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| Julia Ward Howe |
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
He Is Risen!
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He Is Risen!
The empty tomb that first
Easter morning was the answer to Job’s question, “If a man die, shall he live
again?” (22:29)
Monday, March 10, 2014
Know for Yourself
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Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye
shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God,
that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not;
and it shall be given him.
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.
For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
That the trial of your faith, being much more
precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be
found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus
Christ:
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see
him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of
your souls.
Of which salvation the prophets have
inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you.
And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you
that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if
these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart,
with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth
of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
And by the
power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all
things.
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall
make you free.
And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore,
nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.
And ye may know that he is, by the power of the
Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for
he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men,
the same today and tomorrow, and forever.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Jesus Appears on the Road to Emmaus
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After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as
they walked, and went into the country:
And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village
called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs .
And they
talked together of all these things which had happened.
And it came
to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these
that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?
And the one
of them, whose name was Cleopas , answering
said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the
things which are come to pass there in these days?
And he said
unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth,
which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
And how the
chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have
crucified him.
But we
trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all
this, to day is the third day since these things were done.
Yea, and
certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the
sepulchre;
And when they
found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of
angels, which said that he was alive.
And certain
of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they
saw not.
Ought not
Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
And beginning
at Moses and all the prophets , he expounded unto them
in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
And they drew
nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have
gone further.
But they
constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day
is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
And it came
to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
And their
eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
And they said
one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to
us the scriptures?
Friday, March 7, 2014
We Ask Thee ...
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Let me call attention to the blessing [on the bread]. I am going
to read it humbly so we’ll understand what’s in it:
“O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son,
Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who
partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and
witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take
upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his
commandments which he has given them; that they may always have his Spirit to
be with them. Amen.” [D&C 20:77.] …
To eat in remembrance of him. Does that mean that I would just
remember that nearly 2,000 years ago wicked men took him, hung him on the
cross, drove nails in his hands and feet and left him there to die? To me it
has a far deeper meaning than that. To remember him—why was he on the cross?
What benefit comes to [me] because he was on the cross? What suffering did he
go through on the cross that I might be redeemed or relieved of my sins?
Well, naturally a person would think: He had nails driven in his
hands and his feet and he hung there until he died. … What else did he suffer?
This is a thing I think that most of us overlook. I am convinced that his
greatest suffering was not the driving of nails in
There isn’t one of us I take it that hasn’t done something wrong
and then been sorry and wished we hadn’t. Then our consciences strike us and we
have been very, very miserable. Have you gone through that experience? I have.
… But here we have the Son of God carrying the burden of my transgressions and
your transgressions. … His greatest torment was not the nails in his hands or
in his feet, as bad as they were, but the torment of mind in some way that is
not clear to me. But he carried the burden—our burden. I added something to it;
so did you. So did everybody else. He took it upon himself to pay the price
that I might escape—that you might escape—the punishment on the conditions that
we will receive his gospel and be true and faithful in it.
Now that’s what I’m trying to think about. That’s what I’m
remembering—the excruciating agony when he was crying in his prayer to his
Father to let the cup pass. He’s not pleading just for relief from driving
nails in his hand[s] or in his feet, he had a more severe torment than all of
that, in some way that I do not understand.6
It is impossible for weak mortals, and we are all weak, to fully
comprehend the extent of the suffering of the Son of God. We cannot realize the
price He had to pay. To the Prophet Joseph Smith He said:
“For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that
they might not suffer if they would repent; but if they would not repent, they
must suffer even as I; which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of
all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both
body and spirit; and would that I might not drink the bitter cup and
shrink—nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my
preparations unto the children of men.” [D&C 19:16–19.]
It is, however, within our grasp to know and realize that this
excruciating agony of His sacrifice has brought to us the greatest blessing
that could possibly be given. Moreover, we are able to
… If we fully appreciated the many blessings which are ours
through the redemption made for us, there is nothing that the Lord could ask of
us that we would not anxiously and willingly do.7
I am sure if we could picture before us—as I have tried many
times to do—the solemn occasion when the Savior met with his apostles; if we
could see them there assembled, the Lord in his sadness, sorrowing for the sins
of the world, sorrowing for one of his apostles who was to betray him, yet
teaching these eleven men who loved him and making covenant with them, I am
sure we would feel in our hearts that we would never forsake him. If we
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Master Control
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Lead me, guide me,
walk beside me,
Help me find the way.
