A More Excellent Way

In reading and pondering the "Sermon on the Mount," I was struck by the contrast of the Savior's injunctions on righteous living and the temptations He endured from the hands of Satan.

Following forty days of fasting, Jesus was met by Satan who tempted him saying, "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread" (Matt 4:3). Jesus answered, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (vs. 4). In the next chapter, Jesus teaches, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled" (vs6). Where Satan appealed to corporal appetites that can be sated but never satisfied, Jesus teaches us how to live so that we will always be filled. It starts with a recognition that we are not yet as we will become. If we desire with all our hearts to be who He knows we can become, he will feed us.

Satan issued his second attempt, “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.” By throwing himself off the pinnacle of the temple in such a fashion, Jesus would have drawn the admiration of the people but would do so in a way that would put himself at a level above the rest. Salvation is not a ranking. We don’t get to Heaven by being better than someone else. Consider Jesus words on the mount, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt 5:4). Meekness is not weakness. In the words of President Uchtdorf, “We don’t discover [meekness] by thinking less of ourselves; we discover [meekness] by thinking less about ourselves” (October Conference 2010, “meekness substituted for humility”). Meekness is a recognition that we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father. We all have weakness but within us is the seed of deity. We access our potential as we follow the Savior, utilizing his atoning sacrifice in our life.

Satan’s last attempt to lure Christ was to promise him the riches of the world. “Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me” (Matt 4:8-9). Contrast that with the words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:3). Being poor in spirit means that we recognize that we are in need of the Savior. As we choose to follow Him and accept his gospel we are promised his spirit. Our poverty is transformed by his wealth. We are promised that “all that [the] Father shall be given unto [us]” (Doctrine & Covenants 84: 38).

After teaching us of hungering after righteousness, of being meek and poor in spirit, Jesus then commands us, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect” (Matt 5: 48). The seeming contradiction is resolved in our ability to do so through accepting his atoning sacrifice in our life. This perfecting process is explained beautifully in the closing words of the Book of Mormon, “Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot” (Moroni 10:32-33).

Surely, as the Prophet Moroni explained, “in the gift of his Son hath God prepared a more excellent way” (Ether 12: 11).

And They Straightway Left Their Nets

As Jesus began his ministry, he invited men to follow him. I love the story of Peter and his brethren. They had been out fishing all night and were surely tired and worn out but had returned with nothing for their labor. Cleaning their nets for another day, Jesus came and first asked if he could sit in the boat a little off the shore and teach the people who had thronged to see him. After he was done preaching, he turned to Peter, telling him to launch out again and drop his nets. I'm sure Peter wondered what the son of a carpenter could tell him about fishing. By all accounts Peter was very successful in his trade, owning two ships that he governed. Sighing, he gathered his men, put the freshly cleaned nets back in the ship and obeyed. Of course, we know that when they were let down, they were immediately filled to the point of breaking and required the assistance of all they could find. Realizing he was blessed beyond the measure of his faith, Peter cried out, "I am a sinful man." Jesus then told him that from henceforth they would be fishers of men, and "they straightway left their nets."

I am grateful to know men and women who like the ancient apostles have willingly given up all that they have to follow the Lord. I, like Peter, feel that I have been blessed beyond measure. I have been thinking of what nets I have in my life that keep me from being the disciple that Jesus would have me be. Let me share two thoughts that I have had, taken from outstanding talks given at my church this Sunday.

The first is the net of forgiveness. A woman in my congregation who has felt betrayed by her father has battled with her emotions and the ability to forgive him. By all accounts his actions are deplorable and worthy of condemnation. She spoke of her struggle to reach out to the Savior and through his atonement, forgive him. In a very powerful way, she taught me of His ability to take away our pains, even when caused by someone else. Not only pain, he takes away our bitterness and rage. Her forgiveness does not mean that she says, "it's OK, I forgive you." It is not OK, but she can feel remorse for his actions without letting it affect her ability to love the man. She showed us one way that we can truly leave our nets and follow Him.

