Monday, April 22, 2013

Obeying the Commandments


Self-assessment plays a valuable role in our journey of becoming more diligent disciples of Christ. In such an assessment, we may find areas where we need to change, make course corrections, or even just stretch ourselves a little more. We can then set goals and make plans to incorporate the changes into our lives. In a talk by Elder L. Tom Perry entitled "Obedience to Law Is Liberty", he provided a way to evaluate ourselves as we strive to be more diligent disciples. The following is a thought provoking excerpt from his talk:

One way to measure ourselves... is by one of the oldest standards known to man—the Ten Commandments. For much of the civilized world, particularly the Judeo-Christian world, the Ten Commandments have been the most accepted and enduring delineation between good and evil.
In my judgment, four of the Ten Commandments are taken as seriously today as ever. As a culture, we disdain and condemn murder, stealing, and lying, and we still believe in the responsibility of children to their parents.

But as a larger society, we routinely dismiss the other six commandments:

If worldly priorities are any indication, we certainly have “other gods” we put before the true God.

We make idols of celebrities, of lifestyles, of wealth, and yes, sometimes of graven images or objects.

We use the name of God in all kinds of profane ways, including our exclamations and our swearing.

We use the Sabbath day for our biggest games, our most serious recreation, our heaviest shopping, and virtually everything else but worship.

We treat sexual relations outside marriage as recreation and entertainment.

And coveting has become a far too common way of life. (See Exodus 20:3–17.)...

A useful way to think about the commandments is they are loving counsel from a wise, all-knowing Heavenly Father. His goal is our eternal happiness, and His commandments are the road map He has given us to return to Him, which is the only way we will be eternally happy...

God reveals to His prophets that there are moral absolutes. Sin will always be sin. Disobedience to the Lord’s commandments will always deprive us of His blessings. The world changes constantly and dramatically, but God, His commandments, and promised blessings do not change. They are immutable and unchanging. Men and women receive their agency as a gift from God, but their liberty and, in turn, their eternal happiness come from obedience to His laws. As Alma counseled his errant 
son Corianton, “Wickedness never was happiness” (Alma 41:10)...

The Lord...revealed...the blessings promised...for being obedient to His commandments.
In Doctrine and Covenants 130 we read:

“There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—

“And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated” (D&C 130:20–21).

Surely there could not be any doctrine more strongly expressed in the scriptures than the Lord’s unchanging commandments and their connection to our happiness and well-being as individuals, as families, and as a society. There are moral absolutes. Disobedience to the Lord’s commandments will always deprive us of His blessings. These things do not change...

May we ever be a light on the hill, an example in keeping the commandments, which have never changed and will never change.  (http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/obedience-to-law-is-liberty?lang=eng)

We can all do a little better in keeping these commandments. Jesus was the only person who perfectly kept all of the commandments. Each of us has room for improvement. As I think about Elder Perry's invitation to measure ourselves, the questions for me become:

·         How am I doing in keeping ALL the commandments of God not just the convenient ones?

·         Where can I do better?

·         What am I going to change to keep the commandments more diligently?

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

"The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality"


My last post was an excerpt from a talk by Elder David A. Bednar on the character of Christ. In that talk Elder Bednar, shared the following quote from Elder Neal A. Maxwell:

"Jesus' character necessarily underwrote His remarkable atonement. Without Jesus' sublime character there could have been no sublime atonement! His character is such that He '[suffered] temptations of every kind' (Alma 7:11), yet He gave temptations "no heed" (Doctrine and Covenants 20:22). ("O How Great the Plan of Our God," message delivered to CES religious educators in February of 1995, p. 5)

The following is an excerpt from an article by Elder Bednar entitled "The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality". It is a lengthy article but well worth the time it takes to read.  It enlarges my appreciation for and understanding of the vast reach and all encompassing nature of the Atonement. I am grateful for the "sublime character" that made the Atonement possible.

"The grand objective of the Savior’s gospel was summarized succinctly by President David O. McKay (1873–1970): 'The purpose of the gospel is … to make bad men good and good men better, and to change human nature.'1 Thus, the journey of mortality is to progress from bad to good to better and to experience the mighty change of heart—to have our fallen natures changed (see Mosiah 5:2).   
   
