Simple Metaphors

In the New Testament, John recorded for us several powerful metaphors that the Savior gave to describe Himself using common objects.  To the woman in Samaria He proclaimed that He was a source of “living water” (John 4:10).  To those who had recently eaten bread given to them miraculously by the Savior, He said, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger” (John 6:35).  He also told the Jews, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12).  Later He proclaimed, “I am the door of the sheep….  I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved” (John 10:7, 9).  In the same discourse He also declared, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth life for the sheep” (John 10:11).  In another book, John recorded Christ’s words that He was the visitor at the door: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him” (Revelation 3:20).  So we can think of Him not only as the door but also the visitor outside the door waiting to enter.  The way that Christ used these simple objects to describe His role helps us see that He should be a part of our everyday life.  He did not compare Himself to gold or to worldly wealth only obtainable by a few; no, He used the objects that we need, use or see every day: water, bread, light, doors, shepherds, etc.  Ultimately He is the source of all life on earth, and just as it is the simple items like bread and water that give us life and sustain us physically, in the same way Christ saves and sustains us spiritually. 

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Like Father, Like Son

I think it is interesting that Alma—the one who had been such a rebellious youth— had a son who went astray.  Corianton did not rebel against his father since he did go on the mission to the Zoramites in the first place, but he succumbed to temptation and apparently caused quite a few problems on their mission.  I have to think that the counsel that Alma gave to Corianton in Alma 39-42 was similar to the kind of counsel that Alma’s own father would have given him when he was in his rebellious state as a youth.  Alma must have done a lot of reflecting about his own sins from his early life as he pondered what he should say to Corianton.  It’s interesting that of the three sets of counsel that he gave his sons, Corianton—the one son who had actually committed serious sin—was the only one to whom he didn’t relate his own sins and story of how he came to receive forgiveness.  I wonder if it was because he didn’t want Corianton to justify his sins because his father had also made serious mistakes when he was younger.  One of the last things that he told Corianton was “Do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point because of your sins” (Alma 42:30).  Perhaps he had a problem with making excuses for his improper behavior.  But I think that Alma did want Corianton to understand his own story of forgiveness, but for some reason he didn’t think he was the best one to relate it to Corianton.  After Alma told his story of repentance to both Helaman and Shiblon, he then said to Corianton, “I command you to take it upon you to counsel with your elder brothers in your undertakings” (Alma 39:10).  It may be that Alma was hoping that Helaman and Shiblon would encourage Corianton and relate to their brother what they had learned about their father’s life.  Ultimately we know that Corianton did repent and continued as a missionary, something that must have brought great joy to Alma (see Alma 49:30).

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Sojourn in the Wilderness

Nephi told us that his family “did sojourn for the space of many years, yea even eight years in the wilderness” before arriving at the place they called Bountiful where he built the ship (1 Nephi 17:4).  The actual distance they traveled from Jerusalem to Bountiful (most likely a region in current day southern Oman) was probably about 2500 miles, roughly twice the distance that the pioneers had to travel from Nauvoo to Salt Lake City.  That would give Lehi’s group an average rate of about 0.85 miles per day—surely they could travel faster than that, even if it was in the desert!  Alma gave us some insight into why it took them so long when he taught his son Helaman about the Liahona: “They were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey.  Therefore, they tarried in the wilderness, or did not travel a direct course, and were afflicted with hunger and thirst, because of their transgression” (Alma 37:41-42).  He them related to Helaman how this was symbolic for all of us, and that we too will not progress spiritually if we are slothful.  It reminds me of the fact that the brother of Jared’s group sat on the seashore in their journey “for the space of four years” and did not progress any towards the promised land where the Lord wanted them to go.  The Lord then came and chastised the brother of Jared for his own slothfulness in not praying to the Lord.  He then said very directly, “Go to work and build” (Ether 2:13, 16).  I think that is a spiritual call for all of us to “not be slothful because of the easiness of the way” and seek to make progress in our own lives spiritually as we try to follow the counsel that the Lord has given us (Alma 37:46).  If we learn one thing from these stories of Lehi’s group and the brother of Jared’s group, it is that the Lord will not force us to progress; He will let us stagnate in our journey if that is what we choose.      

