Receiving Revelation

In April 1971, Elder Bruce R. McConkie gave a talk at General Conference entitled "The Lord's People Receive Revelation." His words inspire and challenge me to be more in tune with the Spirit such that I may receive the things of God. The following is an extract from his address:

"When I was a mission president in Australia, I once said to those of my missionaries in Tasmania: “Tomorrow we shall climb Mt. Wellington and hold our missionary meeting on the top. We shall there seek to commune with the Lord and partake of his Spirit.”

"We made the climb, and while on top of the peak we visited a television broadcasting station. A bright young man explained to us in words I had never heard, and using principles I could not and do not understand, how the sounds and scenes of television were broadcast into the valley below.

"That night, back in the city of Hobart, my two young sons and I sat before a television set that was tuned to the proper wave band, and we saw and heard and experienced what had been described to us in words.

"Now I think this illustrates perfectly what is involved in the receipt of revelation and the seeing of visions. We can read about visions and revelations in the records of the past, we can study the inspired writings of people who had the fullness of the gospel in their day, but we cannot comprehend what is involved until we see and hear and experience for ourselves.

"This Tabernacle is now full of words and music. Handel’s Messiah is being sung, and the world’s statesmen are propagandizing their people. But we do not hear any of it.

"This Tabernacle is full of scenes from Vietnam and Washington. There is even a picture of men walking on the surface of the moon. But we are not seeing these things. The minute, however, in which we tune a radio to the proper wave band and tune a television receiving set on the proper channel, we begin to hear and see and experience what otherwise remains completely unknown to us.

"And so it is with the revelations and visions of eternity. They are around us all the time. This Tabernacle is full of the same things which are recorded in the scriptures and much more. The vision of the degrees of glory is being broadcast before us, but we do not hear or see or experience because we have not tuned our souls to the wave band on which the Holy Ghost is broadcasting.

"Joseph Smith said: “The Holy Ghost is a revelator.” And, “No man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith [Deseret Book Co., 1968], p. 328.)

"Moroni said: “… by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” (Moroni 10:5.)

"The Comforter knoweth all things; he is commissioned to bear witness of the Father and the Son, to reveal, to teach, and to testify—and he is broadcasting all the truths of salvation, and all the knowledge and wisdom of God, out into all immensity all of the time.

"How this is done we do not know. We cannot comprehend God or the laws by which he governs the universe. But that it does happen we know because here in the valley below, when we attune our souls to the Infinite, we hear and see and experience the things of God." (http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1971/04/the-lords-people-receive-revelation?lang=eng)

"Lord, I Believe"

Following Jesus' feeding of the five thousand, the apostles boarded a boat and started across the Sea of Galilee while Jesus went into the mountains to pray. As they were crossing, the sea became "tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary" (Matthew 14:24). In the midst of this peril and their ensuing fright, the apostles saw Jesus walking on the water towards them. Jesus said, "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid" (Matthew 14:27). Upon recognizing Jesus, Peter said, "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water" (Matthew 14:28). Jesus beckoned Peter to come to Him and Peter stepped out of the boat and briefly walked towards Jesus. But soon the "boisterous" waves frightened Peter. In the midst of the ferocious storm, Peter's doubt overcame his faith and he began to sink. He cried out, "Lord, save me" (Matthew 14:30). "And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" (Matthew 14:32). I wonder whether, when Peter saw a wave come crashing towards him, he looked back at the boat rather than staying focused on the Savior and thought that it was safer in the boat than walking towards Jesus. Did his doubt cause him to lose focus on the Savior?

Storms are a part of life's experience and moments of doubt may not be uncommon during such times. For me, the question is not whether I will experience such periods, but what I do during those times. Doubt must not snuff out my faith. I must carefully nurture my faith or doubt will grow and may cause me to lose focus on the one Person who can rescue me. Just like Peter I need to turn to the Savior saying, "Lord, save me”.

The faith to endure does not come as a single event. Rather it grows day by day as we nurture and nourish it. Alma compared growing our faith to the act of planting a seed. He said, "Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me" (Alma 32:28). I believe he phrase “if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord" provides an interesting insight into faith. While I don't presume to know precisely what Alma meant, to me it says that doubt is not uncommon in the process of growing my faith, but I must not allow doubt to prevent the seed of faith from germinating and I must be careful not to allow the poison of doubt to stunt the growth or kill the plant. Faith requires constant nourishment and protection. My experience is that as I continue to nourish my faith through study, prayer, and obedience during those moments of doubt my faith becomes stronger.

The tender account of the Savior healing a child afflicted with an evil spirit provides additional insight in protecting faith from doubt. In retelling this story, Elder Jeffery R. Holland said,

"On one occasion Jesus came upon a group arguing vehemently with His disciples. When the Savior inquired as to the cause of this contention, the father of an afflicted child stepped forward, saying he had approached Jesus’s disciples for a blessing for his son, but they were not able to provide it. With the boy still gnashing his teeth, foaming from the mouth, and thrashing on the ground in front of them, the father appealed to Jesus with what must have been last-resort desperation in his voice:

'If thou canst do any thing,” he said, 'have compassion on us, and help us.

'Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

'And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief' [Mark 9:14-21 and 22-24].

"This man’s initial conviction, by his own admission, is limited. But he has an urgent, emphatic desire in behalf of his only child. We are told that is good enough for a beginning. 'Even if ye can no more than desire to believe,' Alma declares, 'let this desire work in you, even until ye believe' [Alma 32:27]. With no other hope remaining, this father asserts what faith he has and pleads with the Savior of the world, 'If thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us'' [Mark 9:22]. I can hardly read those words without weeping. The plural pronoun us is obviously used intentionally. This man is saying, in effect, 'Our whole family is pleading. Our struggle never ceases. We are exhausted. Our son falls into the water. He falls into the fire. He is continually in danger, and we are continually afraid. We don’t know where else to turn. Can you help us? We will be grateful for anything—a partial blessing, a glimmer of hope, some small lifting of the burden carried by this boy’s mother every day of her life.'

