-President Thomas S. Monson, “A Sanctuary from the World,” Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting, Feb. 9, 2008, 29.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
PRESIDENT MONSON - BLESSED FAMILY LIFE
-President Thomas S. Monson, “A Sanctuary from the World,” Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting, Feb. 9, 2008, 29.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
SEULEMENT PLUS 41 JOURS!
"Le vent est au feu comme la distance est de l'amour, il éteint le petit
et enflamme le grand."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3E2IidPjBg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghZt2cILcCU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA8PaIw5gcE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwgpSBsQYCU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KubOgjfjL5g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j82FBbgpUy4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDVkW6VolwE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyHQQWY5FAU
et enflamme le grand."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3E2IidPjBg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghZt2cILcCU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA8PaIw5gcE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwgpSBsQYCU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KubOgjfjL5g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j82FBbgpUy4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDVkW6VolwE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyHQQWY5FAU
Friday, June 3, 2011
JACQUES DERRRIDA - SECRET OF SECRECY
"How can another see into me, into my most secret self, without my being able to see in there myself? And without my being able to see him in me. And if my secret self, that which can be revealed only to the other, to the wholly other, to God if you wish, is a secret that I will never reflect on, that I will never know or experience or possess as my own, then what sense is there in saying that it is my secret, or in saying more generally that a secret belongs, that it is proper to or belongs to some one, or to some other who remains someone. It's perhaps there that we find the secret of secrecy. Namely, that it is not a matter of knowing and that it is there for no one. A secret doesn't belong, it can never be said to be at home or in its place. The question of the self: who am I not in the sense of who am I but rather who is this I that can say who? What is the- I and what becomes of responsibility once the identity of the I trembles in secret?"
— Jacques Derrida 1930-2004 (The Gift of Death (Religion and Postmodernism Series))
— Jacques Derrida 1930-2004 (The Gift of Death (Religion and Postmodernism Series))
Sunday, May 8, 2011
ELDER D. TODD CHRISTOFFERSON - "GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD"
This is one of my favorite talks. It was given by Elder Christofferson in January at a CES Fireside earlier this year. It reminds me of my need to take each day one at a time, to prepare for the future, and to depend on the Lord in all aspects of my life.
"We older adults, including parents and Church leaders and professors and friends, often admonish you to plan for the future. We encourage you to pursue education and vocational training as preparation for life in the years ahead. We urge you to lay a foundation for marriage and family and to act on those plans. We caution you to think of possible consequences down the road when making decisions about what you do today (for example, what you put on the Internet). We counsel you to think about how you will measure success in your life and then to establish the patterns and practices that will lead to that success.
All of this expresses a wise and prudent course in life, and in what I say tonight, I do not minimize in any way the importance of thinking and planning ahead. Thoughtful planning and preparation are key to a rewarding future, but we do not live in the future—we live in the present. It is day by day that we work out our plans for the future; it is day by day that we achieve our goals. It is one day at a time that we raise and nurture our families. It is one day at a time that we overcome imperfections. We endure in faith to the end one day at a time. It is the accumulation of many days well-lived that adds up to a full life and a saintly person. And so I would like to talk to you about living well day by day.
In Luke it is recorded that one of His disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1). Jesus then gave a pattern for prayer that has become known as the Lord’s Prayer. The same is recorded in Matthew as part of the Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 6:9–13).
Included in the Lord’s Prayer is the petition “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11) or “Give us day by day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3). I believe that we would all readily acknowledge that we have needs each day that we want our Heavenly Father’s help in dealing with. For some, on some days, it is quite literally bread—that is, the food needed to sustain life that day. It could also be spiritual and physical strength to deal with one more day of chronic illness or a painfully slow rehabilitation. In other cases it may be less tangible needs, such as things related to one’s obligations or activities in that day—teaching a lesson or taking a test, for example.
Jesus is teaching us, His disciples, that we should look to God each day for the bread—the help and sustenance—we require in that particular day. This is consistent with the counsel to “pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul” (2 Nephi 32:9).
The Lord’s invitation to seek our daily bread at our Heavenly Father’s hand speaks of a loving God, aware of even the small, daily needs of His children and anxious to assist them, one by one. He is saying that we can ask in faith of that Being “that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given” (James 1:5). That is, of course, tremendously reassuring, but there is something at work here that is more significant than just help in getting by day to day. As we seek and receive divine bread daily, our faith and trust in God and His Son grow.
You will remember the great exodus of the tribes of Israel from Egypt and the 40 years in the wilderness before entering their promised land. This massive host of well over a million people had to be fed. Certainly that number in one location could not long subsist on hunting game, and their seminomadic lifestyle at the time was not conducive to raising crops or livestock in any sufficient quantity. Jehovah solved the challenge by miraculously providing their daily bread from heaven—manna. This small edible substance which appeared on the ground each morning was something quite new and unknown. The name manna, in fact, was derived from words meaning “What is it?” Through Moses, the Lord instructed the people to gather enough each day for that day, except on the day before the Sabbath, when they were to gather enough for two days.
At the beginning, despite Moses’s specific instructions, some tried to gather more than enough for one day and store the balance:
“And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.
“Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank” (Exodus 16:19–20).
As promised, however, when they gathered twice the normal daily quantity of manna on the sixth day, it did not spoil:
“And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.
“And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the Lord: to day ye shall not find it in the field.
“Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none” (Exodus 16:24–26).
Again, however, some could not believe without seeing, and they went looking to gather manna on the Sabbath.
“And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?
“See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day” (Exodus 16:28–29). It seems that even in ancient times, as today, there were some people who couldn’t resist shopping on the Sabbath.
By providing a daily sustenance, one day at a time, Jehovah was trying to teach faith to a nation that over a period of some 400 years had lost much of the faith of their fathers. He was teaching them to trust Him, to “look unto [Him] in every thought; doubt not, fear not” (D&C 6:36). He was providing enough for one day at a time. Except for the sixth day, they could not store manna for use in any succeeding day or days. In essence, the children of Israel had to walk with Him today and trust that He would grant a sufficient amount of food for the next day on the next day, and so on. In that way He could never be too far from their minds and hearts.
We should note, by the way, that 40 years of manna was not meant to become a dole. Once the tribes of Israel were in a position to provide for themselves, they were required to do so. After they had crossed the Jordan River and were prepared to begin their conquest of Canaan, beginning at Jericho, the scripture records that “they did eat of the old corn of the land [that is, the previous year’s harvest] on the morrow after the passover. …
“And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year” (Joshua 5:11–12).
Likewise, as we plead with God for our daily bread—for help in the moment that we cannot ourselves provide—we must still be active in doing and providing that which is within our power.
Some time before I was called as a General Authority, I faced a personal economic challenge that persisted for several years. It did not come about as a consequence of anyone’s wrongdoing or ill will; it was just one of those things that sometimes come into our lives. It ebbed and flowed in seriousness and urgency, but it never went away completely. At times this challenge threatened the welfare of my family and me, and I thought we might be facing financial ruin. I prayed for some miraculous intervention to deliver us. Although I offered that prayer many times with great sincerity and earnest desire, the answer in the end was “No.” Finally I learned to pray as the Savior did: “Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). I sought the Lord’s help with each tiny step along the way to a final resolution.
There were times when I had exhausted all my resources, when I had nowhere or no one to turn to at that moment, when there was simply no other human being I could call on to help meet the exigency before me. With no other recourse, more than once I fell down before my Heavenly Father begging in tears for His help. And He did help. Sometimes it was nothing more than a sense of peace, a feeling of assurance that things would work out. I might not see how or what the path would be, but He gave me to know that, directly or indirectly, He would open a way. Circumstances might change, a new and helpful idea might come to mind, some unanticipated income or other resource might appear at just the right time. Somehow there was a resolution.