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Trust in God

Alma told his son Helaman, “I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions” (Alma 36:3).  It seems that Helaman really held tight to that counsel, for he truly needed it later in life when he was in the midst of the great war between the Nephites and the Lamanites.  His letter to Moroni is a testimony that he saw this promise of his father fulfilled:

·         “They do put their trust in God continually” (Alma 57:27)

·         “We trust in our God who has given victory over those lands” (Alma 58:33)

·         “We trust God will deliver us” (Alma 58:37)

He really saw the fulfillment of this as he led the 2000 stripling warriors and all of them were miraculously saved by their unfailing trust in God.  I think that Helaman must have thought back a lot on that promise given by his father throughout his life and in particular during this war.  He could then proclaim with his father, “I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind… yea, God has delivered me from… death” (Alma 36:27).

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The Revelations of God

In reading 3 Nephi 29 I noticed that it seemed to be another example of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon, and here’s how I would lay out the main points:

A. v1 “Thecovenant which the Father hath made with the children of Israel… is already beginning to be fulfilled”

B. v3 “The Lord will rememberhis covenant which he hath made unto his people”

C. v4 “For the sword of his justice is in his right hand… it shall soon overtake you”

D. v5 “Wo unto himthat spurneth at the doings of the Lord”

D. v6 “Wo unto himthat shall deny the revelations of the Lord”

C. v7 “Shall become like unto the son of perdition, for whom there was no mercy”

B. v8 “The Lord remembereth the covenant unto them”

A. v9 “Unto the fulfillingof the covenant which he hath made unto the house of Israel”

The high point of the message is really a warning against those who deny the revelations of the Lord and spurn at His doings.  Mormon sees our day and realizes that many will deny and reject the doings and revelations of the Lord.  Moroni would speak to the same topic after his father died: “And again I speak unto you who deny the revelations of God” (Mormon 8:7).  One of the great messages of the Book of Mormon is how critical it is for us to have faith in and live by the revelations of God, and the chiasmus found here is one more evidence that the book came from Hebrew prophets just as it claims.  

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Praying for Success

While teaching them about the Savior’s atonement, Amulek instructed the Zoramites to pray over just about everything.  It’s interesting to me that much of what he listed was temporal.  He told them, “Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea over all your flocks” (Alma 34:20).  He repeated the same idea a second time: “Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.  Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase” (Alma 34:24-25).  Essentially he was telling them that they should pray for success in their temporal affairs.  God does care that we can find success in our careers or by whatever means it is that we earn our livelihood, but it comes with a requirement.  I think version 28 is specifically linked to these previous verses about praying for prosperity: “After ye have done all these things, if ye turn away the needy… your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing.”  This is essentially the same idea that Jacob taught his people: “After ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry” (Jacob 2:19).  If we pray to find temporal success in our day to day work, then part of that prayer should be the desire to use our success to help those in need.  

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Faith, Diligence, and Patience

I think that the last few verses in Alma 32 give great counsel about raising children.  Replacing “word” and “tree” with “child”, Alma invites us to “nourish the [child] as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof.”  The next verse repeats those three essential virtues: “Your diligence and your faith and your patience with the [child] in nourishing it, that it may take root” and bring forth fruit.  The last verse again repeats the same three necessary traits and adds one more, “Ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the [child] to bring forth fruit.”  Surely if there is any responsibility that requires faith, diligence, and patience, it is raising children!  Just like nourishing a tree, progress is nearly imperceptible from day to day and we are often left wondering whether our actions are really helping to foster the growth we hope to see.  In the next chapter Alma referred to three ways that the seed should be planted which certainly apply here in the context of raising children.  First, “ye ought to search the scriptures” (Alma 33:2).  Second Alma taught them of “prayer or worship” and quoted Zenos to show how they could pray in just about any circumstance.  Lastly, and most importantly, he taught them the need to “begin to believe in the Son of God… that he shall suffer and die to atone for their sins” (Alma 33:22).  As parents we strive to teach our children to love the scriptures and to pray to their Heavenly Father.  Ultimately what we really want is for them to develop faith in Jesus Christ so that this can guide them throughout their whole life.  But teaching these things is like trying to get the tree to grow—it can only be done with faith, diligence, and a lot of patience.  Our hope and faith is that such teaching will indeed lead them to “everlasting life” (Alma 33:23).    