Teach me all that I
must do
To live with him
someday.
And this is life eternal,
Jesus
Christ, whom thou hast sent. -- John 17:3
The privilege of holding the
priesthood, which is the power and authority to act in God’s name, is a great
blessing and privilege and one that carries with it equally great obligations
and responsibilities. When I ponder what kind of men and boys we should be as
priesthood holders, I cannot help but think of the Savior’s questions to the
Nephite twelve when He asked, “Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be?
Verily I say unto you, even as I am” (3 Ne. 27:27).
To be like the Savior—what a challenge for any person! He is a
member of the Godhead. He is the Savior and Redeemer. He was perfect in every
aspect of His life. There was no flaw nor failing in Him. Is it possible for us
as priesthood holders to be even as He is? The answer is yes. Not onlycan we,
but that is our charge, our responsibility. He would not give us that
commandment if He did not mean for us to do it.
The Apostle Peter spoke of the process by which a person can be
made a partaker “of the divine nature” (2
Pet. 1:4). This is important, for if we truly become partakers of
the divine nature, we shall become like Him. Let us examine closely what Peter
teaches us about this process. Here is what he said:
“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith
virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
“And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to
patience godliness;
“And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness
charity” (2 Pet. 1:5–7).
The virtues outlined by Peter are part of the divine nature, or
the Savior’s character. These are the virtues we are to emulate if we would be
more like Him. Let us discuss a few of these important traits.
The first characteristic, to which all the others are added, is faith. Faith is the foundation upon which a
godlike character is built. It is a prerequisite for all other virtues.
When I think of how we show faith, I cannot help but think of
the example of my own father. I recall vividly how the spirit of missionary work came into my life. I was about
thirteen years of age when my father received a call to go on a mission. It was
during an epidemic in our little community of Whitney, Idaho. Parents were
encouraged to go tosacrament meeting,
but the children were to remain home to avoid contracting the disease.
Father and Mother went to sacrament meeting in a one-horse
buggy. At the close of the meeting, the storekeeper opened the store just long
enough for the farmers to get their mail, since the post office was in the
store. There were no purchases, but in this way the farmers saved a trip to the
post office on Monday. There was no rural postal delivery in those days.
As Father drove the horse homeward, Mother opened the mail, and,
to their surprise, there was a letter from Box B in Salt Lake City—a call to go
on a mission. No one asked if one were ready, willing, or able. The bishop was
supposed to know, and the bishop was Grandfather George T. Benson, my father’s
father.
As Father and Mother drove into the yard, they were both
crying—something we had never seen in our family.
We gathered around the buggy—there were seven of us then—and asked them what
was the matter.
They said, “Everything’s fine.”
“Why are you crying then?” we asked.
“Come into the living room and we’ll explain.”
We gathered around the old sofa in the living room, and Father
told us about his mission call. Then Mother said, “We’re proud to know that
Father is considered worthy to go on a mission. We’re crying a bit because it
means two years of separation. You know, your father and I have never been
separated more than two nights at a time since our marriage—and that’s when
Father was gone into the canyon to get logs, posts, and firewood.”
And so Father went on his mission. Though at the time I did not
fully comprehend the depths of my father’s commitment, I understand better now
that his willing acceptance of this call was evidence of his great faith. Every
holder of the priesthood, whether young or old, should strive to develop that
kind of faith.
Peter goes on to say that we must add to our faith virtue. A priesthood holder is virtuous. Virtuous behavior implies that he has
pure thoughts and clean actions. He will not lust in his heart, for to do so is
to “deny the faith” and to lose the Spirit (D&C 42:23)—and there is nothing more important in
this work than the Spirit. You’ve heard me say that many times.
He will not commit adultery “nor do anything like unto it” (D&C 59:6). This means fornication, homosexual
behavior, self-abuse, child molestation, or any other sexual perversion. This
means that a young man will honor young women and treat them with respect. He
would never do anything that would deprive them of that which, in Mormon’s
words, is “most dear and precious above all things, which is chastity and
virtue” (Moro. 9:9).
