needed as proof of the living Christ. The rest came with the witness
of the Holy Ghost which burned within their hearts (v 32).
Now we come to the
greatest man of the Old Testament who testified of Christ, of His birth, His
ministry, His necessary death: Isaiah, whom Jesus quoted more frequently than
He quoted any other prophet. His words have lived through the New Testament,
The Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants. Why? Because “great are the
words of Isaiah”…..(3 Nephi 23:1) This, from the Saviour’s own mouth.
Isaiah’s prophecy of the
Messiah as a ‘suffering servant’ in earthly ministry who was “despised and
rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” is heart rendering
(Isaiah 53:3-8) and his prophecy of Christ’s Second Coming as the King of Glory when the Saints will praise
His ‘loving kindness and the great goodness toward the House of Israel….to give
unto them that mourn in Zion, beauty for ashes..” a splendour to look forward
to (Isaiah 63:7; 61:3).
How can we ever proclaim
dead the eloquence of Isaiah who announced: “For unto us a child is born, unto
us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name
shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father,
the Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). This is the prophecy of the living Christ,
the majestic King who will make us His forever.
We cannot think that
anything that has been and gone is dead. If we do, we run the risk of believing
that the very God we worship is dead also. He who has the whole human family in
His hands is more alive than any of us. All that has been will echo throughout
eternity, most especially His words that live on….even the words of the Old
Testament, the root of our beginning.
“For
whatsoever things were written afore time were written for our learning, that
we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans
15:4)
I
stand in awe of Your sacrifice
And
Your soul’s pain;
The
body freely given
For
nothing of You to remain.
I
ache, I ache,
Knowing
the cost;
Then
I read Your living word
And
I am comforted
Knowing
nothing is lost.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Transcendent Glory by Greg Collins)
My greatest point of gratitude as a member of the Church is my access to the true doctrine and in turn, the ultimate truth. I don’t know of any other Church that has the amount of scripture that we do. I am surprised though that not everyone in the Church takes advantage of this.
We have The Book of Mormon, The Bible, Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price to correlate between to get a clear view of the doctrine of Christ and in turn the mysteries of His kingdom.
I love the Bible because it speaks to my Israelite roots. Having been raised in Croatia, I relate to the pastoral way of life. I know what harvests are and what seasonal festivals are and what shepherds are. And I understand many spiritual truths that were taught by the Saviour using the metaphors that related to the agrarian way of life.
My favourite book of scripture is the Old Testament. I love history and historically and spiritually speaking, it covers amazing events and people. Most importantly, it is the root of the covenant that we as the House of Israel live by. It is the place I go to meet father Abraham for an example of righteousness and devotion to Jehovah.
The New Testament is to me the most spiritually charged book of scripture because it is about Christ and His mortal life and His supreme sacrifice.
I understand the importance of the Book of Mormon as the second witness of Jesus Christ and I understand why the members of the Church read this book the most. It is so much easier to understand than the challenging texts of the Bible. I love the way it clarifies a lot of Christ’s doctrine.
I say the Bible texts are challenging because as Joseph said, “certain errors had crept into the Bible through ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or designing and corrupt priests” (Joseph Smith Teachings, p 327). Joseph understood this so well that he invested himself into correcting, under inspiration, a lot of incorrect translations contained therein. There is a scripture, in my opinion, that is primarily the reason he saw fit to do this.
In 2 Timothy 3:16 we read: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Joseph corrected this scripture to read: “And all scripture given by inspiration of God……” (JST 2 Timothy 3:16a). A huge difference in just one simple word such as ‘is’. Such a subtle correction but it completely alters the meaning and proves Joseph’s theory. I revel in studying the Bible and finding new gems such as this.
And this might blow your socks off. Joseph also said that the book of Revelation is ‘one of the plainest books God ever caused to be written’ (in “History of the Church”, 5:342). There is only one explanation for this belief which comes from Bruce R. McConkie:
“…only those enlightened by the power of the Holy Ghost gain the full meaning and intent of the written word, for scripture is both given and understood by the same holy power, the power that comes from the Lord through his Spirit.” (“Mortal Messiah 2”, 267-8). This is the ultimate way of being taught.