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An Iron Pillar

When the Lord called the prophet Jeremiah He said, “I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land” (Jeremiah 1:18).  In other words, the Lord would protect him and make him resilient against the great persecution that would come to him during his ministry.  And that persecution was indeed great.  The people conspired together at one point saying, “Come let us devise devices against Jeremiah…. Come let us smite him” (Jeremiah 18:18).  On another occasion the chief governor of the temple “smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin” (Jeremiah 20:2).  It was right after this that Jeremiah exclaimed, “I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me” (Jeremiah 20:7).  He was “shut up in the court of the prison” by Zedekiah at one point, put under some kind of confinement later in his ministry, and he also was put in a dungeon and “remained there many days” (Jeremiah 32:2, 36:5, 37:16).  Later the princes begged the king, “We beseech thee, let this man be put to death” and so Zedekiah let them “cast him into the dungeon….  They let down Jeremiah with cords.  And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire; so Jeremiah sunk in the mire” (Jeremiah 38:4-6).  His final fate appears to have been exile to Egypt where he likely died.  With all of this persecution, it’s no wonder that the Lord would need to make Jeremiah “an iron pillar” against the wickedness around him.  The fact that Jeremiah could stay faithful throughout all of this attests to the greatness of the prophet and should inspire us to likewise be resilient against the onslaught of wickedness around us today.  As he testified at one point: “His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones… and I could not stay” (Jeremiah 20:9).  He knew what he knew, and nothing could stop him from fulfilling the mission the Lord had called him to.      

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The New Jerusalem

“Holy city.” “Holy sanctuary.” “Land of peace.” “City of refuge.” “Place of safety.” “Glory of the Lord.” “Everlasting light.” “Power of heaven.” “Walls [of] Salvation.” “The city of the Lord.” “The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.”  All of these are descriptions of the New Jerusalem to be built up in the last days, coming from D&C 45, Ether 13, 3 Nephi 21, and Isaiah 60.  Putting the combined image painted by these different sections of scriptures, we get a glorious view of what the New Jerusalem, Zion, will be like when built up in the last days.  It is to be a literal city where the Saints will dwell and be protected from the violence of the world all around them.  D&C 45 promises that the wicked will be afraid of it, saying, “Let us not go up to battle against Zion.”  Isaiah tells us that “violence shall no more be heard in thy land” and that the sun and moon will no longer be needed because “the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light.”  From Ether we learn that those who are at the New Jerusalem will “no more be confounded” and they will be those “whose garments are white through the blood of the Lamb.”  From him we also learn that part of the city will “come down out of heaven.”  From the Savior in 3 Nephi 21 we read this powerful promise: “I will also be in their midst.”  I think that we really have no idea how grand and glorious the Zion of our God will be when the day comes that the Lord will establish it.  Our duty now is to build Zion where we live, but this is all in preparation for that great day when we will be called to build “The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.”      

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The Light of the Chandelier

As I sat in a temple sealing room yesterday I thought about the meaning and purpose of the chandelier hanging over the altar.  It comes down from above on a chain that ascends upward as if directly from heaven.  To me it seems clear that the chandelier is meant to point us to Christ, and several scriptures come to mind which bear out the symbolism.  Isaiah wrote of the people that walked in darkness and saw a “great light” (Isaiah 9:2).  Matthew later quoted this verse as being fulfilled with the Savior’s coming, and he changed the language slightly: “The people which sat in darkness saw great light” (Matt. 4:16).  As we also sit in the temples and gaze upon the “great light” that descends from heaven, we are pointed to the Great Light that came among men.  Another image that comes to mind is that of the children of Israel being led in the wilderness.  We read in Exodus that “the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to given them light; to go day and night” (Exodus 13:21).  This text gives us an image of a light hovering miraculously above the people, just as a large chandelier hovers above us in the temple without seemingly any connection to the ground.  The Savior also spoke of light when He gave the Sermon on the Mount: “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 5:15-16).  The Savior expounded on this idea further when He told the Nephites, “Hold up your light that it may shine unto the world.  Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up” (3 Nephi 18:24).  We are to offer light to the world through our deeds, and that light ultimately is the Savior.  So just as the temple holds up its great chandelier to us as it tries to teach us of the Savior, we are to go out into the world and hold up light that points others to Christ.

