Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Jesus Christ, Our Deliverer

I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity this year to study the Book of Mormon as I prepared to teach the lessons. I have many post-it notes in my scriptures with ideas and insights gained as I studied the material each week.

One of the themes that really stood out this year is Christ's role as not only the Savior, but also the Deliverer.

I am a big fan of goal-setting and motivational literature and sometimes fall into the trap of believing that if I put my mind to 'it' and work hard enough, I can get through whatever problems I face. But that doesn't always work. Sometimes in life we find ourselves in situations or face challenges that no amount of positive thinking can resolve on our own.

"...I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." (Ether 12:27)

Let me illustrate a spiritual principle with a temporal example. Contrast the bondage experiences between the people of King Limhi and the followers of Alma the Elder.

King Limhi was the righteous successor to his wicked father, King Noah. The Lamanites held the people in bondage and imposed a heavy tax on them. Limhi's people tried three times to free themselves with the sword, but were unsuccessful. After their third attempt, "they did humble themselves even to the dust... even in the depths of humility and did cry mightily to God; yea even all the day long did they cry unto their God that he would deliver them out of their afflictions." (Mosiah 21:13-14). The Lord prospered them "by degrees" (Mosiah 21:16) until finally making it possible for them to escape.

Alma the Elder was a priest of King Noah who believed the words of the prophet Abinadi at the risk of his own life. Alma and his group of converts eventually flee into the wilderness after "having been warned of the Lord that the armies of king Noah would come upon them" (Mosiah 23:1). Eventually they find themselves in bondage to the Lamanites as well. Alma and his people immediately turn to the Lord for deliverance and are given the strength to "bear up their burdens with ease" (Mosiah 24:15) until the time they were delivered.

I think it is safe to say that we will all be required to experience hardships and trials that we will be unable to overcome on our own.

As a side-note, I find it curiously interesting how many people blame God for what they feel are unjust circumstances in their lives when everyone will have to experience their own custom-made tests. It would only be unfair if someone were made exempt from the testing process. The actual tests may differ, but I believe the degree and intensity will be the same for all.

Anyhow, we can choose to try finding the way out on our own, as did Limhi's people. We can charge repeatedly against a problem or situation, only to get beaten back repeatedly. Or we can skip that part as did Alma and his followers and move straight to the submissive, willing obedience and rely upon God for strength. Notice, He did not immediately remove the burdens, but gave them strength to bear their trials before eventually delivering them. When we are faced with the trials and tests, can we "submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord"? (Mosiah 24:15)

Trials and hardships are inevitable. Jobs will be lost, loved ones will at some point leave this life and sometimes violently or unexpectedly, illnesses and injuries will come and go. We can either "curse God, and die" (Job 2:9), or "look to God and live" (Alma 37:47). One of the recurring themes in the Book of Mormon is that deliverance comes only through willing and faithful submission to Christ.

"...behold I say unto you, that as these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved." (2 Nephi 25:20)

Saturday, December 6, 2008

"What will ye that I should do...?"

I think the experience of the brother of Jared in Ether 2 & 3 is one of the greatest examples of problem solving we can find in the scriptures. He had just completed the construction of eight barges "according to the instructions of the Lord" (Ether 2:16) and now had three problems to take to the Lord (Ether 2:19).

1. There is no light.
2. How will we steer?
3. We won't be able to breathe.

Notice the Lord's answers. In verse 20, He instructs TBOJ to make a hole in the top and bottom of each vessel. When they need air, they simply unplug the top hole (I find it very amusing that he was told to plug it again if water started coming in). I assume they knew what to do with the hole in the bottom, because it isn't explained. Problem #3 solved, they now have a way to get air.

In verse 24, the Lord explains that the barges will be driven as a "whale in the midst of the sea". Problem #2 solved, the Lord will be doing the steering.

Which brings us back to problem #1; what do we do about getting light into the barges? The Lord asks him, "What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?" (vs. 23). Having light was obviously a worthy objective, the Lord didn't say they had to go in the dark. He had already shown TBOJ how the other two problems would be resolved, but now He asks for his input. He instructs TBOJ that they can't have windows because they'd get broken, and they can't use fire. So the only two man-made sources of light available had just been ruled out.

So, what did he do? He went to a mountain known for its "exceeding height" (Ether 3:1) and moltened out 16 small, clear stones and carried them to the top of the mountain before asking the Lord to touch them. He reasoned that if the Lord touched the stones, "they [would] shine forth... in the vessels... that we may have light" (Ether 3:5). TBOJ's faith is so strong, he is permitted to see Christ's finger as He touches the stones. The vision that follows is a topic for another discussion. I want to focus on the decision-making process at work here and what we can apply to our own lives.

1. TBOJ had questions and discussed them with the Lord in prayer. How many of our concerns and problems would be resolved if we would first pray about them?

2. Realize that the answer isn't always going to be handed to us. It is interesting to me that God answered the last two problems, but not the first. He could very well have asked, "What do you think you should do in order to get air inside the vessels?" Elder Richard G. Scott taught in October 1989 General Conference:

"When we explain a problem and a proposed solution, sometimes He answers yes, sometimes no. Often He withholds an answer, not for lack of concern, but because He loves us—perfectly. He wants us to apply truths He has given us. For us to grow, we need to trust our ability to make correct decisions. We need to do what we feel is right. In time, He will answer. He will not fail us."

As He did with TBOJ, the Lord gives us clear guidelines which we can use to form our decisions. He tells us what is and isn't acceptable (ie. 'you can't use windows or fire') and leaves us to our agency. What would TBOJ have missed if the Lord had just handed him 16 glowing rocks? What would we have missed?

3. Go to the "mountain of the Lord" (Isaiah 2:3) when you need divine direction. TBOJ went to the top of an exceedingly high mountain to talk with the Lord and receive needed assistance. The temple is a house of learning where the Holy Ghost can be poured out more abundantly. To make things even more interesting, TBOJ took the stones he obtained at the base of the mountain with him to the top of the mountain.

What if you can't go to the temple? We have been taught that our homes should be second only to the temple in holiness.

"In addition to temples, surely another holy place on earth ought to be our homes. The feelings of holiness in my home prepared me for feelings of holiness in the temple." (Elder James E. Faust, “Standing in Holy Places,” Ensign, May 2005, 62)

So, this scriptural experience gives us keys to handling decisions in our own lives; pray, put in your own effort, and go to the temple.