The second net is that of consecration. Being the day before Valentine's day our next speaker spoke of the relationship that a husband has with his wife. Using Paul's text from the fifth chapter of Ephesians, he reminded us that our relationship with our spouse should be the same as Jesus' relationship with us, the church. He gave all for us. In our church we are asked to live the law of consecration in our families. The law of consecration is to give all our possessions to the church, as in the days of Peter after the Pentecost when the saints "had all things in common." Though we are not yet asked to do that, we are aked to have all things in common in our families. It is not a "50/50" relationship. If we both give 100% of each other to the cause, we'll get much more in return. As such, the nets of our material goods will bind us together instead of creating dividing boundaries between us. It left me thinking of how I can more fully give of myself to my wife. My material possessions don't bother me at all, they have long since been "ours" rather than "mine" and "hers." My heart and desires I pledge to her but I can do better... and I will.

Angels

In preparing my Sunday school lesson for this week, I read about three key individuals in Jesus' young life. The first two are Mary and Joseph. The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, saying, "thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus." Thou troubled and unsure as to how this would happen her simple response was "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." On the surface, what was asked of her by God was ludicrous. She would conceive by the Holy Ghost? I am sure that most of her friends and family scoffed at her and that she was shunned. Who would believe that she had not been unfaithful to her betrothed Joseph? In fact, according to Jewish law, being found pregnant prior to her wedding was reason for a public trial, enforceable even by death. The scriptures indicate that Joseph was deeply troubled by this. He did not want disgrace or punish Mary so he sought to "put her away privily," to break off the engagement. He too was visited by the angel and comforted by him saying, "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS, for he shall save his people from their sins.”

Now since the days of Abraham it was prophesied that the Messiah would come through his loins to David and from David to Jesus himself. The first part of Matthew outlines Joseph’s ancestry directly back to both of the Fathers. This tells me two things. One, Joseph was required to give up all of his family’s standing in the community to obey. Indeed later in life when Jesus read Isaiah in the synagogue and pronounced that the words had been fulfilled before their eyes, the people of Nazareth wondered and said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” They were unaware that Joseph was David’s son. The second lesson I take from this is that though Jesus was sent to the House of Israel, his mission would encompass all of humanity. He himself was adopted into the Abrahamic line and received all the blessings as any other heir.

The third individual who was prepared by the angel Gabriel was Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist. He obviously held a high position in his religion as he was administering the ordinances of the Holy Temple when he was visited by Gabriel. He too, received a powerful witness of the coming of the Lord Jesus to the world and that his son would play an important part in preparing the world for that holy mission.

It struck me that it was significant that in preparing the world for the birth of Jesus, God sent angels to teach and comfort those who played a pivotal role. Angels are mentioned other times during the New Testament era; the most significant coming while Jesus was suffering the agony of the atoning sacrifice in the Garden of Gethsemane. Wanting the “cup to pass,” but willing to fulfill the will of His Father, “there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

The glorious news is that God is the same today as he was before. In preparing the world for the Savior’s return he again has sent angels to the earth. He has restored the same pattern through the foundation of apostles and prophets. Thank you for sharing with me my thoughts on the scriptures. If any would like to attend my Sunday School class, I would be honored. It is the second hour of our services, which begin at 11:00 AM. 15081 Clayton Road, Chesterfield, MO 63017

A Modern Apostle

I had a rough day Saturday. I was as discouraged as I have been in a long time. Going to church, I felt much better. I was quite nervous to teach Sunday School today as I was not feeling very positive. I prayed that the Lord's spirit would be there and I was not disappointed. I felt so uplifted by the lesson and the comments that were shared in the class. I love being able to teach from the scriptures, what a blessing in my life.

One of the patterns that Jesus established when he walked on the earth was to call twelve men to be his apostles. Holy men that knew him and were special witnesses of his name to the world. The restored gospel message is that Jesus still calls men on the earth today and reveals to them his will. We have today, twelve men-apostles-who know and testify of the Savior. Gina and I were privileged to attend a meeting this evening where one of the twelve, Elder D. Todd Christofferson, presided. Having such an experience is a pretty rare occurrence. He spoke to us of where Jesus has been known to walk but then explained that to know Jesus, we don't need to walk where Jesus has walked but rather to walk as Jesus walked. There was such a calm peaceful spirit about him. At the end of the meeting he said that he would be honored to have us come shake his hand. We briefly did so. Someone watching said that she noticed that all who came down after greeting him had a smile on their face. I had to agree. As discouraged as I felt yesterday, I felt equally hopeful tonight. I am grateful to feel of the Lord's love, to know that He lives and will guide as today as he has in the past.

