Feasting on Intellectual “Mammon” Vs Feasting on the Words of Christ

Posted on by Jared

Regarding revealed knowledge the Lord said:

As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course, or to turn it up stream, as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints( D&C 121:33).

That’s powerful. However, not all revealed knowledge is of equal value! Some knowledge is more valuable because it is knowledge that “saves”. The Book of Mormon contains knowledge that when properly applied opens up the heavens and allows us to be recipients of the things of the Spirit.

For example, Nephi teaches the Doctrine of Christ in just nine verses (2 Nephi 31:13-21). If we’re interested in being true followers of Christ these nine verses have the potential to open the path to our exaltation should if we focus our attention and faith thereon.

As I’ve mingled with church members for the last fifty plus years, one of the great ironies I’ve encountered is that some of the most capable thinkers I’ve known were focused on knowledge that doesn’t save.

As I gotten better acquainted with these wonderful saints, by their own admission, the Holy Ghost is scarcely evident in their lives. They live good lives, are active in the church, know a lot about the Master, but don’t know Him for a very good reason—He is not at the center of the thoughts and intents of their hearts.

It seems odd that members who are active in the church can fix their focus on the “gospel” in a way that stymies their Spiritual progress and denies them the companionship of the Holy Ghost and the gifts of the Spirit.

I hope each of us will assess where our focus is, if we find we’re feasting on “intellectual mammon” instead of the words of Christ, which we’re counseled to feast on, I hope we will repent.

At this point, some of those reading this post will think I am referring to the lack of gospel study. This certainly would be a problem, but the main point I am trying to make is that even those who study the “gospel” on a daily basis can end up feasting on” intellectual mammon”.

Feasting on the Words of Christ vs. Feasting on Intellectual Mammon

If you’re asking yourself what does he mean by “intellectual mammon” then I’d better give a definition to this term. A basic definition of mammon is money, the love of which is the root of all evil, according to the scriptures.

Is money evil, no—but the love of it can be.

Another way to think of mammon is that it eventually causes those who feast on it to oppose God. Mammon can divert our love from God to the things of the world. The scripture call this idolatry: every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god (D&C 1:16).

Mammon is Anything that Draws us Away from God.

If we stretch the dictionary definition of mammon a little we can reason it is anything that draws us away from God.  The reason the love of money is evil is because we’re commanded to love God, not money. You cannot effectively serve God if you love money more than God (Matthew 6:24).

It is the same with intellectual mammon. The reason the love of the things of the intellect can be evil is because we’re told to love God, not the intellect. You cannot effectively serve God if you love things of the intellect more than God.

Is the intellect evil, no—but the love of it can be. Why, because it opposes God in that it can distracts us from the “strait” and narrow path God as provided for us to follow (2 Nephi 31:18).

Let’s turn to the scriptures for help with this thought.

O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.

But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God. 2 Nephi 9:28 – 29

The scriptures say it so well! Even Gospel Study or the Church itself can be transformed into a mammon like thing that draws our focus away from God.

Some readers may be thinking at this point, “OK, Jared, you said earlier that even those who study the gospel can end up feasting on intellectual mammon. Please explain how you reach this conclusion.”

Hugh Nibley wrote:

“All objects of our attention are not equally worthy of our devotion”. Approaching Zion, Hugh Nibley, P. 525.

As members of the church what is the object of our devotion? If it is anything other than God then we may be feasting on mammon. There are many examples of this. Elder Uchtdorf identified the church as a possible source of mammon when he taught:

The Church, with all its organizational structure and programs, offers many important activities for its members aimed at helping families and individuals to serve God and each other. Sometimes, however, it can appear that these programs and activities are closer to the center of our heart and soul than the core doctrines and principles of the gospel… We have to be careful that the center of our testimony is not located in the social dimension of the Church community or the wonderful activities, programs, and organizations of our wards and stakes. Ensign, Nov. 2005, P. 100.

Those who are involved in scholarly gospel pursuits and who associate themselves with Sunstone, Dialogue, F.A.I.R., blogging and other like efforts need to be wary of intellectual mammon crippling our testimony, spirituality, and our access to things of the Spirit. This can happen by allowing our devotion to be focused on lesser things instead of the doctrine of Christ.

Elder Dallin Oaks insightful talk about how our strengths can lead to our downfall taught:

Satan can also attack us where we think we are strong—in the very areas where we are proud of our strengths. He will approach us through the greatest talents and spiritual gifts we possess. If we are not wary, Satan can cause our spiritual downfall by corrupting us through our strengths. Ensign, Oct. 1994, P. 11.

Summary

Those who desire to be joint-heirs with Jesus Christ need to be cautious of those things that have the potential to divert our devotion from the doctrine of Christ (first principles of the gospel). Some things are obvious like pornography, but other things are more subtle, such as devoting ourselves to studying gospel topics like Mother in heaven, blacks and the priesthood, Adam God, the Second Coming of Christ, Book of Mormon geography, church history and a host of other interesting subjects.

Did I say we shouldn’t study these subjects? No, I didn’t. I am saying that should we become devoted to anything besides the doctrine of Christ we can lose sight of the primary purpose of the gospel.

It is even possible, in our zeal, to get caught up in devoting ourselves to the church, church callings and the end result is detrimental to our goal of being true followers of Christ.

My understanding of the scriptures and my experience as I have sought to be a follower of Christ has taught me that the very best way to stay on course is to acquire and maintain the gift of the Holy Ghost. We’re told that the Holy Ghost, ”will show unto you all things what ye should do.” (2 Nephi 32:5).

I hope all of us will diligently seek to fulfill our baptismal covenant and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and once we have this gift, to grow in it until we have the constant companionship of this member of the Godhead. This is best done by following the doctrine of Christ, in other words, the first principles of the gospel as taught in the forth Article of Faith.

We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

If you would like to comment on what you just read click here

Posted in Church History, Doctrine of Christ, Holy Ghost, Mammon | Tagged | Leave a comment

A Review of a Few Basic Principles of the Gospel

Posted on by Jared

“The most basic principles of the gospel are sometimes those least understood.” Theodore M. Burton

The following information was obtained by searching through numerous LDS books and choosing a few definitions that caught my eye. Please feel free to add to what I’ve provided.

Gospel

1. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is perhaps the most comprehensive subject that we can study…it embraces all truth, wherever found, in all the works of God and man that are visible or invisible to mortal eyes…revealed and…unrevealed, whether religious, political, scientific, or philosophical…[1]

2. Even though Latter-day Saints use the term “gospell” in several ways, including traditional Christian usages, the Book of Mormon and other latter-day scriptures define it precisely as the way or means by which an individual can come to Christ.[2]

As these two definitions point out the word “gospel” can be used in many ways by church members.

In the churches guide for missionaries, Preach My Gospel, the following definition appears on page 5 (I’ve organized the layout differently).

