Christ as the Exemplar

He said unto them, whosoever will come after me let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. Mark 8:34 “Let him deny himself.” I think we have to be sure that our manner of deny ourselves is in accordance with God’s will.

 I remember before my husband died I prayed for years for him to get better. I know now that there were several reasons Heavenly Father could not answer that prayer, but in desperation I started fasting for him daily. I would fast for twenty-four hours eat one meal then begin a fast for another twenty-four hours. My denying myself did not help me, nor my husband, nor did it do anything to further the cause of Christ.  That did not last long, because I could see that it was ruining my health and stopped.

Let him deny himself, is part of the sentence that says in my words, Don’t worry so much about what you think you should do or what the world wants you to do, but be more concerned about Heavenly Father’s plan for you. 

Christ as our example

I want to explorer Christ as an exemplar, or how might we follow his example.  

In the book of Matthew chapter four it tells how Christ fasts forty days and is tempted then he begins his ministry. Verse sixteen states, “The people which sat in darkness saw great light: and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” Christ brought great light those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death. The example here is that if we live our lives the way we should we also may be filled with light and bring light to those who sit in darkness in the shadow of death.

“ From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren … And he said unto them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” We know that he gathered around him twelve disciples. The word disciple means followers and it was not unusual in that time or this for people to follow certain disciplines or teachings. We have today, weight watchers, Yoga, all kinds of groups or disciplines we follow.   But Christ was doing something more in gathering the twelve. He was setting up his church—organizing it.  In 1 Corinthians 4:40 Paul advised the church to let all things be done decently and in order. In the creation of the earth things were done in order. Things were organized in an orderly manner. “The earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep … And God said, let there be light; and there was light.” Then he divided the light from the darkness. In other words he moved the earth in rotation around a sun so that there would be so many hours of light or darkness on all sides. With sunlight on the earth  plants could grow, and animals could live. Where did he get the seeds for the plants? I don’t know maybe he brought them from other planets. Maybe he brought the dinosaurs so we could have fossil fuel, I don’t know. All I know is that God created the heaven and the earth and that he did it by bringing order to what already existed.

If we are to be Christ-like then I suggest we need order. Not neat freak kind of order but sensible and as Paul said let all things be done decently and in order.          

For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being;but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity. (Moroni 8:18)

For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being;but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity. (Moroni 8:18)

"I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts..."

The Spirit of Christ is given to every man that he may know good from evil. (Moroni 7:16) I used to forgive others who messed up really bad by saying, "Well, they didn't know any better. They are not member of a church, they don't know Christ." Apparently that is not true. Even if they do not have or believe the Book of Mormon, the Bible states in Hebrews 8:10 "I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts..." So we are all held accountable to the same standard.

a man being a servant of the devil cannot follow Christ; and if he follow Christ he cannot be servant of the devil "

"For behold a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water; neither can a good fountain bring forth bitter water; wherefore, a man being a servant of the devil cannot follow Christ; and if he follow Christ he cannot be servant of the devil " Moroni 7:11 So when you go to the Seven Eleven be sure to choose the good fountain.  Sorry, I couldn't resist, but it will help me remember where this verse is.
So when I get angry and yell at my best friend, I have chosen the bitter water and I am not following Christ. I feel so remorseful that sorry hardly applies. When will I learn to curb my anger?

bear with patience thine afflictions and I will give unto you success. Alma 26:27

Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold , the Lord comforted us, and said ...bear with patience thine afflictions and I will give unto you success. Alma 26:27

“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.”

There is a legal definition of abuse. I have never felt it to be specific enough and I would expect the law to solid and specific. As a result of that I came up with a layman’s definition of abuse that works well for me.  Abuse is good things gone wrong. It goes back to Isaiah 5:20 and 2 Nephi 15:20 “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.”  

In my novel the antagonist having been abuse as a child knows nothing of pleasure from good. He has only experienced pleasure from evil, from hidden things in the dark, sweetness that turns bitter the morning after. Although he marries a good woman, gives up drinking and carousing, evil finds him and reawakens those hidden pleasures of the darkness. If we would judge this individual where would it start? Most certainly when the light exposes his dark deeds the law find him guilty. But didn’t it really begin with him being abuse and his abuser being abused and so on. It did, but the law cannot punish those who are dead. That is left for God and their own conscience.

All though the book is a fictionalize story of real events. This morning I concluded that the unrest and stress I have been feeling lately is because of trapped emotions from abuse nowhere near as heinous as those in my novel. I’m talking about the everyday stuff we do like neglecting to smile, or pay attention to, children or spouses in particular, who depends on us for their feelings of well being. In my case I have been chastised for my religious beliefs. While I have every confidence that God lives and the Scriptures are true a certain individual feels judged. I have found myself going out of my way to avoid this individual because he blames his fear of the truth on me.

God will force no man to heaven. That is what agency, a principal I truly love and adhere to, is all about. I have no desire to corner, trap or force my beliefs on this individual in any way shape or form. He must come to the knowledge of the truth in his own time, in his own way if he comes at all.  That is his problem and I accept it. However, what he believes does not change my opinion of his talents, creativity, or worth as a human being. I in fact admire and appreciate him a great deal and that is a good thing pure and simple. Unfortunately, due to some negative experiences from other church members he fears me. No matter what I do he sees good as evil and evil as good and it makes me feel bad that he feels that way. That is where the abuse comes in. He feels that I am abusing him and as a result I have been fighting the good feelings I have for him. I can’t believe I have been so stupid, but it has all been subconscious. This morning me and my conscious and my subconscious had a long talk and both of us feel much better.