Though I suffered then, as I look back now, I am grateful that there was not a quick solution to my problem. The fact that I was forced to turn to God for help almost daily over an extended period of years taught me truly how to pray and get answers to prayer and taught me in a very practical way to have faith in God. I came to know my Savior and my Heavenly Father in a way and to a degree that might not have happened otherwise or that might have taken me much longer to achieve. I learned that daily bread is a precious commodity. I learned that manna today can be as real as the physical manna of biblical history. I learned to trust in the Lord with all my heart. I learned to walk with Him day by day.
Asking God for our daily bread, rather than our weekly, monthly, or yearly bread, is also a way to focus us on the smaller, more manageable bits of a problem. To deal with something very big, we may need to work at it in small, daily bites. Sometimes all we can handle is one day (or even just part of one day) at a time. Let me give you a nonscriptural example.
A book I read recently, titled Lone Survivor, recounts the tragic story of a four-man team of U.S. Navy SEALs on a covert mission in a remote sector of Afghanistan five and one-half years ago. When they were inadvertently discovered by shepherds—two men and a boy—these specially trained Navy servicemen had a choice either to kill the two or let them go, knowing that if they let them live they would disclose the team’s location and they would be attacked immediately by al Qaeda and Taliban forces. Nevertheless, they let the innocent shepherds go, and in the firefight that followed, only the author, Marcus Luttrell, survived against well over 100 attackers.
In his book, Luttrell recounts the extreme training and endurance required for one to qualify as a SEAL in the U.S. Navy. In Luttrell’s training group, for example, of the 164 men who began, only 32 managed to complete the course. They endured weeks of near-constant physical exertion, in and out of cold ocean water, swimming, paddling and carrying inflatable boats, running in sand, doing hundreds of push-ups a day, carrying logs through obstacle courses, and so forth. They were in a near-perpetual state of exhaustion.
I was impressed by something a senior officer said to the group as they began the final and most demanding phase of their training.
“First of all,” he said, “I do not want you to give in to the pressure of the moment. Whenever you’re hurting bad, just hang in there. Finish the day. Then, if you’re still feeling bad, think about it long and hard before you decide to quit. Second, take it one day at a time. One [phase] at a time.
“Don’t let your thoughts run away with you, don’t start planning to bail out because you’re worried about the future and how much you can take. Don’t look ahead to the pain. Just get through the day, and there’s a wonderful career ahead of you.”
Generally it is good to try to anticipate what is coming and prepare to deal with it. At times, however, this captain’s counsel is wise: “Take it one day at a time. … Don’t look ahead to the pain. Just get through the day.” To worry about what is or may be coming can be debilitating. It can paralyze us and make us quit.
In the 1950s my mother survived radical cancer surgery, but difficult as that was, the surgery was followed with dozens of painful radiation treatments in what would now be considered rather primitive medical conditions. She recalls that her mother taught her something during that time that has helped her ever since: “I was so sick and weak, and I said to her one day, ‘Oh, Mother, I can’t stand having 16 more of those treatments.’ She said, ‘Can you go today?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Well, honey, that’s all you have to do today.’ It has helped me many times when I remember to take one day or one thing at a time.”
The Spirit can guide us when to look ahead and when we should just deal with this one day, with this one moment. If we ask, the Lord will let us know through the Holy Ghost when it may be appropriate for us to apply in our lives the commandment He gave His ancient Apostles: “Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient is the day unto the evil thereof” (3 Nephi 13:34; see also Matthew 6:34).
I have suggested that asking for and receiving daily bread at God’s hand plays a vital part in learning to trust God and in enduring life’s challenges. We also need a daily portion of divine bread to become what we must become. To repent, improve, and eventually reach “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13), as Paul expressed it, is a step-by-step process. Incorporating new and wholesome habits into our character or overcoming bad habits or addictions most often means an effort today followed by another tomorrow, and then another, perhaps for many days, even months and years, until victory is achieved. But we can do it because we can appeal to God for our daily bread, for the help we need each day.
This is the season of New Year’s resolutions, and I would like to quote to you the words of President N. Eldon Tanner, formerly a counselor in the First Presidency: “As we reflect on the value of resolving to do better, let us determine to discipline ourselves to carefully select the resolutions we make, to consider the purpose for making them, and finally, to make commitments for keeping them and not letting any obstacle stop us. Let us remind ourselves at the beginning of each day that we can keep a resolution just for that day. As we do this it gets easier and easier until it becomes a habit.”
A little over a year ago, Elder David A. Bednar spoke about consistency in simple daily practices such as family prayer, scripture study, and home evenings as being crucial in building successful families. Consistent effort in seemingly small, daily steps is a key principle in achieving any great work, including progress in the pathway of discipleship. As an object lesson, Elder Bednar compared daily acts to individual brushstrokes in a painting that together, over time, produce a work of art. He said:
“In my office is a beautiful painting of a wheat field. The painting is a vast collection of individual brushstrokes—none of which in isolation is very interesting or impressive. In fact, if you stand close to the canvas, all you can see is a mass of seemingly unrelated and unattractive streaks of yellow and gold and brown paint. However, as you gradually move away from the canvas, all of the individual brushstrokes combine together and produce a magnificent landscape of a wheat field. …
“… Just as the yellow and gold and brown strokes of paint complement each other and produce an impressive masterpiece, so our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results. ‘Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great’ (D&C 64:33).”
President Ezra Taft Benson, speaking of repentance, gave this counsel:
“We must be careful, as we seek to become more and more [Christlike], that we do not become discouraged and lose hope. Becoming Christlike is a lifetime pursuit and very often involves growth and change that is slow, almost imperceptible. The scriptures record remarkable accounts of men whose lives changed dramatically, in an instant, as it were: Alma the Younger, Paul on the road to Damascus, Enos praying far into the night, King Lamoni. Such astonishing examples of the power to change even those steeped in sin give confidence that the Atonement can reach even those deepest in despair.
“But we must be cautious as we discuss these remarkable examples. Though they are real and powerful, they are the exception more than the rule. For every Paul, for every Enos, and for every King Lamoni, there are hundreds and thousands of people who find the process of repentance much more subtle, much more imperceptible. Day by day they move closer to the Lord, little realizing they are building a godlike life. They live quiet lives of goodness, service, and commitment. …
“We must not lose hope. Hope is an anchor to the souls of men. Satan would have us cast away that anchor. In this way he can bring discouragement and surrender. But we must not lose hope. The Lord is pleased with every effort, even the tiny, daily ones in which we strive to be more like Him.”
Remember that we should not only be looking inward when we seek a daily measure of divine bread. If we are to become more like the Master, He who came “not to be ministered unto, but to minister” (Mark 10:45), we will seek His help in being of service to our fellowman day by day.
President Thomas S. Monson lives this principle better than anyone I know. There is ever present in his heart a prayer that God will reveal needs and means for him to assist those around him in any given day or moment of the day. One example from his time as a bishop illustrates the fact that sometimes even a little effort may, with the workings of the Spirit, yield remarkable fruit. I quote from Heidi Swinton’s biography of President Monson, To the Rescue:
“One to whom [President Monson] reached out was Harold Gallacher. His wife and children were active in the Church, but not Harold. His daughter Sharon had asked Bishop Monson if he would ‘do something’ to bring her father back into activity. As a bishop, he felt prompted one day to call on Harold. It was a hot summer’s day when he knocked on Harold’s screen door. The bishop could see Harold sitting in his chair, smoking a cigarette and reading the newspaper. ‘Who is it?’ Harold asked sullenly, without looking up.
“‘Your bishop,’ Tom replied. ‘I’ve come to get acquainted and to urge your attendance with your family at our meetings.’
“‘No, I’m too busy,’ came the disdainful response. He never looked up. Tom thanked him for listening and departed the doorstep. The family moved without Harold ever attending services.
“Years later, a Brother Gallacher phoned the office of Elder Thomas S. Monson and asked to make an appointment to see him.