The Savior defined His gospel to include some very vital and basic doctrines:

1.  He came into the world to do His Father’s will, and His Father sent Him into the world to be lifted up on the cross

2.  By His Atonement and Resurrection, all men will be lifted up to stand before Christ to be judged of their works, whether they be good or evil

3.  Those who exercise faith in Christ, repent of their sins, and are baptized in Christ’s name can be sanctified by the Holy Ghost

4.  If they endure to the end, they will stand spotless before Christ at the last day and will enter into the rest of the Lord. Christ will hold them guiltless before the Father. He will be their Mediator and Advocate

5.  Those who do not endure in faithfulness to the end will be “cast into the fire . . . because of the justice of the Father.”

(See 3 Nephi 27:13-22; compare 2 Nephi 31:10-21, 3 Nephi 11:31-41; D&C 76:40-42, 50-53.)

Doctrine of Christ

The terms gospel, and the doctrine of Christ are used interchangeably. I personally like to use the doctrine of Christ because it quickly narrows down the topic to the first principles and ordinances of the gospel—which are:

1.  Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

2.  Repentance

3.  Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins

4.  Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost

Nephi speaking of the doctrine of Christ said, “… my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God.  And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end.  Amen.” (2 Nephi 31:21)

Faith

Nephi speaking to those who follow Christ said, “ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.  (2 Nephi 31:19)

“If men were duty to consider themselves, and turn their thoughts and reflections to the operations of their own minds, they would readily discover that it is faith, and faith only, which is the moving cause of all action in them; that without it both mind and body would be in a state of inactivity, and all their exertions would cease, both physical and mental… And as faith is the moving cause of all action in temporal concerns, so it is in spiritual…It is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb. 11:1); that is, it is the assurance we have of the existence of unseen things.”[3]

Repentance

“Repentance is the process by which humans set aside or overcome sins by changing hearts, attitudes, and actions that are out of harmony with God’s teachings, thereby conforming their lives more completely to his will. In the words of one latter-day prophet, repentance is “to change one’s mind in regard to past or intended actions or conduct”…Though repentance is indispensable to eternal salvation and to earthly happiness, it is not sufficient by itself to reunite a person with God. Complete repentance first requires faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, which in turn generates strong motivation and power to repent. Both are necessary for, and thus must precede, baptism, the reception of the gift of the Holy Ghost, and membership in the Lord’s kingdom.”[4]

“The meaning of repentance is not that people be punished, but rather that they change their lives so that God can help them escape eternal punishment and enter into his rest with joy and rejoicing. If we have this understanding, our anxiety and fears will be relieved…In our repentance, we should remember that the Lord does not punish us for our sins; he simply withholds his blessings. We punish ourselves. The scriptures tell us again and again that the wicked are punished by the wicked…Jesus Christ has paid for your sin and has thus satisfied justice. Therefore, he will extend mercy to you-if you repent. True repentance on your part, including a change in your life-style, enables Christ, in mercy, to forgive your sin…As long as we dwell on sin or evil and refuse to forgive ourselves, we will be subject to return again to our sins”.[5]

Remission of Sins

“You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not done in view of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half-that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost”.[6]

“We sometimes speak of baptism for the remission of sins. The remission, if you will read the scriptures carefully, comes through the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost.” [7]

“Sins are remitted not in the waters of baptism, as we say in speaking figuratively, but when we receive the Holy Ghost… The baptism of the Holy Ghost is the baptism of fire.”[8]

[1] Gospel Through the Ages by Milton R. Hunter, p. 2-3.

[2] Encyclopedia of Mormonism, p. 556.

[3] Lectures on Faith, Lecture First.

[4] Encyclopedia of Mormonism, p. 1216-17

[5] Theodore M. Burton, “The Meaning of Repentance,” Ensign, Aug 1988, 6-9

[6] History of the Church, 5:499

[7] What Every Member Should Know,” Ensign, Aug 2006, 46–52

[8] New Witness for the Articles of Faith, Bruce R. McConkie, p. 290

Posted in Definition of Words and Terms | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Drawing Nearer to God Through the Book of Mormon-Part 1

Posted on by Jared

“Drawing nearer to God through the Book of Mormon”, is a three—part series.

I am writing with the hope my children, grandchildren, family, friends, and interested others will be persuaded not only to believe in Christ and the restoration of God’s church through the prophet Joseph Smith, but to use the Book of Mormon to draw nearer to God. 

I think drawing nearer to God means to communicate with Him like the writers of the Book of Mormon did. They learned to pray and receive guidance. The prophet-historian, Mormon, abridged a thousand years of records to produce the plates that would eventually become the Book of Mormon. 

I have been studying the Book of Mormon for many decades. But more important than that, I have experienced some of the same manifestations of the Spirit as the writers of the Book of Mormon did. That is the purpose of the Book of Mormon—to teach those who study from its pages how to experience the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

The prophet Joseph Smith taught:

“I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book” (TPJS, p. 194).

A careful reading of the Book of Mormon will show that the key to drawing nearer to God is to acquire the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

The Lord not only reveals things line upon line and precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, but that is how we each learn about the things of the Spirit. One of the requirements to advance by lines and precepts is that we have desire. In other words, the Lord isn’t going to bless us with greater access to the gift of the Holy Ghost unless we desire and are diligently seeking for it. 

My interest in the doctrine of the Holy Ghost has evolved based on desire born out of need. When I was called to serve a mission I needed to understand the workings of the Spirit. This required me to study the scriptures and be prayerful so I could have the companionship of the Spirit, and know enough gospel doctrine to teach investigators.

As the years and decades have rolled on, my experiences with the gift of the Holy Ghost have grown. I am both amazed and profoundly thankful for the Lord’s tender mercies. My confidence in God has grown because of the many experiences I’ve had with the Holy Ghost.

Since my answer to prayer while in  Army Basic Training, a strong desire has grown in my heart to testify of the doctrine of Christ as taught in the Book of Mormon.

I desire that my family, friends, and interested others can know of these things. I hope all who read this will find something useful to help them draw nearer to God.  (D&C 108:7)

To begin, I would like to clarify a few things. First, as I wrote in “Receptiveness of Spiritual Things,” followers of Christ are all on the same path, but we’re all at different places on the path. Second, the Lord hasn’t revealed everything pertaining to the Holy Ghost so there isn’t an answer to every question that can be asked [Note 1].  Third, one doesn’t need to have strong doctrinal knowledge of the gift of Holy Ghost to experience His manifestations. The prophet Joseph Smith was only fourteen when he entered the sacred grove. Fourth, I assume you understand the difference between the light of Christ, the Holy Ghost, and the gift of the Holy Ghost.  If not, or if you want a review, go here, a resource on the Church’s website.