I could put in a plug for the book I think it’s called The Body Code. Have a long talk with yourself or find out more by checking out my friend Patty Butts site www.wholesomejunction.com 

"And he shall come into the world to redeem his people; and he shall take upon him the transgressions of those who believe on his name; and these are those who believe on his name; and these are they that shall have eternal life, and salvation cometh to none else. Therefore the wicked remains as though there had been no redemption made, except it be the loosing of the bands of death ' for behold the day cometh when all shall rise from the dead; and stand before God and be judged according to their works." Alma 11:40-41

One can deny there is a God or a devil. They can live their lives in loneliness and fear never knowing the love and condensation of God or the joy of repentance through the atonement of Jesus Christ. And yet that day will come when they will face death and reality and stand before God and be judged according to their works. Believing is not necessarily truth.  

And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus

Chapter 12 of Ether is all about faith. The very last verse after all is said and done is "And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written,that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever. Amen Ether 12:41
I like that he says I would commend you. Like he's saying I recommend, I invite, or I encourage you to seek this Jesus because God will force no man to Heaven. You must come on your own because you want to not because you have to, not even out of fear of going to the ever lasting gulf of misery. You do it out of faith - that tiny grain of faith.  Read the scriptures because you want to learn, because they enlighten your mind, and expand your knowledge, because you want to know more. Be obedient because you want to, out of that  tiny grain of faith not because it is expected, not because you are told to do it, but  because it is the desire of your heart.  "For behold if a man ... giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly; wherefore it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift." Moroni7:8        

Ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.Ether 12: 6

Faith is things which are hoped for and not seen: wherefore dispute not because ye see not, for Y For it was by faith that Christ showed himself unto our fathers after he had risen from the dead: and he showed not himself unto them until after they had faith in him: wherefore, it must needs be that some had faith in him, for he showed himself not unto the world. Ether 12:6-7" Remember in the Bible where Christ would heal someone?  Sometimes he would say, go and tell others what has been done. Other times he would say, tell no man. Was it then because of the unbelief and lack of faith of that person's friends? If someone had the faith to be healed and they told a non believer they would be laughed at and scorned. Would not the person being healed begin to doubt. Not always but the Lord would know.
I have seen it happen where a person has been healed and then begin to doubt and the problem returned. Of course if the person did not have sufficient faith to endure Satan would then say, you were not really healed at all were you? It would be worse than if they were never healed at all.

Behold this is a choice land and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven if they will but serve the God of the land who is Jesus Christ. Ether 2:12

Go to work and build …”

Jared and his brethren dwelt in a tent on the seashore for four years. At the end of that time the Lord came and stood in a cloud and chastened the brother of Jared for the space of three hours because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord. The Lord said unto him, “I will forgive thee and thy brethren of their sin, but thou shalt not sin any more, for ye shall remember that my Spirit will not always strive with man.” And then the Lord said, “Go to work and build …” Ether 2:14-16 

My interpretation is that for four years Jared and his brethren camped out on the seashore and forgot how they got there and why they were there.  They got busy with life. We all do that while life goes on and before you know it four years, ten years, or more has gone by and those promises you, I mean I made when I was sick, or otherwise in despair, on my knees, at baptism, or in the temple you (I mean I)  prayed help me out of this and I will …

If we are lucky. …  If there is someone on the other side, or on this side who will comfort us, and pray for us and then chasten us (I mean me) for three hours until we arouse and open our spiritual eyes we will go to work and build. … Perhaps, we will have the perfect humble faith the brother of Jared and will see the Lord.  But If we never obtain that blessing, but we try we will still be better off at the day of judgment than we were. Unless we fall back into our old ways.... and the Spirit no longer will strive with me.  

it was fear that kept me in Satan's clutches throughout my years of abuse.

"Once I moved beyond the darkness into the light, it became obvious to me that it was fear that kept me in Satan's clutches throughout my years of abuse." This is a quote from the book Beyond the Darkness --my near-death journey to the edge of Hell and back. by Angie Fenimore.
When I saw the title I was interested,  so I bought the book. When I first tried to read it I could not relate.Then one day a friend pulled it off my shelf and left it on the table. I'd grown some-- more secure-- stronger -- and wiser. I decided to read it again. It was wonderful. As I write my novel I see that it is fear that keeps Reenie trapped. It is fear that keep us all trapped. We fear we will fail, we aren't good enough, and on and on. It isn't so. Let fear go. Forgive.  

Reading Mormon's lamenting on the remains of the house of Israel in America (the Nephites and Lamanites) He says and behold the Lord hath reserved their blessings, which they might have received in the land for the Gentiles who shall possess the land. With out pointing any fingers especially the ones pointed back at me what are we the Gentiles doing with our blessings?

He maketh his sun to shine on the evil and on the good. 3 Nephi 12:45. and this morning it snowed on the wicked and on the good in higher elevations

Some things come to all of us regardless of what we do. All that is required of us then is to be grateful for whatever comes and make the best of it.