ALMA, A MAN OF HOLINESS

What comes to your mind when you think of Alma the Younger? No doubt his miraculous conversion. And miraculous it was. More miraculous than his conversion, however, were the works that followed this life changing event in his life. Amongst his accomplishments as a high priest, a military commander and the first chief judge of the land, none distinguished him more than his missionary labours. Alma's missionary labours equaled, in greatness, those of his friends, the sons of Mosiah. Whereas the sons of Mosiah laboured diligently amongst the Lamonites, Alma did so amongst the Nephites. Alma could have easily sat on the cushy judgment seat for the rest of his life (Mosiah 29:44); judging people and meting out punishment. Alma, however, longed to save people. 

After being a chief judge for nine years, Alma gave up the judgment seat (Alma 4:20) and dedicated himself to establishing and strengthening the Church in the land of Zarahemla. And he baptised 3,500 people in the process (Alma 4:4,5). After he put the Church in order in Zarahemla, his  missionary labours took him to Gideon, Melek and to the hotbed of iniquity and apostasy, Ammonihah, the city that became Alma's crucible. Ammonihah was apostate and destined for annihilation as per the Mosiac law (Deauteronomy 13:12-18). 

Alma didn't go to Ammonihah once, but twice. The first time he was spit upon, reviled and rejected (Alma 8:13). Alma left and whilst journeying in dejection and sorrow an angel appeared to him commending him for his obedience (Alma 8:15). As he lifted Alma's spirits, he made the Lord's mercy known in asking him to return to Ammonihah to give them a second chance. Alma didn't dawdle, he returned to the den of disbelievers with speed (Alma 8:18), for more abuse. His labours in this infamous city are well documented in the book of Alma. Even though he couldn't save Ammonihah, Alma's missionary labours there and and his discourses on the plan of redemption are legendary. This in itself is impressive enough about this man but what impresses me most is this:

Amulek, whom Alma acquired as a missionary companion on his return to Ammonihah, called Alma 'a holy man' (Alma 10:7). Then he proceeded to say why. He said Alma was called of God and that he had fasted many days because of the sins of the people. And so he did. He fasted; he 'laboured much in the spirit'; he 'wrestled with God in prayer'; he suffered; he sorrowed; and he waded through anguish. And all this because of the wickedness of the people he didn't even know (Alma 8:10,14) . People who didn't care about him. People who abused him (Alma 14:22). People who wanted to kill him (Alma 14:3). 

Alma withstood it all. Like Christ did; who was spit upon, reviled and rejected.  Who laboured relentlessly despite all He suffered in body and spirit for the salvation of men. Yes Alma's conversion was miraculous but what he did after it mattered more. He lived up to the forgiveness he received and nurtured his faith that changed his heart and placed him on the path to becoming like Christ. I am certain Alma spoke from personal experience when he delivered his sermon on nourishing the seed of faith to the apostate Zoromites (Alma 32). Alma gave up the judgment seat because he could see there was no other way that he might reclaim his people but by bearing pure testimony (Alma 4:19).  As he lived what he believed and as he loved as the Saviour loved, Alma could with confidence ask: "...have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenance? Have ye experienced a mighty change in your hearts?" (Alma 5:14). Because he did. And this made all the difference.

- Cathryne Allen, Did Not Our Hearts Burn When He Opened To Us The Scriptures?

published 2021 by amazon.com

HUMILITY AMIDST GREATNESS

Mormon called King Benjamin 'a holy man' (Words of Mormon 1:6). Certainly it is not hard to perceive what a good king he was when one reads his monumental address to his people on the temple grounds of Zarahemla. I think, however, that Mormon could see from this event what a truly remarkable and humble man King Benjamin really was. The setting of this address was the occasion of his son Mosiah's succession to the throne. This was however, not just any coronation.  It was common practice anciently for a new king ascending the throne to be given as many as five names or titles by which he was distinguished among the people; to acknowledge his greatness and his achievements; and to establish him as the link between the people and the divine.  This practice was especially observed in Egypt and King Benjamin might have become familiar with this practice from the brass plates that were engraven in Egyptian containing the history of old Israel and which were in his possession (Mosiah 1:1-4).

