YOUR LIVING WORD

 

Smiling Upon Us by Dan Wilson

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

A MIRACLE

 

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)

STORIES OF TRAGEDY

 

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)

 

THE LIVING WORD

 

“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)

FAVOURED IN IMPERFECTION

 

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 DOINGS OF AN ETERNAL GOD

 

“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)

A LIVING BOOK PART 3:

 

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)

A CLEAR VIEW

 

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)

THE LIVING WORD

 

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)

A LAMP UNTO OUR FEET

 

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)

A GLORIOUS SPIRITUAL DIMENSION

 

“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)

A CLEAR VIEW

 

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)

A LIFELINE OF GRACE

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)

 

 

 

 

BURNING HEARTS

 

“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)