The Atonement (Lesson 12)

Only an hour or two removed from the Passover meal and the introduction of the Sacrament, Jesus lead His closest disciples—His friends—to the Mount of Olives.  Luke writes that it was a place where He was “wont” (or accustomed) to go (Luke 22:39).  As Jesus lead the way through the streets of Jerusalem, with the low buzz of hundreds of Passover observances emanating from the residences, and beyond the city walls east toward the brook Kedron, the disciples may have recognized where they were being lead—it was probably a place they knew well.  There must have been something different about that night, however; something that stood out in a way unlike the other walks to the Mount.  As they traveled, Jesus declared to them: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends,” and “A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father” (John 15:13; 16:16).  A special anxiousness hung in the air.  Jesus’ voice may have had a bit more urgency as He spoke His last mortal discourse to those He had specifically chosen and ordained to the apostleship.  I wonder if He felt much like a parent giving last minute instructions to a child about to begin life on his own, knowing that there was so much He needed them to understand but realizing they would have to learn from experience.  The prayer Jesus offered in behalf of His disciples that night must have been filled with deep and tender emotion (see John 17).

Soon thereafter, the little group “crossed the deep ravine east of the city and came to a garden of olive trees on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives” (Russell M. Nelson, Ensign, Nov. 1996, 35).  There, in the Garden of Gethsemane—the Garden of the Olive-Press—Jesus “began to be sorrowful and very heavy” (Matthew 26:37) as the burden He was about to bear started to press upon Him.  Taking “Peter and the two sons of Zebedee” from the main group, Jesus retreated deeper into the garden.  “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death,” He then said to the three remaining apostles, “tarry ye here, and watch with me” (Matthew 26:37-38).  When He had “withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, [He] kneeled down and prayed” (Luke 22:41).

Have you ever been in excruciating pain?  Take a moment to consider a time in your life when you felt tremendous pain.  I contracted chicken pox as a teenager.  The older you are when you have your first case of chicken pox, the worse the outbreak.  I was covered with them; they were everywhere.  I think it was my second night.  My family was asleep.  I was quarantined in my bedroom; alone and in terrible pain.  The itch of every pox mark was excruciating!  I couldn’t sleep.  Every time I moved, even just a little bit, every nerve in my body seemed to explode in agony.  I remember pleading with Heavenly Father to take the pain away from me.  Now, take what I have just described or the painful moment you thought of in your own life and magnify it to the nth degree and I am sure it would still not come close to the level of suffering Jesus felt that night as He cried out, “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt” (Mark 14:36).

“We may not know, we cannot tell, What pains he had to bear” ("There Is a Green Hill Far Away," Hymns, 194), but Jesus knows; he describes them as “sore . . . exquisite . . . [and] hard to bear” (D&C 19:15).  “Being in an agony,” Luke wrote, “he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44).  King Benjamin is more straightforward: “Behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people” (Mosiah 3:7).  This witness is authenticated by the Savior when He revealed that His “suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit” (D&C 19:18).  At this moment of extreme physical and spiritual distress, Father in Heaven did not take the cup from His Son, but He did send “an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him” (Luke 22:43).

While Luke does not reveal the identity of the angelic messenger, I have wondered if it was mighty Michael, the archangel who came to earth as Adam (see D&C 27:11), who supported Jesus during that time of intense and pressing pain.  The ministries of these two men are intricately connected in the doctrine of God’s plan for us.  Moroni wrote: “By Adam came the fall of man. And because of the fall of man came Jesus Christ . . . and because of Jesus Christ came the redemption of man” (Mormon 9:12).  Adam’s transgression brought about the reason for Jesus’ Atonement.  It seems logical to me that Adam would be chosen to bring heavenly support to the Savior during this critical time.
 

Having completed the sacred yet physically and spiritually painful Gethsemane experience, Jesus was betrayed by one of His own.  With ropes tied around His hands and neck, He was lead as a common criminal to mock trails in front of the religious leaders of His day.  They spit upon, beat, taunted, and derided Him.  Early the next morning, these so-called spiritual leaders dragged Him in front of Pilate, Herod and Pilate again as they sought His death.  Unable to enforce his own judgment of innocence upon Jesus, Pilate cowardly washed his hands of the proceedings and turned the Savior over to the Roman soldiers for scourging with a whip into whose thongs were woven shards of metal, glass and pieces of jagged bones.  Forty stripes, save one, hammered down upon Jesus’ quivering body.  The soldiers then carelessly tossed a purple robe over His raw and bleeding flesh; jammed a crown of thorns onto his brow; and thrust a reed in His hands.