The Book of Mormon-the Key to the Knowledge of the Holy Ghost

When I started to do research to write this article,   I asked myself a question: What is the most important thing a church member can do in this life? At first, I was a little surprised at the answer my research turned up, but as I thought about it, I realized the answer I found was right on the mark. I wrote about this in “What is the Most Important Thing a Church Member can do in this Life.”

I think it’s important to understand that the Book of Mormon is a compilation of writings of many prophets. As I’ve studied their teachings, I realize that they lived at different times and they probably had, at least to some degree, different levels of doctrinal understanding. They didn’t collaborate, have a correlation department, or use the resources we have today to insure they used doctrinal terms consistently. 

The point I’m trying to make is that the Book of Mormon, as all scripture, is not like an encyclopedia or a dictionary containing precise, easy-to-understand definitions of terms. Apparently, the Lord intends for His followers to search the scriptures to gain information and then seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost for greater understanding. Nephi explains it this way: “He that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost.” (1 Nephi 10:8)

Qualifying for the Gift of Holy Ghost

The revealed practice for receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost has four parts: First, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, repentance; third, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Once a candidate for baptism is interviewed, and it is determined he has adequate faith in Jesus Christ and has repented, a date is set for his baptism. This ordinance consist of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost (This part is called confirmation. This is where the newly baptized are instructed, even commanded, to receive the Holy Ghost.)

Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost

Once we’re baptized and confirmed, is everything done? Do we now have a remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost? I think it’s safe to say there is more to do (at least for the vast majority of mankind). Think of it like being accepted to college. Once accepted is all done? No, course work needs to be completed before a obtaining a degree.

The Book of Mormon teaches that there are two baptisms we need to experience: the baptism of water and the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost. The church is able to provide the baptism of water; the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost is given by the Lord. 

The Savior taught the Nephites about this process, saying: “I have given power that they [church leaders] may baptize you with water; and after that ye are baptized with water, behold, I will baptize you with fire and with the Holy Ghost . . . Yea, blessed are they who shall believe in your words [church leaders], and come down into the depths of humility and be baptized, for they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins.” (3 Nephi 12:1-2)

In this verse, the Savior teaches three important doctrines pertaining to baptism:

1. The church has power to baptize with water
2. The Lord baptizes with fire and the Holy Ghost
3. Remission of sins is received when one is baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost 

The prophet Joseph Smith emphasized the importance of being baptized by both water and the Spirit saying, “You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not done in view of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half—that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost.” (History of the Church, 5:499)

Speaking to missionaries on this subject, Elder Boyd K. Packer said:

“Missionaries sometimes think they are only to do half the work; they are to teach and then baptize by water, and that concludes their work. In many cases the other half, the teaching about the baptism of fire, never really gets done . . . Get that idea in your mind with those two fixed together so tightly that, as one, it becomes part of you. Then we will not have the first half done, as is often the case at present, and the other half left undone.” (Elder Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, Aug 2006, p. 50)

Apparently, Elder Packer feels we need to do a better job teaching about the baptism of the Spirit. 

When is Baptism with Fire and with the Holy Ghost Received?

The short answer to this question is when we are ready. Remember, the church has power to baptize with water, but the Lord reserves the right to determine when we’re ready to receive the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie, answering the question when do we receive fire and the Holy Ghost, said, “Either then [when baptized] or later, depending upon the individual’s personal worthiness, the Holy Ghost comes. The baptized person becomes a new creature. He is baptized with fire, sin and evil are burned out of his soul, and he is born again.” A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p. 291.

Born Again 

Here, Elder McConkie teaches that receiving the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost is to be “born again.” This is an important doctrine to understand. The term born again is full of meaning. It draws our minds to a new beginning for the recipients of this transforming blessing. I think most members of the church are familiar with the doctrine of being born again. A well known scripture from the Book of Mormon says:

“And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.”  (Mosiah 27:25-26)

This verse teaches the important doctrine that to be born again is to become a son or daughter of God. Another way to think of this is to remember that the fall brought spiritual and physical death to all of mankind. Because of the atonement of Christ, all mankind will over come physical death through the resurrection, a free gift. But overcoming spiritual death requires that we have faith in Jesus Christ, repent, receive the baptism of water and the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost. When we do, we’re changed from our carnal and fallen state to a state of righteousness, and we become sons and daughter of God.    

Scripture refers to this change using a variety of terms. Here are a few to watch for:

1. Mighty Change
2. Converted
3. Born Again
4. Becoming a son or daughter of Christ
5. Remission of sins
6. Baptism with fire and with the Holy Ghost

Summary

Heavenly Father has prepared a plan so all those who desire to return to His presence can do so. The Holy  Ghost is an essential part of that plan. We don’t worship the Holy Ghost, for that matter we don’t worship Jesus Christ, we worship the Father. Elder McConkie said it well when he reduced the mystery of who and how we worship into a single, easy to follow sentence.

“We worship the Father, in the name of the Son, by the power of the Holy Ghost.”  The Promised Messiah, p. 13.

One of the reasons I decided to write this article is to do what I can to encourage greater understanding of the doctrine of the Holy Ghost. Of course, the ultimate goal is not to just understand, but to experience the gift of the Holy Ghost.

In part 1, I have tried to lay out the basic doctrine of the Holy Ghost without going into a lot of detail. In part 2, I will include more detail.  

[Note 1] “The last word has not been spoken on any subject. Streams of living water shall yet flow from the Eternal Spring who is the source of all truth. There are more things we do not know about the doctrines of salvation than there are things we do know.” Bruce R. McConkie, “A New Commandment: Save Thyself and Thy Kindred!” Ensign, Aug 1976, 7

Please Take a 5 Question Survey by Clicking Here

Click here for Part 2

 

Posted in Book: Alive in Christ | 1 Comment

What Was God? What Was Praying, She Asked

Posted on by Jared

 This was published in the Deseret News Feb 7, 2018. Here

Jiyeon Song excitedly moves through a pile of 20 or so presents at her baby shower hosted by a friend from church. The 34-year-old expectant mother doesn’t just remove the wrapping, she tears through cardboard and plastic product packaging to reveal what’s inside. She removes an elephant-shaped humidifier from a large box, balanced carefully on her knees, and proudly holds it up for the crowd to see, eyes beaming behind round-rimmed glasses.

A few months ago, Song hadn’t even heard of a baby shower. The idea of a big party where a mother is showered with gifts is totally unheard of in North Korea, where she comes from.

After packing the bounty — clothing, toys, blankets — into their car, Song and her husband, Donghyun Kim, are overwhelmed with gratitude.

Jiyeon Song, far right, attends a baby shower with friends as she prepares for the birth of her first child on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018.
Jiyeon Song, far right, attends a baby shower with friends as she prepares for the birth of her first child on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018.

“We were worried about how we would buy everything when the baby was born,” said Song, whose first child, a baby boy, is due April 12. “We didn’t expect so many gifts.”