The second is the prophets. If we truly believe that Joseph Smith was the prophet of this dispensation, we will retreat to his translation of the Bible more often for greater understanding. And Doctrine and Covenants testifies that he was…..
The Saviour would have us know and understand His doctrine of salvation. His word is not an important word, His word is the ONLY word….
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: The Master Blueprint by Mindi Oaten)
I did some research on why the scriptures are
called ‘the living word of God’ and here is what I have found: they are given
by revelation and understood by revelation and revelation cannot be dead for as
long as God lives; they are given to men by a living God; they possess a
dynamic and the transformative power that continues to speak to men from every
time and culture to convince, inspire and guide; they possess a power to penetrate
to the core of a person’s being to induce personal transformation.
I have a close friend who has told me more than
once that if it wasn’t for the Book of Mormon, she would no longer be alive. I
assume the Book of Mormon gave her the will to live in her darkest moments. I
can relate to this and I can testify of the power of the entire sacred canon of
scripture to help us survive the darkness. This is what the living word of God
means to me.
There was a time 30 years ago when I thought my
life was over. I was in the darkest abyss and wanted to end it. Then I made a
decision that liberated me from the most painful situation I have ever been in
and I turned to the scriptures to understand how to come to God who could deliver
me from the excruciating pain I was in.
In my searching of the scriptures, I found the
Christ, of whom they testify, at a much deeper level than ever before (John
5:39; 3 Nephi 23:5). I learnt who He really is as the Saviour of our souls and
what power He has to restore us to life. I learnt all about the Atonement and
how it can save us from adverse situations in mortality and how through it we
can be raised to immortality through the power of the resurrection. I learnt that my life was not over but that
it was just beginning. The scriptures gave me life.
The more I studied, the more I craved the power
to live that it gave me. It is a life line I still cannot do without. Not only
did it give me a desire to live but it brought me to one person I now cannot
live without. In my 30 years of scripture study, I have seen the Saviour on
every page. I have seen who He is and what He is like.
In the Old Testament I see the merciful Jehovah;
in the New Testament I see the loving Saviour; in the Book of Mormon I see the
promised Messiah; in the Doctrine and Covenants I see the powerful God and in
the Pearl of Great Price I see the dutiful Son and Redeemer of all mankind. And
in all this I see life……given by the living Christ.
I stand in awe of Your sacrifice
And Your soul’s pain;
The body freely given
For nothing of You to remain.
I ache, I ache,
Knowing the cost;
Then I hear Your living word
And I am comforted
Knowing nothing is lost.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Living Word by Danny Hahlbohm)
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)
“I fear
that some members of the Lord’s Church ‘live far beneath our privileges’ with
regard to the gift of the Holy Ghost. Some are distracted by the things of the
world that block out his influence, preventing them from recognizing spiritual
promptings. This is a noisy and busy world that we live in. If we are not
careful, the things of this world can crowd out the things of the Spirit.
“Some are
spiritually deadened and past feeling because of their choices to commit sin.
Others simply hover in spiritual complacency with no desire to rise above
themselves and commune with the Infinite. If they would open their hearts to
the refining influence of this unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost, a glorious
new spiritual dimension would come to light.
“Their eyes
would gaze upon a vista scarcely imaginable. They could know for themselves
things of the Spirit that are choice, precious, and capable of enlarging the
soul, expanding the mind, and filling the heart with inexpressible joy.”
-
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, “The Unspeakable Gift” GC
April 2003
From time
to time, I get amazed at how many of us in the Church really do live far
beneath our privileges. The wealth of knowledge we are given is endless, the
opportunities to spiritually advance ourselves equally so. In our busy day and
age spiritual complacency is alive and well and things of greater worth are
slipping through our fingers.
A lot of us
expect the Church to spiritually feed us. Perhaps it used to more in the past
than it does now that attendance has been narrowed down significantly. The onus
now is on individual testimony building. The “Come Follow Me” programme was
introduced for this reason.
