Qualifying the Called

In our discussion on the teachings and doctrines of the Book of Mormon this week, we discussed an interesting feature to thew writings of Jacob that I had never noticed before.  We noted that Jacob had some rather large shoes left to fill after his brother Nephi passed away.  The spiritual and physical leader and protector of the Nephite people, that had led them safely to the Promised Land, was no more with them.  When Nephi passed away it was truly an end to an era.

But in our class we discussed how this opened the doors to an indirectly taught doctrine of the Book of Mormon that gives us a glimpse into how our Father in Heaven works with his children.  Nephi was a bold teacher of spiritual truths.  As recorded in 1 Nephi 16, Nephi "had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth" when teaching his brothers about the vision of the Tree of Life.  Nephi did not mince words or beat around the bush but would cut straight to the heart of the subject, and the hearer, so that the process of spiritual healing could start sooner.

But it is interesting to note that with Jacob, who in calling his people to repentance was just as capable of teaching hard doctrine, took twelve verses as a prelude to his powerful sermon.  Jacob forthrightly told his people that "it grieveth my soul and causeth me to shrink with shame before the presence of my Maker, that I must testify unto you concerning the wickedness of your hearts" (Jacob 2:6).  Jacob was naturally reluctant to have to speak to his people concerning such hard topics as the love of riches and the practice of having multiple wives and concubines.

But Jacob shows his true colors in verse ten when he states to his people that "notwithstanding the greatness of the task, I must do according to the strict commands of God, and tell you concerning your wickedness and abominations".  Jacob knew that something had to be done, and doctrines needed to be taught to his people.  He also knew that it wasn't just a man-given responsibility, but it was a commandment from God that had been given to him.

In this weeks class I learned how God is able to work with us and our varied personalities to the benefit of his children.  God has called many prophets throughout time and they have all been different people in their likes, dislikes, and interests.  But they all had the God-given capacity to be able to complete what tasks were given them, notwithstanding the greatest of the tasks.  And this qualifying to their callings is something that we can experience throughout our lives as we strive to simply do the will of God.  No matter our calling, experience, or personality, God is able to work with us to accomplish his designs.

Isaiah and Zenos

This week in our Book of Mormon class we began our discussion on Isaiah's writings by examining a unique and beautiful aspect of this Prophet-poet's words.  This aspect was one of timelessness.  The words of Isaiah can be looked at as prophecy for his own day, Christ's time, or these last days, and will remain true under all three points of view.  For one passage that we touched on briefly in class I found added beauty by comparing the words from Isaiah 5 (or 2nd Nephi 15) and the words from Zenos in Jacob 5.  Of all the comparisons to make in these chapters my favorite is as follows:

What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it? (2 Nephi 15:4)

But what could I have done more in my vineyard? Have I slackened mine hand, that I have not nourished it? (Jacob 5:47)

 The Lord poses the powerful rhetorical question to the house of Israel (2 Nephi 15:3, Jacob 5:1) with the implied answer that the Lord, in all situations, does all that he can for his covenant people.  The Lord doesn't slacken his hand or withhold his graces from any.  After our discussion on the timelessness of Isaiah I found it beautiful and comforting to find such a passage in the writings of Isaiah.  The Lord won't just do everything in his power in Isaiah's day, or in Christ's day, but is just as willing to aid us in our own lives and in our modern-day struggles.  There are many things to be learned from Isaiah, and I feel I've merely scraped the surface of the meanings of some of his passages.  But as I've delved into his words I've found great, yet simple, treasures of knowledge and understanding about how God worked anciently, and how I can look for God to work in my life today. 

Isaiah's Importance

For many within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a strange relationship exists between the reader of scripture and the writings of the ancient Hebrew-poet Isaiah.  Members of the church understand that Isaiah's writings are important; Christ himself approves the writings of Isaiah.  Of the prophets in the Book of Mormon, none treasure or desire to share the words of Isaiah more than Nephi, son of Lehi.

Nephi truly was an inspired man that understood the importance of the scriptures, and knew Isaiah's important prophesies about the Savior of the world.  While teaching his brothers about Christ, Nephi chose, out of all the scripture at his disposal, to teach from the writings of Isaiah.  He did this "that [he] might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer".  To Nephi we can learn that Isaiah's writings have the ability to help us believe in Christ and build our faith in him.  It is clear that the writings of Isaiah strengthened Nephi's testimony, for later in his record he states emphatically that "[Isaiah] verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him."

Nephi, in continuing to talk about the coming of Christ says that he now writes "some of the words of Isaiah, that whoso of my people shall see these words may lift up their hearts and rejoice for all men. Now these are the words, and ye may liken them unto you and unto all men."  The key phrase is to liken.  The words of Isaiah must be experienced, not merely read.  That is Nephi's exhortation to us, to come unto Christ by reading, applying, and then teaching the words of Isaiah.  Nephi, and his great faith, came by this method and it will work in our lives just as it worked in his.