Virtue is akin to holiness, an attribute of godliness. A
priesthood holder should actively seek for that which is virtuous and lovely
and not that which is debasing or sordid. Virtue will garnish his thoughts
unceasingly (see D&C 121:45). How can any man indulge himself in the
evils ofpornography, profanity, or vulgarity and
consider himself totally virtuous?
Whenever a priesthood holder departs from the path of virtue in
any form or expression, he loses the Spirit and comes under Satan’s power. He
then receives the wages of him whom he has chosen to serve. As a result,
sometimes the Church must take disciplinary action, for we cannot condone or
pardon unvirtuous and unrepentant actions. All priesthood holders must be
morally clean to be worthy to bear the authority of Jesus Christ.
The next step Peter describes in the growth process is to add knowledgeto our
faith and virtue. The Lord has told us that “it is impossible for a man to be
saved in ignorance” (D&C 131:6). In another place God commanded, “Seek
ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also
by faith” (D&C 88:118). Every priesthood holder should make
learning a lifetime pursuit. While any study of truth is of value, the truths
of salvation are the most important truths any person can learn. The Lord’s
question “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and
lose his own soul?” (Matt. 16:26) can be applied to educational pursuits as
well as the pursuit of worldly goods. The Lord might also have asked, “For what
is a man profited, if he shall learn everything in the world and not learn how
to be saved?”
We must balance our secular learning with spiritual learning.
You young men should be as earnest in enrolling in seminary and learning the
scriptures as you are in working toward high school graduation. Young adults
enrolled in universities and colleges or other postsecondary training should
avail themselves of the opportunity to take institute of religion courses or,
if attending a Church school, should take at least one religion course every
term. Joining our spiritual education to our secular learning will help us keep
focused on the things that matter most in this life. Though I am speaking to
you priesthood holders, the same admonition applies to the women of the Church
as well as to the men.
President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., spoke of the desired balance in
these words: “There is spiritual learning just as there is material learning,
and the one without the other is not complete; yet, speaking for myself, if I
could have only one sort of learning, that which I would take would be the
learning of the spirit, because in the hereafter I shall have opportunity in
the eternities which are to come to get the other, and without spiritual
learning here my handicaps in the hereafter would be all but overwhelming” (in
Conference Report, Apr. 1934, p. 94).
President Spencer W. Kimball said it this way: “Youth, beloved
youth, can you see why we must let spiritual training take first place?—Why we
must pray with faith, and perfect our own lives like the Savior’s? Can you see
that the spiritual knowledge may be complemented with the secular in this life
and on for eternities but that the secular without the foundation of the
spiritual is but like the foam upon the milk, the fleeting shadow?
“Do not be deceived! One need not choose between the two but
only as to the sequence, for there is opportunity for one to get both
simultaneously; but can you see that the seminary courses should be given even
preferential attention over the high school subjects; the institute over the
college course; the study of the scriptures ahead of the study of man-written texts;
the association with the Church more important than clubs, fraternities, and
sororities; the payment of tithingmore
important than paying tuitions and fees?
“Can you see that the ordinances of the temple are more
important than the PhD or any and all other academic degrees?” (“Beloved Youth,
Study and Learn,” in Life’s Directions: A Series of Fireside Addresses, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co.,
1962, p. 190).
When our formal education has been completed, we should make
daily study of the scriptures a lifetime pursuit. What I said last April to
priesthood leaders applies to every priesthood holder as well:
“I add my voice to these wise and inspired brethren and say to
you that one of the most important things you can do as priesthood leaders is
to immerse yourselves in the scriptures. Search them diligently. Feast upon the
words of Christ. Learn the doctrine. Master the principles that are found
therein. … Few other efforts … will bring greater dividends to your calling. …
Few other ways [will result in] greater inspiration. …
“You must … see that studying and searching the scriptures is
not a burden laid upon [us] by the Lord, but a marvelous blessing and opportunity”
(Ensign, May
1986, p. 81).
Another attribute described by Peter as being part of the divine
nature istemperance. A
priesthood holder is temperate. This
means he is restrained in his emotions and verbal expressions. He does things
in moderation and is not given to overindulgence. In a word, he has
self-control. He is the master of his emotions, not the other way around.
