Born Again

In Moses 6: 59-60 there is a pattern that intrigues me. It speaks of being born by water, blood, and the spirit and those words are used three times.

The first time it says that we are “born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit which I have made.” This all happens during the process of childbirth.

Then it tells us we must be “born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten.”

I really like the analogy of being “born again.” When we are baptized and have our sins washed away, it is as if we are a new born babe, fresh from the heavens and without sin. We can become again this way each Sabbath as we renew our baptismal covenants by partaking of the sacrament.

Then it tells us why we must be born again by these three things and what part they play.

“For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified.”

We are baptized in water and by so doing keep the commandment. It is up to the Holy Ghost to justify the ordinance. In the class The Eternal Family we studied this and learned about what the justification of the Spirit means.

“We are “justified” by the Spirit as the Holy Spirit of Promise either ratifies or rejects each ordinance as being valid.”[1]

“[Justification] is the Lord’s way of assuring that no unauthorized acts or ordinances are binding in the hereafter.” [2]

These are pretty amazing responsibilities that the Holy Ghost has. This also reminds us that we can’t fool the Lord. If we enter covenants unworthily, they may look like they have been done, but the Spirit will not justify the ordinance as being valid.

And then after those two things have happened, we are able to be sanctified by the blood shed for us by our Savior Jesus Christ. The dictionary defines sanctified as to "set apart as or declare holy; consecrate; make legitimate or binding by religious sanctification; free from sin; purif[ed]."

All of this is how we are born again--by water, by the Spirit, and by blood.

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[1] Justification and Sanctification Transcript, The Eternal Family, BYU-Idaho, taken partially from Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Born of God, April 2008

[2] Elder Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 408

He will Succor His People

I had a hard time deciding what to discuss this week because there were so many awesome scriptures that we read. 

I finally chose Alma 7 because I love something I found in my scriptures about this.

In Alma 7:12 it says “he will take upon him their infirmities…that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.”

If you are like me, I always thought that succor meant to comfort. The dictionary says it is “assistance and support in times of hardship and distress.”  I had a note in my scriptures with this statement by Elder Holland which gives the word succor a much deeper meaning:

“Succor is used often in the scriptures to describe Christ’s care for and attention to us. It means literally ‘to run to.’ What a magnificent way to describe the Savior’s urgent effort in our behalf. Even as he calls us to come to him and follow him, he is unfailingly running to help us.” [1]

Imagine that; the Savior is literally running to help us. Take a minute and actually picture that in your mind. I imagine him running to me and when he reaches me, he embraces me in a huge hug. That is absolutely a “magnificent” thought! Not only did Jesus Christ suffer all the pains and agonies of our lives, so that he could know how to succor us, but he is literally running to us to do it.

He has given us the means whereby we can receive support, comfort and understanding, and to be redeemed so that we may return to him.

Are we accepting his amazing gift with open arms?

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[1] Jeffrey R. Holland, Mar 2, 97, CES Fireside “Come Unto Me”

Becoming More Faithful

A few days ago I posted about deciding I needed to return to my temple assignment just because it was something I had to do, not because I wanted to.

I had an experience this week which helped me realize why I needed to be there. I have been importuning in my prayers that my desires would be brought into alignment with what my Savior wants me to do. This experience made that happen.

I will go back to the temple next weekend. I will still be short on time and energy, but now, I am going back not only because I am supposed to, but because it is something I want to do because I realize how much I need it.

Working to exercise faith really can bring about miracles, changes of heart, and answers to prayer.

Do You Love Me?

When reading John 21:15-17, I was reminded of the amazing talk given by Elder Holland, The First Great Commandment, in which he beautifully portrays this interchange where the Savior asked Peter three times if he loves Him.

How will we answer the question “lovest thou me more than these?” 

What does “these” represent in our lives?

Christ told Peter if he loved him, to feed his sheep.

“The Greek verb translated in English as “feed” actually means “to shepherd, to tend, to take care of.” In the Hebrew translation the verb means “to lead.”[1]

I read a beautiful statement by Ezra Taft Benson regarding this:

“We realize, as in times past, that some of the sheep will rebel and are ‘as wild flock which fleeth from the shepherd.’ (Mosiah 8:21.) But most of our problems stem from lack of loving and attentive shepherding...

“With a shepherd’s loving care, many of our young people, our young lambs, would not be wandering. And if they were, the crook of the shepherd’s staff, a loving arm, would retrieve them.

“With a shepherd’s care, many of those who are not independent of the flock can still be reclaimed.”[2]

Do you love the Lord? What do you have to give up to feed His sheep?

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[1] Verse by Verse The New Testament, Ogden and Skinner, pg. 706

[2] ibid, 706-707

Jesus was Terrified and Astonished

The suffering of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane is a story with which most everyone in the world is familiar. We know this is where he took upon him the sins and sorrows of the world. We know that three times he went to his apostles, whom he had asked to "watch with me," and found them sleeping. We know this is the place where Judas betrayed him.