Nephi's Lamentation

Of all the purposes in the Book of Mormon, the first and foremost is to be able to come unto Christ and be made perfect in him that we might be able to live in the presence of God again some day.  This means that of the teachings and doctrines in the Book of Mormon grace and the atoning power of Christ is taught foremost by its principle authors.  One of the greatest testimonies of Christ and his atoning power comes from 2nd Nephi chapter 4.  Nephi, in verse 18, laments his own mortal frailties by exclaiming:

I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.

Nephi understands mortal temptations and hardships.  The stories of 1st and 2nd Nephi are clear testimonies of that fact.  But after his exclamation of weakness and temptation, he turns the coin over in verse 20 and looks at all of his experiences through the lenses of Christ and his atonement by stating:

 My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.

Weakness and temptation has the power to tear us down if we turn from God, but it provides an opportunity to rise and strengthen our faith if we turn towards Christ.  This process of being supported by God is a slow and steady process of building us and molding us into the people that God has in mind for us.  Nephi, through his reliance on God, became a spiritual rock for his family in the face of adversity; while Laman and Lemuel became spiritually frail and broken.  I know that through Christ, we can be strong and stable even when we are encompassed about by the woes of the world.

Life-Changing Study

Hello All!

This week my desire for this post is to combine modern and ancient scripture.  There have been two main things that I have spent time studying this week.  One, a vision recorded by Lehi in the Book of Mormon; and the other, a worldwide devotional given by President Russell M. Nelson to the Young Single Adults of the world.  I found a message that was both insightful and beneficial in both accounts.  But I wish to begin by sharing a short quote from the worldwide devotional and then tying it to the events of Lehi and his family surrounding his incredible vision.  The quote it as follows:

"Now, if you are serious about rising up as a true millennial, I urge you to study the lives and teachings of these 16 prophets of God. That study will change your life."

 President Nelson, following this recommendation continues to talk about principles that he has learned from various prophets of these latter-days.  But I love the principle and the promise that he teaches here: that if we study the lives and the teachings of the men and women that are chosen of God to lead and guide us, we will experience mighty changes in our lives that will mold us into the people that God wants us to become.  This is an eternal principle that I noticed as well in my study of Lehi's vision, and specifically the events surrounding it.

Long before the birth of Christ prophets knew of him, his life, and his sacred mission to save mankind.  One such prophet, that I mentioned previously, was Lehi, who lived 600 years before the birth of Christ.  Lehi, after taking his family into the wilderness at the command of the Lord, is granted a vision of the Tree of Life.  In this vision he saw multitudes of people, including members of his own family, make choices that either gave them greater light and knowledge or lead them into mists of darkness and forbidden paths.  Lehi's vision took place in a dream and, as all dreams have the tendency of being, was difficult to convey to others.  This is evident by Nephi's desire to understand and see what his father saw.  He didn't comprehend fully from another's experience the magnitude of the vision; so he sought to learn and experience for himself.  We read about his experience in 1 Nephi 11:1

"For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot."

 Nephi pondered and applied the teachings of his father, and by so doing gained great treasures of knowledge and understandings about the Savior and himself.  We can gain that same understanding about the Savior and our own lives as we study.  But that study isn't limited to ancient scriptures.  President Nelson promises us those same blessings and the same life changing knowledge of who the Savior is as we learn of the modern prophets and apostles that the Lord has chosen in these last days. 

Keep My Commandments

Hello all!

As part of a class I'm taking at BYU I have the wonderful opportunity to continue posting my musings and thoughts upon various gospel topics; all centered on the Book of Mormon.  This means a fresh start to my Book of Mormon study for a fresh new year.

I was pleased to read through what is quite possibly the best known part of the Book of Mormon: the first few chapters.  The stories and the doctrines taught here are a wonderful preface to the rest of the record.  Nephi, the principle author, covers things such as the birth, ministry, and death of the Messiah, the blessings of the righteous, warnings to those falling into the mists of darkness, and the eternal principles upon which our salvation is dependent.  There are many great and wonderful things taught in the first few chapters of the Book of Mormon.  But one that stood out to me was a single word in a common phrase of scripture found in 1 Nephi 2:22 which reads:

"And inasmuch as thou shalt keep my commandments, thou shalt be made a ruler and a teacher over thy brethren."

 The Lord is speaking to Nephi and providing him with some wonderful counsel.  As a part of this counsel the Lord says to Nephi "keep my commandments".  And upon this reading I noticed that the Lord didn't simply say "keep the commandments".  I think in the previous readings I mentally substituted the word 'my' for the word 'the', and thereby missed a great spiritual truth.  There were a great deal of things that Nephi was commanded to do that I personally haven't been commanded to do.  And likewise, there are many things that God has prompted me to do that Nephi never had to worry about.

