Pure Faith

Last year on this day I was enticed to spend a year focusing on love.  Pure love of Christ.  I know I haven't been perfect at it, but I feel like grace has been given to me, to rise and increase in the amount of love I have been able to give, receive, and nurture.  It's truly been a blessed year.

This morning when I asked where I should read, I was led to Ether 12:14-15:

Behold, it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi that wrought the change upon the Lamanites, that they were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost. 

Behold, it was the faith of Ammon and his brethren which wrought so great a miracle among the Lamanites.

The last few days have been tumultuous here.  Emotions have run high, and tension has nearly matched it.  I find it beautiful that the Lord led me to these verses first thing in my day.  My faith has been lacking.

I tend to believe that while the Lord has awakened me from a deep sleep, it is unlikely that He will awaken those I love.  I tend to forget that He is all wise, all merciful, all knowing.  He knows when people need to awaken.  He knows I also need to exert and grow in faith.  So while the past year I spent hyper-focused on LOVE, I hope that this coming year I can focus on FAITH and see if by my faith I might find those I love encounter baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost.  And perhaps even miracles like those witnessed among the Lamanites.

ROCK ON.  Let's bring down those walls, baby!

The Direction of Faith

Quote by a friend, Matt Crockett, which he wrote as directed by Holy Spirit, with Praise & Glory to God:

"You either have faith that God exists or you have faith that He does not exist. Either way, both are an act of faith. One unto life and salvation and the other unto misery and damnation. It is a choice to believe, as it is a choice to believe He does not exist, both are beliefs founded on faith. Which belief wins? Whichever belief you feed."

 

Earth Should Pass Away

After Alma was led to Amulek, and after a space of time where Alma spent blessing Amulek's home, they "went forth and began to preach and to prophesy unto the people" (Alma 8:32).  Mormon includes five whole chapters of their preaching to the people, specifically of Ammonihah.  This is aprox. the same size of the book of Jacob.  It is longer than the book of Moroni.  The sermons last about 18 pages long.  

Two verses into their preaching, we learn of the first objections of the people of Ammonihah.  What were Alma and Amulek teaching that was so contrary to their beliefs?  In as soon as verse 2 of Alma 9, we find out: 

"Who art thou?  Suppose ye that we shall believe the testimony of one man, although he should preach unto us that the earth should pass away?"

Who are you, Alma?  You think we should believe your single, solitary word?  Why should we believe you?  Where's your authority?  You're not coming through the proper "chain".  You look awfully weak, don't you?  Why should we listen to what you say.  We can pretty much count on knowing that you're a wack-job who is going to suggest we drink some kool-aid.

And you're preaching that the earth should pass away?  Whoa, whoa!  Next you're probably going to say your god will destroy this city.  Let's laugh at you.

So the folks did not believe Alma, and objected at his simple nature, but also thought his concept of the earth being destroyed was mock-worthy.

Question: if someone came to you and told you the earth should pass away, in all seriousness, would you believe them?  Do you believe the earth will pass away?  That it will die?  What does that even mean?

"We believe ... that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory." - Articles of Faith 10 

What does that mean?  We have little to no concept, really, of what Alma was talking about.  It was a big enough of a deal that Alma taught it to these stiff-necked, hardened people.  And he taught enough about it that they objected to it, and it is the first of their objections.

To be honest I know very little about what particulars will happen when the earth dies and is renewed.  Does this only refer to it being burned at the Lord's coming?  Later in this chapter we receive quite a warning about the Lord's coming, although frequently when I have read it, I presumed it was about his First Coming.  But when looking closer, Alma points out when he comes, it will be in great glory.

"And not many days hence the Son of God shall come in his glory; and his glory shall be the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, equity, and truth, full of patience, mercy, and long-suffering, quick to hear the cries of his people and to answer their prayers.  And behold, he cometh to redeem those who will be baptized unto repentance, through faith on his name." - Alma 9:26-27 

He is referring to his Second Coming.  The whole of this chapter is a warning to us, not just the people of Ammonihah.  We frequently say that Mormon and Moroni saw our day.  That Nephi warns us in our day too.  Right here we have evidence that Alma, too, saw our day.  It's pretty phenomenal.

Despite the fact that the passing of the earth appears to be a largely lost doctrine, really the bottom line is that Christ comes to redeem those who will be baptized unto repentance.  We must have faith on HIS name.  I believe this is different than simply being baptized to join a church.  While that might be important to fit into a community or social structure, being baptized to repentance has much greater weight.  When we place the focus on baptism solely to join a group, that is mal-placed; there it is ill-defined.  If God knows the intents of our hearts, and our heart simply intends to show gratitude for people who accept us into their social circles, that is different, I believe.

If you have been baptized, was the intent of your heart to give it to God, to have a complete change of heart?  Or was it to show your teachers that you appreciate them?  Currently I have a nephew serving a mission, and he bears testimony with great power.  There is electricity in the room.  Then the question becomes if the person will accept marriage, chastity, abstinence or some other prohibition as well.  This is all well and good, but will not the change in behavior be a natural result of true repentance?  Must we act as gate-keeper to the kingdom?