I cannot
help but think of the incredible promise the Lord made to us in Doctrine and
Covenants that would elevate us to the ‘vista of a glorious new spiritual
dimension’ that Elder Wirthlin spoke of. We are told in Section 76 that the
Lord honours those who serve Him in righteousness and truth and that to them He
will reveal all the hidden mysteries of His kingdom:
”Even the
wonders of eternity shall they know, and things to come will I show them….And
their wisdom shall be great, and their understanding reach to heaven, and
before them the wisdom of the wise shall perish……for by my Spirit will I enlighten
them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will – yea,
even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into
the heart of man” (D&C 76:5-10)
Do you know
of any other group of people on this earth who have been given such a
privilege????
I
cannot fathom
The
greatness of Thy Godhood.
I
can scarce contain who You are
In
the hollow of my lacking heart.
I
am so small
And You are so vast;
Endow
me with wisdom,
Endow
me with might,
Help
me to comprehend
Beyond
the ages of the wise.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art by Liz Lemon Swindle)
Over the years as I have studied the
scriptures, I have become extremely grateful for the spiritual gift of
translation that was given to Joseph, the Prophet of the Restoration. As much
as I love the Old Testament and the Bible in its entirety, I am more than
grateful for the brilliance of the Book of Mormon because of its singular
process of translation.
This is something Joseph said that I have come
to have a testimony of: “Certain errors had crept into the Bible through ‘ignorant
translators, careless transcribers, or designing and corrupt priests” (Joseph
Smith Teachings, p 327). For this reason, I have been very invested in Joseph’s
translation of the Bible passages that have given me a much clearer view.
Sometimes it is just a word that has been
corrected that has made so much difference to my understanding. Consider these
few:
-
Speaking
of Jezebel, wife of King Ahab, who introduced the worst form of idol worship
and caused the downfall of the northern kingdom of Israel, Revelation 2:22
says: I will cast her into a bed….the JST corrects that to read, I will cast
her into a HELL.
-
In
2 Timothy 3:16 we read: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is
profitable….” Joseph’s translation takes just one word out and totally alters
the meaning. The JST reads: “And all scripture given by inspiration of God is
profitable”.
Here are a couple of examples with much
weightier matters:
-
“God
is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth”
(John 4:24). JST: For unto such hath God promised his spirit. And they who
worship him, must worship in spirit and in truth.
-
This
is my favourite and one which has almost evolved into a doctrinal theory in the
Church. It actually enrages me. In Mark 14:33 we read that the Saviour was sore
amazed at the suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane. This has caused some
prolific writers in the Church to elaborate on how the Saviour knew cognitively
what He must do but not experientially. The theory is that He had no idea how
bad it was going to be. I would like to challenge this belief.
In JST Mark 14:36, we read: “And they came to a
place which was named Gethsemane, which was a garden, and THE DISCIPLES began
to be sore amazed….” Yes, He admitted He wished the cup to be removed because
it was so bad but He never said He was caught unawares (D&C 19:18-19).
This is why I discredit this theory of Him not
knowing. When did we start to believe that a God didn’t know something??? When the
pre-mortal Christ introduced himself to Abraham He said: “I am Jehovah and I
know the end from the beginning….” (Abraham 2:8). A god who creates worlds
without number cannot possibly be lacking in something. It’s unfathomable to
me.
I also believe that Jesus was apprised of the
exact torture of the Atonement during his 40 days of fasting at the onset of
His ministry. Scripturally, “number 40 represents a period of trial, testing,
probation, or mourning” (Gaskill, “The Lost Language of Symbolism”, 137). Think
about that.
The Saviour was a God before His mortal life.
He was not someone who got caught up in the enthusiasm of the Plan of Salvation
so He volunteered! Saying that He didn’t understand something until He
experienced it is like bringing Him down to humanity’s level. This is just an earthly view that excludes godly capability. His godly
knowledge in pre-mortal life makes His voluntary suffering and death even more
worthy or our gratitude, adoration and worship. I bow before such a God….the
lover of my soul…..