“‘Ask him if his name is Harold G. Gallacher,’ Elder Monson told his secretary, ‘and if he lived at 55 Vissing Place and had a daughter named Sharon.’ When the secretary did, Harold was startled that Elder Monson remembered such details. When the two met some time later, they embraced. Harold said, ‘I’ve come to apologize for not getting out of my chair and letting you in the door that summer day long years ago.’ Elder Monson asked him if he were active in the Church. With a wry smile, Harold replied: ‘I’m now second counselor in my ward bishopric. Your invitation to come out to church, and my negative response, so haunted me that I determined to do something about it.’”
Thinking of our daily bread keeps us aware of the details of our lives, of the significance of the small things that occupy our days. Experience teaches that in a marriage, for example, a steady stream of simple kindnesses, help, and attention do much more to keep love alive and nurture the relationship than an occasional grand or expensive gesture. That is not to say, brethren—you who are married—that your wife wouldn’t appreciate something new and really nice to wear or occasionally some other gift that expresses, with an exclamation point, how you feel about her (within the parameters, of course, of your miserable budget). It’s just that a constant, daily expression of affection, in both words and actions, is far more meaningful in the long run.
Likewise, in daily choices we may prevent certain insidious influences from entering our lives and becoming part of what we are. In an informal discussion that Elder Neal A. Maxwell and I had some years ago with a priesthood leader in a stake conference setting, we observed that one can avoid most pornography and pornographic images just by making good choices. For the most part it is simply a matter of self-discipline not to go where pornography is likely to be found—physically or in cyberspace. We acknowledged, nevertheless, that because it is so tragically pervasive, pornography could assault a person minding his own business quite by surprise. “Yes,” observed Elder Maxwell, “but he can immediately reject it. He does not have to invite it to come in and offer it a chair to sit down.” So with other influences and habits—slovenly appearance, carelessness in conduct, abusive and profane language, unkind criticism, procrastination, and so on—our attention each day to avoiding the very beginnings of such things can protect us from awakening some future day to the realization that because of inattentiveness, some evil or weakness has taken root in our soul.
In reality, there aren’t very many things in a day that are totally without significance. Even the mundane and repetitious can be tiny but significant building blocks that in time establish the discipline and character and order needed to realize our plans and dreams. Therefore, as you ask in prayer for your daily bread, consider thoughtfully your needs—both what you may lack and what you must protect against. As you retire to bed, think about the successes and failures of the day and what will make the next day a little better. And thank your Heavenly Father for the manna He has placed along your path that sustained you through the day. Your reflections will increase your faith in Him as you see His hand helping you to endure some things and to change others. You will be able to rejoice in one more day, one more step toward eternal life.
Above all, remember that we have Him of whom manna was a type and symbol, the very Bread of Life, the Redeemer.
“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. …
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
“I am that bread of life.
“Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
“This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
“I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:35, 47–51).
I bear you my witness of the living reality of the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, and of the infinite power and reach of His Atonement. Ultimately, it is His Atonement, His grace, that is our daily bread. We should seek Him daily, to do His will each day, to become one with Him as He is one with the Father (see John 17:20–23). I bless you that as you seek it from Him, your Heavenly Father will grant you your daily bread, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. "
"We older adults, including parents and Church leaders and professors and friends, often admonish you to plan for the future. We encourage you to pursue education and vocational training as preparation for life in the years ahead. We urge you to lay a foundation for marriage and family and to act on those plans. We caution you to think of possible consequences down the road when making decisions about what you do today (for example, what you put on the Internet). We counsel you to think about how you will measure success in your life and then to establish the patterns and practices that will lead to that success.
All of this expresses a wise and prudent course in life, and in what I say tonight, I do not minimize in any way the importance of thinking and planning ahead. Thoughtful planning and preparation are key to a rewarding future, but we do not live in the future—we live in the present. It is day by day that we work out our plans for the future; it is day by day that we achieve our goals. It is one day at a time that we raise and nurture our families. It is one day at a time that we overcome imperfections. We endure in faith to the end one day at a time. It is the accumulation of many days well-lived that adds up to a full life and a saintly person. And so I would like to talk to you about living well day by day.
Included in the Lord’s Prayer is the petition “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11) or “Give us day by day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3). I believe that we would all readily acknowledge that we have needs each day that we want our Heavenly Father’s help in dealing with. For some, on some days, it is quite literally bread—that is, the food needed to sustain life that day. It could also be spiritual and physical strength to deal with one more day of chronic illness or a painfully slow rehabilitation. In other cases it may be less tangible needs, such as things related to one’s obligations or activities in that day—teaching a lesson or taking a test, for example.
Jesus is teaching us, His disciples, that we should look to God each day for the bread—the help and sustenance—we require in that particular day. This is consistent with the counsel to “pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul” (2 Nephi 32:9).
The Lord’s invitation to seek our daily bread at our Heavenly Father’s hand speaks of a loving God, aware of even the small, daily needs of His children and anxious to assist them, one by one. He is saying that we can ask in faith of that Being “that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given” (James 1:5). That is, of course, tremendously reassuring, but there is something at work here that is more significant than just help in getting by day to day. As we seek and receive divine bread daily, our faith and trust in God and His Son grow.
You will remember the great exodus of the tribes of Israel from Egypt and the 40 years in the wilderness before entering their promised land. This massive host of well over a million people had to be fed. Certainly that number in one location could not long subsist on hunting game, and their seminomadic lifestyle at the time was not conducive to raising crops or livestock in any sufficient quantity. Jehovah solved the challenge by miraculously providing their daily bread from heaven—manna. This small edible substance which appeared on the ground each morning was something quite new and unknown. The name manna, in fact, was derived from words meaning “What is it?” Through Moses, the Lord instructed the people to gather enough each day for that day, except on the day before the Sabbath, when they were to gather enough for two days.
At the beginning, despite Moses’s specific instructions, some tried to gather more than enough for one day and store the balance:
“And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.
“Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank” (Exodus 16:19–20).
As promised, however, when they gathered twice the normal daily quantity of manna on the sixth day, it did not spoil:
“And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.
“And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the Lord: to day ye shall not find it in the field.
“Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none” (Exodus 16:24–26).
Again, however, some could not believe without seeing, and they went looking to gather manna on the Sabbath.
“And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?
“See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day” (Exodus 16:28–29). It seems that even in ancient times, as today, there were some people who couldn’t resist shopping on the Sabbath.
By providing a daily sustenance, one day at a time, Jehovah was trying to teach faith to a nation that over a period of some 400 years had lost much of the faith of their fathers. He was teaching them to trust Him, to “look unto [Him] in every thought; doubt not, fear not” (D&C 6:36). He was providing enough for one day at a time. Except for the sixth day, they could not store manna for use in any succeeding day or days. In essence, the children of Israel had to walk with Him today and trust that He would grant a sufficient amount of food for the next day on the next day, and so on. In that way He could never be too far from their minds and hearts.
We should note, by the way, that 40 years of manna was not meant to become a dole. Once the tribes of Israel were in a position to provide for themselves, they were required to do so. After they had crossed the Jordan River and were prepared to begin their conquest of Canaan, beginning at Jericho, the scripture records that “they did eat of the old corn of the land [that is, the previous year’s harvest] on the morrow after the passover. …
“And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year” (Joshua 5:11–12).
Likewise, as we plead with God for our daily bread—for help in the moment that we cannot ourselves provide—we must still be active in doing and providing that which is within our power.
Some time before I was called as a General Authority, I faced a personal economic challenge that persisted for several years. It did not come about as a consequence of anyone’s wrongdoing or ill will; it was just one of those things that sometimes come into our lives. It ebbed and flowed in seriousness and urgency, but it never went away completely. At times this challenge threatened the welfare of my family and me, and I thought we might be facing financial ruin. I prayed for some miraculous intervention to deliver us. Although I offered that prayer many times with great sincerity and earnest desire, the answer in the end was “No.” Finally I learned to pray as the Savior did: “Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). I sought the Lord’s help with each tiny step along the way to a final resolution.
