How can we know the way?

“Thomas said unto him, Lord we know not whither thou goest, and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.” (John 14: 5-7)

John is the book of love. It is so wonderful the way he writes of the Lord and I especially love this scripture mastery quote. Jesus is the way, he brought us truth and through his life here on the earth, his atonement, death and resurrection we can have life hereafter and forever in the royal courts on high. How is it Thomas you don’t know this. You know me, then you also know my Father. He sent me. We have the same purpose, the same goal, the same desire for those that love us.        

Christ atoned for everyone's sins.

Owe no one “anything, but to love one another. For he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8) It actually says, “Owe no man.” At one time that we understood that the word man meant mankind, but we have become so gender phobic that the word man has become bad so I changed it. The word love has also become polluted and come to mean so many different things.

We are told to love one another as we love ourselves. The problem with that is that sometimes we don’t love ourselves, or maybe we love ourselves too much. As a parent I thought I loved my children enough I would give my life for them. What I meant by that was that if we were being held hostage and only one of us would be set free I would be the one to stay. It did not mean that I would do everything for my children so that they never learned responsibility, or that I would accept their punishment either for them or from them, or any of that dysfunctional stuff.

Loving my husband did not mean that I would accept guilt for things he did, or allow him to treat me as if I was not as good as he was, or any of that other dysfunctional stuff. I accepted him as he was faults and all. I was equal to him. I never felt that as a woman or as his mate that I was lower than him. He had his strengths and weakness and I had mine. I respected his role and talents; and he respected mine.  

Christ atoned for everyone’s sins. I don’t need to be a martyr.   

As I write this I realize that despite the abuse I received as a child I had one functional parent who taught me that I had worth, who respected me enough to give me responsibilities, and held me accountable for my actions. Above all he taught me to forgive and love my enemy even if it was from a distance. I did not accept her abuse as personal. It had nothing to do with me or my behavior. It was totally random and came from somewhere inside of her because of her childhood abuse.

I am so grateful functional parent taught me unconditional love.

When we lose contact with the Lord...

Awhile back in my post I made the statement that God does not punish us. We punish ourselves by our disobedience. When we are neglectful of reading the scriptures, praying, and staying close to the Holy Spirit our blessings dwindle and gradually we lose contact with the Lord and his heavenly host. Unless someone else is praying for us and keeping us fresh in God’s memory, when the storms of life hit us we start to sink, because “It is by the prayers of the righteous that we are spared,” (Alma 10:23) So unless grandma or our children are remembering us in their prayers we could completely get lost in the wilderness of life. We need to pray for ourselves and each other lest one of us slips.  

Despite all the safety net of family, and friends if we slip into wickedness it is not God that punishes us. “But behold, the judgments of God will overtake the wicked: and it is by the wicked that the wicked are punished. For it is the wicked that stir up the hearts of the children of men…”  (Mormon 4:5) If you think about this you know that it is true. A loving God could not be responsible for all the wickedness that happens. He cries over us and weeps for us to come back. Only when we have reached the point of no return does he send a flood that covers the earth or fire from heaven.   

That all of us might be brought into the presence of the Lord.

When Samuel the Lamanite came preaching among the Nephites he prophesied of the birth of the Messiah who would be born (back home in Jerusalem) he not only gave signs of his birth but of his death. The sign of his birth would be light a day and a night and a day. The sign if his death would be of darkness for the space of three days. There would also be a great tempest, the earth would shake, and mountains would be made low.  

Samuel said that Christ came that he must die that Salvation might come.  “He dieth that he might bring to pass the resurrection of the dead that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord.”(Helaman14:15) That statement is profound. In his intercessory prayer Christ said. “And this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”  (John 17:3)  

Christ came as the Messiah to save us and make it possible for us to return home to heaven. There is no way that we can get there under our own power. The way is made clear. We must believe and enter into the gates of Baptism but that is not all… we must endure to the end.

Whenever I am asked to give a talk on baptism I make up a big poster. The front of the poster is covered half way with a gate. Behind the gate you can see Christ. I ask the individual to open the gate (for no man, woman or child of age will be forced to heaven) The gate is opened with belief in Christ. Once the gate is opened one can see the straight and narrow path the scriptures talk about. I used to draw thorn bushes hanging over the path but now I put in a dragon with fire and smoke all around but not on the path.  The way is not easy. We need the Lord every step of the way but if we keep our eye single to the Glory of God, and follow Christ we will have life eternal.

Those two scriptures are the essence of the Gospel.  Through the birth, atonement, death and resurrection of Christ we might know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he sent.  

Follow the Son with full purpose of heart

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism – yea by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost.” (2Nephi 31:13)

This is one of those scriptures that I have little to say about. It is so clear and says it completely --  with full purpose of heart acting no hypocrisy and no deception…with real intent, repenting, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ. Having done this then following through with baptism showing that you are willing to make a public statement of what you believe – walk the talk so to speak and make a commitment.  When you are ready then ye shall receive the Holy Spirit which shall be a guide, a comforter and teacher to you. (see John 14:16- 26)

What a sweet promise.

knowledge of a Savior shall spread

“…the time shall come when the knowledge of a Savior shall spread throughout every nation kindred tongue and people. And behold when that time cometh none shall be found blameless before God except it be little children…”  (Mosiah 3:20-21)

I don’t know if that time has come yet when the knowledge of a Savior has spread, but if not it is closer than it has ever been before with cell phones and social media available to most of the world. This is both a blessing and a curse, because God will force none of us to heaven. Having heard the good news we must decide what to do about it… unless we are (as) little children.

Some among us are little children in adult bodies due to mental illness or early childhood trauma, and though their actions may be destructive I know the Lord loves them even as he loves his most faithful. Someone said that trauma is like the bruises on a banana. It is hidden under the skin where it is not apparent. I think we all have those bruises - fears and phobias to add to our weaknesses that are hurdles to living the gospel. I do not offer this as an excuse but to say judge not. Just because we embrace a certain principal wholeheartedly does not mean that it is easy for our neighbor to make that same commitment with the same enthusiasm. Likewise it does not mean that whatever is difficult for either our neighbor or ourselves is not impossible.