"The Book of Mormon is our handbook of instructions as we travel the pathway from bad to good to better and strive to have our hearts changed. King Benjamin teaches about the journey of mortality and the role of the Atonement in navigating successfully that journey: 'For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord' (Mosiah 3:19; emphasis added).

"I draw your attention to two specific phrases. First—'putteth off the natural man.' The journey from bad to good is the process of putting off the natural man or the natural woman in each of us. In mortality we all are tempted by the flesh. The very elements out of which our bodies were created are by nature fallen and ever subject to the pull of sin, corruption, and death. But we can increase our capacity to overcome the desires of the flesh and temptations 'through the atonement of Christ.' When we make mistakes, as we transgress and sin, we can repent and become clean through the redeeming power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

"Second—'becometh a saint.' This phrase describes the continuation and second phase of life’s journey to make 'good men better' or, in other words, to become more like a saint. This second part of the journey, this process of going from good to better, is a topic about which we do not study or teach frequently enough nor understand adequately.

“I suspect that many... are much more familiar with the nature of the redeeming and cleansing power of the Atonement than they are with the strengthening and enabling power. It is one thing to know that Jesus Christ came to earth to die for us—that is fundamental and foundational to the doctrine of Christ. But we also need to appreciate that the Lord desires, through His Atonement and by the power of the Holy Ghost, to live in us—not only to direct us but also to empower us.

"Most of us know that when we do wrong things, we need help to overcome the effects of sin in our lives. The Savior has paid the price and made it possible for us to become clean through His redeeming power. Most of us clearly understand that the Atonement is for sinners. I am not so sure, however, that we know and understand that the Atonement is also for saints—for good men and women who are obedient, worthy, and conscientious and who are striving to become better and serve more faithfully. We may mistakenly believe we must make the journey from good to better and become a saint all by ourselves, through sheer grit, willpower, and discipline, and with our obviously limited capacities.

"The gospel of the Savior is not simply about avoiding bad in our lives; it also is essentially about doing and becoming good. And the Atonement provides help for us to overcome and avoid bad and to do and become good. Help from the Savior is available for the entire journey of mortality—from bad to good to better and to change our very nature.

"I am not suggesting that the redeeming and enabling powers of the Atonement are separate and discrete. Rather, these two dimensions of the Atonement are connected and complementary; they both need to be operational during all phases of the journey of life. And it is eternally important for all of us to recognize that both of these essential elements of the journey of mortality—both putting off the natural man and becoming a saint, both overcoming bad and becoming good—are accomplished through the power of the Atonement. Individual willpower, personal determination and motivation, effective planning and goal setting are necessary but ultimately insufficient for us to triumphantly complete this mortal journey. Truly, we must come to rely upon 'the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah' (2 Nephi 2:8).

"Grace and the Enabling Power of the Atonement

"In the Bible Dictionary we learn that the word grace frequently is used in the scriptures to connote enabling power:

'[Grace is] a word that occurs frequently in the New Testament, especially in the writings of Paul. The main idea of the word is divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ.

'It is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, made possible by his atoning sacrifice, that mankind will be raised in immortality, every person receiving his body from the grave in a condition of everlasting life. It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts.'2

"Grace is the divine assistance or heavenly help each of us desperately needs to qualify for the celestial kingdom. Thus, the enabling power of the Atonement strengthens us to do and be good and to serve beyond our own individual desire and natural capacity.

"In my personal scripture study, I often insert the term 'enabling power' whenever I encounter the word grace. Consider, for example, this verse with which we are all familiar: 'We know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do' (2 Nephi 25:23). I believe we can learn much about this vital aspect of the Atonement if we will insert 'enabling and strengthening power' each time we find the word grace in the scriptures.

"Illustrations and Implications

"The journey of mortality is to go from bad to good to better and to have our very natures changed. The Book of Mormon is replete with examples of disciples and prophets who knew, understood, and were transformed by the enabling power of the Atonement in making that journey. As we come to better understand this sacred power, our gospel perspective will be greatly enlarged and enriched. Such a perspective will change us in remarkable ways.

"Nephi is an example of one who knew, understood, and relied upon the enabling power of the Savior. Recall that the sons of Lehi had returned to Jerusalem to enlist Ishmael and his household in their cause. Laman and others in the party traveling with Nephi from Jerusalem back to the wilderness rebelled, and Nephi exhorted his brethren to have faith in the Lord. It was at this point in their journey that Nephi’s brothers bound him with cords and planned his destruction. Please note Nephi’s prayer: 'O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound' (1 Nephi 7:17; emphasis added).