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: In Him Is All Wisdom and Knowledge by Greg Collins)
I
was looking at my missionary photos yesterday and I got in touch with who I was
back then. So young, so naïve, so inexperienced, so hopeful for the future.
Life tends to knock that eagerness out of you, however, as you get older and live
through heartache, hardship, trials, loss, sacrifice. I do love that clueless,
inexperienced, young missionary I once was though. She made right choices even back
then which brought me to this place I am in now.
There was a time in my life when
I felt I had nothing to live for. It was thirty years ago. I had just divorced
and I was hanging by a thread. I felt my life was in ruins. The emotional pain I
was in was excruciating. I knew God was my only answer for survival. This is
when the scriptures became my saving grace. I began to study them in depth, for
hours at a time.
They who testified of Christ gave
me strength to rise above the ashes of my life. I began to recover and to hope
for 'life eternal because of my faith in him according to the promise' (Moroni
7:41). They renewed me because of Him who brings life to all that is dead and
recovers all that is lost.
The more I studied the scriptures,
the more my testimony of Christ grew because I was seeing Him on every page. In
the Old Testament, I could see the merciful Jehovah who put up with the
backsliding Israel; in the New Testament I could see a loving Saviour who gave all
of himself to the undeserving; in the Book of Mormon, I saw the caring,
resurrected Christ who never forgets His people; in the Doctrine and Covenants,
I saw the majestic exalted God who prepares us for His return; in the Pearl of
Great Price, I saw the pre-mortal Christ, the hope of all creation.
Seeing the Saviour so clearly in
the scriptures gave me faith that He could restore me to wholeness. I began to
see that my life was not over, that with Him by my side, I would survive and I would
flourish.
God began to speak to me through the
scriptures all those years ago. When I needed to hear Him loud and clear, I would
allow the scriptures in my hands to open at a random page and see there exactly
what I needed to know. To this day this is my favourite way of receiving
answers.
Here is a story that proves my
point:
“A man whose business was failing
terribly and who was so deep in trouble was contemplating suicide. As a last
resort he went to a priest who advised him to take a beach chair and a Bible to
the water's edge, put the Bible on his lap, to open it and let the wind rifle
the pages and when it rests on a page he should read the first words he sees.
He assured him this will be his answer that will tell him what to do.
“A year later this same
businessman went back to the priest in apparent affluence and success. The
priest asked him if he did what he instructed him to do. The man assured him he
did.
"You sat
on a beach chair with the Bible in your lap?"
"Absolutely"
"You let
the pages rifle until they stopped?"
"Absolutely"
"And what
were the first words you saw?"
"Chapter
II"
(Author Unknown)
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art by Liz Lemon Swindle)
“Did not our hearts burn within us…….while he opened to us the scriptures?” was the heartfelt reflection of two believers who enjoyed the company of the resurrected Christ on the road to a village called Emmaus (Luke 24:32). Some historians believe one of these travelers was Luke himself who recounted the story in such amazing detail.
The story goes that the Saviour joined two men, post resurrection, travelling to Emmaus, who were discussing the hottest topic of the day, His possible resurrection. The travelers told Him they ‘trusted’ the Galilean was the Messiah who would redeem Israel but were now sceptical because He had died (v 21). It would seem that nobody besides Isaiah understood the necessity of His death.
The
Saviour was gracious even though He chided them for their disbelief (v 25). He
then expounded to them all that was prophesied of Him ‘beginning at Moses and
all the prophets’ (v27). His point was, ‘how is it that you know the scriptures
but you don’t believe them’???
Perhaps the disbelief came from the lack of understanding that the Messiah would be a ‘suffering servant’ before He is the King of Glory (Isaiah 53; 9:6,7)
This lack of understanding and ensuing confusion about His death would explain why their eyes were restrained from recognising the resurrected Christ (Luke 24:16a). It was not until the Saviour administered the sacrament to them that they fully understood who He was (v 35). It was then that they reflected on their burning hearts as they listened to Him expound the scriptures. The lesson is this: the ‘burn’ comes from only one place: The Holy Ghost.