A priesthood holder who would curse his wife, abuse her with
words or actions, or do the same to one of his own children is guilty of
grievous sin. “Can ye be angry, and not sin?” asked the Apostle Paul (JST, Eph.
4:26).
If a man does not control his temper, it is a sad admission that
he is not in control of his thoughts. He then becomes a victim of his own
passions and emotions, which lead him to actions that are totally unfit for
civilized behavior, let alone behavior for a priesthood holder.
President David O. McKay once said, “A man who cannot control
his temper is not very likely to control his passion, and no matter what his
pretensions in religion, he moves in daily life very close to the animal plane”
(Improvement Era, June
1958, p. 407).
To our temperance we are to add patience. A priesthood holder is to bepatient. Patience
is another form of self-control. It is the ability to postpone gratification
and to bridle one’s passions. In his relationships with loved ones, a patient
man does not engage in impetuous behavior that he will later regret. Patience
is composure under stress. A patient man is understanding of others’ faults.
A patient man also waits on the Lord. We sometimes read or hear
of people who seek a blessing from the Lord, then grow impatient when it does
not come swiftly. Part of the divine nature is to trust in the Lord enough to
“be still and know that [he is] God” (D&C 101:16).
A priesthood holder who is patient will be tolerant of the
mistakes and failings of his loved ones. Because he loves them, he will not
find fault nor criticize nor blame.
Another attribute mentioned by Peter is kindness. A priesthood holder iskind. One
who is kind is sympathetic and gentle with others. He is considerate of others’
feelings and courteous in his behavior. He has a helpful nature. Kindness
pardons others’ weaknesses and faults. Kindness is extended to all—to the aged
and the young, to animals, to those low of station as well as the high.
These are the true attributes of the divine nature. Can you see
how we become more Christlike as we are more virtuous, more kind, more patient,
and more in control of our emotional feelings?
The Apostle Paul used some vivid expressions to illustrate that
a member of the Church must be different from the world. He commended us to
“put on Christ” (Gal.
3:27), “put off … the old man,” and “put on the new man” (Eph. 4:22, 24).
The final and crowning virtue of the divine character is charity, or the pure love of Christ (see Moro. 7:47). If we would truly seek to be more like our
Savior and Master, then learning to love as He loves should be our highest
goal. Mormon called charity “the greatest of all” (Moro. 7:46).
The world today speaks a great deal about love, and it is sought
for by many. But the pure love of Christ differs greatly from what the world
thinks of love. Charity never seeks selfish gratification. The pure love of
Christ seeks only the eternal growth and joy of others.
When I think of charity, I again think of my father and that day
he was called on his mission. I suppose some in the world might say that his
acceptance of that call was proof he did not really love his family. To leave
seven children and an expectant wife at home alone for two years, how could
that be true love?
But my father knew a greater vision of love. He knew that “all
things shall work together for good to them that love God” (Rom.
8:28). He knew that the best thing he could do for his family was to
obey God.
While we missed him greatly during those years, and while his
absence brought many challenges to our family, his acceptance proved to be a
gift of charity. Father went on his mission, leaving Mother at home with seven
children. (The eighth was born four months after he arrived in the field.) But
there came into that home a spirit of missionary work that never left it. It
was not without some sacrifice. Father had to sell our old dry farm in order to
finance his mission. He had to move a married couple into part of our home to
take care of the row crops, and he left his sons and wife the responsibility
for the hay land, the pasture land, and a small herd of dairy cows.
Father’s letters were indeed a blessing to our family. To us
children, they seemed to come from halfway around the world, but they were only
from Springfield, Massachusetts; and Chicago, Illinois; and Cedar Rapids and
Marshalltown, Iowa. Yes, there came into our home, as a result of Father’s
mission, a spirit of missionary work that never left it.
Later the family grew to eleven children—seven sons and four
daughters. All seven sons filled missions, some of them two or three missions.
Later, two daughters and their husbands filled full-time missions. The two
other sisters, both widows—one the mother of eight and the other the mother of
ten—served as missionary companions in Birmingham, England.