"Do you know what I likely would have prayed for if I had been tied up by my brothers? 'Please get me out of this mess NOW!' It is especially interesting to me that Nephi did not pray to have his circumstances changed. Rather, he prayed for the strength to change his circumstances. And I believe he prayed in this manner precisely because he knew, understood, and had experienced the enabling power of the Atonement.

"I do not think the bands with which Nephi was bound just magically fell from his hands and wrists. Rather, I suspect he was blessed with both persistence and personal strength beyond his natural capacity, that he then 'in the strength of the Lord' (Mosiah 9:17) worked and twisted and tugged on the cords, and ultimately and literally was enabled to break the bands.

"The implication of this episode for each of us is straightforward. As you and I come to understand and employ the enabling power of the Atonement in our personal lives, we will pray and seek for strength to change our circumstances rather than praying for our circumstances to be changed. We will become agents who act rather than objects that are acted upon (see 2 Nephi 2:14).

"Consider the example in the Book of Mormon as Alma and his people are persecuted by Amulon. The voice of the Lord came to these good people in their affliction and indicated:

'I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs…

'And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord' (Mosiah 24:14–15; emphasis added).

"What was changed in this episode? It was not the burden that changed; the challenges and difficulties of persecution were not immediately removed from the people. But Alma and his followers were strengthened, and their increased capacity and strength made the burdens they bore lighter. These good people were empowered through the Atonement to act as agents and impact their circumstances. And ‘in the strength of the Lord’ Alma and his people were then directed to safety in the land of Zarahemla.

"You legitimately may be wondering, 'What makes the episode with Alma and his people an example of the enabling power of the Atonement?' The answer is found in a comparison of Mosiah 3:19 and Mosiah 24:15.

'And putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father' (Mosiah 3:19; emphasis added).

"As we progress in the journey of mortality from bad to good to better, as we put off the natural man or woman in each of us, and as we strive to become saints and have our very natures changed, then the attributes detailed in this verse increasingly should describe the type of person you and I are becoming. We will become more childlike, more submissive, more patient, and more willing to submit.

"Now compare these characteristics in Mosiah 3:19 with those used to describe Alma and his people: 'And they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord' (Mosiah 24:15; emphasis added).

"I find the parallels between the attributes described in these verses striking and an indication that Alma’s good people were becoming a better people through the enabling power of the Atonement of Christ the Lord.

“Recall the story of Alma and Amulek contained in Alma 14. In this incident many faithful Saints had been put to death by fire, and these two servants of the Lord had been imprisoned and beaten. Consider this petition offered by Alma as he prayed in prison: 'O Lord, give us strength according to our faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance' (Alma 14:26; emphasis added).

"Here again we see Alma’s understanding of and confidence in the enabling power of the Atonement reflected in his request. And note the result of this prayer:

'And they [Alma and Amulek] broke the cords with which they were bound; and when the people saw this, they began to flee, for the fear of destruction had come upon them…

'And Alma and Amulek came forth out of the prison, and they were not hurt; for the Lord had granted unto them power, according to their faith which was in Christ' (Alma 14:26, 28; emphasis added).

"Once again the enabling power is evident as good people struggle against evil and strive to become even better and serve more effectively ‘in the strength of the Lord.’

"Another example from the Book of Mormon is instructive. In Alma 31, Alma is directing a mission to reclaim the apostate Zoramites, who, after building their Rameumptom, offer a prescribed and prideful prayer.

"Notice the plea for strength in Alma’s personal prayer: 'O Lord, wilt thou grant unto me that I may have strength, that I may suffer with patience these afflictions which shall come upon me, because of the iniquity of this people' (Alma 31:31; emphasis added).

"Alma also prays that his missionary companions will receive a similar blessing: “Wilt thou grant unto them that they may have strength, that they may bear their afflictions which shall come upon them because of the iniquities of this people' (Alma 31:33; emphasis added).

"Alma did not pray to have his afflictions removed. He knew he was an agent of the Lord, and he prayed for the power to act and affect his situation.