A short time later, Jesus carried His own cross through the streets of Jerusalem—at least until He faltered and another man was grabbed in His stead—while the inhabitants of the city, many of whom only a few short days before had heralded His entry into Jerusalem, yelled and screamed derisions at Him.  Lead beyond the city walls to the hill called Golgotha or Calvary, the soldiers roughly laid Him on the wooden cross and held Him down while another nailed metal spikes into His hands, wrists and feet.  Being so secured, they raised His cross before all who had gathered on the hill to watch and planted it jarringly into the earth.

For nearly six hours, Jesus hung on that crude tree.  Then, at what Matthew called “the ninth hour,” a startling thing happened.  Jesus cried out "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me" (Matthew 27:46)?  “With all the conviction of my soul,” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland declared, “I testify . . . that a perfect Father did not forsake His Son in that hour. . . . Nevertheless, that the supreme sacrifice of His Son might be as complete as it was voluntary and solitary, the Father briefly withdrew from Jesus the comfort of His Spirit, the support of His personal presence. It was required, indeed it was central to the significance of the Atonement, that this perfect Son who had never spoken ill nor done wrong nor touched an unclean thing had to know how the rest of humankind—us, all of us—would feel when we did commit such sins. For His Atonement to be infinite and eternal, He had to feel what it was like to die not only physically but spiritually, to sense what it was like to have the divine Spirit withdraw, leaving one feeling totally, abjectly, hopelessly alone” (Ensign, May 2009, 87-88, emphasis in original).  Not long after this experience, Jesus triumphantly exclaimed: “It is finished: and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30).

“If a man die, shall he live again?” asked Job in the midst of his suffering (14:14).  The answer to this question is a resounding “Yes” which echoes throughout the eternities!  After three days, as the Jews reckon time, Jesus broke the bands of physical death and left the tomb empty.  Because of the Atonement, death need no longer be an uncertain door leading to an unhappy eternity (see 2 Nephi 9:8-9).  As Elder Neal A. Maxwell testified, Jesus’ “bleeding curvature transformed the grammar of death. Until Gethsemane and Calvary, death was a punctuating, rigid exclamation point! Then death, too, curved—into a mere comma” (Ensign, May 1994, 91)!

But it is more than just the rising from physical death that Jesus accomplished through the Atonement.  He declared to the Nephites that “my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross . . . that I might draw all men unto me” (3 Nephi 27:14).  How amazing it is to know that Jesus “descended below all things” and took upon Himself our “infirmities . . . that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people” (D&C 88:6; Alma 7:12).  In the midst of our despair, trails, dejection or feelings of being completely alone, He has perfect comprehension and perfect empathy.  He can reach out to us with His scarred hands to “lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees” (D&C 81:5).  As Elder Holland testified, along with His own companionship Jesus also brings a “great company for our little version of that path—the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, . . . the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angels in heaven, family members on both sides of the veil, prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. . . . Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are” (Ensign, May 2009, 88).  Truly, when we look back upon our lives, our footprints in the sand will be joined not only by His, but by hundreds of others.

The Atonement has been defined as “infinite” (2 Nephi 9:7) which suggests a scope, depth, and coverage of the Savior’s sacrifice extending beyond what we, as mortals, can comprehend (see D&C 76:22-24).  The magnitude of the Atonement is far-reaching and all-encompassing.  Nevertheless, when Jesus introduced the sacrament to His disciples, He explained to them that the bread was a symbol of His “body which is given for you” and the wine represented His “blood, which is shed for you.”  In both cases, the disciples were to partake of the emblems “in remembrance of [Him]” (Luke 22:19-20, emphasis added).  They were not told to consider the limitless reach of the Atonement, nor were they advised to think about how it would impact the other members of the group.  Jesus instructed them to reflect on how His pending sacrifice affected them individually.  In order for the infinite Atonement to work in us and for us, the Savior’s sacrifice must become profoundly personal to each of us.

I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,
Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.
I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,
That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.

I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine
To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,
That he should extend his great love unto such as I,
Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.

I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt!
Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget?
No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,
Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.

Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
Enough to die for me!
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!