It is a legacy that still continues to bless the Benson family
even into the third and fourth generations. Was not this truly a gift of love?
This is what the Savior means when He speaks of the kind of men
we should be. Does not His own life reflect perfect diligence, perfect faith,
perfect virtue? If we are to be like Him, we too must become partakers of the
divine nature.
The Savior declared that life eternal is to know the only true
God and His Son Jesus Christ (see John
17:3). If this is true, and I bear you my solemn witness that it is true, then we must ask how we come to
know God. The process of adding one godly attribute to another, as described by
Peter, becomes the key to gaining this knowledge that leads to eternal life.
Note Peter’s promise, which immediately follows the process described:
“For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be
barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2
Pet. 1:8; italics added).
Oh, my beloved brethren, I pray that these qualities and
attributes of the Savior may abound in us so that when we stand at the Judgment
and He asks each one of us, “What manner of man are ye?” we can raise our heads
in gratitude and joy and answer, “Even as thou art.” This is my humble prayer
for each and every priesthood holder in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Monday, March 3, 2014
The Great Plan of the Eternal God
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One of the great blessings flowing from amplifying,
latter-day revelations is the crucial, doctrinal framework known as the
marvelous plan of salvation, the plan of happiness, or the plan of mercy. (See Alma 42:5, 8, 15.)
However designated, it represents what Amulek called the “great plan of the
Eternal God” without which mankind would unavoidably perish. (Alma 34:9.)
The plan is a most stunning example of the precious
perspective of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, full faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ includes and requires full faith in His Father’s plan of
salvation.
President Brigham Young declared: “The Spirit of revelation
must be in each and every individual, to know the plan of salvation and keep in
the path that leads them to the presence of God.” (Journal of Discourses,9:279.)
So vital is this framework that if one stays or strays
outside it, he risks provinciality and misery. In fact, most human misery
represents ignorance of or noncompliance with the plan. A cessation of such
mortal suffering will not come without compliance to it. Hence, the Lord, who
has freely shared this vital knowledge with us, has urged us to teach the
fundamentals of this plan “freely.” (Moses 6:58.)
At the center of the Father’s plan is Jesus Christ,
mankind’s Redeemer. Yet, as foreseen, many judge Jesus “to be a thing of
naught” (1 Ne. 19:9),
or “consider him” merely “a man.” (Mosiah 3:9.)
Whether others deny or delimit Jesus, for us He is our Lord and Savior!
Comparatively, brothers and sisters, it matters very little what people think
of us, but it matters very much what we think of Him. It matters very little,
too, who others say we are; what matters is who we say Jesus is. (See Matt. 16:13–17.)
For instance, we appreciate not only the towering divinity
of Jesus Christ, but His breathtaking mobility and the scope of His
shepherding. The resurrected Jesus revisited the Middle East scene of His
mortal messiahship. Then some souls in the Americas. (See 3 Ne 11.) And
then His other lost sheep. (See 3 Ne. 17:4.)
In His selfless plan, the Lord doeth nothing save it be for
the benefit of the children of men. (See 2 Ne. 26:24.)
He labors, lovingly and constantly, as Moses and Jeremiah declared, “for our
good always.” (Deut. 6:24;
see also Jer. 32: 38–40.)
In His grand design, His “work” and “glory” are “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39.)
Thus, even when we truly learn to love God, we must humbly acknowledge that He
loved us first. (See 1 Jn. 4:19.)
Meanwhile, Shakespeare was not very wide of the mark in
writing, “All the world’s a stage.” (As You Like It, act
2, scene 7.) But not for playacting!
The very word plan confirms
God’s paternal purpose, a realization so desperately needed by the confused and
despairing on the world’s stage.
The “plan of happiness” not only ensures the immortalization
of our individual identities, but can yield bettered and reborn individuals.
Fittingly, one appreciative prophet declared, “O how great the plan of our
God!” (2 Ne. 9:13.)
Enoch wept when he saw the sweep of history and the unnecessary human misery. (See Moses 7:41.)
But he also saw the triumph of God’s plan. Another prophet exclaimed: “God …
made these things known unto us that we might not perish … because he loveth
our souls … ; therefore, in his mercy he doth visit us by his angels, that the
plan of salvation might be made known unto us.” (Alma 24:14.)