"The key point of this example is contained in the final verse of Alma 31: '[The Lord] gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith' (verse 38; emphasis added).

"The afflictions were not removed. But Alma and his companions were strengthened and blessed through the enabling power of the Atonement to 'suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ.'  What a marvelous blessing. And what a lesson each of us should learn.

"Examples of the enabling power are not found only in the scriptures. Daniel W. Jones was born in 1830 in Missouri, and he joined the Church in California in 1851. In 1856 he participated in the rescue of handcart companies that were stranded in Wyoming by severe snowstorms. After the rescue party had found the suffering Saints, provided what immediate comfort they could, and made arrangements for the sick and the feeble to be transported to Salt Lake City, Daniel and several other young men volunteered to remain with and safeguard the company’s possessions. The food and supplies left with Daniel and his colleagues were meager and rapidly expended. The following quote from Daniel Jones’s personal journal describes the events that followed.

'Game soon became so scarce that we could kill nothing. We ate all the poor meat; one would get hungry eating it. Finally that was all gone, nothing now but hides were left. We made a trial of them. A lot was cooked and eaten without any seasoning and it made the whole company sick…

'Things looked dark, for nothing remained but the poor raw hides taken from starved cattle. We asked the Lord to direct us what to do. The brethren did not murmur, but felt to trust in God. … Finally I was impressed how to fix the stuff and gave the company advice, telling them how to cook it; for them to scorch and scrape the hair off; this had a tendency to kill and purify the bad taste that scalding gave it. After scraping, boil one hour in plenty of water, throwing the water away which had extracted all the glue, then wash and scrape the hide thoroughly, washing in cold water, then boil to a jelly and let it get cold, and then eat with a little sugar sprinkled on it. This was considerable trouble, but we had little else to do and it was better than starving.

'We asked the Lord to bless our stomachs and adapt them to this food. … On eating now all seemed to relish the feast. We were three days without eating before this second attempt was made. We enjoyed this sumptuous fare for about six weeks.'3

"In those circumstances I probably would have prayed for something else to eat: 'Heavenly Father, please send me a quail or a buffalo.'  It likely would not have occurred to me to pray that my stomach would be strengthened and adapted to the food we had. What did Daniel W. Jones know? He knew about the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He did not pray that his circumstances would be changed. He prayed that he would be strengthened to deal with his circumstances. Just as Alma and his people, Amulek, and Nephi were strengthened, Daniel W. Jones had the spiritual insight to know what to ask for in that prayer.

"The enabling power of the Atonement of Christ strengthens us to do things we could never do on our own. Sometimes I wonder if in our latter-day world of ease—in our world of microwave ovens and cell phones and air-conditioned cars and comfortable homes—we ever learn to acknowledge our daily dependence upon the enabling power of the Atonement...

"The Savior Knows and Understands

"In Alma chapter 7 we learn how and why the Savior is able to provide the enabling power:
'He shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

'And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities' (Alma 7:11–12; emphasis added).

"The Savior has suffered not just for our iniquities but also for the inequality, the unfairness, the pain, the anguish, and the emotional distresses that so frequently beset us. There is no physical pain, no anguish of soul, no suffering of spirit, no infirmity or weakness that you or I ever experience during our mortal journey that the Savior did not experience first. You and I in a moment of weakness may cry out, 'No one understands. No one knows.'  No human being, perhaps, knows. But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He felt and bore our burdens before we ever did. And because He paid the ultimate price and bore that burden, He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy in so many phases of our life. He can reach out, touch, succor—literally run to us—and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do through relying upon only our own power.

'Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

'Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

'For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light' (Matthew 11:28–30).

"I declare my witness of and appreciation for the infinite and eternal sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. I know the Savior lives. I have experienced both His redeeming power and His enabling power, and I testify that these powers are real and available to each of us. Indeed, “in the strength of the Lord” we can do and overcome all things as we press forward on our journey of mortality." (David A. Bednar, "The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality," Ensign, April 2012)

Notes
  1. See Franklin D. Richards, in Conference Report, Oct. 1965, 136–37; see also David O.McKay, in Conference Report, Apr. 1954, 26.
  2. Bible Dictionary, “Grace”; emphasis added.
  3. Daniel W. Jones, Forty Years among the Indians (n.d.), 57–58.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

"The Character of Christ"