There are "The Commandments" that are given generally to humanity.  But there are the smaller commands that the Lord gives personally that are just as important to keep.  We need to be earnestly seeking and looking for these personal commandments, for indeed they are the key to personal growth.  The Lord has set a standard in the church, but that standard is not exaltation.  When we live that standard, as best as we are able to in our mortal existence, we should be searching to be better, to do better, and to aspire to a more holy way of life.  And as has been promised repeatedly in the scriptures, those who seek shall find. God has wonderful things in store for us, and growth experienced in keeping "The Commandments" is just the beginning of the wonderful path to a life like our Heavenly Father's. 

That's how the light gets in

Hello Everyone!

I'd like to begin this last post with an accurate, albeit slightly macabre, quote by Samuel Johnson:

“When a man knows he is to be hanged...it concentrates his mind wonderfully.”

Such is the state of mind of a missionary in the single-digit countdown to release.  My mind over the past few days has been a melding pot of thoughts of the past two years.  Unsurprisingly I can't remember much from the future, so my mind has reverted to what it knows.  I've thought much about the past two years; how different life has been, and yet how normal it all feels.  I'm amazed at how much time my mind finds to think.  It seems like every waking minute is occupied with some thought or another.  Gone are the times of thoughtlessly brushing my teeth or mindlessly tying my shoes.  My brain has taken these times of mundane activity as a perfect opportunity to wonder at the past, present, and future.  

With all of this extra time to think, which before now I didn't think existed, my mind has been flooded with a myriad of thoughts.  From the positive and hilarious to the melancholy and downcast my mind is enjoying the reruns of the past two years spent in New York.  And the underlying theme of all these musings is the powerful and resounding question of "Why?"

My mind has been concentrated on this paralyzing single-word query for a few days now.  Even with the simplest of actions I wonder the reasons why I act or remain inactive.  Why do I have this tie on?  Why don't I polish my shoes anymore?  Why are there these dark marks under my eyes?  Why is my trusty sidebag's color resembling more and more dry grass on a summer day instead of its original evergreen?  

Do you ever do that, just question everything?  I know mine does.  My mind does that a lot.  Too much sometimes I feel.  The problem being that when you question everything in this manner it is far too easy to slip down the slippery slope of negativity and land yourself right in the middle of a pile of despair.  Life's not so fun when you're surrounded by the constant feelings of falling short and mediocrity.  Such is the place I found myself in as my mind was concentrated by my impending release from full-time missionary service.  It's not uncommon, I'd actually err on the opinion that most missionaries feel similar to this to some degree or another.  

But it was a state of mind like this that led me to be sitting alone on our doorstep in a state of not-quite abject terror.  I decided to make a call to a dear friend that I met well over a year ago and just talk.  I spoke on the phone with this friend for quite some time.  Nothing they said particularly hit home or was a major revelation.  We reminisced a little bit and talked about the future.  Sometimes we need a soundboard, someone to just talk to.  It wasn't anything of this conversation that stuck out to me, but the calm that it brought to me.  An agitated mind is like trying to see the bottom of an ocean from the surface on a choppy day.  We get glimpses for a moment, but then a wave enters into view and we lose sight of what we need.  When my mind was calm like glass I was finally able to understand and perceive a message that I had been taught long ago in the form of a rhyme:

Ring the bells that still can ring,

forget your perfect offering.

There's a crack in everything,

that's how the light gets in.  

Now I know that this is a line from Leonard Cohen's song 'Anthem'.  But when my mind was calm this thought entered in a way that was as subtle as it was overpowering.  Like the deafening volume of silence, this answer came in the calm of my mind to remind me of a central principle that guides mortality.  

It's not our position to worry about the grand scheme of things.  That's God's position, he is the author of this probationary state.  We can run around ringing all of the bells that we can, but all that we can do is still imperfect.  But in those moments of imperfection perfection is put into perspective.  When we fall short, the Lord's redeeming and enabling grace is brought into perspective and is showcased in its beauty.  

At this closing portion of my mission I can see, clearer now than ever before, the light that has shone through the cracks.  I'm better able to see the Lord's guiding hand in this work in hindsight than I've been able to see it in the moment.  I've been ringing the bells that I can ring, knowing that it's an imperfect offering.  But the Savior, in his love, cares more about our direction of travel than our speed.  I'm amazed at the things I've seen on my mission, and I wonder at the experiences that I have had over the past two years.  

I know this work is true, and that God is the author of it.  As I gaze back, gleaning great understandings at the purposes behind my actions, I can see now the light coming through the cracks; I see the Savior's grace shining through my imperfections.  

I hope you all have a wonderful week, I know I will!

Elder John Gailey