("I Stand All Amazed," Hymns, 193, emphasis added)

The promises of Jesus are sure.  Because of His “merits, and mercy, and grace” (2 Nephi 2:8), He will stand as our “advocate with the Father,” and will plead our “cause before him” if we will show Him that we “believe on [His] name” (D&C 45:3, 5) by doing “all things whatsoever [He] shall command [us]” (Abraham 3:25)!  Of this, I testify, in the sacred and holy name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, and most importantly, our Friend.

Our Annual Outback Tradition

I like family traditions.  When the boys arrived to expand our family from 2 to 3 to 4, we began doing little things that have developed into traditions.  One of the annual traditions we have as a family is a yearly pilgrimage to Outback Steakhouse to celebrate the arrival of our tax refund (thankfully, we still get refunds although I've noticed the amount shrinking from year to year).  This tradition started back when Ben was 3 and Isaac a babe in arms.  I had heard people at work talk about Outback and how good it was, but when I asked these same people about the price of the meals, they also warned me it was a bit pricey (which it is).  When our tax return arrived that year, I told Jennifer that we should celebrate by going to the nearby Outback (I will admit that my reasoning also had to do with the fact that I don't get to eat steak very often and I was craving a carnivore dinner with baked potato). :)

The trip was very successful.  We liked the food (I think they have the best sautéed mushrooms I’ve ever tasted), and Jen and I decided to make the restaurant an annual event.  One of the funny experiences that came from that first trip is possibly what helped it to develop into a family tradition.  We had a cute, blond waitress that year and 3-year-old Ben was completely smitten/fascinated by her.  After I situated him in the highchair, she came to take our drink and appetizer order.  The moment Ben saw her, his eyes were riveted on her every move--it was actually quite comical.  Every time she'd walk behind his chair, his head looked like it was on a swivel as he twisted around as much as he could to make sure she was within his eyesight.  I'm surprised he didn't sprain his neck muscles.  After coming to our table several times and noticing the way he watched her, she asked, "Is he okay?  Is there something I can get for him?"  "No, he's fine," I quickly replied, trying desperately not to laugh.  No, I didn't expect to find the same waitress every year, but Ben's reaction was so comical and the food so good, we had to come back again the next year!

I recall another year when I announced the impending date of our annual Aussie trip, Ben and Isaac immediately began dancing around the living room, singing the Outback TV commercial song for that year, “Let’s go Outback tonight."  If I could find a YouTube link to one of those commercials, I'd do it to show you the inspiration for their dance, but, sadly, no such luck.  Once or twice we've included other families in our pilgrimage, but, for the most part, the trip has been a family affair.

It's also been interesting to see how our eating habits have evolved over the years.  The restaurant has a very good mac and cheese dish included on their kid's menu.  The boys liked it so much in their younger days that I believe they once proclaimed they would order it every year.  Then came the moment when they were 12 years-old and could no longer order from the kids menu.  Their old favorite gave way to specialty hamburgers.  This year, Ben actually got brave and ordered a pasta dish (chicken alfredo--without the chicken--don't ask; they're really strange sometimes).  The one thing that hasn't changed over the years, however, is the Aussie Fries appetizer.  This dish has no redeeming nutritional value (French fries with a special seasoning; topped with melted cheese--two or three types--bacon bits, and a ranch-type dipping sauce), but it is devoured with gusto by all of us.  The servers usually have to drop the fries on the table and quickly step back before their fingers get mistaken as fries (maybe this is what it's like for zoo keepers to feed piranhas :)).  We've learned over the years to come hungry because sometimes the fries have made it difficult to finish our main meal, but we soldier on--and hey, that's why you take the leftovers home, right?

This year we included a movie in our plans and saw Captain America 2 before dinner.  I won't say anything to spoil it for anyone, but we all enjoyed the movie and were definitely ready to eat when we came out of the theater.  It’s fun to make this special trip each year.  We all anticipate going (more than once I heard, "When are we going to Outback?" as the days passed with no indication from me as to a set date), have a great time while we’re there, and are disappointed when the meal is over.  As usual, we can’t wait to go back next year!  While the food is good, the memories are the thing I take away from each trip.  As far as I've been able to figure, memories are the reason people make family traditions in the first place. :)

Thoughts about General Conference

I mentioned the experience I had at the April 1986 General Conference in my lesson post about prophets.  That experience gave me a perspective about this every six months meeting I never had before.  Nevertheless, it wasn't until I was serving in the mission field that general conference truly took on a new perspective.  Up until then, it was a meeting I could attend in my pajamas as I sat in the living room of my home.  Mom and Dad would turn the Sunday morning and afternoon sessions on TV and encourage us to watch them, but I don't have any specific memories of wanting to sit and watch/listen to the talks on Saturday.  Interesting how a little spiritual seasoning can change one's perspective.  Once I "caught the vision" of general conference, I didn't want to miss any of the sessions.  Now, I anticipate the first weekends in April and October, and we do everything we can to make sure our schedule is clear in order to watch all the sessions of conference.