At the beginning of February, the day before the party, the bishop of their LDS ward delivered a crib and a stroller from an anonymous donor.

“We cannot imagine that happening in North Korea,” said Kim.

The refugee couple are among the nearly 300,000 people estimated to have defected from North Korea since 1953. Most have fled to Russia, China and South Korea. Fewer than 300 North Korean refugees have been admitted to the United States, with about 200 more who are here illegally. Some follow the same path of Kim and Song, who settled in South Korea and then came here on non-immigrant visas. They know of just one other North Korean couple in Utah.

As they cheerfully prepare for a new addition to their family, Song and Kim exercise the Christian faith they embraced on their journey to freedom and pray tirelessly for the siblings and parents they left behind. They watch the news about the “Rocket Man’s” recent nuclear tests and the joint North Korean and South Korean hockey team competing in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. They hear President Donald Trump threaten to destroy their home country and their hearts freeze. There are 25 million people there.

The decision to leave

In 2009, standing on the train platform before his departure from North Korea, Kim studied his wife’s expression. Her broad cheekbones were weighed down by her somber round eyes. They had been married for two years, and she thought he was leaving for a 15-day business trip, but he knew it might be the last time he ever saw her. He was taking the train to a border city where he would meet an escape broker and prepare to leave the country.

He wanted to clutch her close, to give sound to the fear inside him and to promise he would send for her once he got out, but a dramatic display might reveal his plan, and any knowledge of it could put his wife in danger. So he continued watching for the train, grasping his wife’s hand more firmly in an attempt to calm his racing heart.

Jiyeon Song and Donghyun Kim hold hands as they talk about their story of love and how they escaped North Korea on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018.
Jiyeon Song and Donghyun Kim hold hands as they talk about their story of love and how they escaped North Korea on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018.

“We don’t have to stay here, you know,” Kim recalled saying. “What if there was a better place for us? We could go live there.”

Song nodded. Another city in North Korea maybe, she remembers thinking at the time.

Despite everything he had to lose, something was calling Kim away. Maybe it was God. It started after high school when he began to doubt the supreme leadership of the Kim dynasty. His family was comfortably middle class and always had enough to eat. Kim’s father was a military officer and owned a business. But he saw other families who were starving; hospitals that offered free health care but had no medicine; schools and media whose only purpose was cultivating loyalty to the regime; and desperate people publicly executed for petty crimes. A desire for freedom began to haunt him.

One night in 2005, when Kim was 23, he was awakened by the sound of dogs barking. He looked out his window to see dozens of armed soldiers and policemen, made visible by the hazy moonlight and moving flashlight beams. They entered several of the neighborhood homes and emerged dragging whole families — parents and children still wearing their pajamas — into the street. Blood soaked through their shirts where the soldiers beat them with the butts of their guns. One by one, they pushed the people forward with kicks and shoves, and loaded them into several green trucks, tossing the children like packages.

Kim watched the scene in stunned silence, trying to imagine what horrible crime they must have committed when, spontaneously, the people began to sing. It was a song he had never heard with lyrics that were completely foreign. “Hananim,” “Yeongsaeng,” they wailed. “God,” “eternal life.” It was vocabulary he did not understand.

As the sound of their singing grew, the soldiers responded with greater violence, but the people who were certainly facing death or life in a labor camp looked dignified and noble to Kim. He wanted to know what that song meant.

In 2011, an eccentric young man named Kim Jong Un became the leader of North Korea. The country’s average citizens had never heard of him, nor did they have any say in his ascension to power. But he was the son of Kim Jong Il and the grandson of Kim Il-sung, the country’s previous two communist dictators, and he was held up by the government like a king. Kim decided it was time to get out.

Waiting

Kim never returned from his “business trip.” His 25-year-old wife was completely unaware of his plans. All at once, Song mourned for his death, his imprisonment, his kidnapping and her abandonment. She waited for a month, then two, then eight. She avoided going outside. With nothing but her crying to fill the silence in their home, she surrounded herself with the things he touched: his clothes, pictures, blankets, his favorite chair.

Then one day, Song got a phone call.

“I’ve met your husband Donghyun Kim and he wants to know if you’re OK,” said the voice of a stranger. She recalled that hearing her husband’s name was like waking up from a dream.

“Hello! Hello!” she begged, but the man had hung up. She felt choked by a mixture of joy and devastation. Her husband was alive somewhere where he couldn’t call her, and that meant he had escaped from North Korea. But that meant she would never be able to see him again.

She waited painfully for another call. The stranger, a young broker who helped people escape from North Korea for money, finally called back a few days later and told Song to meet him in a northern city near the Chinese border. There, he brought her to the top of a mountain where she was finally able to call her husband using a Chinese cellphone.

“Hello?” Her husband’s voice cut through the sorrow and fear of the past year and the emotion burst out of her in raw sobs, she recalled.

After several minutes of trying to speak peace to his wife, Kim asked, “Jiyeon, do you want to come to me?”

It meant risking her life and leaving everything behind. The price of escape was about $8,000, but without hesitation, her answer was yes.

A day before she was scheduled to leave, Song talked to Kim again. Quietly, he told her, “Jiyeon, you need to pray to God. Pray to him and ask him to bring you safely to me. If you do, he will hear your prayer.”

Song was confused by the strange beliefs her husband had developed since leaving. What was God? What was praying? He explained that God lives in the sky and asking him for the things we need most is called praying. It was odd, she thought, but Song trusted her husband and promised to do it.

“One more thing,” Kim said. “Whatever happens, whatever terrible situation you find yourself in, please don’t end your life.”

Kim knew the thoughts would come. When he was hiding in a fifth-floor apartment in China, he vowed to jump out the window if he was caught and not face a life of imprisonment. But he could not imagine that fate for his wife: “Wherever you are in the world — whatever happens to you — I will come and save you.”

“I would never die before I can see you again,” Song answered.

Jiyeon Song and Donghyun Kim pose for photos as they talk about their story of love and how they escaped North Korea on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018.
Jiyeon Song and Donghyun Kim pose for photos as they talk about their story of love and how they escaped North Korea on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018.

The escape

The next night, Song walked with the broker about a mile to the border. The December sky was dark, without stars, and the Yalu River, which separates North Korea from China, was frozen over. Song was dressed in her warmest winter clothing, a gray coat and boots. At any moment, soldiers might appear and shoot them.

“You must cross here,” the broker said. “A Chinese broker will meet you on the other side.”

Alone and seized with fear, Song walked to the riverbank, straining her eyes to see 60 meters across to the other side. As she stepped on the ice, a loud cracking sound echoed in the brittle air, but the ice did not break. With no time to think, she took another step. With each movement, the sound of the ice splintering under her weight was like thunder in her ears. Or was it the sound of gunshots? She wasn’t sure. Staring straight ahead, she continued putting one foot in front of the other.

“I am still alive; I am still alive,” she repeated to herself.

