TO BASK IN HIS LOVE

 

Oliver Cowdery would have to be one of the greatest proofs to the unbelieving that we can have an intimate relationship with Christ. A relationship cannot be more intimate when the person knows all your thoughts and intents of your heart.  

Our thoughts and our intents are the most private possessions we have. Nobody can know what we are thinking or feeling unless we allow them to. Our thoughts are exclusively our own…..except for one person: “….there is none else save God that knowest thy thoughts and the intents of thy heart” (D&C 6:16)

This is how the Saviour proved this fact to Oliver: He reminded him of the night he cried in his heart to know the truth. Nobody else knew of this but the Lord, who said to him, “Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?

God knows us intimately whether we allow Him or not, but to know Him and enjoy the intimacy which this knowledge affords, one must let Him in.

Consider this of Christ and see if you would not let him in:

“The greatest definition of ‘the pure love of Christ’ is not what we as Christians try but largely fail to demonstrate toward others but rather what Christ totally succeeded in demonstrating toward us.

“True charity has been known only once. It is shown perfectly and purely in Christ’s unfailing, ultimate, and atoning love for us. It is Christ’s love for us that ‘suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not’. It is His love for us that is not ‘puffed up, not easily provoked, thinketh no evil’.

“It is Christ’s love for us that ‘beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things’. It is as demonstrated in Christ that “charity never faileth”. It is that charity – His pure love for us – without which we would be nothing, hopeless, of all men and women most miserable.

“Truly, those found possessed of the blessings of His love at the last day – the Atonement, the Resurrection, eternal life, eternal promise – surely it shall be well with them….” 

-        - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant [1997], 336-37

Could somebody else possibly love you as He would?

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him……..” (Revelation 3:20).

 

You knock on the door of my heart

And I often forget to turn the key.

With sorrowing steps You retreat

Hoping that one day I will remember Thee.

 

Of my undying love

I give Thee a token,

I will keep the door open.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Jesus Knocking, AI Generated by masterofmoments)

COME TO ZION PART 2

 

“And there were no envyings, nor strife, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness…..and they had all things common among them; therefore there were no rich and poor…. they were all made free…..and they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God….and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God” (4 Nephi 1:3,16,17).

This was a Zion society amongst the Nephites of old akin to the city of Enoch, but in just 200 years they went from that idyllic picture to this:

“And now, in this two hundred and first year there began to be among them those who were lifted up in pride…and from that time forth they did have their goods and their substance no more common among them (4 Nephi 1:25). This pride of the people led to division into classes which led to the buildings of many churches which led to denial of the true church of Christ (vs 24-27).

During the two hundred years of peace and unity and no contention, the love of God dwelt in the hearts of the people (v 15).

It took two hundred years for two generations post Christ’s visit to die out and for Satan to step in to get ‘hold upon their hearts’ (v 28). His success to make them weak was based on the inverted formula which once made them strong. First came Church inactivity (v 20), then pride (v 24) and then iniquity (v 28).

This is the path that the city of Enoch never took. Instead, they chose to ‘walk with God’ and were endowed with the pure love of Christ. This pure love enabled them to become a celestial society where only unity reigned.

This is the pure love of Christ: The Saviour had no self interest or motivation for self-advancement when He accepted His role as our Saviour and Redeemer. His only motivation was our salvation. He put us ahead of Himself. When He was here, He never used His power to satisfy His needs. It was always used for the benefit of others. This is what it means to be a celestial person. The self no longer ranks first.

A pure love means it is not contaminated with selfishness. This is proven by the fact that there were no poor among the citizens of Enoch’s city. It means everyone put others before themselves so everyone was cared for and provided for. This is a celestial state of being that we are asked to prepare ourselves for.

I stated in Part 1 that the pure love of Christ cannot be developed by us. It is a love unique only to Christ, hence its name. It is a gift given to the true followers of Christ who keep His commandments because they love Him: “If you love me, keep my commandments” is repeated 20 times in the Bible alone (Exodus 20:3-6; Deut 5:8-10; 7:9-11; 10:12-13; 11:1;13-14;22-23; 19:8-9; 30:16; Joshua 22:5; Daniel 9:4; Nehemiah 1:5-6; Matt 5:17-19;19:17;22:37-40; John 14:15,21; 1 John 2:3-4; 5:2-3; 2 John 1:6).

Can you see how love begets love? If we love the Saviour and show it, He will endow us with the ability to love others as He loves.

This is the greatest commandment for us to live if we expect to become a Zion people that will usher in the Millenium. Right now, the world is in turmoil. Satan is bringing out his strongest weapons to divide us, get us to hate each other and to promote the ‘me society’. All this is the opposite to the principles of Zion.  His scheme of One World Order is a counterfeit of the Millenial theocracy under Christ. All his schemes are counterfeits with one goal in mind, to destroy us.

We must not let this happen, because we are the children of Christ……

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: As I Have Loved You by B. Laura Wilson)

A SACRED LOVE

 

 

Moroni’s discourse on love is legendary. And not just any love but a love without which we are nothing; a love that survives hatred, animosity, harm, racism, sin, abuse, evil and all the inhumanity we are capable of; a love that ensures salvation at the last day (Moroni 7:44). Moroni called this love charity (v 47).

This love is unique to Christ and cannot be developed by others. It is therefore a gift bestowed upon those who are true followers of Christ and it must be sought through prayer (Moroni 7:48) . This love ensures that we become the sons and daughters of God so that when He appears, we shall be like Him (v 48). This love is the foundation of the glories of heaven and the cradle of eternity.

This love is the pure love of Christ, a love that endures forever and ever (v 47).

I have been praying for this love for some time now. I knew I was on the right path when I started seeing people as God’s children in the literal sense. Being a parent myself, I could relate to this and I began to understand why it is sinful to disparage anyone. I know how I would feel if someone thought ill of my children or considered them of little or no worth. So I began to understand and I began to think and feel differently about people around me.

I didn’t, however, expect to have a foretaste of the pure love of Christ through my own child. I thought I already loved her. Let me explain the difference between the two.

Over a year ago my daughter, who is no longer active in the Church, estranged herself from our family for no known reason. She merely said she needed space. She lives in another state so we could not understand this need. I went through bewilderment, sorrow, anger. And then an unexpected understanding of where she was standing came to me and all of a sudden I entered the space of forgiveness and compassion and I forgot about myself. She became more important than my feelings.

When Moroni identified its’ characteristics, he said that charity ‘seeketh not her own’ (Moroni 7:45). This means charity is not self-centered but is selfless. It puts the welfare of others before oneself. Christ exemplified this love through His atoning sacrifice.

When the Saviour came forward in pre-existence and said, “Here am I, send me”, He asked for nothing for himself. His only desire was to preserve the Father’s glory and to bring each one of us to His own station of perfection, glory, power and dominion. His motive was our salvation. He had no hidden agendas for self-advancement. His love was not contaminated with self-interest. It was pure. Unlike Lucifer, He did not seek to elevate himself through the work of salvation.

Without this selfless love the Atonement would not have been possible.  

When we are in possession of this love, we are able to by-pass our egos and bless each other's lives with its' power that makes a difference to the struggling other. Through this difference we start to assume the role of ‘saviours on mount  Zion’.  

May we reach across boundaries, limits and fears and shrink not from the love that will bind us together and lift us to  that place where we will at last, once more, once again and forever, see the face of God. Without this love, we cannot abide in His presence.

I long to be where I once was,

A child in my eternal home.

I long to see the God of love

And with Him walk the heaven’s floor.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: He Lifts Me Up by Danny Hahlbohm)