Joseph

I have been thinking a lot about Joseph, the man called on to raise the Son of God. I've been carving a figure representing him and had the opportunity to do so at our church's annual "Creche and Carol" event last weekend. It has given me time to contemplate the little we know of him. I truly believe he was a special man and a good father. We do know that he came from the house of David since they had to travel to Bethlehem to be accounted. His lineage was royal. I can imagine that learning that his espoused wife was pregnant came as a great shock. I think he understood and accepted that early on, receiving the angelic visitation explaining his situation. I imagine that his family and friends were not so accepting. I am sure he must have had family in Bethlehem with accommodations and yet he and Mary traveled on donkey and could not find a place to stay. He stood by Mary even taking her and Jesus out of the country to Egypt when his life was in danger. I love Joseph and hope to know more of the man some day.

His very name reminds me of another Joseph who was ridiculed for having claimed to received angelic visitations and being led by God. Is it so crazy to think that God would act today just as He did when announcing the coming of his Son to the earth? I have read that one definition of an angel is a messenger sent from God. I am surrounded by angels and am grateful for the influence of good people inspired to bless my life. I have felt the protection and guidance of others, yet unseen by my eyes. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ that is their message, a message that rings as clear and true today as when it was declared by angels to the shepherds of old.

How Beautiful!

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! (Isaiah 52:7)

My Sunday School lesson this week includes this scripture. I've been thinking about it a lot. When the prophet Abinadi in the Book of Mormon stood in front of the wicked King Noah and called him to repentance, one of Abinadi's chief priests ask him, "What does it mean in the scriptures when it says "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings..." What followed is a beautiful sermon on the savior. I am convinced that it was the future prophet Alma who must have been touched by Abinadi's words who asked this question. I think it was his way of telling Abinadi that he had received a witness of the Lord and that he loved and appreciated Abinadi. At the time, Abinadi may have thought that his words were for naught. Shortly after this, his last sermon, he was put to death by fire. He was secure in his relationship with His Savior but I imagine he knew a thing or two about discouragement. What he did not know was that his words would not only save Alma but through him the gospel would be preached to three nations. Thousands and thousands of lives were changed in the Savior, and through recorded scripture, many more continue to be even today. I am grateful for a man that held true to the faith even when it seemed that all his efforts were for no effect. I am grateful for a man that knew the Savior, and that made all the difference.

My Nauvoo Memory Stick

For those of you who saw me at the pageant, you probably saw me carrying around my large walking stick. This is a certain hobby of mine, to carve on walking sticks. I usually don't ever finish carving them, but they are fun to hike with and always have something to do while resting. I thought it would be fun to do a walking stick while in Nauvoo, so prior to going I found a good cedar pole. I never quite know what I'll do on these sticks but started on the bottom, carving the words, "Red Cast" and "Nauvoo" up the sides vertically, rimmed horizontally with "2010." In Nauvoo, I had the idea that it would be fun to have everyone sign my stick, so I carved groups of five sided flat spaces up the stick. It was a great way to meet and talk to everyone in the cast. I believe that I succeeded in getting a family member to sign the last name of all the families in the cast as well as the first names of the core cast. In between these groups of names I decided to carve in the Nauvoo temple stone symbols of the sun stone, moon and the star. Amazingly enough there was a perfect number of spaces to have three sets of those up the stick. Lastly, I carved the temples bell tower/spire on the top (without the angel). I have finally finished and wanted to share the pictures with you.

One of my endearing memories of Nauvoo was the spirit of togetherness that we felt together as a cast. This spirit of "Zion," of being of one heart and one mind was an experience that we don't often get to feel. For me, the time we shared in the temple as a cast and then symbolically building it every night on stage represents our efforts in building the kingdom of Jesus Christ on the earth. My stick reminds me of all the cast and how the temple binds us together as one in the Lord.