WATCHMEN ON THE TOWER

 

“In ancient Israel walls were built around cities, and towers were erected in key places along the walls. Watchmen, or lookouts, kept watch in these towers day and night to warn the people if an enemy came. A watchman’s responsibility was great, because if he was negligent, his sloth could cost the lives of others.

“The Church today stands in a position to see the enemy and how he works, because they have living prophets who speak for God. They are therefore called by the Saviour both to warn the wicked and to protect Zion. Thus the Lord refers to His authorized servants today as watchmen upon the towers (see Isiah 62:6; Ezekiel 33:2-9; D&C Student Manual p 239-240)

One of my favourite Old Testament prophets was Ezekiel. He was called to be ‘the watchman upon the tower unto the House of Israel’ who were the exiles in Babylonia for a period of twenty-two years, from 592 to 570 B.C. I won’t expound on his life and calling today, I will leave that for next year when we study the Old Testament. What I will say is that knowing Ezekiel will reduce you to tears.

What I do want to point out is that Ezekiel was called to preach repentance to backsliding Israel who did not deserve mercy and yet Jehovah, through him, extended the promise of forgiveness and restoration of all former blessings to Israel.

In Section 101 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord extends a warning of destruction that will come upon all nations in our dispensation but ‘all who are found upon the watch-tower shall be saved’ (v 12). The reference is to His beloved House of Israel.

 In verses 43 to 67, we are given the parable of the wheat and the tares relative to the latter-day redemption of Zion. The desperation shown therein to save the vineyard of twelve olive trees because the vineyard was ‘bought with money’, makes you want to weep (v 56). This money is the price that only the Saviour could pay and pay He did.

Anyone studying the scriptures has got to see the beloved House of Israel in the centre of the Saviour’s heart. Because that is where we are, we are given special privileges like the watchmen upon our tower in the role of prophets to warn us, guide us, prepare us to ‘possess eternal life, and be crowned with celestial glory, when He shall come, in the kingdom of His Father’ (v 65). It is time we give heed.

There is no end of mercy the Saviour will show to save His people Israel. We have got to know our part in this incredible undertaking. The King is coming, we must dust off our wedding garments and prepare for a wedding feast of a lifetime. We must be the most beautiful bride the world has ever seen. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Artist Unknown)

A HOLY PLACE

 

 

What would your answer be if someone asked you what you would do to prepare, if you knew the Saviour was coming tomorrow? I know what it should be: NOTHING! What could you possibly do in one day to make up for years of not doing it?

Consider what Elder Dallin H. Oaks said we should be doing in preparation for the Saviour’s return: “Are we following the Lord’s command, ‘Stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly’? (D&C 87:8).

“What are those ‘holy places’? Surely they include the temple and its covenants faithfully kept. Surely they include a home where children are treasured and parents are respected. Surely the holy places include our posts of duty assigned by priesthood authority, including missions and callings faithfully fulfilled in branches, wards, and stakes” (in Conference Report, April 2004, 7-8 or Ensign May 2004, 9-10)

How many of the things he has mentioned could we cram into one day? Could keeping the temple covenants for one day obliterate years of neglect? Could loving and respecting our children and parents for one day wipe away all the impatience, intolerance, anger, abuse, disobedience or animosity that we might have been inflicting on each other for a prolonged time? How about fulfilling a mission in one day or faithfully fulfilling a calling?

In the abovementioned talk, Elder Oaks says that “we need to make both temporal and spiritual preparations for the events prophesied at the time of the Second Coming”. He also said that the preparation most likely to be neglected is the spiritual one. The Book of Mormon teaches us the importance of this.

Sixteen years after the signs of the Saviour’s birth, the Nephites faced a huge threat of extinction by the Gadianton robbers. The governor of this band, Giddianhi, made a lofty demand of the governor of the land, Lachoneous, that the Nephites surrender all their lands. Lachoneous refused and made elaborate preparations for defense arming his people to the teeth (3 Nephi 3:13,14).

 By all accounts they should all have felt incredibly secure. But lucky for them Lachoneous was a God-fearing man and he warned his people that no matter how much physical protection they had, if they did not repent and turn to God, they will in no way be delivered out of the hands of Gadiantons (v 15). So powerful was this man that great fear came upon the people and they did all in their might to do exactly as he said (v 25).

Two other things most worthy of mention are these: 1. They appointed as the chief captain of their army someone who had the spirit of revelation and was a ‘great prophet among them’ and; 2. They gathered themselves together in ‘one land, and one body’ (v 19, 25). In other words, they were united and they had a prophet at their head. Does it remind you of the Church? Because it should.

When the most perilous times come, we will not want to be found in the world, but the most important holy place, in the Church, following the counsel of the Prophet…..only we can’t wait until the calamities strike. We need to ensure our place in the Church now and be in tune with the voice of the Prophet, now. Because after all, the calamities have already started……

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Second Coming by Brent Borup)