It took visits by angels in our day, too, in order to
instruct us anew regarding God’s plan of salvation and to reassure us that
mortality is not a conclusive and massive mausoleum, and that death is not
extinction.
Alma faced an awful and anguished moment when he felt that
he might actually “become extinct both soul and body.” (Alma 36:15.)
Then he remembered his father’s prophecies “concerning the coming of one Jesus
Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the
world.” (Alma 36:17.)
In a moment of deep intellectual humility, his “mind caught hold upon this
thought.” Out came Alma’s great soul cry: “O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy
on me”! (Alma 36:18.)
Purpose replaced pain. Joy swallowed up despair as Alma
apparently viewed God upon His throne, and he longed to join God! (See Alma 36:22.)
Such longing for a heavenly home is real, especially in view
of how this life is designed. After all, brothers and sisters, when we rejoice
in beautiful scenery, great art, and great music, it is but the flexing of
instincts acquired in another place and another time.
Life turns out, however, to be just what one would expect of
a deliberately constructed proving and tutoring experience which features
opportunities, choices, and deprivations. Furthermore, there is no wayaround—the only way to go is through!
And what a “through” it is!
Even so, for us mistake-prone mortals, this plan of mercy
provides for recognition and redress of error and for the resumption of
interrupted individual development.
Redemptive and refining provisions are made: For a brave
Peter faltering and sinking on the churning waves—and yet knowing to whom to
look to live, and crying out, “Lord, save me.” (Matt. 14:30.)
For a meek Moses struggling with people, fatigued and with all the burdens of
leadership. (See Num. 11:11, 14, 29.)
For a Jonah seeking to substitute Tarshish, but still reaching Nineveh and,
thereby, receiving a great lesson in compassion. For erring Oliver Cowdery,
Martin Harris, and Thomas B. Marsh to recover their spiritual poise and vote
with their feet by traveling westward to rejoin, in reconciliation, and to
sustain the plan and its enunciating latter-day prophets.
Hence, brothers and sisters, for the faithful, our finest
hours are sometimes during or just following our darkest hours.
It is an incredible irony, therefore, that some
complainingly attempt to use the very tutoring process of the Lord against Him.
Or resent the reality that we are to walk by faith during this mortal
experience. Yet, as practical and spiritual President Brigham Young said,
“There is no saving faith merely upon … acknowledging a fact.” (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe,
Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1941, p. 154.)
Furthermore, since this life is such a brief experience,
there must be regular exit routes. Some easy. Some hard. Some sudden. Others
lingering. Therefore, we cannot presume, even by faith, to block all these
exits, all the time, and for all people. Nor, if possessed of full, eternal
perspective, would we desire so to do.
Since certain recollections are withheld, we do not now see
the end from the beginning. But God does. Meanwhile, we are in what might be
called “the murky middle.” Therein, however, we can still truly know that God
loves us, individually and perfectly, even though we cannot always explain the
meaning of all things happening to us or around us. (See 1 Ne. 11:17.)
Enclosed in this mortal cocoon, or classroom, we would be
totally provincial in outlook except for faith in, and knowledge of, the “great
plan of the Eternal God.”
Hence, Christ’s doctrines pertaining to the plan of
salvation stand like sentinel scriptures to mark and light the way. His gospel
guardrails line the strait and narrow path to steady us, nudge us, and even jar
us for the sake of our spiritual safety!
So much more than a matter of abstract theology, this great
plan can focus daily life. Its truths are crucial to how we see ourselves,
others, life, the Lord, and even the universe. Or how we view a baby. Or death.
Or the praise and honors of the world. This plan constitutes the mother lode of
meaning and can cradle us, conceptually, amid any concern.
Its truths and perspectives permit us to distinguish between
a great book and mere want ads, between vengeance and justice, rage and
righteous indignation, and pleasure and happiness.
With an understanding of God’s plan of salvation, we know
that the rejoicing, the striving, the suffering, the tutoring, and the enduring
experiences of life all play their part in an intelligible process of helping
us, if we will, to become, as the Savior beckoningly invited, “even as I am.” (3 Ne. 27:27.)