There were times when I had exhausted all my resources, when I had nowhere or no one to turn to at that moment, when there was simply no other human being I could call on to help meet the exigency before me. With no other recourse, more than once I fell down before my Heavenly Father begging in tears for His help. And He did help. Sometimes it was nothing more than a sense of peace, a feeling of assurance that things would work out. I might not see how or what the path would be, but He gave me to know that, directly or indirectly, He would open a way. Circumstances might change, a new and helpful idea might come to mind, some unanticipated income or other resource might appear at just the right time. Somehow there was a resolution.
Though I suffered then, as I look back now, I am grateful that there was not a quick solution to my problem. The fact that I was forced to turn to God for help almost daily over an extended period of years taught me truly how to pray and get answers to prayer and taught me in a very practical way to have faith in God. I came to know my Savior and my Heavenly Father in a way and to a degree that might not have happened otherwise or that might have taken me much longer to achieve. I learned that daily bread is a precious commodity. I learned that manna today can be as real as the physical manna of biblical history. I learned to trust in the Lord with all my heart. I learned to walk with Him day by day.
Asking God for our daily bread, rather than our weekly, monthly, or yearly bread, is also a way to focus us on the smaller, more manageable bits of a problem. To deal with something very big, we may need to work at it in small, daily bites. Sometimes all we can handle is one day (or even just part of one day) at a time. Let me give you a nonscriptural example.
A book I read recently, titled Lone Survivor, recounts the tragic story of a four-man team of U.S. Navy SEALs on a covert mission in a remote sector of Afghanistan five and one-half years ago. When they were inadvertently discovered by shepherds—two men and a boy—these specially trained Navy servicemen had a choice either to kill the two or let them go, knowing that if they let them live they would disclose the team’s location and they would be attacked immediately by al Qaeda and Taliban forces. Nevertheless, they let the innocent shepherds go, and in the firefight that followed, only the author, Marcus Luttrell, survived against well over 100 attackers.
In his book, Luttrell recounts the extreme training and endurance required for one to qualify as a SEAL in the U.S. Navy. In Luttrell’s training group, for example, of the 164 men who began, only 32 managed to complete the course. They endured weeks of near-constant physical exertion, in and out of cold ocean water, swimming, paddling and carrying inflatable boats, running in sand, doing hundreds of push-ups a day, carrying logs through obstacle courses, and so forth. They were in a near-perpetual state of exhaustion.
I was impressed by something a senior officer said to the group as they began the final and most demanding phase of their training.
“First of all,” he said, “I do not want you to give in to the pressure of the moment. Whenever you’re hurting bad, just hang in there. Finish the day. Then, if you’re still feeling bad, think about it long and hard before you decide to quit. Second, take it one day at a time. One [phase] at a time.
“Don’t let your thoughts run away with you, don’t start planning to bail out because you’re worried about the future and how much you can take. Don’t look ahead to the pain. Just get through the day, and there’s a wonderful career ahead of you.”
Generally it is good to try to anticipate what is coming and prepare to deal with it. At times, however, this captain’s counsel is wise: “Take it one day at a time. … Don’t look ahead to the pain. Just get through the day.” To worry about what is or may be coming can be debilitating. It can paralyze us and make us quit.
In the 1950s my mother survived radical cancer surgery, but difficult as that was, the surgery was followed with dozens of painful radiation treatments in what would now be considered rather primitive medical conditions. She recalls that her mother taught her something during that time that has helped her ever since: “I was so sick and weak, and I said to her one day, ‘Oh, Mother, I can’t stand having 16 more of those treatments.’ She said, ‘Can you go today?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Well, honey, that’s all you have to do today.’ It has helped me many times when I remember to take one day or one thing at a time.”
The Spirit can guide us when to look ahead and when we should just deal with this one day, with this one moment. If we ask, the Lord will let us know through the Holy Ghost when it may be appropriate for us to apply in our lives the commandment He gave His ancient Apostles: “Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient is the day unto the evil thereof” (3 Nephi 13:34; see also Matthew 6:34).
I have suggested that asking for and receiving daily bread at God’s hand plays a vital part in learning to trust God and in enduring life’s challenges. We also need a daily portion of divine bread to become what we must become. To repent, improve, and eventually reach “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13), as Paul expressed it, is a step-by-step process. Incorporating new and wholesome habits into our character or overcoming bad habits or addictions most often means an effort today followed by another tomorrow, and then another, perhaps for many days, even months and years, until victory is achieved. But we can do it because we can appeal to God for our daily bread, for the help we need each day.
This is the season of New Year’s resolutions, and I would like to quote to you the words of President N. Eldon Tanner, formerly a counselor in the First Presidency: “As we reflect on the value of resolving to do better, let us determine to discipline ourselves to carefully select the resolutions we make, to consider the purpose for making them, and finally, to make commitments for keeping them and not letting any obstacle stop us. Let us remind ourselves at the beginning of each day that we can keep a resolution just for that day. As we do this it gets easier and easier until it becomes a habit.”
A little over a year ago, Elder David A. Bednar spoke about consistency in simple daily practices such as family prayer, scripture study, and home evenings as being crucial in building successful families. Consistent effort in seemingly small, daily steps is a key principle in achieving any great work, including progress in the pathway of discipleship. As an object lesson, Elder Bednar compared daily acts to individual brushstrokes in a painting that together, over time, produce a work of art. He said:
“In my office is a beautiful painting of a wheat field. The painting is a vast collection of individual brushstrokes—none of which in isolation is very interesting or impressive. In fact, if you stand close to the canvas, all you can see is a mass of seemingly unrelated and unattractive streaks of yellow and gold and brown paint. However, as you gradually move away from the canvas, all of the individual brushstrokes combine together and produce a magnificent landscape of a wheat field. …
“… Just as the yellow and gold and brown strokes of paint complement each other and produce an impressive masterpiece, so our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results. ‘Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great’ (D&C 64:33).”
President Ezra Taft Benson, speaking of repentance, gave this counsel:
“We must be careful, as we seek to become more and more [Christlike], that we do not become discouraged and lose hope. Becoming Christlike is a lifetime pursuit and very often involves growth and change that is slow, almost imperceptible. The scriptures record remarkable accounts of men whose lives changed dramatically, in an instant, as it were: Alma the Younger, Paul on the road to Damascus, Enos praying far into the night, King Lamoni. Such astonishing examples of the power to change even those steeped in sin give confidence that the Atonement can reach even those deepest in despair.
“But we must be cautious as we discuss these remarkable examples. Though they are real and powerful, they are the exception more than the rule. For every Paul, for every Enos, and for every King Lamoni, there are hundreds and thousands of people who find the process of repentance much more subtle, much more imperceptible. Day by day they move closer to the Lord, little realizing they are building a godlike life. They live quiet lives of goodness, service, and commitment. …
“We must not lose hope. Hope is an anchor to the souls of men. Satan would have us cast away that anchor. In this way he can bring discouragement and surrender. But we must not lose hope. The Lord is pleased with every effort, even the tiny, daily ones in which we strive to be more like Him.”
Remember that we should not only be looking inward when we seek a daily measure of divine bread. If we are to become more like the Master, He who came “not to be ministered unto, but to minister” (Mark 10:45), we will seek His help in being of service to our fellowman day by day.
President Thomas S. Monson lives this principle better than anyone I know. There is ever present in his heart a prayer that God will reveal needs and means for him to assist those around him in any given day or moment of the day. One example from his time as a bishop illustrates the fact that sometimes even a little effort may, with the workings of the Spirit, yield remarkable fruit. I quote from Heidi Swinton’s biography of President Monson, To the Rescue:
“One to whom [President Monson] reached out was Harold Gallacher. His wife and children were active in the Church, but not Harold. His daughter Sharon had asked Bishop Monson if he would ‘do something’ to bring her father back into activity. As a bishop, he felt prompted one day to call on Harold. It was a hot summer’s day when he knocked on Harold’s screen door. The bishop could see Harold sitting in his chair, smoking a cigarette and reading the newspaper. ‘Who is it?’ Harold asked sullenly, without looking up.