When Ben and Isaac were old enough to attend the meetings, I wanted very much to take my family to see a session live.  We were able to attend General Conference in October of 2011 and very much enjoyed the experience.  While I had attended conference before, this was my first time doing so in the Conference Center and it was Jen, Ben and Isaac's first time period.  I will post a couple of pictures from that day (Saturday afternoon of the conference) as well as the other pictures I have chosen to add to this post.

I wanted to write about some of the talks that stood out to me during the two days of conference.  To do so, I decided to wait a little while in order to let the experience sink in better and to allow the video and print feeds to be posted on lds.org in order to link to them (I'll add Ensign information if it's available by the time I post this--I'm trying to catch up to present day with a modicum of success :/).  There were many talks I could have chosen, but I've narrowed it down to four for the sake of keeping this post from becoming a book--or a Star Trek post. :)  Without further ado, I'll jump right in and get started.

With the greater emphasis on missionary work since the lowering of the missionary age and the influx of missionaries, it isn't difficult to find talks on this subject.  I found two of talks from this last conference helpful to this endeavor and my calling as the ward mission leader: one was obvious, the other was more subtle.  The "obvious" talk was Elder M. Russell Ballard's titled "Following Up".  Elder Ballard has given multiple talks with a missionary theme; the first I'm aware of was given in the October 1984 conference concerning writing down a date and praying about sharing the gospel by that date.  For his recent address, Elder Ballard focuses on the idea of "following up" and how it applies to missionary work, but also to other aspects of life.  To emphasize this point, he related his first experience of meeting the "beautiful sophomore named Barbara Bowen" who eventually became his wife.  Because his mission experience had taught him to "follow up" and "be persistent even in the face of discouragement" he was "eventually able to convince her that [he] was the only true and living returned missionary--at least as far as she was concerned" (Ensign, May 2014, 78).

As I mentioned, Elder Ballard has encouraged members to invite others to hear the missionary discussions since before he was called as an Apostle.  With this talk, he reminded me that "there is much more to missionary work for members than simply extending invitations to people to listen to the missionaries. It also includes follow-up with the missionaries in the cultivation of faith, the motivation to repentance, the preparation for making covenants, and enduring to the end " (ibid, 79).  It has been nearly a year since I was called as ward mission leader and I've noticed how missionary work can easily be compartmentalized by ward members.  Missionary work is the "job" of the missionaries.  What I've seen, however, is if missionaries and members work together, so much more can be accomplished.  As President Monson has taught, "Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together, to work together, to labor in the Lord’s vineyard to bring souls unto Him" (Ensign, Nov. 2013, 4, emphasis added).

How do we share the gospel?  This is where Elder Richard G. Scott's address comes into play.  The longer I listened to him as he was at the podium, the more I realized he was giving a blue-print of how to share the gospel, but in a way that completely snuck up on me.  He began by relating his relationship with his grandmother and his wife (future wife in the story).  After doing so, he stated that both of these influential women "loved me enough to share their conviction that the ordinances of the gospel and serving Father in Heaven would bless my life. Neither of them coerced me or made me feel bad about the person I was. They simply loved me and loved Father in Heaven. Both knew He could do more with my life than I could on my own. Each courageously helped me in loving ways to find the path of greatest happiness" (Ensign, May 2014, 33).  To my mind, this is the way we should look at those with whom we desire to share the gospel.  If we see any of these people as a project, we won't get very far with them and our relationship will be false.  On the other hand if we seek to see people as Heavenly Father sees them, we will treat them with the love and respect they deserve and will seek to share the gospel to them to better their lives.  In this way, we will be following the example of the Savior.