Using all her strength, she clambered up the river bank on the other side, until she came to a 3-meter barbed wire fence that stood in her way. Without pause, she began to climb. She has no memory of how exactly she got over it. All she remembers is looking up at the fence one minute and then standing on the opposite side the next, hands bloody and clothes torn.

Song was out of North Korea, but the journey was far from over. From China, she would travel by boat, bus, auto and on foot with the help of brokers to Laos and then to Thailand, hiding from authorities and battling the elements, sickness and fear before finally arriving in South Korea three months later.

A new life

Kim and Song describe the day in 2011 when they were reunited in Seoul as the happiest of their lives. They met at a National Intelligence Service building where Song was being held and interrogated to make sure she was not a spy — a normal part of the defector resettlement process. It had been a full year since their separation, and the trauma they endured melted into a puddle of relief as they embraced without words.

Despite never attending college, Kim and Song, now in their late 20s, easily found jobs as accountants, and with cheap rent provided by the South Korean government, they set up a life for themselves in Seoul. Kim immediately started to explore organized religion. He credited God for bringing him and his wife to safety but had little concrete understanding of who God was.

“As human beings, when we are hungry we seek food and when we are thirsty we seek water. This is our nature. In the same way, I believe that someday, at some point, it is in our nature to seek God,” said Kim.

Song reluctantly accompanied her husband to various Protestant and Catholic services for several years, sleeping through many of them, before meeting missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2014. Until then, she had very little interest in religion, but she felt something was different about the young missionaries, and she eventually began attending the LDS Church on her own.

Jiyeon Song and her husband Donghyun Kim sit at their kitchen table as they talk about their story of love and how they escaped North Korea, on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018. The couple asked that their faces not be identified to protect family living in North K
Jiyeon Song and her husband Donghyun Kim sit at their kitchen table as they talk about their story of love and how they escaped North Korea, on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018. The couple asked that their faces not be identified to protect family living in North Korea.

The church was much smaller and shabbier than the cathedral where Kim attended services, but Song finally convinced her husband to come with her.

“The second I opened the door and stepped into the church, I felt strongly something I had never felt before,” said Kim. “It was the spirit of God.”

He recognized it was the same spirit that had given him strength when he was considering suicide in China, when he was riding a rickety boat down a raging river in Laos and battling a 104-degree fever in Thailand.

“I was struck with such a happy feeling,” said Kim. “In that small church I felt as if the word ‘God’ were floating above the air in huge letters.”

Song was baptized in June, and Kim was baptized in December 2014.

For the past 14 years, North Korea has been ranked as the most religiously oppressive country in the world by Open Doors, a group that tracks Christian persecution.

Before World War II, missionaries were active throughout the Korean peninsula, and at the time, more than one-fifth of the population was Christian. Today, between 300,000 and 500,000 Christians are believed to remain in North Korea, most of them forced to practice secretly. Close to 50,000 of those people are believed to be held in North Korean concentration camps, according to a report published by the British group Aid to the Church in Need last year.

The reason for such harsh treatment is that believers place loyalty to God before that of the North Korean state.

Adjusting to America

In South Korea, Kim and Song were happy and free to express their religious beliefs. But they felt God pulling them to continue their journey. After nearly five years in Seoul they decided to come to Provo, Utah, in 2015. They wanted to pursue education and believed that if they studied in America, they would have a greater ability to help their home country someday.

Kim and Song are taking classes at Brigham Young University’s English Language Center and plan to apply to BYU, where Kim hopes to study human rights, and Song wants to study mathematics. For now Kim is working as a custodian and working with his wife on a book that tells their life and love story.

On a recent January morning, Kim and Song sat at the kitchen table in their basement apartment, provided by a generous BYU Korean professor, and struggled to decipher a medical bill — a $100 charge for a blood test Song didn’t remember taking — that was now two months overdue. It’s one example of the struggles Kim and Song have faced preparing for a new baby while adjusting to life in a foreign country.

But they are full of hope.

“The fact that I can wake up to the rising sun every morning and spend another day with my husband makes me the happiest person in the world,” said Song.

Jiyeon Song and Donghyun Kim pose for photos as they talk about their story of love and how they escaped North Korea on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018.
Jiyeon Song and Donghyun Kim pose for photos as they talk about their story of love and how they escaped North Korea on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018.

Song and Kim think about how they will teach their son about where they came from.

Kim doesn’t plan on revealing the truth about where they came from until his son is a teenager: “Because it will be impossible for him to understand North Korean life.”

Song and Kim’s son may not ever get to know the land of his ancestors or meet his grandparents, aunts and uncles. He may never fully understand the privilege and price of freedom, but he will grow up in a country where he has the ability to pursue his dreams, in a family that will teach him he is a child of God, and in a world that is, hopefully, a little more at peace.

More than anything, Kim and Song hope their son will grow up to be someone who considers the suffering of others, knows how to serve and does not think only of himself.

“Because we have received so much,” said Song.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Satan’s Success:Diverting Attention from the Atonement to Far Lesser Concerns

Posted on by Jared

My experience in the Bloggernacle in the last sixteen years has opened my eyes to the fact that there are many other concerns on the minds of church members than the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I don’t think the author intended the following quote to include Latter-day-Saints but unfortunately it applies and fits all to well when it comes to what is routinely discussed in the ‘nacle.

“For many, the beautiful and deep doctrine of the Atonement is summarily dismissed and placed on the back shelf with the facile response, ‘Just believe and be saved.’ Why such an approach? Perhaps Hugh Nibley best articulates the reason:

‘So cool has been the reception of the message [of the Atonement] that through the centuries, while heated controversy and debate have raged over evolution, atheism, the sacraments, the Trinity, authority, predestination, faith and works, and so on, there has been no argument or discussion at all about the meaning of the Atonement. Why were there no debates or pronouncements in the synods? People either do not care enough or do not know enough even to argue about it. For the doctrine of the Atonement is far too complicated to have the appeal of a world religion.’

Satan has been successful in diverting much of the Christian world’s attention from the one doctrine that can save us, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, to the ancillary doctrines that have meaning only because they draw their sustenance from this redeeming event. Like a skilled magician, Satan’s every move is to divert our attention and dilute our focus from the primary object at hand, namely Christ’s atoning sacrifice, in hopes we will turn exclusively to doctrines of secondary and far lesser import. His diversionary tactics have been, and will be, of such global proportions that John tragically exclaimed, ‘Satan . . . deceiveth the whole world’ (Revelation 12:9; see also D&C 10:63). After all the sleight of hand ceases and the smoke clears, it is still Jesus Christ, his Atonement, and our obedience to him that saves us—nothing else can do it.” The Infinite Atonement, Tad R. Callister, Pages 15-16.

Please answer a 6 Question Survey to let me know what you think.

