Faith, Hope, and Charity

One of the most marvelous things about taking the time to earnestly study the scriptures is that I learn from the spirit throughout my day so much more than when I let my scripture study slacken.

One morning, I learned about faith in the Lord Jesus Christ while carrying laundry to my sons' room and listening to the theme song to Clifford the Big Red Dog as it entertained Josie.  In the song it says:

"Clifford needed Emily, so she chose him for her own, and her love made Clifford grow so big that the Howards had to leave their home."

I thought to myself that if I were a very little child and didn't know better, I might falsely believe that if I loved my dog enough, I could make him grow as big as Clifford.  Then, because such a thing can't happen, I would be disappointed and might even feel that I had done something wrong.  I might conclude that if I had raised my dog right, he would have grown to be a giant.  This is like putting your faith in something other than Jesus Christ, like for example, believing that if I had faith enough in myself, I could overcome all my weakness alone.  This is not so (Moses 1:10).  It is not faith in myself that will cause a real transformation from weakness to strength.  Believing such a thing would almost be like believing that love can tranform a tiny puppy into a dog that is larger than a house.

That Wednesday morning, the spirit turned a child's cartoon into a teaching moment, and suddenly, I understood what years of repeating the fourth Article of Faith had failed to get through to me.  It is not simply the concept of faith that is so important, it is "faith in the Lord Jesus Christ" that is essential.

I learned about hope from the spirit years later, also from an unexpected place.  It came in the form of a book written for children by Lloyd Alexander called The Black Cauldron.  In this book, the hero, Taran, and his friends have been captured and have been told their demise is eminent.  They are told they will be thrown into the crochan (or black cauldron) which will turn them into living dead warriors.  Taran and his friend, Fflewddur Fflam, have this conversation:

"He will not succeed in this," Taran said.  "Somehow, we must find a way to escape.  We dare not lose hope."

"I agree absolutely,"  Fflewddur answered.  "Your general idea is excellent; it's only the details that are lacking.  Lose hope?  By no means!  A Fflam is always hopeful!  I intend to go on hoping," he added ruefully, "even when they come and pop me into the Crochan."

I recognized myself in Fflewddur's words.  I try to convince myself I have hope because hope is one of the big three--no, boys, not Zeus, Poseiden, and Hades.  I mean the big three that you really need to have in order to gain eternal life--faith, hope, and charity (1 Corithians 13).

For me, Paul's counsel to hope has always seemed a bit like Taran's--very general and lacking in detail.  I, like Fflewddur, might at times insist I have hope, even though I still feel the inevitabilities of life telling me that I can't possibly become what I want to become.  I, who am so imperfect, can't possibly hope to live with my Father in Heaven again.  But, as I thought about Fflewddur's statement I realized I felt that way only because I wasn't putting my hope in Christ.  Hope seemed very abstract to me and somewhat difficult to understand until I realized that I trust Jesus Christ completely to do what he says he'll do.  He is here, his arms outstretched in mercy and grace.  He lived as a great example, he conquered the grave and was resurrected, and, most amazingly of all, he suffered for all our sins that we might not have to suffer--he performed an infinite and eternal Atonement for mankind. 

It was hard to do, even for him, but he truly did it.  And, now, he has every right to offer us hope.  Our part in it is to keep his commandments and humble ourselves enough to call on him and learn to use the Atonement.  That is real hope--specific, spelled out, and hard won.

Charity is a wonderful thing, and I don't have an excellent grasp on it, but I caught a glimpse of it the other day in the temple.  I think the key to charity is to love God with all your heart.  I think loving Heavenly Father helps us to love others because we are the beneficiaries of our love for him--it sounds backwards, I know.  But, if we love him, we have his spirit always with us.  We have someone who is always there for us and that knowledge helps us to love others and be there for them.