With all we know about this event, it is impossible for our finite minds to comprehend what it all really entailed. I gained some profound insights into the experience Jesus had through my study this week.

Sin affects our whole being; mind, body, and spirit. Something I had never considered before when thinking about the Atonement, was that this was something Christ had never experienced. He was perfect and had never sinned.

“And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy.”

Mark 14:33

 Not only was he taking on the sins of everyone, he was partaking of the experience of sin for the first time.

 “The Greek word translated as “sore amazed” means “terrified surprise or astonishment.”[1]

Sin was such a new and unexpected thing for Jesus, a shock to his perfect body and spirit, it literally terrified him. 

Think about that!! 

Jesus Christ was terrified by the experience of sin.

What does this tell us about how we should react to sin? Why are we able to sin without being terrified?

I read some very interesting things in my study and wanted to share them with you; though a bit long, well worth the read.

“Being perfect, Jesus did not and could not know what sin felt like. He did not have the experience of feeling the effects of sin—neither physically, spiritually, mentally, nor emotionally. Not until Gethsemane, that is. Now, in an instant, he began to feel all the sensations and effects of sin, all the guilt, anguish, darkness, turmoil, depression, anger, and physical sickness that sin brings. All of this the Savior felt and much, much more.

“The shock to the Savior at this moment must have been overwhelming. Because he was perfect, he was also perfectly sensitive to all the effects and ramifications of sin on our mental, emotional, and physical makeup. His makeup was such that it could not tolerate sin or its effects, just as our systems cannot tolerate poison, disease, extreme heat, cold, dehydration, or a hundred other harmful substances and conditions. More significantly, as Mark describes for us, the experience Jesus had of finally comprehending sin as well as the feelings that issue from sin were absolutely surprising to him. He had never experienced these sensations. Not only did it surprise him but it terrified him. For the first time in his eternal existence, the God of heaven and earth was experiencing the terrifying feelings associated with sin. Jesus felt something in Gethsemane he had never known before.  Perhaps that is the full meaning of Alma’s words that the Son of God, the Messiah, would be born as a mortal so that ‘he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people’ (Alma 7:12; emphasis added).

“Elder Neal A. Maxwell wrote: “Imagine, Jehovah, the Creator of this and other worlds, ‘astonished’! Jesus knew cognitively what He must do, but not experientially. He had never personally known the exquisite and exacting process of an atonement before. Thus, when the agony came in its fulness, it was so much, much worse than even He with his unique intellect had ever imagined!” (Ensign, May 1985, 72-73).” [2]

How much more do we now understand this plaintive plea: "Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou will."(Mark 14:36)

Beautifully summed up by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland:

"In that most burdensome moment of all human history, with blood appearing at every pore and an anguished cry upon His lips, Christ sought Him whom He had always sought—His Father. “Abba,” He cried, “Papa,” or from the lips of a younger child, “Daddy.”

"This is such a personal moment it almost seems a sacrilege to cite it. A Son in unrelieved pain, a Father His only true source of strength, both of them staying the course, making it through the night—together."[3]

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[1] Verse by Verse The New Testament, Ogden and Skinner, pp 579-599, (emphasis added)

[2] ibid

[3] The Hands of the Fathers, Jeffrey R. Holland, April 1999 Conference, (emphasis added)

If the Salt Have Lost His Savor

While reading Matthew 5:13 tonight

Matt 5:13

Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted: it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

I was reminded of a quote I read in my Book of Mormon class.

“Salt will not lose its savor with age. Savor is lost through mixture and contamination. Similarly priesthood power does not dissipate with age; it, too, is lost through mixture and contamination.” [1]

Another commentary on this is:

“In an age before refrigerators, salt was the great preservative. In this memorable metaphor, Jesus calls his disciples salt; They would preserve his teachings and lifestyle among the peoples of the earth, but if they failed in their conscientious following of his example, they would be worthless in his kingdom and would be cast out, as useless salt is cast out.”[2]

This makes it more understandable why it says “if the salt have lost HIS savour.” He is, in parable form, speaking about the apostles.

While this is a great metaphor in speaking to them, it is also a cautionary tale for us as members of the church and as Christians. It is important that we not allow “mixture and contamination” by the philosophies of men to become incorporated into the doctrine or our beliefs.

What a blessing it is to have the words of our Savior preserved for us by the hand of his disciples.

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[1] Carlos E. Asay of the Seventy, April 1980 Conf.

[2] D. Kelly Ogden, Andrew C. Skinner, Verse By Verse The New Testament, p. 182

Value of Women

While studying the second paragraph of The Family: A Proclamation to the World,

ALL HUMAN BEINGS—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

I looked up a few scriptures which I felt applied to its teachings.

 “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.”

