And behold, I have given you the law and the commandments of my Father, that ye shall believe in me, and that ye shall repent of your sins, and come unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. What does it mean to have a "broken heart?" When I think of a broken heart, I think of someone who has lost it all, someone who's dreams are shattered, someone who can't make it on his or her own. Then I think of Jesus Christ, the Master Healer. I think of Christ taking someone's broken heart and mending it piece by piece, "one by one." (See Elder David A. Bednar and Paul Cardalls' song "One by One": https://www.lds.org/new-era/2016/07/one-by-one?lang=eng.) In the end, the heart is completely restored. No cracks, no missing pieces. Whole and perfect, as if the heart had never been broken. A broken heart is the sacrifice that Christ requires in place of the Mosaic requirement of animal sacrifices. "The shedding of blood in animal sacrifices was an outward ordinance intended to remind those involved of the future sacrifice of the Son of God and of the need for the believer to offer up at the same time an inward sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit... "The 'broken heart' spoken of in the scriptures is not the sorrow one feels because he has lost a close relative or loved one or suffered some other personal disappointment in life. Rather, the broken heart spoken of in the scriptures is the natural consequence of a person’s recognizing and admitting his own sins and imperfections (https://www.lds.org/manual/aaronic-priesthood-manual-2/lesson-19-a-broken-heart-and-a-contrite-spirit). A contrite spirit is a repentant spirit--a spirit willing to put off the natural man and become a Saint. For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father. Only through the atonement of Jesus Christ can I have a "broken heart and a contrite spirit." To do so, I must yield to the Holy Ghost's promptings and run from the adversary's temptation. When I become like a little child, submitting my will, trust, faith, and hope to the Father.
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Faith is "hope for things which are not seen, which are true" (Alma 32:21). Faith is founded upon Jesus Christ. Assurance is being "sure that something is certain or true" (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assured). I have received the assurance, through the Holy Ghost, that my Heavenly Father loves me personally.
The prophet Alma taught, "And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good. And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect? Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened." (Alma 32:). I believe that assurance is dormant faith--perfect knowledge of a gospel principle that comes after a trial of faith. And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. (Surely Christ's twelve apostles were among his closest friends. Friendship is an important gospel principle (https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1999/04/friendship-a-gospel-principle). Christ taught, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you" (John 15:12). Friendship with others is the result of obedience to Christ's commandment to "love one another, as [Christ has] loved you" (John 15:12).
Matthew (also known as Levi) had a very different background than the other apostles. Matthew was a tax collector, or publican, for the Roman government. Publicans were generally considered social outcasts. "He it was who gave a feast, for attending which Jesus and the disciples were severely criticized by the Pharisees, on the charge that it was unseemly for Him to eat with publicans and sinners" (https://www.lds.org/manual/jesus-the-christ/chapter-16). Simon (Peter), was a prosperous fisherman. "In temperament Peter was impulsive and stern, and, until trained by severe experience, was lacking in firmness. He had many human weaknesses, yet in spite of them all he eventually overcame the temptations of Satan and the frailties of the flesh, and served his Lord as the appointed and acknowledged leader of the Twelve" (https://www.lds.org/manual/jesus-the-christ/chapter-16). The brothers James and John were also fishermen. "With Peter these two brothers were witnesses of many of the most important incidents in the life of Jesus; thus, the three were the only apostles admitted to witness the raising of the daughter of Jairus from death to life; they were the only members of the Twelve present at the transfiguration of Christ; they were nearest the Lord during the period of His mortal agony in Gethsemane; and, as heretofore told, they have ministered in these modern days in the restoration of the Holy Apostleship with all its ancient authority and power of blessing" (https://www.lds.org/manual/jesus-the-christ/chapter-16). And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. The apostles "straightway" (right away, immediately) left their nets and followed Jesus. To follow their example, I need to consider (1) what "nets" I need to immediately leave behind, and (2) what new activities and attitudes I should embrace to replace "fishing". The apostles would have led unfulfilled, hungry lives if they had not replaced their fishing careers with their callings as fishers of men. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Just as the scribes and Pharisees attempted to trap Jesus by asking whether the woman taken in adultery should be stoned, Satan attempted to trap Christ. Satan tempted Christ to display his power over nature and authority as God's Son by turning the stones into bread. Yet the act of turning the stones into bread at Satan's request would, in fact, have negated his divinity. "It would have been an act of self-assertion and distrust, and therefore would have involved not the affirmation, but the denial of the Sonship which had so recently been attested." (See http://biblehub.com/commentaries/matthew/4-3.htm.)