My Eben-ezer

Lately, around the house, my husband has been whistling Come Thou Font of Every Blessing.  I love it!  It reminds me of when I was going to school at Ricks College.  I volunteered in a nursing home with some really fun guys that always went aroung humming hymns.

If you've never heard it sung by the Tabernacle Choir, it's on youtube.  It is a very pretty hymn, but one part puzzled me because I had no idea what an Ebenezer was except when referring to a man named Scrooge.  The stanza says:

"Here I raise mine Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I'm come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood."

I looked up Ebenezer in the Bible Dictionary.  The definition says:

"Stone of help.  A stone set up by Samuel as a token of gratitutde for deliverance from the Philistines."

I thought it was interesting because I had just written about deliverence through divine help in my blog.  My blog that I started because one day I was studying the scriptures and felt such an overwhelming feeling of gratitude and excitement over what the Spirit was teaching me I just had to share it.  Yep--I suppose if one were to accept a loose translation of the word you could call this blog my Ebenezer.

Mosiah 21 and 22

When reading the story of how King Limhi and his people escape the Lamanites this last week, I suddenly saw it differently.  I was able to liken it to my life more clearly than I had been able to before.

Mosiah 21:5 says:

"...there was no way that they could deliver themselves out of their hands, for the Lamanites had surrounded them on every side."

In my scriptures I circled the word Lamanites and wrote in the margin--sins or afflictions.  Sometimes it feels like I am surrounded on every side by imperfections and afflictions, either caused by my own sins or by circumstances beyond my control.

The people of King Limhi, finding themselves surrounded, decided to go to war against the Lamanites.  I too have headed into the fray in the attempt to conquer all that has troubled me.  Limhi's people were defeated.  Three times in a row.  I too often feel as though I have lost the battle.

In Mosiah 21:14 something changes for the people of Limhi, it says:

"And they did humble themselves even in the depths of humility; and they did cry mightily to God; yea, even all the day long did they cry unto their God that he would deliver them out of their afflictions."

Why do I so often forget that Christ's Atonement is always there with real and true power waiting to be called upon?  Whether it be sin, affliction, sorrow, the need to forgive someone or be forgiven Christ has provided for us an infinite Atonement.

The Lord sends Ammon, and those with him, to help Limhi's people.  The people experience "exceedingly great joy." (v.24)  The Lord can also turn my frustrations into joy.

The people of Limhi come up with a plan and act.  With the help of Ammon and his brethren, they get the Lamanite guards drunk and escape into the night with all their people, flocks, and herds.  It says in Mosiah 22:16 that the Lamanites try to follow them, but lose their tracks after two days.  They lost the tracks of a whole village traveling with flocks and herds?  Sounds like divine intervention to me. 

I know the Lord will also intervene to help me escape from those things which surround me if I will humble myselves like the people of Limhi and pray "mightily."  I need to follow that humility with faith to act on promptings both big and small.  I need to be willing to leave behind that which would hinder my escape and always keep a prayer in my heart.

Mosiah 18:10

I like Alma's simple way of explaining why someone would want to get baptized.  In Mosiah 18:10, he asks his followers:

"...what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?"

It says his followers actually clapped their hands with joy and proclaimed their desire to be baptized.

I like their enthusiasm.  I hope I can have some of that as I renew my baptismal covenant each week by taking the sacrament.

Our Suffering Might Not Be

I have been thinking much lately about the Atonement.  When Abinadi is standing before King Noah, he tells them that he will not be taken before he has said all that Heavenly Father wants him to say and he speaks much of the Savior, his Atonement, and the resurrection.

He teaches us in Mosiah 16:10-11 that all will be resurrected and judged according to what we have become during this life:

"Even this mortal shall put on immortality and this corruption shall put on incorruption, and shall be brought to stand before the bar of God, to be judged of him according to their works whether they be good or whether they be evil--If they be good, to the resurrection of endless life and happiness; and if they be evil, to the resurrection of endless damnation, being delivered up to the devil, who hath subjected them, which is damnation."