I love that Alma simply taught truth.  He had a LOT of it.  But like other prophets who see our day, they repeat that the bottom lines are very, very simple.  Faith on his name.  Baptism unto repentance.  And if we're lucky, we learn some of the mysteries of the kingdom along the way. 

Faith, Healing, the Weak and the Meek

D&C 35:7-15:

"And it shall come to pass that there shall be a great work in the land, even among the Gentiles, for their folly and their abominations shall be made manifest in the eyes of all people."  

We are identified with the Gentiles.  (D&C 109.60)  We, meaning those receiving the revelations and commandments.  Our follies and abominations shall be made manifest.  What are they?  Does abominations mean sexual sin, or something more pervasive?  I believe it means our following after false gods, but I could be wrong.

"For I am God, and mine arm is not shortened; and I will show miracles, signs, and wonders, unto all those who believe on my name.  

(In the original writing of this revelation, the word "not" is not included.)  Do I believe enough to be shown miracles?  Signs?  Wonders?  Have I received miracles?  Have I received signs?  How about wonders?  I believe so.  I see signs in everything, from my kids bringing me inspired gifts, to messages in license plates, to flowers that seem to bloom just for my eyes.  Definitely wondrous!

"And whoso shall ask it in my name in faith, they shall cast out devils; they shall heal the sick; they shall cause the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak, and the lame to walk."

Hmmm.  Have I asked to cast out devils?  Yes.  Have I healed the sick with faith in Jesus' name?  I don't know.  I pray as I work on massage clients that their infirmities will be healed, but I honestly can't say for sure.  Have I asked to have blind receive their sight?  Deaf to hear?  Dumb to speak?  Lame to walk?

I only know one physically blind person.  I wonder if she has asked to be healed.  Years ago my mother was searching for healing, and went to some of the finest hospitals in the land.  I remember wondering why her Priesthood blessings didn't work enough, and why she had to become an inpatient in these various places.  (Interesting wordplay on "inpatient" vs "impatient".)  She was told her body would naturally regenerate from her condition, and after 7 years would be healed.  Why wait so long?  Where was her faith?  Isn't this promised in the scriptures?  Why could she not be healed???  Where are our miraculous healings?  Why are our hospitals full, and healthcare one of the biggest problems our nation faces?  Should we not be able to have adequate faith to heal by the thousands?

"And the time speedily cometh that great things are to be shown forth unto the children of men; But without faith shall not anything be shown forth except desolations upon Babylon, the same which has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."

Hugh Nibley openly describes Babylon as the marketplace.  It is mammon, finances, money, capitalism.  I was an avid capitalist for many years of my life.  I still believe in "free markets", however I also believe in the commands to have "no poor among us".  My blindness to my folly is being healed.

Without faith NOTHING shall be shown, except desolations upon the moneys of the world - the same which has made us drunk, essentially.  Or perhaps there is different meaning there.  All nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her (her meaning Babylon?) fornication.  Fornication is a big word, implying cheating, infidelity, disloyalty, sexual sin.  We have united ourselves, physically, sexually, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually to the false money gods, which is what we worship over the true principles revealed.

"And there are none that doeth good except those who are ready to receive the fulness of my gospel, which I have sent forth unto this generation."

Do I do good?  Am I ready to receive the fulness of Christ's gospel?  So what if the church as a whole may reject it, or not live up to its needs.  What about ME?  God has already declared that NONE doeth GOOD, except those who are ready.  Am I ready yet?  What hinders me from being ready?

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately that bemoan the current condition of the LDS church.  I get it.  I tend to get sucked into the cause, however it's time to stop bemoaning it, and start focusing on what needs to be done.  Stir the burnt milk off the bottom of the pot, and strain it out.  And if you can't strain it out, at least get it OUT of YOU!  What are changes that you and I can do to strain out the crap that's burnt on the bottom of our pans?
  

"Wherefore, I call upon the weak things of the world, those who are unlearned and despised, to thrash the nations by the power of my Spirit;" 

It's interesting – I can't hold a Bible-bash conversation to save my life.  I don't enjoy contention, so taking on any kind of scholar, even by commenting on blogs, is very intimidating to me.  I'll have all sorts of witty things rolling through my mind in response to other commentors, but rather than attempt to share my thoughts, I back off.  This is likely not me, even though I consider myself weak.

But thrash the nations?!  By the POWER of His Spirit?  Those are power packed words, especially when compiled with the weak things, the unlearned, the despised, and in essence, the cast aways.  What are we doing to clench onto the power of this electric, blinding-light, thing called "Spirit"?

"And their arm shall be my arm, and I will be their shield and their buckler; and I will gird up their loins, and they shall fight manfully for me; and their enemies shall be under their feet; and I will let fall the sword in their behalf, and by the fire of mine indignation will I preserve them." 