The first of the other two addresses I want to mention is President Boyd K. Packer's talk titled "The Witness."  I've always liked Pres. Packer's talks because they are so straightforward.  One of the aspects of this talk that struck me was his desire to gain a personal testimony after entering the armed forces during World War II.  "I had left my home in Brigham City, Utah, with only embers of a testimony," he said, "and I felt the need for something more. . . . While stationed on the island of Ie Shima, just north of Okinawa, Japan, I struggled with doubt and uncertainty. I wanted a personal testimony of the gospel. I wanted to know! " (Ensign, May 2014, 94).

What fascinated me about Pres. Packer's story is that it echoes my own.  No.  I wasn't in a bunker on the island of Ie Shima when I sought my own personal testimony, but the emotion was the same.  I had a moment in my life when I wanted to truly know if the gospel taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was true.  That desire, like Pres. Packer's, lead me to take specific actions that helped me obtain my own personal testimony.  From the opening of his address, I was reminded that Pres. Packer is no different than any other member of the Church who desires to know this truth.  His calling as an Apostle sets him apart because of the unique office and duties, but he had to go through the same process as any other person to obtain his personal witness.

The talk that touched me the most, however, was given by Elder David A. Bednar.  He began his talk by telling a story of a friend who wanted a truck and, after obtaining it, wanted "to demonstrate [to his wife] the utility of the truck and validate his reasons for wanting to purchase it" by driving into the mountains to cut firewood and got stuck in the snow" (Ensign, May 2014, 87).  After failing to extricate himself despite his truck's four-wheel drive capabilities, Elder Bednar's friend decided to cut the wood he'd come for and see what he could do afterward.  Having lived in Wyoming and seen similar situations, I immediately realized the load of wood would help get the man out of his predicament.  I was correct in my analysis, but it is how Elder Bednar used this story to teach a principle that touched me.

"Each of us also carries a load," Elder Bednar taught.  As we "periodically and prayerfully assess our load" we should ask ourselves if our load is "producing the spiritual traction . . . to press forward with faith in Christ . . . and . . . ultimately . . . return home to Heavenly Father" (ibid, 88).  He then added that happiness in life is not the absence of a load because "bearing a load is a necessary and essential part of the plan of happiness" (ibid, 88).  Personally, Elder Bednar reminded me that I need not bear my load alone.  Through the Atonement, Jesus offers me (all of us) the capacity to carry my load with His help.  It is sometimes easy to forget that the Savior not only saves me from my sins if I rely on His Atonement, but He also took upon Himself "the pains and the sicknesses of his people . . . that he may know . . . how to succor his people according to their infirmities" (Alma 7:11-12).  Thus, as Elder Bednar testified, "There is no physical pain, no spiritual wound, no anguish of soul or heartache, no infirmity or weakness you or I ever confront in mortality that the Savior did not experience first. In a moment of weakness we may cry out, 'No one knows what it is like. No one understands.' But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He has felt and borne our individual burdens. And because of His infinite and eternal sacrifice (see Alma 34:14), He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy. He can reach out, touch, succor, heal, and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do relying only upon our own power. Indeed, His yoke is easy and His burden is light" (ibid, 90).

I am grateful for the things I learned and the things I was reminded of over the course of the two days of conference.  A few days ago, LDS Living linked to another blog I've read on occasion (Middleaged Mormon Man) where he talked about members using conference or Sacrament meetings as a way to grade themselves, and how they come away feeling discouraged rather than uplifted.  I've never considered using these meetings as a way to flagellate myself.  What would be the point?  It's a waste of time and effort and is quite unproductive.  Instead, as I mentioned in my April 5th post, I've tried to use conference talks (as well as "regular" Sunday lessons and talks) to help me become a better son of my Heavenly Father.  When I don't do a good job of it, I try to repent and do better, but to constantly berate myself for supposed failures is what Satan, not Father, would want me to do.  I'm grateful for the men and women leaders Father has called at this time to assist me in my quest and am grateful for His forgiving nature--without it, I truly would be a mess.

Scriptures (Lesson 10)

As I taught this lesson this afternoon, I began by quoting from Elder D. Todd Christofferson's conference talk from April 2010 which gave an outline of the last day of the life of William Tyndale.  It is amazing to me to think of a man being strangled and having his body burned at the stake for the "crime" of translating the Bible into English, but this is what happened to him.  Back in the 80s (and probably in the years previous) it seemed fashionable to bash the monks who transcribed the Bible as the culprits who removed the "plain and most precious" (1 Nephi 13:26) parts of the Bible from the original text--I freely admit to doing so myself.  The change in my attitude over this particular scenario came when I read an Ensign article by Stephen E. Robinson titled "Warring against the Saints of God" which describes in great detail the identity of the "great and abominable church" who removed the "plain and most precious" parts of the Biblical record (ibid).  In his article, Brother Robinson states: "The notion of shifty-eyed medieval monks rewriting the scriptures is unfair and bigoted. We owe those monks a debt of gratitude that anything was saved at all" (Ensign, Jan. 1988, 38 ).