“‘Your bishop,’ Tom replied. ‘I’ve come to get acquainted and to urge your attendance with your family at our meetings.’
“‘No, I’m too busy,’ came the disdainful response. He never looked up. Tom thanked him for listening and departed the doorstep. The family moved without Harold ever attending services.
“Years later, a Brother Gallacher phoned the office of Elder Thomas S. Monson and asked to make an appointment to see him.
“‘Ask him if his name is Harold G. Gallacher,’ Elder Monson told his secretary, ‘and if he lived at 55 Vissing Place and had a daughter named Sharon.’ When the secretary did, Harold was startled that Elder Monson remembered such details. When the two met some time later, they embraced. Harold said, ‘I’ve come to apologize for not getting out of my chair and letting you in the door that summer day long years ago.’ Elder Monson asked him if he were active in the Church. With a wry smile, Harold replied: ‘I’m now second counselor in my ward bishopric. Your invitation to come out to church, and my negative response, so haunted me that I determined to do something about it.’”
Thinking of our daily bread keeps us aware of the details of our lives, of the significance of the small things that occupy our days. Experience teaches that in a marriage, for example, a steady stream of simple kindnesses, help, and attention do much more to keep love alive and nurture the relationship than an occasional grand or expensive gesture. That is not to say, brethren—you who are married—that your wife wouldn’t appreciate something new and really nice to wear or occasionally some other gift that expresses, with an exclamation point, how you feel about her (within the parameters, of course, of your miserable budget). It’s just that a constant, daily expression of affection, in both words and actions, is far more meaningful in the long run.
Likewise, in daily choices we may prevent certain insidious influences from entering our lives and becoming part of what we are. In an informal discussion that Elder Neal A. Maxwell and I had some years ago with a priesthood leader in a stake conference setting, we observed that one can avoid most pornography and pornographic images just by making good choices. For the most part it is simply a matter of self-discipline not to go where pornography is likely to be found—physically or in cyberspace. We acknowledged, nevertheless, that because it is so tragically pervasive, pornography could assault a person minding his own business quite by surprise. “Yes,” observed Elder Maxwell, “but he can immediately reject it. He does not have to invite it to come in and offer it a chair to sit down.” So with other influences and habits—slovenly appearance, carelessness in conduct, abusive and profane language, unkind criticism, procrastination, and so on—our attention each day to avoiding the very beginnings of such things can protect us from awakening some future day to the realization that because of inattentiveness, some evil or weakness has taken root in our soul.
In reality, there aren’t very many things in a day that are totally without significance. Even the mundane and repetitious can be tiny but significant building blocks that in time establish the discipline and character and order needed to realize our plans and dreams. Therefore, as you ask in prayer for your daily bread, consider thoughtfully your needs—both what you may lack and what you must protect against. As you retire to bed, think about the successes and failures of the day and what will make the next day a little better. And thank your Heavenly Father for the manna He has placed along your path that sustained you through the day. Your reflections will increase your faith in Him as you see His hand helping you to endure some things and to change others. You will be able to rejoice in one more day, one more step toward eternal life.
Above all, remember that we have Him of whom manna was a type and symbol, the very Bread of Life, the Redeemer.
“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. …
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
“I am that bread of life.
“Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
“This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
“I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:35, 47–51).
I bear you my witness of the living reality of the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, and of the infinite power and reach of His Atonement. Ultimately, it is His Atonement, His grace, that is our daily bread. We should seek Him daily, to do His will each day, to become one with Him as He is one with the Father (see John 17:20–23). I bless you that as you seek it from Him, your Heavenly Father will grant you your daily bread, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. "
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
BRUCE R. MCCONKIE - "THE PURIFYING POWER OF GETHSEMANE"
This talk, given by Elder McConkie at General Conference, a few days before he passed away, is featured in this month's Ensign. I remember my mission president shared part of it with us at a zone conference. It is humbling to read the account of the Savior's suffering in Gethsemane, his crucifixion, and his rising from the dead to visit the spirit world. It's a great talk to read and reflect upon as we celebrate the Atonement and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior during this Easter season.
"I feel, and the Spirit seems to accord, that the most important doctrine I can declare, and the most powerful testimony I can bear is one of the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.
His atonement is the most transcendent event that ever has or ever will occur, from creation's dawn and through all the ages of a never ending eternity. It was the supreme act of goodness and grace that only a God could perform. Through it all the terms and conditions of the Father's Plan became operative. Through it was brought to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Through it all men are saved from death, hell, the devil, and endless torment. Through it all men who believe and obey the glorious gospel of God, those who are true and faithful and overcome the world, all who suffer for Christ and his word, all who are chastened and scourged in the cause in whom we are, all shall become as their maker and sit with him on his throne and reign with him forever in everlasting glory.
In speaking of these wondrous things I will use my own words. Though you might think these are the words of scripture, words spoken by other Apostles and Prophets, true it is that they were first proclaimed by others, but they are now mine. For the Holy Spirit of God has born witness to me that they are true and it is now as though the Lord has revealed them to me in the first instance. I have thereby heard his voice and know his word.
Two thousand years ago, outside of Jerusalem's walls, there was a pleasant Garden spot, Gethsemane by name, where Jesus and his intimate friends were want to retire for pondering and prayer. There Jesus taught his disciples the doctrines of the Kingdom and all of them communed with him who is the Father of us all in who's ministry they were engaged and on who's errand they served. This sacred spot like Eden where Adam dwelt, like Sinai where Jehovah gave his law, like Calgary where the Son of God gave his life as a ransom for many, this holy ground is where the sinless Son of the Everlasting Father to upon himself the sins of all men on conditions of repentance.
We do not know we cannot tell, no mortal mind can conceive the full import of what Christ did in Gethsemane. We know he sweat great gouts of blood from every pore as he drained the dregs of that bitter cup his father had given him. We know he suffered both body and spirit more than it is possible for man to suffer except it be unto death. We know that in some way incomprehensible to us, his suffering satisfied the demands of justice. Ransoms penitent souls from the pains and penalties of sin and made mercy available to those who believe on his holy name. We know that he lay prostrate upon the ground as the pains and agony of an infinite burden caused him to tremble and would that he might not drink of the bitter cup. We know that an angel came from the courts of Glory to strengthen him in his ordeal. And we suppose that it was mighty Michael who foremost fell that man might be. As near as we can judge, these infinite agonies, the suffering beyond compare continued for some three or four hours.
After this, his body then wrenched and drained of strength, he confronted Judas and the other incarnate devils, some from the very Sanhedran itself and he was lead away with a rope around his neck as a common criminal to be judged by the arch criminals who as Jews sat in Aaron's seat and who as Romans wielded Caesar's's power. They took him to Annas, to Caiaphas, to Pilot, to Herod, and back to Pilot. He was accused cursed and smitten. Their foul saliva ran down his face as vicious blows further weakened his pain engulfed body. With reeds of wrath they laid blows upon his back. Blood ran down his face as a crown of thorns pierced his trembling brow. But above it all he was scourged, scourged with forty strips save one. Scourged with a multi-thonged whip in to whose leather strands sharp bones and cutting metals were woven. Many die from the scourging alone, but he arose from the sufferings of the scourge that he might die an ignominious death upon the cross, the cruel cross of Calvary.