Posted in Atonement, Precepts of Men | 5 Comments

How Long Before the Prophets Declare that the Sword of Justice Hangeth Over this People

Posted on by Jared

I prefer to blog about faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, and receiving the Holy Ghost. The topic of this post is speculative. I don’t have any idea how long it will be before the prophets warn the Gentile nations that “destruction awaiteth this people” save they repent and have faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.

I don’t have any idea when such a warning will be given, but I expect that one day the Lord will command the prophets to deliver a warning to the Gentiles: repent or suffer.

The Book of Mormon provides a benchmark, an indicator to help followers of Christ to assess the times they are living in. Mosiah taught:

Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law—to do your business by the voice of the people.
And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land.  Mosiah 29:26 – 27

I think we may have crossed the line where the voice of the people “doth choose iniquity”. If so, then the prophets one day will raise their voices like prophets of old.

How will such a pronouncement be given? At a news conference? During General Conference? A proclamation? Probably, all of the foregoing means will be used?

What will the results be? Will it be bad for business and tourism? How many members will hit the exit door? How would it impact missionary work? What kind of headline will the New York Times carry?

Maybe better questions would be: how long after a proclamation of repent or perish before the judgments begin? What can be done to inspire repentance that turned things around, as in Jonah’s day?

Posted in Prophets, Repentance | 3 Comments

You’ve Read the CES Letter. Now What?

Posted on by Jared

LDS church members respond in a variety of was after reading the CES Letter. The question is: how are you going to respond?

Most deal with a rush of emotional pain after reading from the CES Letter. Some even say it takes your breath away like being on an amusement park ride, except it is not fun.

What you do next is important. There are basically only two choices for most, 1. Turn to Heavenly Father or 2. Turn to others. Your family, friends, church leaders, the internet, etc.

Crisis of Faith

The Book of Mormon provides many examples of how people respond to a crisis of faith. A crisis of faith can come in many ways. Reading the CES Letter and like material have created a deep and painful loss of belief for some LDS church members. Some say it is comparable to what Lehi and his family had to deal with when they learned they would be leaving the security of their home in Jerusalem and going into the wilderness.

Lehi’s family

When Lehi announced he had received revelation to leave Jerusalem to go into the wilderness he prepared everything they needed to survive in the wilderness and then left Jerusalem leaving behind everything important to them except each other.

How did his family respond?

Lehi had experience with God, so he was ready to do God’s will. Lehi’s wife Sariah looked to God for help and followed her husband. Laman and Lemuel went with Lehi but did not look to God for help and at times created unbearable difficulty for their family. Nephi cried unto the Lord and had a Spiritual experience where he learned many things. Sam believed Nephi’s testimony that the Lord had told him that their father was following God’s will.

Note the various ways they responded:

1. Lehi had a witness from God (1 Nephi 1:5-6).

2. Sariah believed her husband was inspired of God (1Nephi 8:14-16).

3. Laman and Lemuel murmured, complained, and accused their faither of many things (1 Nephi 2:11-14).

4. Nephi sought the Lord diligently and received an answer that Lehi was following God’s will   (1 Nephi 2:19-24).

5. Sam believed the things the Lord told Nephi (1 Nephi 2:17).

Now What?

If you are like Lehi and Nephi and already have a witness from God the church is true then you have a strong foundation of faith (Helaman 5:12). Sustained by that faith you know how to turn to God with the questions you have after reading the CES Letter.

If you are like Sariah and Sam you have the gift to believe the testimony of others and move forward in faith (D&C 46:13-14, Mosiah 26:15-16, Alma 19:9).

If you don’t have a witness to rely on or the gift of believing the testimony of others, then you can turn to the Book of Mormon and seek with all your heart to receive the promise found in Moroni 10:4-5. Millions of church members have acquired their testimony through the Book of Mormon.

Conclusion

Reading the CES Letter and like material will test your faith. There are many resources on the internet that will support your faith or encourage you to abandon your faith. The choice of where you will spend you time is up to you.

I’ve written this to encourage those who are having a crisis of faith to turn to Heavenly Father first. And then to choose a path based on inspiration to deal with the thorns, thistles, briars, and noxious weeds that are part of church history and doctrine.

In my case, I had a witness before I learned about the things like the CES Letter. Prayerfully I decided to study, so I could learn more about church history and doctrine.

Others I know decided to not study but be aware of what was going on by talking with family members who decided to study. 

Best to you as you move forward with your decisions.

PS

The Following links provide more information about each of the people listed below.

Lehi

Sariah

Laman

Lemuel

Sam

Nephi

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Is Your Testimony of the Book of Mormon Authentic or Borrowed?

Posted on by Jared

In my opinion, there are many kinds of testimonies held by church members. But at some point church members need to acquire a testimony in the Lord’s way. This is done by calling on the Lord in prayer, even mighty prayer, to acquire a true and living testimony of the Book of Mormon as described in the following verses:

And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. Moroni 10:4-5

When a member of the church receives this kind of testimony it will survive all the challenges of mortality. Including all the challenges associated with church history.

Since participating in the Bloggernacle (for nearly sixteen years) there has been a steady stream of church members posting and commenting about their dwindling or loss of testimony. Some of them, referring to their study of church history, say they now know too much, and then explain their particular difficulty with their testimony.

As I’ve studied their explanations and reasoning  I’m of the opinion that one of the following conditions is at the heart of the challenge their experiencing:

1.   They’ve never really had a true and living testimony of the Book of Mormon–they’ve lived on “borrowed light”

2.  They’ve allowed their testimony to grow anemic through sin or neglect

Living on Borrowed Light-A Testimony on Loan

President Joseph F. Smith said:

“One fault to be avoided by the Saints, young and old, is the tendency to live on borrowed light [and] to permit … the light within them to be reflected, rather than original” (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1939], p. 87).

Who knows how many members of the church are in this situation. It’s probable that there are many. These members have never paid the price to acquire a testimony of the Book of Mormon and are easy prey for the doctrines of men.

The following questions might be helpful in determining the source of your testimony:

Have you read the Book of Mormon?  Yes/No

After reading, studying,  and praying about the Book of Mormon did you ask the God the Father if it’s true, with real intent, and a sincere heart with faith in Christ?  Yes/No

Did you obtain an answer through the Holy Ghost about the Book of Mormon?  Yes/No

Have you ever fasted and prayed about the Book of Mormon? Yes/No

What do you think? Can a true and living testimony be obtained by a person who answers no to these questions?

A true and living testimony needs to be based on something. We’ve been taught by the prophets that the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. The prophets have also taught us how to acquire an authentic testimony. An authentic testimony will not be overcome by the trials and difficulties of life, including the challenges posed by church history.