The Eighth Article of Faith states: "We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly".  William Tyndale's contribution to this work of translation was of such high quality that, according to Elder Christofferson, it "became the foundation for almost all future English translations of the Bible, most notably the King James Version."  He concludes: "William Tyndale was not the first, nor the last, of those who in many countries and languages have sacrificed, even to the point of death, to bring the word of God out of obscurity. We owe them all a great debt of gratitude" (Ensign, May 2010, 32).  Sound familiar?  I am grateful for Brother Robinson's contribution to changing my attitude concerning those who worked so hard--and in certain cases sacrificed their very lives--to give me the opportunity to have the Bible in this day.

I didn't mention it in my last "lesson" post, but the reason why I posted for Lesson 9 was because I was asked to substitute in Gospel Doctrine the week I was to teach Lesson 8.  Jennifer switched with me, allowing me to teach her week while she took mine.  The lesson for Gospel Doctrine that day was about Joseph, Jacob's son who was sold into slavery in Egypt.   I found myself focusing mostly on Joseph's time in prison and the fact that he remained there longer than he expected because the butler forgot to mention his kind act of interpreting his dream for two years.

I asked the class to think about Joseph's situation and "liken [the scriptures] unto [themselves]" (1 Nephi 19:24).  How would they have handled such a predicament?  It would have been very easy to get angry at Heavenly Father and lash out at Him.  Joseph had done nothing to deserve prison--he'd run away from Potiphar's wife (see Genesis 39:7-13).  Some people in similar circumstances would have blamed God for their lot.  Being human, I feel it's reasonable to believe that some of these thoughts haunted Joseph's mind, but the scriptural record shows us that he did not allow those possible thoughts to take hold and destroy his relationship with Heavenly Father.  Instead, we read that Joseph made the most of his situation.  From the moment his brothers sold him into slavery, I believe Joseph gained a deeper understanding that God was with him and would not desert him.  Even through this setback with Potiphar, Joseph so impressed the keeper of the prison that he "committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it" (Genesis 39:22).  It appears Joseph followed the advice of Elder Joseph B. Wirthin's mother: "come what may, and love it."

One of the unique aspects of the scriptures when it comes to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fact that we believe in more scripture than just the Bible.  The concluding line of the Eighth Article of Faith is "we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God."  Not only do we believe the Book of Mormon to be scripture, we also include the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price.  All four of these scriptural records form the basis of our doctrine, serving to strengthen our relationship with our Father in Heaven and our Elder Brother Jesus Christ.  In my post concerning prophets, I mentioned if we are to believe that God is the same yesterday, today and in the future, it shouldn't be difficult to believe He would not give us prophets today since He did so in former times.  The same holds true for the scriptures.  Just as the prophetic lines have been reinstated, the scriptural record hasn't been severed in our day either.  Speaking through Nephi, the Lord declared: "I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure. And because . . . I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another" (2 Nephi 29:9, emphasis added).  That seems pretty straightforward to me.  Who are we to put a muzzle on God and imagine to ourselves a completion of His words with the last page of the Bible?

A blessing we children receive through the scriptures is an understanding of how to deal with life's triumphs or setbacks.  The scriptural records do this by showing us how the earlier Saints dealt with similar situations.  To my mind, this is why Nephi counseled his people to "liken" the scriptural stories to themselves.  While the general context might have been different, the accounts given by the scriptures can easily be taken and applied to our present day situations.  As long as we don't "wrest" the scriptural stories to gratify our own pride or vain ambition, they can be "updated" into our modern day setting to teach us precious truths we might otherwise miss.  As Elder D. Todd Christofferson has taught, the scriptures "enlarge our memory by helping us always to remember the Lord and our relationship to Him and the Father" and they also help "us not forget what we and earlier generations have learned" (Ensign, May 2010, 33).