Then he carried his own cross until he collapsed from the weight and pain and mounting agony of it all. Finally on hill called Calvary, again it was outside Jerusalem's walls, while helpless disciples looked on and felt the agonies of near death in their own bodies, the Roman Soldiers laid him upon the cross. With great malice they drove spikes of iron through his feet and hands and wrists. Truly he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. Then the cross was raised that all might see and gape and curse and deride. This they did with evil venom for three ours from 9 a.m. until noon. Then heavens grew black darkness covered the land for the space of three hours as it did among the Nephites. There was a mighty storm as though the very God of nature was in agony, and truly he was for while hanging on the cross for another three hours, from noon until 3 p.m., all the infinite agonies and merciless pains of Gethsemane reoccurred. And finally when the atoning agonies had taken their toll, when the victory had been won, when the Son of God had fulfilled the will of God in all things he said "It is finished" and he voluntarily gave up the ghost. As the peace and comfort of a merciful death freed him from the pains and sorrows of mortality he entered the Paradise of God. When he had made his soul and offering for sin he was prepared to see his seed according the Messianic word. These consisting of all the Holy Prophets and Faithful Saints from ages past, these comprising of all those who took upon them his name and who being spiritually begotten by him had become his sons and daughters even as it is with us. All these were assembled in the Spirit World there to see his face and hear his voice.
After some 38 or 40 hours, three days as the Jews measure time, our blessed Lord came to the Arimathaeans tomb where his partially embalmed body had been placed by Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea. Then in a way incomprehensible to us he took up that body which had not yet seen corruption, and rose in that glorious immortality which made him like his resurrected Father. He then received all power in Heaven and on Earth, obtained Eternal Exaltation, appeared to Mary Magdalene and many others and ascended into Heaven. There to sit down on the right hand of God the Father almighty there to reign forever in eternal glory.
His rising from death on the third day Crowned the Atonement. Again in some way incomprehensible to us the affects of his Resurrection pass upon all men so that all shall rise from the grave. As Adam brought death so Christ brought life. As Adam is the father of mortality so Christ is the father of immortality. And without both, mortality and immortality, man cannot work out his salvation and ascend to those heights beyond the skies where God and angels reign forever in Eternal Glory.
Now the Atonement of Christ is the basic fundamental of the Gospel and it is the least understood of all our revealed truths. Many of us have a superficial knowledge and rely upon the Lord and his goodness to see through the trials and perils of life. But if we are to have faith as Enoch and Elijah, we must believe what they believed and know what they knew and live as they lived.
May I invite you to join with me in gaining a sound and sure knowledge of the Atonement. We must cast aside the philosophies of men and the wisdom of the wise and hearken to that Spirit which is given to us to guide us into all truth. We must search the scriptures accepting them as the mind and will and voice of the Lord and the very power of God unto salvation. As we read ponder and pray there will come to our minds a view of the three gardens of God. The Garden of Eden, the Garden of Gethsemane, and the Garden of the empty Tomb where Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene. In Eden we will seen all things created in a paradisiacal state without death without procreation without probationary experiences. We will come to know that such a creation now unknown to man was the only way to provide for the fall. We will then see Adam and Eve the first man the woman step down from their immortal and paradisiacal glory to become the first mortal flesh on earth. Mortality including as it does procreation and death enter the world. And because of transgression a probationary state of trial and testing will begin. Then in Gethsemane we will see the Son of God ransom man from the temporal and spiritual death which came to us because of the fall. And finally before an empty tomb we will come to know that Christ our Lord has burst the bands of death and stands forever triumphant over the grave.
Thus, creation is father to the fall and by the fall came mortality and death. And by Christ came immortality and eternal life. If there had been no fall of Adam by which cometh death, there could have been no Atonement by which cometh life.
And now as pertaining to this perfect Atonement, I testify that it took place at Gethsemane and at Golgotha. And as pertaining to Jesus Christ, I testify that he is the Son of the Living God who was crucified for the sins of the world. He is our Lord, our God, and our King. This I know of myself independent of any other person. I am one of his Witnesses. And in the coming day I will feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears. But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God's almighty Son and he is our Savior and Redeemer and that Salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way.
God grant that all of us will walk in the light, as God our Father is in the light so that according to his promises the blood of Jesus Christ his son will cleanse us from all sin. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ Amen."
-Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85)
http://lds.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/magazines/ensign/2011/04/EN_2011_04_00___09604_000_000.pdf
"I feel, and the Spirit seems to accord, that the most important doctrine I can declare, and the most powerful testimony I can bear is one of the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.
His atonement is the most transcendent event that ever has or ever will occur, from creation's dawn and through all the ages of a never ending eternity. It was the supreme act of goodness and grace that only a God could perform. Through it all the terms and conditions of the Father's Plan became operative. Through it was brought to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Through it all men are saved from death, hell, the devil, and endless torment. Through it all men who believe and obey the glorious gospel of God, those who are true and faithful and overcome the world, all who suffer for Christ and his word, all who are chastened and scourged in the cause in whom we are, all shall become as their maker and sit with him on his throne and reign with him forever in everlasting glory.
In speaking of these wondrous things I will use my own words. Though you might think these are the words of scripture, words spoken by other Apostles and Prophets, true it is that they were first proclaimed by others, but they are now mine. For the Holy Spirit of God has born witness to me that they are true and it is now as though the Lord has revealed them to me in the first instance. I have thereby heard his voice and know his word.
Two thousand years ago, outside of Jerusalem's walls, there was a pleasant Garden spot, Gethsemane by name, where Jesus and his intimate friends were want to retire for pondering and prayer. There Jesus taught his disciples the doctrines of the Kingdom and all of them communed with him who is the Father of us all in who's ministry they were engaged and on who's errand they served. This sacred spot like Eden where Adam dwelt, like Sinai where Jehovah gave his law, like Calgary where the Son of God gave his life as a ransom for many, this holy ground is where the sinless Son of the Everlasting Father to upon himself the sins of all men on conditions of repentance.
We do not know we cannot tell, no mortal mind can conceive the full import of what Christ did in Gethsemane. We know he sweat great gouts of blood from every pore as he drained the dregs of that bitter cup his father had given him. We know he suffered both body and spirit more than it is possible for man to suffer except it be unto death. We know that in some way incomprehensible to us, his suffering satisfied the demands of justice. Ransoms penitent souls from the pains and penalties of sin and made mercy available to those who believe on his holy name. We know that he lay prostrate upon the ground as the pains and agony of an infinite burden caused him to tremble and would that he might not drink of the bitter cup. We know that an angel came from the courts of Glory to strengthen him in his ordeal. And we suppose that it was mighty Michael who foremost fell that man might be. As near as we can judge, these infinite agonies, the suffering beyond compare continued for some three or four hours.
After this, his body then wrenched and drained of strength, he confronted Judas and the other incarnate devils, some from the very Sanhedran itself and he was lead away with a rope around his neck as a common criminal to be judged by the arch criminals who as Jews sat in Aaron's seat and who as Romans wielded Caesar's's power. They took him to Annas, to Caiaphas, to Pilot, to Herod, and back to Pilot. He was accused cursed and smitten. Their foul saliva ran down his face as vicious blows further weakened his pain engulfed body. With reeds of wrath they laid blows upon his back. Blood ran down his face as a crown of thorns pierced his trembling brow. But above it all he was scourged, scourged with forty strips save one. Scourged with a multi-thonged whip in to whose leather strands sharp bones and cutting metals were woven. Many die from the scourging alone, but he arose from the sufferings of the scourge that he might die an ignominious death upon the cross, the cruel cross of Calvary.