This individual development sometimes requires the march of
a Zion’s Camp, or an arduous Hole in the Rock trek, or special classrooms like
the settlements in northern Mexico, wherein special individuals were fashioned.
Those episodes, however, had nothing to do with real estate but everything to
do with our second estate!
Hence, in submitting knowingly and meekly to this plan, we
cannot say to the Lord that we are willing to surrender but only on our terms.
There are no conditions in unconditional surrender!
Even with all of its interior consistency, however, the plan
cannot bring true happiness to anyone whose life is grossly inconsistent with
its standards. It cannot fully enfold him who is too worried about being taken
in. It has no place of honor for one too concerned with losing his place in the
secular synagogue. (See John 12:42–43.)
Though the plan reflects a caring Father and a Savior,
believers in the plan are not automatically immune to the consuming cares of
the world.
The plan places a striking emphasis on present human freedom
to choose. (See 2 Ne. 2:27.)
Yet some of our present circumstances may reflect previous agreements, now
forgotten, but once freely made.
The plan always points the way, but does not always smooth
the way, since individual development requires an “opposition in all things.” (2 Ne. 2:11.)
The Lord will give us the needed intellectual and spiritual
confirmation concerning His plan, but on His terms and in His own way.
“If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine,
whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” (John 7:17.)
Truly, of all the errors mortals could make, God’s plan of
salvation is the wrong thing to be wrong about!
No error could be more enormous or more everlasting in its
consequences!
No wonder this Church and its people go to such great
lengths and expense to share the fulness of the gospel concerning this plan.
No wonder the Lord wants the plan taught plainly and
repetitively.
And why not? It is God’s plan—not ours! And, given the
unimpressive outcomes of man’s plans to solve the world’s problems, aren’t we
glad! Furthermore, of all the things about which we might converse, as Jacob
wrote, “Why not speak of the atonement of Christ?” (Jacob 4:12.)
Why not, brothers and sisters? This event arches over all of human history, as
a Redeeming God and Savior Son pressed onward with the great plan of happiness.
Yes, in the plan, God would have us be happy, but first we had to be free to
choose.
God’s gift to us of this moral agency tells us wonderful
things about His beneficial and developmental purposes. Our abuse of that
agency tells us awful things about ourselves!
Yet, on this mortal stage, we see great moments of mercy,
stirring celebrations of compassion, striking selflessness, and quiet and
constant heroism among people of all creeds and colors and cultures.
This should not surprise us. After all, whose spirit
children are we? (SeeHeb. 12:9.)
Unsurprisingly, therefore, this mortal school produces some
soaring triumphs but also a history filled with individual mistakes. But we
should not blame the school, nor the curriculum! Least of all, the
Schoolmaster! Furthermore, we dare not lecture Him on the plight of His
students!
Meanwhile, brothers and sisters, no one ever promised us
that discipleship in the last days would be a picnic in the park.
Former periods of stress can guide us. When the earlier
coming of Jesus was imminent, signs abounded. Still, for some, there were
“doubtings.” (3 Ne. 8:4.)
But the faithful prevailed and were vindicated.
There were determined detractors then, mocking the faith of
believers, briefly creating “a great uproar,” even rejoicing over the seeming
prospect that the faith of Christ’s followers would be in vain. (See 3 Ne. 1:5–7.)
It was not. Members kept the faith, and the faith kept them!
For today’s spiritually attuned, the reassurances will be
there, as with Elisha’s young servant. Encircled by an outnumbering enemy, the
young man rightly sought reassurance from the prophet and seer, who told him,
“Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” (2 Kgs. 6:16.)
But the young man could count, and, clearly, it did not look that way to
him—until after the prophet’s prayer in his behalf. Then, the young man’s eyes
were opened, and he saw the mountain filled with horses and chariots of fire.
(See 2 Kgs. 6:17.)
All will be well now, as anciently, because the Lord’s
covenant keepers have His echoing assurance:
“And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:
“And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may
fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:
“And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I
will not turn away from them, to do them good.” (Jer. 32:38–40.)
I so testify and assure in Apostolic authority and in the
holy name of Jesus Christ, amen. --Neal A. Maxwell
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