The lesson is also this: the Holy Ghost is with us still. It is he who can open our eyes and our hearts so that we will not only believe but KNOW Christ. And where is Christ most if not in the scriptures? If we study the scriptures without the presence of the Holy Ghost we are just building upon our knowledge and not our testimony. We need to feel ‘the burn’ to know.
As you travel on your personal road to Emmaus may the scriptures be burnt upon the tablets of your heart and may you know, and not just believe, that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Saviour of the world. He is the Resurrection and the life. He is the Redeemer of your soul. He is the sacred road to your burning heart…..
I
gave you My all:
My
heart, my body, my soul.
I
paved the way
And
conquered death.
I
am in your midst;
I
am the only,
I
am the last,
And
I am the first.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: The Road to Emmaus by Liz Lemon Swindle)
When the
Saviour granted John’s wish to remain on earth until the Second Coming, He said
He would make him ‘a ministering angel’ for the heirs of salvation who live on
the earth (D&C 7:6).
I have
often wondered what form of service that ministering would take and then I
discovered something which has had a far wider influence in the world than
anything else The Beloved could have done in person:
“Five of
the books of the Bible were written by John: the Gospel of John, three
epistles, and the book of Revelation. The world’s most widely distributed book
is the Bible, portions of which have been translated into 2,233 languages as of
2000. It has been estimated that between 1815 and 1999 some 3.88 billion Bibles
were printed (see Guinness World Records 2002, p 138). Certainly, John’s
written prophecy has gone forth among the nations” (Doctrine & Covenants
Student Manual, p 17).
The Bible
is the best-selling book in the world, with an estimated 5 billion copies sold
so far. Imagine what John the Beloved has done and continues to do for Christianity
throughout the world. His writing continues to influence, uplift, inspire and
teach Christians everywhere.
A couple of
years ago I had a sister in the Church comment on one of my posts telling me
that I should stop preaching to the choir and get out to teach the unconverted.
I reminded her that even the choir needs converting from time to time.
It gives me
comfort that John’s writing ministers for ‘the heirs of salvation’. I consider
myself one of those heirs having accepted Christ as my Saviour and Redeemer. I
can tell you that I need to be comforted, inspired and taught by the word of
God just as much as those who are yet not converted.
The word of
God does not discriminate between the children of God. We are all equally in
need of spiritual nourishment. I find that in the scriptures. I don’t know
where I would be if the prophets and scribes of old did not keep records of
prophecies and accounts of inspiring events and men and women of valour.
I could go
on and on about the importance and purpose of scriptures. They that are given
by inspiration from God make us wise unto salvation, they are profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction and instruction in righteousness (2
Timothy 3:15,16, JST 16a). But I suspect you know all this because you are the
converted……
This,
however, is what I consider John’s ministering amounting to: “…..the scriptures
shall be given, even as they are in my own bosom, to the salvation of mine own
elect. For they will hear my voice, and shall see me, and shall not be asleep;
and shall abide the day of my coming; for they shall be purified, even as I am
pure.” (D&C 35:20,21).
Who are the
elect? They are the heirs of salvation, they are those who know Christ, they
are those who love Him and obey Him, they are the ones who will be saved and
they are the ones who are preparing for His appearing.
I am
certain this was the Beloved’s intent every time he sat down to write. I am certain
he wanted to bring to us the Christ that he knew and loved…..to bolster our
faith, to keep us believing and hoping, to help us look forward to that day
when He shall come in His glory to gather us in the arms of His love….to save
us….to take us home.
Cherish the
scriptures, feast upon the words of Christ and feel ministered to……
Daily
I stand in my holy place
As
I feast upon Thy word,
Ever
hopeful I will meet You there,
Thy
Spirit to embrace
And
the cares of this world to arrest.
I
reach for You in darkness
And
step up to heaven’s door;
I
am bathed in light
And
am granted entrance to Your heart.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Uplift the World by Eva Koleva Timothy)