King Benjamin did something extraordinary at his son's coronation. Instead of using this occasion to bring prominence to his son, he mentions Mosiah only twice. Once to announce him as the new king and once again to affirm that he will act under the direction of God for the benefit of the people (Mosiah 2:30,31). Rather than proclaiming his son as the divine king as was expected anciently, King Benjamin solidified his people's reliance on The Heavenly King (Mosiah 2:19) by enumerating His endless goodness and honouring Him with names worthy of His station as the promised Messiah, such as: Jesus Christ, The Son of God, The Father of Heaven and Earth, The Lord Omnipotent and The Creator of all things from the beginning. Could there be truer names for the King of Kings? But King Benjamin didn't stop there. To remember their covenant, he bestowed upon the people a new name that would bind them to the Heavenly King forever. He proclaimed that they be known by the name of Christ rather than by his son's name which would have been the usual protocol. Thus the subjects of Mosiah became known as 'the children of Christ' (Mosiah 5:7). What profound effect his coronation would have had on Mosiah, the new king who ruled and reigned in righteousness all his days.

Some years ago I resolved to read the Book of Mormon with intent to discover Christ's characteristics as per Joseph Smith's instruction in Lecture Third of Lectures on Faith. As I discovered these characteristics I wrote them in the margins of the book. When I had completed the task I discovered two things on just about every page. One was that Christ was merciful which I already knew but the other one was that He always fulfills his promises. At the time it meant to me that He was reliable. Now I can see that this was Mormon's writing strategy. I think Mormon found a way to testify of Christ like King Benjamin did. He saw an opportunity.  Mormon ensured that every prophecy and promise in the Book of Mormon was tied to its fulfillment and he testified of this with such phrases as 'all this was done that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled' (Mosiah 21:4) and 'God is powerful to the fulfilling of all his words' (Alma 37:16) . What an undertaking that must have been for him. This was his technique and his tool, his greatest opportunity, equal to that of the man he came to admire in King Benjamin. This strategy proves in a unique way that the Book of Mormon is his book for it would have been impossible for anyone else to chronicle such numerous promises and their fulfillments let alone an uneducated man like Joseph Smith. Mormon knew the history of his people well because of many records that were in his keeping for many years. And he knew God who led them to their land of promise.

Mormon had one objective and that was to testify of Christ. He too was 'a holy man'. I hope he knew that. And if he didn't, I am sure he knows it now.

- Cathryne Allen, Did Not Our Hearts Burn When He Opened To Us The Scriptures?

published 2021 by amazon.com

SUFFERING ENDURED

The suffering endured;

The power displayed;

The love manifested;

- Tad Callister

"The Infinite Atonement"

There is no depth of pain He hasn't suffered;

There is no extent of sorrow He hasn't felt;

There is no degree of difficulty He hasn't experienced;

There is no human suffering He hasn't endured;

The Healer

The Rescuer

The Balm of Gilead

- Cathryne Allen

GOD'S REST

"The ancient prophets speak of 'entering into God's rest'; what does it mean? To my mind, it means entering into the knowledge and love of God, having faith in His purpose and His plan, to such an extent that we know we are right,that we are not hunting for something else, we are not disturbed by every wind of doctrine....The man who has reached that degree of faith in God that all doubt and fear have been cast from him, he has entered into 'God's rest'....rest from doubt, from fear, from apprehension of danger, rest from the religious turmoil of the world....."