Then he carried his own cross until he collapsed from the weight and pain and mounting agony of it all. Finally on hill called Calvary, again it was outside Jerusalem's walls, while helpless disciples looked on and felt the agonies of near death in their own bodies, the Roman Soldiers laid him upon the cross. With great malice they drove spikes of iron through his feet and hands and wrists. Truly he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. Then the cross was raised that all might see and gape and curse and deride. This they did with evil venom for three ours from 9 a.m. until noon. Then heavens grew black darkness covered the land for the space of three hours as it did among the Nephites. There was a mighty storm as though the very God of nature was in agony, and truly he was for while hanging on the cross for another three hours, from noon until 3 p.m., all the infinite agonies and merciless pains of Gethsemane reoccurred. And finally when the atoning agonies had taken their toll, when the victory had been won, when the Son of God had fulfilled the will of God in all things he said "It is finished" and he voluntarily gave up the ghost. As the peace and comfort of a merciful death freed him from the pains and sorrows of mortality he entered the Paradise of God. When he had made his soul and offering for sin he was prepared to see his seed according the Messianic word. These consisting of all the Holy Prophets and Faithful Saints from ages past, these comprising of all those who took upon them his name and who being spiritually begotten by him had become his sons and daughters even as it is with us. All these were assembled in the Spirit World there to see his face and hear his voice.
After some 38 or 40 hours, three days as the Jews measure time, our blessed Lord came to the Arimathaeans tomb where his partially embalmed body had been placed by Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea. Then in a way incomprehensible to us he took up that body which had not yet seen corruption, and rose in that glorious immortality which made him like his resurrected Father. He then received all power in Heaven and on Earth, obtained Eternal Exaltation, appeared to Mary Magdalene and many others and ascended into Heaven. There to sit down on the right hand of God the Father almighty there to reign forever in eternal glory.
His rising from death on the third day Crowned the Atonement. Again in some way incomprehensible to us the affects of his Resurrection pass upon all men so that all shall rise from the grave. As Adam brought death so Christ brought life. As Adam is the father of mortality so Christ is the father of immortality. And without both, mortality and immortality, man cannot work out his salvation and ascend to those heights beyond the skies where God and angels reign forever in Eternal Glory.
Now the Atonement of Christ is the basic fundamental of the Gospel and it is the least understood of all our revealed truths. Many of us have a superficial knowledge and rely upon the Lord and his goodness to see through the trials and perils of life. But if we are to have faith as Enoch and Elijah, we must believe what they believed and know what they knew and live as they lived.
May I invite you to join with me in gaining a sound and sure knowledge of the Atonement. We must cast aside the philosophies of men and the wisdom of the wise and hearken to that Spirit which is given to us to guide us into all truth. We must search the scriptures accepting them as the mind and will and voice of the Lord and the very power of God unto salvation. As we read ponder and pray there will come to our minds a view of the three gardens of God. The Garden of Eden, the Garden of Gethsemane, and the Garden of the empty Tomb where Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene. In Eden we will seen all things created in a paradisiacal state without death without procreation without probationary experiences. We will come to know that such a creation now unknown to man was the only way to provide for the fall. We will then see Adam and Eve the first man the woman step down from their immortal and paradisiacal glory to become the first mortal flesh on earth. Mortality including as it does procreation and death enter the world. And because of transgression a probationary state of trial and testing will begin. Then in Gethsemane we will see the Son of God ransom man from the temporal and spiritual death which came to us because of the fall. And finally before an empty tomb we will come to know that Christ our Lord has burst the bands of death and stands forever triumphant over the grave.
Thus, creation is father to the fall and by the fall came mortality and death. And by Christ came immortality and eternal life. If there had been no fall of Adam by which cometh death, there could have been no Atonement by which cometh life.
And now as pertaining to this perfect Atonement, I testify that it took place at Gethsemane and at Golgotha. And as pertaining to Jesus Christ, I testify that he is the Son of the Living God who was crucified for the sins of the world. He is our Lord, our God, and our King. This I know of myself independent of any other person. I am one of his Witnesses. And in the coming day I will feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears. But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God's almighty Son and he is our Savior and Redeemer and that Salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way.
God grant that all of us will walk in the light, as God our Father is in the light so that according to his promises the blood of Jesus Christ his son will cleanse us from all sin. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ Amen."
-Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85)
http://lds.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/magazines/ensign/2011/04/EN_2011_04_00___09604_000_000.pdf
Friday, March 18, 2011
1 NIFAI 19:16
ʻIo, te ne toki manatuʻi ai ʻa e ngaahi motu ʻo e tahí; ʻio, pea mo e kakai kotoa pē ʻoku ʻo e fale ʻo ʻIsilelí, te u tānaki mai, ʻoku folofola ʻe he ʻEikí, ʻo fakatatau ki he ngaahi lea ʻa e palōfita ko Seinosi, mei he ngaahi vahe ʻe fā ʻo e māmani.
-1 Nīfaí 19:16
-1 Nīfaí 19:16
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
ELDER HOLLAND - "THE BITTER CUP AND THE BLOODY BAPTISM"
My Mom sent me this talk from Elder Holland when I was on my mission, and I read it often as it provided strength to me. It was given at a BYU devotional in 1987.
http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=6989
"As time goes by, we ought--as a matter of personal maturity and growth in the gospel--to spend more of our time with and devote more of our energy to the good things, the best things, the things that endure and bless and prevail. This is why, I believe, family and true friends become increasingly important the older we get, and so does knowledge and so do simple acts of kindness and concern for the circumstances of others. Peter lists a whole handful of these virtues and calls them "the divine nature," and he promises us "divine power" in possessing and sharing them (see 2 Peter 1:38). These gospel qualities and principles, as I understand them, are the most important as well as the most permanent of life's acquisitions. But there is a war going on over such personal possessions, and there will yet be a bazooka shell or two falling into your life that will prompt--indeed, will require--careful examination of what you say you believe, what you assume you hold dear, and what you trust is of permanent worth.When difficult times come upon us or when temptation seems all around, will we be--are we now?--prepared to stand our ground and outlast the intruder? Are we equipped for combat, to stay loyal for as long as it takes, to stay true for the duration of the war? Can we hold fast to the principles and the people who truly matter eternally to us? "
"You see, a disciple of Christ--which I testify to you Joseph was and is--always has to be a disciple; the judge does not give any time off for bad behavior. A Christian always stands on principle, even as old Holland is out there swinging a pitchfork and screaming an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth--forgetting, as dispensation after dispensation has forgotten, that this only leaves everyone blind and toothless.
No, the good people, the strong people, dig down deeper and find a better way. Like Christ, they know that when it is hardest to be so is precisely the time you have to be at your best. As another confession to you, I have always feared that I could not have said at Calvary's cross, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." Not after the spitting, and the cursing, and the thorns, and the nails. Not if they don't care or understand that this horrible price in personal pain is being paid for them. But that's just the time when the fiercest kind of integrity and loyalty to high purpose must take over. That's just the time when it matters the very most and when everything else hangs in the balance--for surely it did that day. You and I won't ever find ourselves on that cross, but we repeatedly find ourselves at the foot of it. And how we act there will speak volumes about what we think of Christ's character and his call for us to be his disciples."
"The question then, for all of us milling around the Greyhound bus depot about to report for duty, is: When gospel principles get unpopular or unprofitable or very difficult to live, will we stand by them "for the duration"? That is the question our experiences in Latter-day Saint life seem most determined to answer. What do we really believe, and how true to that are we really willing to live? As university students--bright and blessed and eager and prosperous--do we yet know what faith--specifically, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ--really is, what it requires in human behavior, and what it may yet demand of us before our souls are finally saved?"
http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=6989
"As time goes by, we ought--as a matter of personal maturity and growth in the gospel--to spend more of our time with and devote more of our energy to the good things, the best things, the things that endure and bless and prevail. This is why, I believe, family and true friends become increasingly important the older we get, and so does knowledge and so do simple acts of kindness and concern for the circumstances of others. Peter lists a whole handful of these virtues and calls them "the divine nature," and he promises us "divine power" in possessing and sharing them (see 2 Peter 1:38). These gospel qualities and principles, as I understand them, are the most important as well as the most permanent of life's acquisitions. But there is a war going on over such personal possessions, and there will yet be a bazooka shell or two falling into your life that will prompt--indeed, will require--careful examination of what you say you believe, what you assume you hold dear, and what you trust is of permanent worth.When difficult times come upon us or when temptation seems all around, will we be--are we now?--prepared to stand our ground and outlast the intruder? Are we equipped for combat, to stay loyal for as long as it takes, to stay true for the duration of the war? Can we hold fast to the principles and the people who truly matter eternally to us? "
"You see, a disciple of Christ--which I testify to you Joseph was and is--always has to be a disciple; the judge does not give any time off for bad behavior. A Christian always stands on principle, even as old Holland is out there swinging a pitchfork and screaming an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth--forgetting, as dispensation after dispensation has forgotten, that this only leaves everyone blind and toothless.