“If thou canst do any thing,' spoken by the father, comes back to him 'If thou canst believe,' spoken by the Master [Mark 9:22].

“Straightway,' the scripture says—not slowly nor skeptically nor cynically but 'straightway'—the father cries out in his unvarnished parental pain, 'Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.' In response to new and still partial faith, Jesus heals the boy, almost literally raising him from the dead, as Mark describes the incident [Mark 9:24-27]. (Jeffery R. Holland, "Lord, I Believe," Ensign, May 2013)

Those words, "Lord, I believe; help though mine unbelief" is a plea that applies to all of us at one time or another. Elder Holland shared the following three observations about this account:

“Observation number one regarding this account is that when facing the challenge of faith, the father asserts his strength first and only then acknowledges his limitation. His initial declaration is affirmative and without hesitation: 'Lord, I believe.' I would say to all who wish for more faith, remember this man! In moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited. In the growth we all have to experience in mortality, the spiritual equivalent of this boy’s affliction or this parent’s desperation is going to come to all of us. When those moments come and issues surface, the resolution of which is not immediately forthcoming, hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes. It was of this very incident, this specific miracle, that Jesus said, 'If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you' [Matthew 17:20]. The size of your faith or the degree of your knowledge is not the issue—it is the integrity you demonstrate toward the faith you do have and the truth you already know.

"The second observation is a variation of the first. When problems come and questions arise, do not start your quest for faith by saying how much you do not have, leading as it were with your 'unbelief.' That is like trying to stuff a turkey through the beak! Let me be clear on this point: I am not asking you to pretend to faith you do not have. I am asking you to be true to the faith you do have. Sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration of faith. It is not! So let us all remember the clear message of this scriptural account: Be as candid about your questions as you need to be; life is full of them on one subject or another. But if you and your family want to be healed, don’t let those questions stand in the way of faith working its miracle...

"Last observation: When doubt or difficulty come, do not be afraid to ask for help. If we want it as humbly and honestly as this father did, we can get it. The scriptures phrase such earnest desire as being of 'real intent,' pursued 'with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God' [2 Nephi 31:13].  I testify that in response to that kind of importuning, God will send help from both sides of the veil to strengthen our belief.” (Jeffery R. Holland, "Lord, I Believe," Ensign, May 2013)

I add a fourth observation about this account. The father did not ask "why did God do this to my son" or "why did God let this happen." These questions challenge God, fuel unbelief, and don't build understanding. Contrast these questions to asking "help me understand why this is happening". Such a pleas is not a  challenge to God but a faithful request to seek understanding.  Such understanding will strengthen our faith.

Carefully nurture, nourish, and grow your faith. Faith in Christ and His Atonement will sustain us and rescue us from the storms, whether minor or boisterous, of life.

Building a Sure Foundation

In elaborating on the allegory of the good Shepherd for His disciples, Jesus likened Himself to the door into the enclosure where the shepherds kept the sheep. He said, "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture" (John 10:9). With this metaphor, Jesus taught His disciples that it is only through Him and His Atonement that they or anyone else could receive the greatest blessing that God, our Heavenly Father, has to give--life with Him through eternity. At the last supper, Jesus taught this doctrine again when He said to Thomas, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

Peter testified of the paramount importance of Christ in our lives when, after healing a lame man at the temple, he declared to the Sadducees and Jewish rulers, “There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). King Benjamin succinctly taught the same doctrine: "There shall be no other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent" (Mosiah 3:17). Likewise Paul said, "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh..." (Hebrews 10:19-20). It’s clear it is only through Christ that I have hope of returning to live with our Heavenly Father.

Because Christ is the only way back to Heavenly Father and Eternal Life, Helaman counseled his sons, Nephi and Lehi, to, “Remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.” (Helaman 5:12)

I love the imagery of building our foundation on the rock of Jesus Christ to help us weather the storms of life. I once worked on the 56th floor of the 57 story Key Tower in downtown Cleveland. When the winds blew off Lake Erie, the building would creak and sway but thankfully it never toppled to the ground. I’m grateful that the contractors dug deep into the earth and poured the buildings foundation on bedrock so that it would bear the weight of the building and keep it secure against all the elements. Similarly I must build the foundation of my life on the rock of our Savior in order to weather the storms and floods of life.

I have asked myself the question: "But how do I build my foundation on the rock of Jesus Christ our Redeemer?” The Savior provided the answer, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.” (Luke 6: 46-49, emphasis added)

In answer to my question, it's clear that I need to: 

• Come to Christ. I must seek Him, have faith in Him, trust Him, and come to truly know Him (John 17:3).
•  Hear His words. I won't hear His voice if I don't put forth the effort to listen to His words. How can I listen? I hear His voice as I read and ponder the scriptures, study the   teachings of His prophets and apostles, and listen to the whisperings of the Spirit.
•  Live what His words teach me. Listening and study will only make a difference in my life if I am willing to humbly submit my will to His and do what He asks me to do.

By following these practices and building my foundation on the rock of Christ, I can:

• Be forgiven of my sins when I repent;
•  Receive Christ's grace, which can change my heart and enable me to become someone I can't through my own efforts;
• Be succored, aided, and supported by Christ in times of trial and need. 

I want these blessings for me and my family. I know that as I build my foundation on the rock of Jesus Christ, I can receive these blessings and one day inherit the greatest of all the gifts of God--Eternal Life (Doctrine and Covenants 14:7).

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?

"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.

"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)