- President Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, p 58

And when we leave this life, having honoured our second estate with valour, having endured the crosses of the world, we shall go to 'a state of rest, a state of peace, where we shall rest from all our troubles, and from all care, and sorrow" (Alma 40:12)

- Cathryne Allen

SACRAMENTAL FEAST

I have sat at my daughter's kitchen table twice as my son-in-law reverently blessed the sacrament. Each time I did so I felt extremely emotional and truly understood the spirit of this sacred occasion. And each time I sat there I was reminded of the very first Sacrament where the Saviour sat at just such an ordinary table and blessed the emblems of His sacrifice. For Him there was no chapel with cushy seats, no organ to assist the song, no  fluffy white bread to pleasure the tongue. As my son-in-law passed the sacrament to me on the kitchen plate I came to know what it means to 'eat His body' as I have eaten off that kitchen plate before. Never before have I felt so close to the Saviour during Sacrament as I have at my daughter's kitchen table.

Elder Bruce Hafen says that physical assimilation of the sacrament emblems creates 'a spiritual umbilical cord between Christ and the children of Christ' (The Belonging Heart, p 147). It is through this cord, symbolised by the Sacrament, that the fruits of the Atonement are manifest in our lives. Of course this can only happen if we sincerely covenant each Sunday that we will stay obedient to our spiritually begotten Father in keeping His commandments.

The Saviour not only instituted the Sacrament in Jerusalem prior to His death, but also during His visit to the Americas. The second time that He blessed and passed the Sacrament He did not ask His disciples to provide the bread and wine. Instead, He miraculously produced it Himself (3 Nephi 20:2-7). Some historians have speculated that He did so because the wine which the disciples provided the first time might not have been red enough to symbolise Christ's blood, as ancient American wines were produced from a number of different fruit and not necessarily grapes. In our day and age we do not use grape juice of any degree of fermentation in our Sacrament. We use water. I am glad. I was raised on water from the well in our backyard in Croatia. I couldn't do without water and no amount of juice is a substitute for me. Water is life. And in the Sacramental cup it becomes living water that only Christ can give me. When I see the the Sacramental feast before me, I know I will be as one with Him and I will live with Him forever.

As the communal restrictions tighten, I can no longer sit at my daughter's table. I sorrow, hoping the communion I received there with Christ will last until I can again sit on the chapel's seat waiting to receive my weekly feast.  At this Easter time, as we are once again reminded of the unfathomable sacrifice performed on our behalf, may we never again take for granted our weekly privilege to renew afresh our devotion and commitment to Him who has hung on the cross for us.

BE NOT AFRAID BUT BE GLAD

I have for many years now used the scriptures as God's private messages to me. Each morning after I pray I randomly open the scriptures whilst still kneeling to see what the Lord has to tell me in answer to my daily petitions. I have been amazed 99% of the time how pertinent the page that falls open has been to my heavenly communion. As my scriptures are heavily marked, my eye is usually drawn to those passages that obviously stand out. Sometimes it seems strange to me that I have marked certain scriptures years previously that seem random but they make sense when they become answers to my prayers. 

The page that my scriptures fell open to this morning was like a salve to my sagging spirits in this time of unrelenting sadness and fear that is gripping the world. The page my scriptures opened to was chapter 2 of Joel that speaks of war and desolation preceding the Second Coming. My highlighted scriptures were as follows:

" ...turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping and with mourning:
.....and rend your heart.....And repent, and turn unto the Lord your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and HE WILL TURN AWAY THE EVIL FROM YOU......Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things.......Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God...And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered......And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, AND NONE ELSE.....

May we rend our hearts in fasting tomorrow to the one true and living God whose arm is not shortened when petitioned for deliverance and may we be chastened by the world's upheavals to prepare ourselves for His coming when He shall bring peace, health, prosperity and joy to the pure in heart who seek Him and await His coming.

- Cathryne Allen

THE APPLE OF HIS EYE

There was a prophet in Israel by the name of Zenos who lived between the time of Abraham and Isaiah and who was martyred for his testimony (Helaman 8:19,20) of whom the Bible does not speak. We know of this prophet because of the brass plates which were taken to the land of the Americas with Lehi and his colony in 600 B.C. Nephi used the prophecies of Zenos extensively in his ministry among his people because Zenos testified largely concerning this broken off branch of the tribe of Joseph 'who were a remnant of his seed', meaning Zenos was of the tribe of Joseph himself (3 Nephi 10:15,16).