Many church members have acquired an authentic testimony. An authentic testimony comes by the power of the Holy Ghost. Here is one example:

Rhodes Scholar boldly seeks for a testimony of the Book of Mormon—click here

Posted in Scripture, Testimony of the Book of Mormon | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

My Experience of Coming Unto Christ and Experiencing Repentance (Applying the Atonement)

Posted on by Jared

I haven’t always been a sincere follower of Christ. As a boy, holidays recognizing the Savior were just another holiday, like Halloween or Presidents day. The joy of being out of school, receiving gifts, and eating all the goodies at Christmas and Easter were at the top of my list. The significance of the holiday didn’t matter; a fun time with a lot of goodies was the important thing.

Later, as a worldly teenager, I still enjoyed holidays because of the “goodies”—however my definition of goodies had changed from food and candy to “partying.”

Nowadays, as a follower of Christ, I travel memory lane, thinking of the events that took me from a boyhood fascination with holiday goodies, to teenage keg parties, and lastly to an abiding appreciation of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice. The transition from a worldly teenager to a follower of Christ was, and continues to be, an incredible journey. I’d like to share a few things I’ve leaned on this journey with the hope that it will help others who are making transitions in their lives.

A Startling Answer to Prayer

I’d been drafted into the army and was preparing to go to Viet Nam. This forced me to take a serious look at life. I reflected upon my life, all nineteen years of it. I recalled the time as a young deacon being thrilled to hear the Joseph Smith story and how the Book of Mormon came to be. I decided to ask God if he was there, and if so, was there anything to these stories. I offered a brief, but sincere prayer.

One night, shortly after getting into bed, my prayer was answered. I had just laid down; rolled over on my left side, when suddenly I found myself in the presence of an evil spirit (he cursed and swore at me, I couldn’t escape his hold). His intentions were clear, he wanted to take my life, and I had no power to resist him. I knew the only way I would be delivered was to pray, I didn’t know what to say so I began to recite the Lord’s Prayer. The instant I thought the first word of the Lord’s prayer I was delivered from his power. I watched him walk away.

In the hours and days that followed I did some soul searching. I knew enough about things of the Spirit to realize I had been living my life in such a way that I was being influenced by those who had fallen from heaven—Lucifer and company. I also realized that God had answered my prayer for deliverance. I made the decision to follow God.

Transitioning from a natural man to a follower of Christ wasn’t easy for me. I struggled to change my way of life. I wanted to stop smoking and drinking, but when I tried, I failed. It didn’t take me long to realize that I needed to find a whole new way of life. This meant I needed to associate with those who were followers of Christ. I ask Heavenly Father for help, and gradually I broke away from the powers of habit and the powers of darkness. I was learning what repentance was all about. In the early months of my transition I didn’t think in terms of the scriptures. I didn’t tell anyone about my experience or see a church leader for help, I just showed up at church. I met the missionaries and spent as much time with them as I could.

It wasn’t easy living up to the standards of the church in those early days of my return to the narrow path. As a soldier, most of the men I lived and worked with weren’t interested in living the standards I was determined to live. I was in a barracks with several hundred men. I prayed and asked Heavenly Father to bless me to find a place where I could be away from the distractions of army life. Within a few days I was reassigned to a new location. It was perfect; there were just two of us at the new location. My work allowed me a lot of free time to study the gospel. I drank in the doctrines of the Book of Mormon.

I did my best to resist the temptations that surrounded me. After a few months I had made some progress. I was living the word of wisdom and enjoyed my new-found friends at church. I got acquainted with a lot of wonderful people. I’m so thankful for their examples and help.

Looking back from the vantage point of fifty-plus years, I would like to write a few things I’ve learned about repentance, with the hope it might be helpful to those who read my words.

I’m aware that some of you who are reading my words have done a good job keeping the commandments—all of your life. I think of you as Nephi-kind of people. Others, like me, for a variety of reasons, haven’t done a very good job keeping the commandments. I think of us as Alma-kind of people. Both Nephi and Alma (the younger) were sons of prophets. They were brought up in families that taught them the ways of the Lord. Both of them needed to repent of their sins. Of the two, Alma was referred to as a very “vile” sinner. The word vile only appears once in the Book of Mormon. I think the use of this word makes the point that you and I would probably blush if we understood the extent of the sins Alma was guilty of. It might be that Alma is the archetype sinner for those of us who are like him—to show that a man can be called the very vilest of sinners on one page in scripture, and then called a holy man a few pages later. That’s quite a transition! A wonderful message of HOPE! An incredible testimony of the power the Savior acquired when He accomplished the ATONEMENT!

The question that all this brings up is: how does one tap into the power of the atonement? My answer is prayer. Most people don’t have dramatic answers to prayer as I related above, but all sincere prayers are answered. There is no message repeated more often in the scriptures than the promise that our prayers will be heard and answered. Some readers may think they can “repent” without troubling Heavenly Father. For those who think this way, and at one time I did, it’s important to know that changing our behavior without God’s help is not repentance. I hope you will reread the last sentence if you doubt or don’t understand what I’ve stated.

In other words, there are two kinds of “repentance”, the Lord’s way, and the world’s way. The Lord’s way includes the atonement, the world’s way doesn’t. The Lord’s way requires that we:

1. Have Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
2. Repent
3. Receive Baptism
4. Receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost

The world’s way is to reform behavior through the arm of flesh. This can be accomplished in many different ways, but never includes the Savior’s atoning sacrifice.

The question asked above: how does one tap into the power of the atonement? The first and most important step is prayer—sincere heartfelt prayer. This first step is a clear manifestation on our part of having faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I learned this simple, yet profound truth, and it changed the course of my life.

I’ve learned that repentance is as essential to following Christ as breathing air is for our body. When we correctly repent we are made “alive in Christ.”

The Power of Example

Two very different men helped me find my way back to God. The first example came from a man named Smith, Sergeant Smith. He was about 10 years my senior, married with a small family. His objective in life was to increase in military rank. To accomplish his goal, he let the men in our unit know that he would make sure we had a good time if we helped him get promoted in rank. We soon found out that he had an ample supply of liquor at his home. On the weekends those who did his bidding were invited to his place to party. There was good food, a well-stocked liquor cabinet, and a fridge full of beer. I was worried that my commitment to repent would be side tracked. However, after going to a few of Sergeant Smith’s parties, I observed some things that redoubled my determination to change (repent). It soon became apparent that he didn’t care very deeply about anyone at the party—including his wife and children. The positive impression he initially made was lost when I saw the smallness of character he actually possessed by the way he treated his wife.

The second example was Jack. He wasn’t in the military; he was a salesman. He was also a branch president. He and his family befriended me. I spent a lot of time at their home. Jack radiated all the qualities of character that Sergeant Smith lacked. I knew he cared for me and the other members of the branch. His objective in life was to serve the Lord and his family. The more time I spent with him, the greater became my appreciation, love, and respect for him.

One day I got to thinking about the contrast between Sergeant Smith and Jack. I remember thinking that if I didn’t repent I could end up being like Smith. And if I did repent, I could become like Jack. This was an important, profound insight for me. It literally changed something in me.