And when [Jesus] had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. When Christ was tempted, he found strength in the words of scriptures. Referring the book of Mormon, President Ezra Taft Benson stated,
There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called “the words of life” (D&C 84:85), and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance. (See https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1986/10/the-book-of-mormon-keystone-of-our-religion.) For me, hungering and thirsting after the words of Christ in the scriptures is a life-long process. Let me explain with an analogy. Due to some health difficulties acquired during my mission in Argentina, there are some days when I am not hungry even though it's meal time. My appetite is just not there. Other times, I am working away on a project and I forget about eating because I am so engaged in the task at hand. Finally, there are times when all I want to do is eat. Say it's Thanksgiving, for example. A delicious meal is before me and I'm secretly hoping that Dad says a short prayer so I can get a bite of the green been casserole. Likewise, there are some times where I lack the "appetite" to study the scriptures. On these days, I have to make a conscience effort to get out my Book of Mormon or Bible and read. If I can "no more than desire" to study the scriptures, I must "let this desire work in [me]" until I am able to study and gain understanding from the scriptures (Alma 32:27). Other times, distractions get in the way of scripture study. Facebook. Friends. News articles. Homework. Or a plethora of other activities. I have to be constantly aware of these distractions and schedule time for scripture reading. Other times, scripture reading comes naturally to me. I may have a question that I'm seeking an answer too. Or I may just be in the habit of reading the scriptures, so it's not as hard. Maybe I had a spiritual experience recently while reading the scriptures, so I'm more motivated to study them. At these times, I remember how much I love the scriptures. I remember why I read them. At these times, the word begins to "enlarge my soul." "And and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me" (Alma 32:28). My goal is for the scriptures to be delicious. I seek to have a constant appetite and to not let distractions get in the way from scripture study. I seek to savor the word just as I savor the green bean casserole on Thanksgiving day. But just as Thanksgiving dinner is no fun to enjoy alone, I hope to share the delicious nourishment of the Gospel with others. In this way, I can give thanks to Christ for his enlarging, enlightening Gospel. And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. How would it feel if the God of the Universe said to you, "Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased"? I cannot think of a truth more important than the knowledge that I am God's child. While I may not hear God's verbal approval, I can know that God is pleased with me when I feel the Spirit in my life. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be with God. Near the end of his fast, Jesus went into the wilderness. With all the distractions around us, the wilderness is a place where we can feel near to God. Going into nature, we only hear and see the sounds and sights of God's creation.
The verse states that Christ was led "up" into the wilderness, suggesting he went to an area of high elevation. Since the days of Adam, prophets have gone to mountains to commune with God. Moses spoke face to face with God on a mountain. (See Moses 1:27-30.) Traveling to a high mountain is "symbolic of leaving Earth and approaching heaven itself." (See http://www.ldsphilosopher.com/blog_posts/temple-preparation-class-lesson-1/.) Despite being led by the Spirit up to the wilderness, Christ was tempted by the Devil. Even when we are trying to do the right thing--trying our very best to follow the Spirit--we will face the Devil's temptations. However, each of us has the ability to follow Christ's example and resist the temptation. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." (1 Corinthians 10:13.) And these twelve ministers whom thou beholdest shall judge thy seed. And, behold, they are righteous forever; for because of their faith in the Lamb of God their garments are made white in his blood It's easy to over-complicate Christ's Gospel. In reality, the beauty of the Gospel comes from its simplicity. I have faith in Christ. I believe in him, learn of him, and follow him. I become his disciple. This faith leads me to change (repent) so that I can become more like him. I then take the first step on the covenant path of discipleship: baptism. This allows me to receive the Holy Ghost, a constant companion for the rest of the path. I continue to develop faith in Christ, continue to repent, weekly partake of the Sacrament, and help others on their own paths. ...the Messiah who is the Lamb of God, of whom the Holy Ghost beareth record, from the beginning of the world until this time, and from this time henceforth and forever. The Holy Ghost has many names and many roles. When I think of his role in my life, I think of
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. Jesus Christ's life is our only tangible, mortal example of perfection. Our daily goal should be to draw closer to Christ, to be more like him today than we were yesterday. Though he was without sin, Christ was baptized to "fulfill all righteousness." The Light of the World showed the way that we must follow to return to our Heavenly Father.