So important did Nephi's brother Jacob consider the prophecies of Zenos that he painstakingly engraved Zenos' allegory of the olive tree onto the small plates of Nephi even though he reiterated he could only write 'a few words' because of the difficulty of engraving upon plates  (Jacob 4:1,2). Why is this allegory with its' complexities and intricacies which makes readers skip Jacob 5 so important? Firstly, it is the greatest allegory ever recorded; secondly it, in my opinion stamps the Book of Mormon with authenticity and truth for no mortal man, without the inspiration of God, could have written it. It not only proves that Zenos was a prophet  but that Joseph Smith was one too, a prophet who translated the Book of Mormon as opposed to having written it himself. Not only would the scope of this literary work have been beyond his level of education, Joseph, even though a farmer, could not have known anything about olive trees as they are not native to America. The first seedlings of the tree were brought to South America from Spain in 1560 and planted in Lima, capital of Peru. Zenos, on the other hand, was a Hebrew prophet well indoctrinated in the agricultural practices of his time and place.

In the allegory of the olive tree, there are two principal entities, the Master of the vineyard and the servant. It has been suggested by some that the Master represents the Father and the servant is the Saviour but I tend to side with those who recognise the Master, who is repeatedly  referred to as the Lord of the vineyard, to be the Saviour who employs servants to assist with His work. This is obvious to me because this Lord of the vineyard focuses mainly on just one tree, a tame olive tree that becomes corrupted by other threes and begins to rot.  So why the obsession with this one tree? Because this tree represents the House of Israel, a group of covenant people most favoured by the God of Israel above all the nations of the world. And the God of Israel is Jesus Christ, the great Jehovah himself who has proclaimed: "I am a father to Israel and Ephraim is my firstborn" (Jeremiah 31:9). The Old Testament highlights God's favouritism of Israel as a father would of a favourite son, whom He calls 'the apple of His eye' (Deut 32:10; Zechariah 2:8)

Whilst it is not my wish to overshadow the importance of the House of Israel's lengthy history contained within this allegory, which begs thorough study, and which spans from the time of the first scattering in 721 BC to the Millenium, it is my intention to focus on the Saviour and how he relates to us who are of this House. In the allegory of the olive tree, the Lord of the vineyard sets about  plucking, pruning, digging and grafting. He also grieves, preserves, labours, watches and tends to the vineyard constantly, but in particular one tree, the tame olive tree. The central theme of this allegory is the Saviour's enduring mercy, long-suffering, loving care and his most dedicated work towards His favoured people, the House of Israel. His frantic and desperate efforts can be seen through repetitious declarations of His protective love 'for he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his eye' (Zechariah 2:8): His desire to preserve the tame olive tree is mentioned in the parable 11 times; He expresses His desire to bring us to Him at least 15 times; He shows his grief over losing 'this tree' 8 times'; and 3 times He asks with anguish, weeping, 'what could I have done more?'

It is obvious the Lord has done everything He can so perhaps the question should be, 'what can we do more'? It is simply not enough to physically be of the House of Israel. One must be spiritually so to be the favoured 'apple of His eye'. Love is a two way street. He loves us because we are the believing, the repentant, the obedient. And if not, then we should be. We are the ones who have accepted the Holy One of Israel to be our God, until the harvest is gathered home. We are important. Not only to ensure our own salvation but to save the other trees in the vineyard. It is up to us to graft the good branches into the wild olive trees of this world. The harvest is fast approaching and we must prepare for the reaping. We must honour the privilege of being 'the apple of His eye'. After he recounts the allegory of the olive tree to his people, Jacob admonishes them to repent and continue on the strait and narrow path until they obtain eternal life. And then out of desperation he says "O be wise; what can I say more?" (Jacob 6:4,11,12). What indeed?