No, the good people, the strong people, dig down deeper and find a better way. Like Christ, they know that when it is hardest to be so is precisely the time you have to be at your best. As another confession to you, I have always feared that I could not have said at Calvary's cross, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." Not after the spitting, and the cursing, and the thorns, and the nails. Not if they don't care or understand that this horrible price in personal pain is being paid for them. But that's just the time when the fiercest kind of integrity and loyalty to high purpose must take over. That's just the time when it matters the very most and when everything else hangs in the balance--for surely it did that day. You and I won't ever find ourselves on that cross, but we repeatedly find ourselves at the foot of it. And how we act there will speak volumes about what we think of Christ's character and his call for us to be his disciples."
"The question then, for all of us milling around the Greyhound bus depot about to report for duty, is: When gospel principles get unpopular or unprofitable or very difficult to live, will we stand by them "for the duration"? That is the question our experiences in Latter-day Saint life seem most determined to answer. What do we really believe, and how true to that are we really willing to live? As university students--bright and blessed and eager and prosperous--do we yet know what faith--specifically, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ--really is, what it requires in human behavior, and what it may yet demand of us before our souls are finally saved?"
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
JOHN 9 - LORD, I BELIEVE
"And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this
world, that they which see not might see."
- John 9:39
John's account of Christ healing a blind man on the Sabbath is one of my favorite miracles in the New Testament. As do many of the miracles performed by Christ, it not only exemplifies the power of the Savior to heal, but also teaches important aspects of the Gospel that are easily overlooked.
The Book of John, or the Gospel According to St John, was written by John the Apostle. John was the brother of James, also a son of Zebedee, and before being called as an apostle, was a fisherman. John was present for the raising of Jarius's daughter, at the Transfiguration, in Gethsemane, and present for many other miracles and important teachings of the Savior. In the Gospel of John he refers to himself as, "the disciple whom Jesus loved." From Christ he received the named Boanerges, "a son of thunder." The Book of John deals primarily with the Judean ministry written with the purpose of testifying that Jesus is the Christ and that Jesus is the Son of God. (LDS Bible Dictionary) The writings of John, this specific account not being an exception, clearly fulfill this purpose.
Christ noticed individuals and looked after "the one." John writes that, "as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth." (John 9:1) Christ noticed this man as He was going about his father's business, He took time for someone that He found in need during the course of His traveling. His whole ministry was filled with meeting the needs of others, of uplifting the downtrodden, succoring the weak, and finding those in need. He paid attention to, "he that sat and begged." (vs. 8) If we are to be true followers of Christ - we ought to try to do the same.
Upon finding the blind man, the Savior's apostle's asked Him who had committed the sin to have caused such a disability, "this man or his parents?" (vs. 2) Christ responded that it was neither of them, "but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." (vs. 3) Here Christ not only declares this man free from serious sin, but also teaches why we are often given trials and burdens in life. Similar to what we are taught in the Book of Mormon, we are given trials, "that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions." (Mosiah 24:14) Christ teaches that we are given weakness, that the glory of God may be made shown in the healing, in the struggling, in the becoming whole - not only to the individual being healed, but and also to others. What a great goal for all of us to strive for, being able to be declared free of sin by the Savior and for the works of God to be made manifest in our lives.
Metaphors of light and dark are repeated throughout The Gospel of John. They not only testify of Christ being The Light of the World and His illuminating transcendental power, but also show the individual path of discipleship that we each must take of traveling from darkness to the light. The blind man who knew nothing but darkness since his birth, was at last allowed to see the light. Only through the healing power of the Atonement are we each enabled to truly leave the darkness of sin and unbelief for the light of Gospel truth. Like the blind man, this requires each of us to be humble, have faith, and practice obedience to be able to truly see. C.S. Lewis said, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” The Gospel truly gives us new eyes to see things as they really are.
Once the Savior had made clay and anointed the eyes of the blind man, He told him to go and wash in the pool. Cleansing by water is used throughout the scriptures as a symbol of the power of the Living Water to purify our lives. Washing was also part of the Law of Moses and strict cleanliness was imperative in all aspects of the ordinances and sacrifices of the temple and eating. Many of the great stories and miracles of Christ involve water. I find it interesting in this story that the blind man was required to wash to complete the healing. The power of the Atonement not only heals us, but washes us clean and makes us whole.
The Jews had such a problem with this miracle of Christ because He performed it on the Sabbath. According to the rules and traditions of the Pharisees, it was okay to prevent someone from dying on the Sabbath, but it was unlawful to heal. This tradition originated from the commandment not to perform work on the Sabbath. What the Pharisees didn't understand, is that this miracle does not show Christ breaking the Sabbath, but shows him fulfilling the commandment to do good on the Sabbath. (Matthew 12:12) This story teaches us that we are not to focus on physical outward details, but instead on fulfilling the inward higher purpose of the law, "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39) We are taught to focus on serving others and allowing the Savior to heal us from our imperfections - what the Gospel is all about.
I love the end of chapter 9 when the blind man later encounters his healer, sometime after the miracle has taken place. The man had been cast out by the Jews, and Jesus went again, "and found him." (vs. 35) It is clear that this man did not at first recognize with whom he spoke and that he was his Savior. I find it fascinating that the man never saw Christ before the miracle with his own eyes - not until the miracle had taken place and after the further testing of his faith by the Jews. Then the man is able to see Christ with his own eyes and to worship that man who made him able to see.
So it is with us today, we are asked to believe in and trust in a Savior whom we have not seen, we are to do what He asks, we are to," go wash in the pool" (vs. 7) of living waters, to cleanse ourselves, to purify our hearts, and we are to keep the faith during times of testing and ridicule from those that do not believe. And then we are to wait, to endure for that day when we too will see the Master Healer of our own lives. Then, only then, may we proclaim, with the man who once was blind, "Lord, I believe!" (vs. 38) and worship Him also.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
MAN'S POTENTIAL - C.S. LEWIS
"It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no 'ordinary' people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations -- these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit -- immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously -- no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner -- no mere tolerance or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment."
-C. S. Lewis 1898-1963, The Weight of Glory
Monday, January 3, 2011
CONTINUITIES - WALT WHITMAN
Nothing is ever really lost, or can be lost,
No birth, identity, form—no object of the world.
Nor life, nor force, nor any visible thing;
Appearance must not foil, nor shifted sphere confuse thy brain.
Ample are time and space—ample the fields of Nature.
The body, sluggish, aged, cold—the embers left from earlier fires,
The light in the eye grown dim, shall duly flame again;
The sun now low in the west rises for mornings and for noons continual;
To frozen clods ever the spring's invisible law returns,
With grass and flowers and summer fruits and corn.
-Walt Whitman 1819-1892
No birth, identity, form—no object of the world.
Nor life, nor force, nor any visible thing;
Appearance must not foil, nor shifted sphere confuse thy brain.
Ample are time and space—ample the fields of Nature.
The body, sluggish, aged, cold—the embers left from earlier fires,
The light in the eye grown dim, shall duly flame again;
The sun now low in the west rises for mornings and for noons continual;
To frozen clods ever the spring's invisible law returns,
With grass and flowers and summer fruits and corn.
-Walt Whitman 1819-1892
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