Yesterday, during the weekly BYU devotional, Brother Douglas D. Holmes stated, "We don't simply want to know God, we want to be like God." (See https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/douglas-d-holmes_identity-doctrine-christ/.) His comment made me think about my purpose in writing this blog. As I continue my journey to know the Savior, am I committed to make the necessary changes to become more like Him? Am I willing to follow His example in all things? I want my answer to be, "Yes!" The Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel Teacher Manual explains that, "Like the Savior, we fulfill righteousness when we submit to the ordinances and covenants of the everlasting gospel." (See https://www.lds.org/manual/jesus-christ-and-the-everlasting-gospel-teacher-manual/lesson-8-jesus-christ-fulfilled-all-righteousness?lang=eng.) Ordinances, like baptism and the sacrament, are physical acts that symbolize sacred spiritual acts. They help us remember who we are and remind us of the covenants we have made with our Heavenly Father. (See https://www.lds.org/topics/ordinances?lang=eng.) A covenant is a "sacred agreement between God and a person or group of people." (See https://www.lds.org/topics/covenant?lang=eng.) Jesus Christ takes ordinances and covenants very seriously. I know that as I make and keep covenants with my Heavenly Father, I can have have the peace and assurance that my life is in line with Heavenly Father's will. Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? We know very little about Christ's life before his three-year ministry at age 30. What do we know?
We know about his humble birth, as foretold by ancient prophets. We know he was brought as a baby to the Temple in Jerusalem; there he was visited by Simeon and Anna. A number of "wise men from the east" visited Jesus and presented him with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. He was brought by Joseph and Mary to Egypt, to escape from King Herod. After King Herod's death (resulting in the kingdom being divided between Herod's three sons), Jesus was brought to Nazareth. We know that Christ's brothers included James, Joses, Simon, and Judas. He also had sisters. We assume that he worked as a carpenter under his stepfather's mentoring. With the understanding that before his mortal life, Christ created the universe (under the direction of Heavenly Father), imagine the creations that Christ the carpenter's son made. As a young adult, I would be fascinated to learn about the third decade of Christ's life. In modern times, this has sometimes been referred to as the "decade of decisions." Though the times and circumstances were different, certainly Christ underwent some of the same challenges that I face. "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3). When I feel alone, I must always remember that Christ felt similar sorrows as the result of his difficult life circumstances, and that he felt my personal sorrows in the Garden of Gethsemane as a result of his infinite atoning sacrifice. "As the child grew, and waxed strong in the spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him" (Luke 2:40). "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man" (Luke 2:52). One day, I would like to ask Christ about the third decade of his life. I would like to know how he made difficult decisions, how he chose friends, how he balanced his profession with other aspects of his life, how he prepared for his three-year ministry, how he maintained a positive attitude. I am grateful for the reality of a Living Savior and the knowledge that this conversation can one day be a reality. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, and they were hearing him, and asking him questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. When I read this account, I was reminded of a story told by Stephen E. Robinson about his son:
When my son Michael was six or seven, he did something I thought was wrong. He is my only son, and I want him to be better than his dad was. So when he slipped up, I sent him to his room with the instructions, “Don’t you dare come out until I come and get you!” And then I forgot. Some hours later, as I was watching television, I heard his door open and tentative footsteps coming down the hall. I slapped my forehead and ran to meet him. There he was with swollen eyes and tears on his cheeks. He looked up at me—not quite sure he should have come out—and said, “Dad, can’t we ever be friends again?” I melted and pulled him to me. He’s my boy, and I love him. (See https://www.lds.org/ensign/1992/04/believing-christ?lang=eng.) This story has several contrasts from the biblical account. Michael did something wrong, and was punished by being sent to his room. Christ, on the other hand, did nothing wrong; he chose to stay in Jerusalem to preach his Heavenly Father's Gospel. Michael's father only remembered that his son was gone when his son came back to the living room to talk to him. Joseph and Mary traveled "a day's journey" before they realized that their son was not among their company. (Luke 2:44) Then, they spent three days returning to Jerusalem to look for him. Michael returned to and was embraced by a guilt-filled father. Jesus was reunited to a very worried mother and stepfather. What can be learned about Jesus Christ by contrasting these accounts? I don't know. Sorry! (But maybe that's okay. After all, Mary and Joseph "understood not" Jesus' words.) What I do know, however, is that the message of Robinson's "parable" about Michael is true: No matter what we've done, we can return to Christ. He will always receive us with open arms. "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18). I also know that Christ's declaration to his parents is true: Christ was always about his father's business. And because he was always doing his Father's will, he was able to perform the perfect, infinite Atonement. As a result, we can can count on him in ways that we cannot count on anyone else. "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee" (Isaiah 49:15). |
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