Proverbs 31:10

This speaks to the value the Savior puts upon women. They don’t have to become like men. Rubies are the most rare and highly valued gemstones. According to the International Gem Society, “Fine quality rubies are some of the most expensive gems, with record prices over $100,000 per carat.”

  

“And I, God, created man in mine own image, in the image of mine Only Begotten created I him; male and female created I them.” 

Moses 2:27

God created male and female after his own image. We are divinely created. Our gender is divinely appointed. We are literal offspring of God.

“When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!”

John 19:26

I love this explanation of the way Jesus uses woman:

The title woman may sound harsh and disrespectful to a modern reader; however, its use here by the Savior was likely meant to convey the opposite meaning.5 One scholar explains, “‘Woman,’ or, rather, ‘Lady,’ is in Greek a title of respect, used even in addressing queens.”

Imagine Christ saying to his mother “My lady, behold thy son.”

Isn’t that beautiful! This is an example of how much Christ loved and cared for his mother. While he was in agony on the cross, the thing he worried about most was that his mother was cared for.

The Purpose of Prophets: Case Study

Case Study: (in summation) Courtney walked out of Relief Society class after discussion from The Family: A Proclamation to the World and comments that children are best served when raised in a home with a mother and a father. It turns out that Courtney had a best friend growing up who was raised by two lesbians. She later texted Mariah "I believe, in God's eyes, love and kindness is what it's all about, not someone's sexuality. The church has a way to go, but I know that same-sex parenting is not wrong." The names were changed, but this was a real situation at BYU-Idaho.

We were asked how Mariah could reach out to Courtney.

---------------------------------------------------

This is a very difficult situation.

My daughter has left the church. She identifies as pansexual, meaning that she isn’t limited by gender as to whom she may be attracted. Many of her friends are gay. Some of them also come from Mormon families.

One of the things that my daughter struggled with is that she can’t believe in a God who would make people feel this way and then not allow them to be married. She believes that if a person is gay, their spirit is gay – so my belief that all will be made right in the heavens doesn’t hold any weight to her.

She loves these people and can’t imagine that they are horrible, sinful, evil people, just because they want to have a loving relationship with someone of the same sex.

What I have come to learn is that you cannot change someone’s opinion about this. All we can do is love them.

As Elder Oaks states in As He Thinketh in His Heart, “I suggest that it may be preferable for our young people to refrain from arguing with their associates about such assertions or proposals.”

As to Mariah’s dilemma, she should approach Courtney with love and caring. Perhaps focusing on some of the following:

• We are all God’s children. God loves us all, no matter who we are or what we do. We know that families are central to the plan of happiness and that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God.
• We don’t understand why some people have same gender attraction. Nephi said: “I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things” (1 Ne. 11:17).
• While it may be true that her friend was brought up well in a same-sex parent home, that isn’t the standard that God wants us to strive for and isn’t the manner in which the heavens are ordered.
• Mostly Mariah should try to love and understand the feelings that Courtney is struggling with and remind her of her true identity and worth as a daughter of God.

Of Humility and Becoming

Taylor Richards, in his presentation Think Big, made a statement I really like: “Do not over under-estimate yourself.”

At first I thought he had mis-spoken. Then I thought about it. We have a tendency to under-estimate ourselves. He was telling us to not do that to a larger extent than we usually do. Really wise words.

“Do not over under-estimate yourself.”

-          Taylor Richards

In The Hero’s Journey they discussed the importance of choosing your companions wisely. We want to have the companions who will stick around when times get tough as well as in the good times. Not just “fair weather friends.”  We also need to be humble enough to seek out people who make up for our weaknesses.

“It takes humility to admit that others are better than we are at certain things, and that these other things are important. This sort of honesty is hard, but it is the stuff of real humility (quite distinct from being a wimp) and will bring us indispensable and highly beneficial companions for our journey.” – Hero’s Journey

Elder Dallin H. Oaks, in his Conference address The Challenge to Become, stated:

 “In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.”

I guess these are all things I hope to continue learning. To not over under-estimate myself, make sure I remain humble to select the best of companions, and to make something of my life and become something that my Savior would be happy with.

Of Stones and Wings

On our journey to become entrepreneurial heroes, or in any pursuit in this life, we will invariably encounter stones in our path. Things that impede our progress, make the journey more difficult, or make us feel like we are failing.

“These obstacles are the necessary means for developing the faith and persistence to overcome the real challenges that inevitably confront any person who has set out to do something heroic.”

-          Jeff Sandefer

Those obstacles may be the very things which, by overcoming, will make us what we are striving to become. We just need to keep going, move that stone from our path, and continue forward. We cannot allow despair in these moments to take over what we have already come so far to do.

Be Like The Bird

Be like the bird that, pausing

in her flight awhile on boughs too slight,

feels them give way beneath her —

yet sings—

knowing she hath wings.

—Victor Hugo

I want to be like the bird. Even when the ground seems to be falling out from underneath me, realize that my wings are my Savior and that I can sing.