I have been thinking much lately of the choice that needs to be made.  Will I forsake the sins that so easily beset me?  The word 'forsake' seems to capture the necessary feeling best.  I need to not only refrain from committing my 'favorite' sins, but I need to turn my back of even the desire to do them.

Kenneth Cope is the composer that wrote Women at the Well.  A line from one of those songs has periodically been running through my mind this past week.  In Miracle from Heaven it says:

                                          "He has drenched Himself in our suffering

                                           That our suffering might not be..."

It is the words "might not be" that have really caught me attention.  I heard them soon after reading Mosiah 16:12 which says:

"...for the arms of mercy were extended towards them, and they would not; they being warned of their iniquities and yet they would not depart from them..."

I know that the consequences of my sins cause me pain now.  So it is not only the next life I am thinking of when I remember that the Savior is there, arms extended, waiting for me to hand him my burden and trust that he has the power to take it upon himself--in fact, has already taken it upon himself.  My refusal to acknowledge and use his great gift would be like insisting on paying my mortgage payment every month even though a kind benefactor has already, though great hardship on himself, paid for my house in full.

My suffering "might not be," but only if I, with faith and hope in the Savior, acknowledge the gift of the Atonement and use it.

Mosiah 14 and 15

Mosiah 14:10 reads:

"Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief; when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand."

This is talking about Jesus Christ and his Atonement.  Abinadi is quoting Isaiah.  In chapter 15, Abinadi explains this to the wicked priests of King Noah.  In Mosiah 15:10 he asks:

"...And who shall be his seed?"

In Mosiah 15:11, he answers the question:

"Behold I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord--I say unto you, that all those who have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are the heirs of the kingdom of God."

Isaiah can be confusing sometimes, and I love when the Book of Mormon prophets explain things.

We Are All Lost Sheep

Mosiah 14:6 says:

"All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all."

Michael McLean, the author/composer who wrote the Forgotten Carols, has a song called "Ninety and Nine" in which he sings--

I'm one of the ninety and nine                          

I'm not perfect but basically I'm doing fine     

I have not lost my way, I have not gone astray

I'm just one of the ninety and nine.                  

I do like this song and, because I saw him at Time Out for Women, I know he wrote this song for his Sunday School class full of good teenagers, people who hadn't experienced much of life's ups and downs yet.  The song goes on to say that the Savior reaches out for us all, even those safely in the fold.  All that said, I don't really like the part where it implies we can "do fine" on our own.  The scriptures make it abundantly clear that there is no other way to exaltation, except through Christ.  We cannot go to church, hold our ward calling, basically stay out of trouble and call it good.  I think that would be striving to gain exaltation through our works alone.  We NEED the Savior.  We all need him.  The need for him and his Atonement in our lives is basic and essential, it is not only set in place for those people who are really serious sinners. 

Christ's Atonement is amazing.  It allows me to be forgiven as well as makes is possible for me to forgive.  I have a personal testimony that utilizing the Atonement in both ways can bring about miraculous results.

Mosiah 11-14

In Mosiah 11, King Noah's rule begins.  He leads the people into idolatry and in general earns the title "wicked."  This is one of the "storytelling chapters" as I think of them.  I don't know if you've noticed, but there are chapters in the Book of Mormon that tell stories and there are chapters that are almost pure doctrine, and then there are, of course, the chapters that have both.

Mosiah 12 and 13 have both as Abinadi comes on the scene and preaches to the king and his priests about the Ten Commandments.  Then, Mosiah 14 is an Isaiah chapter.  Abinadi begins to teach about Christ in the end of chapter 13 and then, although it doesn't specifically say it, I'm thinking Abinadi quotes Isaiah to them.  Interestingly, the priests quoted Isaiah to Abinadi in Mosiah 12:21-24 showing that they know the scriptures even if they, as Abinadi puts it, "have not applied [their] hearts to understanding" (Mosiah 12:27) them.