This past week I had opportunity to talk face to face with someone who represented someone I was once very intimidated by.  This might sound confusing, but in essence, I was bullied by someone who had an identical twin.  I've passed this twin multiple times over the past two years, nearly every time I would enter my children's school for some event.  Each time I avoided making eye contact, especially because I couldn't tell if this was the bully herself or the twin.  She made my life hell, in the sense that for a very long time, I was quite afraid to live and function in the school I attended.  I cowered.  And over two decades later, do I want to acknowledge her, especially if it's just her twin?

Something possessed me the other day to approach her in passing and ask if she was the twin.  She was; not the bully, thank you Jesus!  I wondered what in the world I had been afraid of.  I also wondered what I found so intimidating about her sister in the past.  I'm sure she could still be intimidating, but the respect, the worship, the beauty I used to see in her disappeared.  I felt as if all my prayers to overcome the baggage I carried from this person were being answered, and the fears released; as if my arm was his arm, He was my shield, and my buckler, should I have needed one.  My loins were girded up, and my "enemy" was under my feet.  He fought my battles, and I came out protected.  Even better yet, in her perfectly coiffed hair, I noticed split ends, and had to laugh inside.  If she ever reads this, I mean no offense.  There really was nothing wrong with her, but my fears were overcome and healed.  It's likely I'll never see her sister again either, and if I did, I honestly don't think I'll care.

"And the poor and the meek shall have the gospel preached unto them, and they shall be looking forth for the time of my coming, for it is nigh at hand –"

Who are the poor and the meek?  Poor in finances, or poor in spirit?  Or both?  Who are the meek?  What is meekness?  And what is the real gospel, which is preached to them?  What does it take to be meek?

A soft answer turneth away wrath.  The meek are those who see no need to fight.  They have no need to retaliate, nor to defend their good names.  They surely don't like injustice, but they deal with it and remain faithful.  I seek to be meek.  This is one of the greatest challenges that anyone can face.  Christ is meek, and here promises that those who are poor and meek shall have His gospel preached to them.  I wonder if He means a face to face visit there.  

Shake the Powers of Hell

In Alma 48:17, Mormon dictates something noteworthy to us, about the character of the head of the Nephite armies during one of the longest wars in the Book of Mormon record.  He says,

"Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men." 

I remember reading that verse as a teenager, and thinking, "Man, too bad he's not around now to date!"  The caliber of these men always stuck out to me as something incredibly special.  They were and still are my heroes.  

(photo source- "Come Forth", by Walter Rane)

 Mormon writes part of Moroni's epistle to Pahoran, and it further demonstrates his character.  

"Behold, I am Moroni, your chief captain.  I seek not for power, but to pull it down.  I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of our country.  And thus I close mine epistle." (Alma 60:36) 

Can you imagine if even the simplest of minds thought like this?  If everyone with a bright idea or invention sought not for power, but to glorify God by bringing their idea to fruition? 

I don't begrudge anyone who seeks wealth.  That's not where my mind was headed when I started this.  But to think that here, the leaders of these forces were more concerned with the well-being of their fellow men, rather than seeking power or honor.  Moroni wasn't writing Pahoran to get a pay raise.  Or to get a decent retirement.  He was seeking the basic necessities for those who were defending the freedoms of others.  Food.  Provisions.  Do we take care of those who defend our freedoms this way?  And do we rely solely on the government to take charge of these things?  Moroni took charge of rounding up men to arms.  He took care of insurgents, and didn't mess around.  He got things done. 

Interestingly, this reminds me of some of the political debate going on today, only those debates involve a whole lot of suspicion, corruption, and debt.  Wouldn't it be something, to have a leader that's completely trustable?  One who's not afraid to mention his belief in God?  To allow our military to take care of insurgents, without having to go through endless red tape and "code of conduct" policies that end up getting soldiers killed?  

Was there "separation of church and state" here?  Was Moroni worried about being politically correct?  Faith was not forced upon anyone in this time, but time and time again, the faith and trust these men and women put in God was given as the reason for their salvation from utter destruction.  Why is this such a hard message for people to grasp? 

I could go on and on.  Some people think these chapters are too tough to read through.  To me, they're too incredible not to.  Action packed and LOADED with application for our day.

~Jen:)

Moving Trees

Have you ever wondered what it'd be like to be able to tell a mountain to move, and it would?  I never thought about it much, besides the idea that it's referred to in the scriptures, and it seemed like a feat I would likely never achieve in this life.

But Jacob says it's possible.  And not only possible, he says that "we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea." (Jacob 4:6)  That doesn't mean that he could if he wanted to.  It means that he did, because he says "we truly can" (italics added).  As if it happened on more than one occasion.

(photo source)

What kinds of faith would you need to have, to move a tree like this, roots and all, by power-filled words?

What kinds of life changes would need to get you there?  Is it worth it?  Since it's possible, wouldn't it be worth it to try?  To investigate the possibility?

Pretty dang cool to me.  Thanks Brother Jacob.

~Jen;)
xoxo