There are two definitions of the scriptures that I have heard over the years that I have liked.  The first was to consider the scriptures like "letters from home."  For years I tried to remember where I heard that phrase, but had no luck.  I may have heard it in a talk given in Sacrament meeting or from another Seminary teacher during the time I also taught Seminary.  Wondering if its origin came from a Conference talk, I ran the phrase through the lds.org search engine and got a "hit."  I found that the origin of the phrase came from an 1985 address given by Ardeth G. Kapp, former Young Women General President.  Speaking about the scriptures, she taught: "The holy scriptures are like letters from home telling us how we can draw near to our Father in Heaven" (Ensign, Nov. 1985, 94).  I suppose now, nearly 30 years later, we might be more inclined to think of them as text messages from home, but no matter how they are described, the idea of "home" is what resonates for me.  For many people, no matter their age, the concept of home is one that has a positive connotation.  Phone calls, notes, letters, emails, text messages, no matter the specific medium, the idea of a message from someone who knows us and cares deeply about us has a comforting, soothing feeling.  Our Heavenly Father has sent us here to earth to be tested in the exercise of our moral agency.  While He cannot superimpose His choices upon us, He still "speaks" to us through the scriptures, encouraging, cheering, warning, counseling with us.  I find a great amount of comfort in that concept.

The other definition of the scriptures comes from Elder Richard G. Scott from his October 2011 conference address.  In his talk, Elder Scott likened the scriptures to "packets of light that illuminate our minds and give place to guidance and inspiration from on high."  He also called them "stalwart friends that are not limited by geography or calendar. They are always available when needed. Their use provides a foundation of truth that can be awakened by the Holy Ghost " (Ensign, Nov. 2011, 6).  I like this definition because it reinforces what the Lord declared to Joseph Smith: "For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ " (D&C 84:45).

Letters from home, stalwart friends, packets of light; I think all of these metaphors do a wonderful job of defining what the scriptures can mean to anyone who makes a daily habit of reading them.  I am grateful that Jennifer wanted daily scripture reading to be a part of our family from the day we were married.  After we left the reception, we stopped at a hotel for the night; it was late and we wouldn't begin our 3 day honeymoon in Santa Barbara until the next day.  Imagine my surprise as I finished bringing our things into the room found my wife sitting on the bed with her scriptures open, asking that we begin a habit of reading from that moment.  I can honestly say, since that night, I can count the number of times we have missed our family appointment with the scriptures on one hand.  We may read only a verse or two and there have been times when all of us have been so tired we may not remember what we read, but the spirit and the enlightenment the scriptures bring into our home has been very helpful throughout the years.  Personally, many of my profound spiritual experiences have come because I was reading from the scriptures.  I am very grateful to hear Father's voice on a daily basis.

Becoming Sons and Daughters of God

I am a regular reader of a blog called Keepapitchinin run by Ardis Parshall.  The blog is about Church history (with occasional personal posts from Ardis), but what I find unique about her blog is that the Church history she reports is, for the most part, more obscure stories; not the "typical" Church history stories.  I have found the blog very fascinating.  I came across it when the LDS Living email I receive daily at work (I'm still not completely sure how I managed to start receiving these updates, but I find some of the stories they reference interesting so I haven't "unsubscribed" myself) linked to one of her posts concerning the moving of Joseph and Hyrum Smith's burial sites by the RLDS Church (now the Community of Christ).  I liked the story so much I linked it into one of my Nauvoo vacation posts from last year (you'll find it in the paragraph discussing our Community of Christ tour of the Joseph Smith home).  I usually pop in on a daily basis to see what stories are available.  She typically posts three stories a day.  I don't read everything she posts, but when I find something intriguing, I'll click the link; very rarely am I disappointed by what I find.  If you scroll down far enough in the "comments" section of the Joseph and Hyrum burial site post, you'll find I even left a comment.  I'm not a regular commenter, but when I feel the inclination, I will do so.  After about 3 or 4 comments, I received the title of "Keepa’ninnie" and I must confess to being quite pleased about it.

 

My reason for this preface has to do with the post I read last night.  I commented on it, but I feel impressed to expand upon my comment in my own blog.  This particular post happened to be a personal message from Ardis.  She discusses her reaction to the Women's meeting held last week and one frequently used word: daughter.  As she writes about seeking to come to a conclusion as to why the word bothered her, she realizes that "the status of a son or a daughter comes not from any act on the part of the son or daughter, but through an act of the parents" and being a "daughter seems to be a passive thing, not something I caused, but something I was blessed with, as a free gift. And that, I think, is what bothers me about being praised . . . for being a daughter of my Heavenly Father."  She concludes by stating that she is watching Conference seeking an answer to her question: "How can I turn my status as a daughter of God from a passive gift, no matter how appreciated the gift might be, into something that calls for specific action from me, something that makes me actively a daughter of God and not merely the bearer of a stagnant title."