By quoting Isaiah, Abinadi is trying to point out that the wicked priests should understand that "salvation doth not come by the law alone." (Mosiah 13:28)  He is reminding them about the greatness of the Atonement.  And I must say, Isaiah does get the job done.

Mosiah 14/Isaiah 53 is a beautiful chapter speaking about what the Savior has done for us.  I feel overwhelming gratitude when I read Mosiah 14:5:

"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

I think 'chastisement of our peace' is referring to our guilt.  It's a great way to describe how guilt effects me anyway.  How odd and hard it must have been for the Savior, who had never sinned, to feel what that is like.

Reading that scripture makes me want to get down to the business of repenting.  It reminds me that Christ has already suffered so that I don't have to.  My anger, hurt, resentment, and guilt can all be taken away if I am humble and willing to take advantage of Christ's most marvelous gift of the Atonement.

The Record of Zeniff

Before Mosiah 9 begins there is a note that states chapters 9-22 are from the Record of Zeniff.  I somehow failed to comprehend this my first few times through the Book of Mormon which made for very confusing reading.  I wasn't too confused while reading one chapter a day, it wasn't until after I would finish this portion of the Book of Mormon that I would think back and wonder how everyone was connected and how on earth did the people go from being led by King Benjamin to being led by wicked King Noah so quickly? (Which is completely wrong thinking, by the way, King Benjamin's people are never ruled by King Noah...thought I'd clarify just in case.)

These are things I didn't comprehend until I started reading bigger chunks at a time, and my clarity was helped even more by that article I mention from the Ensign called The Mulekites.  Anyway, that being said, I do understand how this all fits together now.

Mosiah chapter 9 is taking us back to when, in the Book of Omni, Amaleki mentions "a certain number who went up into the wilderness to return to the land of Nephi."  Zeniff, who had been a spy among the Lamanites, decided he would rather join them than beat them.  He was the leader of the those who went up to try to live peaceably in the land of their fathers.  Mosiah 9 tells how the king of the Lamanites, King Laman, gave Zeniff and his people the land of Lehi-Nephi and the land of Shiblom.  The king commanded that his people leave and make room for Zeniff's people.  Now, I can't help but think this scenario might have been recognized as too good to be true, but then, hindsight is 20/20.

Zeniff writes that "it was the cunning and the craftiness of king Laman, to bring my people into bondage, that he yielded up the land that we might possess it."  The people of Zeniff were in the land for twelve years before the Lamanites messed with them, and when the first big war happened, Zeniff records that his people went to battle "in the strength of the Lord...and in one day and a night we did slay three thousand and forty-three; we did slay them even until we had driven them out of our land."  Zeniff only lost 279 of his brothren.

Mosiah 10 explains why the Lamanites hate all Nephites so much and tells of another war fought and won because Zeniff and his people trusted in the Lord.  Then, Zeniff confers the kingdom on one of his sons.  My question is:  If he had more than one son, why did he choose Noah?  I am burning with curiosity to know the answer.  I mean, Zeniff seems to be a pretty decent guy.  I like him.  I can't say I admire him, but he writes so plainly of his flaws and mistakes as well as aspirations and strengths that he seems so very human.  He conveys so much about his life in so short a time.  Two chapters--that's it.  Then he is conferring the kingdom on one of the worst king's in the Book of Mormon.  It doesn't say Noah was the eldest son, but maybe the answer is as simple as that.  Whatever the reason, the choice turned out to be a very poor one indeed.

Mosiah 8:18

In Mosiah chapters 7 & 8, we are told the story of how Ammon (the Mulekite) finds King Limhi and the people of Lehi-Nephi.  We are told King Limhi is happy to see them and that he sent a search party to find the people of Zarahemla, but their searching had only produced a land where the people had been totally wiped out.  They had found plates there, but could not translate them.  Ammon tells them that Mosiah is a prophet and seer and will be able to traslate it for them.  In Mosiah 8:18 Ammon says:

"Thus God has provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles; therefore he becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings."