As I think back on those early years of my life, I realize that Heavenly Father was guiding and helping me. He enabled me to see my own future through the examples of these two men. I saw that I was more like Sergeant Smith than Jack.

One of the greatest obstacles I had with repentance was feeling “unworthy” because of backsliding. With some sins, I was able to repent and wasn’t troubled thereafter, with other sins I struggled. At times I felt the Lord must have been worn out with me. He knew how many times I had tried and failed in my efforts to keep some of His commandments. It went something like this: I would knee before the Lord and say, “I am going to repent of (fill in the blank).” I would then exercise my will power; I would do well for a period of time, only to end up backsliding. After doing this numerous times, I realized repentance wasn’t always easy. I was embarrassed, and thought for sure the Lord considered me a loser.

This kind of thinking led to two kinds of behavior:

1. I would give up trying to repent, thinking I wasn’t celestial material.

2. After giving up trying to repent, I’d binge in the sin I’d hope to repent of.

This kind of “repentance” plays into satan’s plan. He is at his best when we’re discouraged and discomforted.

So what does one do when seeking to repent of sin that just won’t yield to the standard ways of repentance?

First, it’s important to remember, repentance isn’t like baseball—three strikes and you’re out. Repentance is like soap, it is needed often, and is necessary as long as we live.

Second, any progress we make in conquering the natural man or woman is pleasing to God.

Third, and most important, the Lord  has said: “if he . . . repenteth in the sincerity of his heart I will forgive him . . . Yea, and as often as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me.” (Mosiah 26:29–30)

From what I’ve learned about the Lord, when we sincerely seek to repent, and then backslide, the Lord will forgive our trespasses (back sliding) as often as needed.

The Lord gave His life so that each of us could have access to the gift of repentance. What could I possibility write, that would put into perspective the magnitude of  this blessing that required the Son of God to die?

I hope each time we partake of the sacrament we will be able to fathom, to some degree,  just how high the cost was that caused the Savior to bleed at every pore. Why would He be willing to pay such a price? The answer is: He loves us.

My experience with repentance taught me that with persistence we can make progress in overcoming the carnal, sensual, and devilish natures we inherit because of our flesh. Each person’s journey may vary on the path of repentance, but the destination is the same—peace in this world and eternal life in the world to come.

The Lord Isn’t Like an Athletic Coach

The Lord isn’t like an athletic coach who is disappointed if we don’t perform to expectation. On one occasion, I was so discouraged with myself I told the Lord I wasn’t celestial material and I didn’t want to disappoint Him anymore. I was frustrated and thinking of giving up. As I sat there with my head in my hands, contemplating leaving activity in the church, I had an impression fill my mind and heart. It was as though I was looking into a corridor of time, viewing my future. I could see that it would require many more years for me to make the kind of progress that I wanted to make immediately. I realized that I needed to be patient with myself. I also needed to see the Lord, not as a coach or an earthy father subject to the weaknesses of the flesh, but as a Heavenly Father, perfect in all ways.   

 

Posted in Book: Alive in Christ, Repentance, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Hugh Nibley’s Faith Crisis Solved by Prayer

Posted on by Jared

Hugh Nibley (1910-2005). There may be some reading this who don’t know much about Hugh Nibley. I got acquainted with him in the 1970’s, attended his class, lectures and had the opportunity to talk with him on a few occasions. For anyone interested in knowing more about him I suggest reading “Hugh Nibley A Consecrated Life” (The Wikipedia piece on Nibley just doesn’t give the reader even the slightest idea of who he was). Those who knew Nibley the best say that there will never be another Nibley. He was a unique personality and faithful follower of Christ.

When Nibley was 26 years old the depression was in full bloom and creating economic challenges for him. In addition he was having questions about the gospel, we might say it was a faith crisis. From his biography:

“Those were desperate time, remembers Hugh. This was not only the Depression, but this was when all the world going bad. He was getting by–it was not easy, nor was it pleasant–but it was a new reality that he felt he had to face. I had been feeling that I would have to be entirely independent and I didn’t want to depend on anybody. That fact left Hugh discouraged. It also led him t see certain flaws in the gospel, as he put it. One Sunday afternoon, he went to Mount Wilson and slogged around in the heavy snow, brooding about theology. I was terribly bothered about this afterlife business and that sort of thing. I had no evidence for that whatever.

That evening, he attended sacrament meeting in the Hollywood Ward with his family. It was Hugh’s first visit since his family had moved into the ward after he went to Berkeley, but he was impressed by the speaker that night: Matthias F. Cowley. Cowley, ordained an apostle in 1897, had resigned under pressure in 1905 and then had his priesthood suspended in 1911 for his adherence to the principle and practice of post-Manifesto polygamy. He returned to full fellowship, though not to his former office, in April 1936…Following the meeting, Hugh’s mother took him up to the front of the meeting hall to meet Brother Cowley. As soon as he took my hand, he said, come with me, Hugh says. He took me into the back room there and he said, I want to give you a blessing. In the blessing, Cowley stated that the Lord was award of his questions and would give me an answer immediately.

Within the week, Hugh was stricken with appendicitis and taken to the Seventh-Day Adventist Hospital in Loma Linda, not far from San Bernardino. Dr. Raymond Weyland, the family physician, was in charge of the operation. When he turned the ether on, Hugh swallowed his tongue and stopped breathing. The staff scrambled for the resuscitator, panicking when it was nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, Hugh could hear everything that was going on…Something big’s going to happen, and sure enough. Then, pop! Then it happened. Then all of a sudden down this thing like a tube, you know, you get sucked down this thing and you come out. [I thought,] Oh, boy, I know everything, and everything is there, and this is what I wanted to know! Three cheers, and all this sort of thing. … All I wanted was to know whether there was anything on the other side, and when I came out there, I didn’t meet anything or anybody else, but I looked around. and not only was in all possession of my faculties, but they were tremendous. I was light as a feather and ready to go, you see.” Hugh Nibley: A Consecrated Life, Pages 114-115.

Years later, reflecting on his Near Death Experience, Nibley said,

[Absolute knowledge of the afterlife] gives me a great relief, so that’s why I don’t take this very seriously down here. We’re just sort of dabbling around, playing around, being tested for our moral qualities, and above all the two things we can be good at, and no two other things can we do: We can forgive, and we can repent. It’s the gospel of repentance. We’re told that the angels envy men their ability both to forgive and to repent because they can’t do either, you see. But nobody’s very clever, nobody’s very brave, nobody’s very strong, nobody’s very wise. We’re all pretty stupid, you see. Nobody’s very anything. We’re not tested on those things, but in the things the angels envy us for — we can forgive, and we can repent. So, three cheers, let’s start repenting as of now. H. Nibley, Faith of an Observer, p. 162.

Posted in Miracles, NDE, Prayer | Leave a comment