I found her conclusion thought provoking.  Although I've never been bothered by the title, son could just as easily be inserted into her post.  After reading her post and the comments that followed, I pondered my own reaction to her thoughts and found the effects of King Benjamin's final address to his people rattling around in my head.  Turning to Mosiah chapter 5, I was reminded that  at the conclusion of King Benjamin's address, the Nephites in attendance declared: "we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things . . . all the remainder of our days" (Mosiah 5:5).  King Benjamin then taught the people: "because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons and his daughters, for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you" (Mosiah 5:7, emphasis added).

 

I understand what Ardis meant by the overall passiveness of the title son or daughter in the context of receiving said title "not from any act on the part of the son or daughter, but through an act of the parents."  We are Father in Heaven's children and receive our title of son or daughter through His creative act.  On the other hand, King Benjamin's declaration is his affirmation that through the "covenant" the Nephites were willing to make, they would become "the children of Christ" (ibid).  In this context, the title of son or daughter takes on an active meaning.  We do not receive this new title just because we were born; we now become a son or daughter because we are willing to take it upon ourselves through the making of covenants with our Elder Brother (and through Him with our Father in Heaven as well).

 

A unique aspect of the covenant made by King Benjamin and his people is the fact that the covenant appears to be a verbal one and is not accompanied by baptism.  Mormon's narrative relates Benjamin taking "the names of all those who had entered into a covenant with God" (Mosiah 6:1), but states nothing about the people being baptized after Benjamin's speech.  It could have happened "off camera" (so to speak), but I find it hard to believe that Mormon would brush past such a significant moment without so much as a passing mention.  Regardless, the agreement made by the Nephite people was the equivalent (as far as I'm concerned) of a baptismal covenant.  When discussing covenants in a Sacrament talk or Sunday school or priesthood and relief society lesson, members (I include myself) seem to immediately use the analogy of making a promise with God or signing a contract.  However, when I think of earthly contracts, I think of negotiations; lawyers on both sides offering proposals and counter-proposals.  With God and Jesus Christ, there is no back and forth, no haggling, no holding out for a better deal.  As Elder David A. Bednar taught: "It is important to understand that God determines the conditions of all gospel covenants. You and I do not decide the nature or elements of a covenant. Rather, exercising our moral agency, we accept the terms and requirements of a covenant as our Eternal Father has established them" (Ensign, May 2006, 28-29, emphasis added).  We may not determine the conditions of the covenant, but we exercise and accept (both actions) the terms God lays out for us.

 

Also, when we are baptized, the symbols of death and resurrection are very much in play.  In addition to those, however, the symbols of birth are also very prevalent.  Concerning baptism, Adam was taught that "inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, . . . even so ye 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" (Moses 6:59).  Baptism is only the first covenant we accept; it is followed by many others.  Additionally, each time we partake of the Sacrament we take or renew the initial covenant of baptism and recommit to being "willing" to "do" all that we've been asked by Jesus Christ and Father to do (D&C 20:77, 79).

 

I hope these examples have served to show how our earthly test gives us a daily opportunity to claim the title of son or daughter of God through the exercising of our moral agency to follow (an action) and keep (another action) God’s commandments throughout our lives. From our baptism forward, we have the amazing opportunity to grasp the title of son or daughter every day through the choices we make and the actions we take.  On those days when we fall short of our title, we have the ability to go to our Father through our Elder Brother and overcome our weaknesses through the blessing of repentance.  From there we can prepare to do a better job of claiming our title the next day, if not that very moment.  I am God’s son through no act of my own, but I am also God’s son through my willingness to do all that I can to show Him I take His test seriously. To me, this is what transforms a passive title into an active, vibrant part of my life on a daily basis. These acts will not save me in my Father’s kingdom (only Christ’s act can do that), but my choices and actions can show Heavenly Father that I believe on Christ’s name and desire to act in faith to receive the promised blessings (see D&C 45:3-5). To my mind, how well we all take the duality of being a son or a daughter upon us will ultimately allow us to be called a "good and faithful servant" at the judgment bar (Matthew 25:21).