He is speaking of King Mosiah and prophets in general, but I really like the idea of becoming a great benefit to my fellow beings--even if my circle of influence is small when compared to that of a prophet.  I think that would be a good thing to strive for...to be a benefit to those around me.

Take Upon You the Name of Christ

Mosiah 5 talks about how the people experienced a might change of heart after hearing King Benjamin's words.  They said, in verse 5, "we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things..."  King Benjamin responds by calling them "the children of Christ" (v.7) and saying, in verse 8, "...I would that that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives."

It brings to mind the prayer we hear each Sunday during the sacrament:

"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." (Doctrine and Covenants 20:77)

We take upon us the name of Christ when we choose to be baptized.  We are reminded of this each week as we take the sacrament, so I think King Benjamin's words in Mosiah 5:9 apply to us as well as his people.  He says:

"And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this (enter into the covenant) shall be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ."

Now, of course, it is not just entering into the covenant that matters, but keeping the covenant.  The real thing that struck me today is in verses 12 and 13:

"...that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call you.  For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served..."

For some reason, I got an image in my mind of waiting in a crowd of people in heaven and actually being called out of the crowd with words like--"Those of you who are the children of Christ, please come this way."  Now, I want to make clear that I do not think that was a revelation of how things will be, but it got me thinking about the fact that in that scenario it would be up to me to decide if I qualified as someone who had taken Christ's name upon me.  I think that is important.  I have often felt that death and what comes after would be more like sending in an application for college.  You work hard and study all through school, you do extra-curricular activities, you list your qualifications with a hopeful heart, and then you send it in and wait anxiously to hear if you have been accepted.  You wonder if you are good enough.  I don't think that is how it is.  We should know whether we are 'good enough' to be found at the right hand of God.  We should be aware if we will know the voice by which we are called.

Many of the prophets in the Book of Mormon write with confidence that they will be with Heavenly Father and Christ soon.  They are sure they have earned their eternal reward.  I always assumed that was more of a "prophet thing," but wouldn't it be lovely if we could all have that?  I know that I have some work to do before I feel that way, but I know I'm closer than I used to be.  I suppose that is a step in the right direction.  The Atonement is the key.  Repentance and forgiveness are such blessings!  I also know I need to focus on that phrase "full purpose of heart." (Mosiah 7:33)

Mosiah 4

In Mosiah 4:30, King Benjamin advises "...watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds..."

I have truly discovered that it is much easier to watch our words and deeds if we are vigilant with our thoughts.  It is very hard to treat people the way we should if we are thinking bad things about them.  This may seem like a no brainer, but I remember in high school deciding that I wouldn't say bad things about others.  To make up for the lack of spoken word, it seemed as though my thoughts got meaner for a time.  I can remember they were down right poisonous toward one person.  I would hurled mean thoughts at her, thinking that as long as I didn't "say" it, that it was acceptable.  I found it very difficult to be around this person until I realized that my thoughts needed changing as well as my words.  What a relief it was to dicover how much easier it is to be kind in word and deed when I started controlling my thoughts instead of sweating bullets trying not to blurt out the mean things running through my mind.

Mosiah 3

In Mosiah 3, King Benjamin relates to his people, and us, a visit he had from an angel.  The angel brought "glad tiding of great joy." (v. 3)  King Benjamin was told by the angel a little of Christ's birth, life, death, and resurrection.  He was told much of what meaning Christ's Atonement has to us here on Earth.  In short, it means everything.  Christ is the way, the only way back to our Heavenly Father.

Through the Atonement, those ignorant of God's will and also little children are saved, as stated in verses 11 and 16.  This doctrine is different than many beliefs held by other christian faiths.  It is a doctrine that often gets me thinking of how the Lord works.  It is a piece of doctrine that I'm very glad to know.