While this is a lengthy post, it is worth reading. It is an excerpt from a marvelous talk by Elder  David A. Bednar on the character of Christ:

"The New Testament is replete with 'strikingly displayed' examples of the Savior's character. We are all well aware that following His baptism by John the Baptist and as a preparation for His public ministry, the Savior fasted for forty days. He also was tempted by the adversary to inappropriately use His supernal power to satisfy physical desires by commanding that stones be made bread, to gain recognition by casting Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple, and to obtain wealth and power and prestige in exchange for falling down and worshiping the tempter (see Matthew 4:1-9). It is interesting to note that the overarching and fundamental challenge to the Savior in each of these three temptations is contained in the taunting statement, 'If thou be the Son of God.' Satan's strategy, in essence, was to dare the Son of God to improperly demonstrate His God-given powers, to sacrifice meekness and modesty, and, thereby, betray who He was. Thus, Satan attempted repeatedly to attack Jesus' understanding of who He was and of His relationship with His Father. Jesus was victorious in meeting and overcoming the strategy of Satan.

"I suspect the Savior may have been at least partially spent physically after forty days of fasting--and somewhat spiritually drained after His encounter with the adversary. With this background information in mind, please turn with me now to Matthew 4, and together we will read verse 11: 
'Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.'

"This verse in the King James version of the New Testament clearly indicates that angels came and ministered to the Savior after the devil had departed. And, undoubtedly, Jesus would have benefitted from and been blessed by such a heavenly ministration in a time of physical and spiritual need.

"However, the Joseph Smith Translation of Matthew 4:11 provides a remarkable insight into the character of Christ. Please note the important differences in verse 11 between the King James version and the Joseph Smith Translation: 'Then the devil leaveth him, and, now Jesus knew that John was cast into prison, and he sent angels, and, behold, they came and ministered unto him (John).'

"Interestingly, the additions found in the [Joseph Smith Translation] completely change our understanding of this event. Angels did not come and minister to the Savior; rather, the Savior, in His own state of spiritual, mental, and physical distress, sent angels to minister to John...It is important for us to recognize that Jesus in the midst of His own challenge recognized and appropriately responded to John--who was experiencing a similar but lesser challenge than that of the Savior's. Thus, the character of Christ is manifested as He reached outward and ministered to one who was suffering--even as He himself was experiencing anguish and torment.

"In the upper room on the night of the last supper, the very night during which He would experience the greatest suffering that ever took place in all of the worlds created by Him, Christ spoke about the Comforter and peace:

These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:25-27)

"Once again the fundamental character of Christ is revealed magnificently in this tender incident. Recognizing that He himself was about to intensely and personally experience the absence of both comfort and peace, and in a moment when His heart was perhaps troubled and afraid, the Master reached outward and offered to others the very blessings that could and would have strengthened Him.

"In the great intercessory prayer, offered immediately before Jesus went forth with His disciples over the brook Cedron to the Garden of Gethsemane, the Master prayed for His disciples and for all:

. . . which shall believe on me through their word;

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me . . .

. . . that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. (John 17:20, 21, 23, 26)

"I find myself repeatedly asking the following questions as I ponder this and other events that took place so close to the Savior's suffering in the garden and His betrayal: How could He pray for the well-being and unity of others immediately before His own anguish? What enabled Him to seek comfort and peace for those whose need was so much less than His? As the fallen nature of the world He created pressed in upon Him, how could He focus so totally and so exclusively upon the conditions and concerns of others? How was the Master able to reach outward when a lesser being would have turned inward? The statement ... from Elder [Neal A.]Maxwell provides the answer to each of these powerful questions: Jesus' character necessarily underwrote His remarkable atonement. Without Jesus' sublime character there could have been no sublime atonement! His character is such that He '[suffered] temptations of every kind' (Alma 7:11), yet He gave temptations "no heed" (Doctrine and Covenants 20:22). ("O How Great the Plan of Our God," message delivered to CES religious educators in February of 1995, p. 5)

"Jesus, who suffered the most, has the most compassion for all of us who suffer so much less. Indeed, the depth of suffering and compassion is intimately linked to the depth of love felt by the ministering one. Consider the scene as Jesus emerged from His awful suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane. Having just sweat great drops of blood from every pore as part of the infinite and eternal Atonement, the Redeemer encountered a multitude:

And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew unto Jesus to kiss him.

But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?

When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?

And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. (Luke 22:47-50)

"Given the magnitude and intensity of Jesus' agony, it perhaps would have been understandable if He had not noticed and attended to the guard's severed ear. But the Savior's character activated a compassion that was perfect. Note His response to the guard as described in verse 51: 'And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him' (Luke 22:51).

"As individually impressive as is each of the preceding events, I believe it is the consistency of the Lord's character across multiple episodes that is ultimately the most instructive and inspiring. In addition to the incidents we have thus far reviewed, recall how the Savior, while suffering such agony on the cross, instructed the Apostle John about caring for Jesus' mother, Mary (John 19:26-27). Consider how, as the Lord was taken to Calvary and the awful agony of the crucifixion was commenced, He pleaded with the Father in behalf of the soldiers to '. . . forgive them; for they know not what they do' (Luke 23:34). Remember also that in the midst of excruciating spiritual and physical pain, the Savior offered hope and reassurance to one of the thieves on the cross, 'To day shalt thou be with me in paradise' (Luke 23:43). Throughout His mortal ministry, and especially during the events leading up to and including the atoning sacrifice, the Savior of the world turned outward--when the natural man or woman in any of us would have been self-centered and focused inward."  (David A. Bednar, "The Character of Christ," Brigham Young University-Idaho Religion Symposium, January 25, 2003)

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Discipleship



"Discipleship is the pursuit of holiness and happiness. It is the path to our best and happiest self." (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Of Regrets and Resolutions,” Ensign, November 2012)

Friday, April 5, 2013

Hope

Hope is one of the messages of Easter. Some of the most hope filled words of all scripture were those spoken by the angel to Mary when he said,  "He is not here: for he is arisen" (Matthew 28:6). Because of the life, ministry, and atoning mission of the Lord Jesus Christ I have hope--hope for a resurrection and hope for a life beyond this life through the eternities. Alma asked, " Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality...?  I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?" (Alma 5:15-16). This is my hope.  My hope is centered in Jesus Christ and the promised blessings of His Atonement  (Psalms 16:9-10, 33:22, 38:15, 42:11, 43:5, Proverbs 14:32, Titus 1:2, 3:7, 1 Peter 1:21, Jacob 2:19, 4:4).  Hope in Jesus Christ is the anchor for my soul (Hebrews 6:19, Ether 12:4); it keeps me safely moored and steadfast during the storms of life. 


We can hope for many things in life. We can hope for good grades, a better job, a new house, more money,  a nicer car, and the list could go on endlessly. While these are good things to hope for they are not enduring and none of them bring the happiness that can last into the eternities .   Hope that is centered in Jesus Christ and derived from faith in His Atonement though does  bring true and lasting joy, gladness, peace, and rejoicing (Proverbs 10:28, Jeremiah 17:7, Hebrews 3:6).


Faith is the assurance of things that we hope for. Hope is the manifestation or witness of our faith in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 11:1, Alma 32:21). Hope flows naturally from our faith in Jesus Christ.   Can we have hope without faith? Can we have faith without hope?  Faith, hope, and charity are intricately related (1 Corinthians 13:13, Alma 7:24. Ether 12:4, Moroni 10:20). Moroni wrote:


"How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope? And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise. Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope" (Moroni 7:42) 


Paul wrote that faith and charity are a breastplate and hope a helmet (1 Thessalonians 5:8). The breastplate of faith and love [charity] to protect our heart and the helmet of the hope to light the path to eternal life--all three are interrelated. Perhaps they are all facets of the same godly attribute.  Without one you cannot have the other. The stronger and more unshaken our faith in Christ the more lively (1 Peter 1:3) and excellent (Ether 12:32) our hope becomes until it is perfectly bright (2 Nephi 31:20) and we abound in it (Romans 15:13). We then have the the reason to endure life's challenges. Paul wrote, "For now we see through a glass, darkly" 1 Corinthians 13:12). It is hope that enables us to see through the glass. When we become discouraged or fearful, we need to focus on Jesus Christ just as Peter did when falling into the Sea of Galilee after failing to walk on the water,he cried out to Jesus, "Lord, save me" (Matthew 14:30). If we can stay focused on Christ and the hope that He gives to us, the problems we face can be seen from an eternal perspective and we can endure.