Through the Atonement. we--who do know of God's commandments--can repent and receive mercy.  We can have faith in Jesus Christ and partake of his grace.  I have known for a long time that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us, and I used to wonder, when I was young, why I was always hearing from society, Hollywood, and even quoted scripture how Heavenly Father was always damning people to hell in a lake of fire and brimstone.  It is scriptures like Mosiah 3:25 that have helped me to better understand.  It says:

"And if they be evil they are consigned to an awful view of their own guilt and abominations, which doth cause them to shrink from the presence of the Lord into a state of misery and endless torment, from whence they can no more return; therefore they have drunk damnation to their own souls."

I added the italics because it is not Heavenly Father damning, or stopping our eternal progression, it is us.  It is how things work.  It is how things are.  Here on this Earth, you can't aim your car at a tree and expect to continue traveling down the road safely.  No, you aim for the tree and you will crash into it and experience an abrupt halt to your journey's progress.  I believe it is the laws of physics that would be involved in the tree scenario, where it is God's laws and plan that are followed during our eternal journey.  He has a wonderful plan of happiness for us, but in no way can it be followed if we do not look to Christ for guidence and forgiveness.  We can not aim our attention elsewhere and expect to continue on the path our Father in heaven has laid out for us.

Mosiah 1 and 2

King Benjamin is a wonderful scripture hero.  I always thought of this king's rein as it is described in Mosiah 1:1 "...king Benjamin had continual peace all the remainder of his days."

It took me a while to noticed the last part of Works of Mormon where it describes all King Benjamin did to get there.  There was contentions at home and war with the Lamanites.  There were false Christs, false prophets, and false preachers in the land.  He dealt with each situation.  He fought valiantly with the sword of Laban, when need be, and worked with other righteous men to preach the gospel and establish peace in the land.

King Benjamin's address begins in Mosiah 2 and is a wonderful treasure trove of spiritual truths.  As I read this morning, the themes of Be Humble and Be Grateful stood out to me, and as always the message of service was loud and clear.  King Benjamin is definitely a great example of service.  He lets us in on the key to serving with gladness, even when it is hard to serve, in Mosiah 2:17 when he says:

"And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of you fellow beings ye are only in the service of you God."

It is a well-known, often quoted scripture. It is a scripture that I memorized when I was a teen-age seminary student.  But memorizing is a different thing than truly taking a lesson into our hearts, and this lesson will only benefits us if we can put it into practice no matter what is asked of us.  In the church, and in life too, we are not always called upon to do things that we are good at.  It can be very difficult to labor in a challenging calling, but if we strive to serve as the Lord would have us to, if we pray and ask for help, he will help us serve faithfully and well.  Knowing that we are serving him well can help us find joy in the service, and then the service that was once so hard is no longer a drudgery.

I do want to add one disclaimer here.  I have spent most of my life seeking to serve (and I'm not referring to callings in the Church here, but everyday service) in ways that were hard and burdensome because I thought that only when I was really challenged and put out was I giving "real" service.  As a mother of young kids, this became very stressful for me.  To the point that I felt like giving up because I decided I just couldn't do it all anymore.  This is called trying to "run faster than you are able," and it is not advised.  We all have different talents and believe it or not your talents are needed.  You can give service in small ways that bring real pleasure every day.  It is not just the bringing of meals and the helping to move, pack, or clean for others that is service.  I found a smile and kind word of understanding to be a much needed thing among my daily rushings to and fro.  A listening ear is often all a person needs when they are struggling.  A card or email can work wonders for a friend.  These things are easy for me to give, and I so enjoy doing them that it makes my load for the day lighter, even when the listening ear may have taken a good chunk of my day, I feel better having given it.  (Which could possibly be why I am so abysmal at getting tasks on my 'to do' list accomplished.)  I would just like to say, be prayerful as you fill your day.  Heavenly Father will help you know that which is most important for you.