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Instruments in His Hands

In his epistle to the Romans, Paul wrote that we should not be “instruments of unrighteousness unto sin” but we should rather be “instruments of righteousness unto God” (Romans 6:13).  This is the only place in the New Testamant that speaks of being “instruments” to God, but in the Book of Mormon the idea of being an instrument in God’s hands is repeated in multiple places.  Lehi told his Laman and Lemuel that Nephi had been “an instrument in the hands of God” in brininging their family across the ocean (2 Nephi 1:24).  When Alma’s people wanted to make him king after their escape from King Noah, he admitted that he had been “an instrument in [God’s] hands” in bringing them to the knowledge of the truth, but he still refused to rule over them as a king (Mosiah 23:10).  Mormon described the sons of Mosiah as “instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, to the knowledge of their Redeemer” (Mosiah 27:36).  The Lord even declared Himself to the sons of Mosiah when they started their mission, “I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls” (Alma 17:11).  Ammon repeated the idea again in his rejoicings with his brothers: “We have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work….  We have been instruments in his hands in doing this great and marvelous work” (Alma 26:3, 15).  In Alma’s own expressions of joy he similarly declared his hope that he would be “an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance” (Alma 29:9).  What’s interesting to me is that this description of being an “instrument” always comes with the qualifier “in the hands of God” in these references in the Book of Mormon.  These faithful Nephite missionaries did not do great works of themselves, but they allowed God to use them to do His purposes.  When a doctor performs a successful surgery, we never credit the operating instruments he used for the success: it was the doctor’s skill and knowledge that brought about the success.  Similarly, Christ is the “author of eternal salvation” (Hebrews 5:9), “the Lord of the harvest” (Alma 26:7), and indeed “the Great Physician” for the human family (President Monson, “Your Personal Influence,” Ensign, May 2004, 23).  He does the work of salvation and we glory in Him.  But we can be instruments in His hands for good as we strive to live the kind of life He has prescribed for us.        

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What We Desire

The scriptures teach that ultimately we will receive according to our true desires.  This is perhaps most succinctly stated by Alma, “I know that [God] granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life….  He that knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires, whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of conscience” (Alma 29:4-5).  He later taught his son Corianton that each person is “raised to happiness according to his desire of happiness, or good according to his desires of good” (Alma 19:7).  Both of these scriptures refer to our ultimate destination: we will receive salvation and happiness in eternal life if we truly desire it.  But I think this principle of the Lord granting our desires extends to our lives here and now.  Of course we can’t expect that the Lord will grant us something that is against His will, and we may have righteous desires that simply are not in God’s plan for us, but in many cases perhaps we desire too little of the Lord.  In the example of Enos, the Lord granted his desire after he showed it was truly what his soul yearned for.  Wrote Enos, “And it came to pass that after I had prayed and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith” (Enos 1:12).  This was not a flippant request of the Lord: Enos prayed and labored will all his heart before the Lord granted him his desires.  Nephi showed us the same thing as he fervently desired spiritual knowledge: “Having great desires to know the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me” (1 Nephi 2:16).  Later on their journey to the promised land and with the same goal for spiritual knowledge he wrote, “I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him….  After I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in my heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord” (1 Nephi 10:17, 11:1).  The Lord visited him in a powerful way because of his deep desire to know the things that his father saw.  The Lord will likely not grant all our righteous wishes in mortality, but how much do we fail to receive blessings and spiritual knowledge from the Lord because we do not seek and desire and ask like Nephi and Enos?  Our attitude should be like that of Moses, “I will not cease to call upon God, I have other things to inquire of him” (Moses 1:18).

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Alma and the Anti-Nephi-Lehies

The sons of Mosiah met up with Alma as they traveled into the land of Zarahemla to seek a place of refuge for the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi.  Alma was traveling somewhere else when he found the sons of Mosiah in this unplanned reunion.  Alma turned around and “conducted his brethren back to the land of Zarahemla” and helped them seek approval from the Nephites for bringing these Lamanite converts into Nephite land (Alma 27:20).  After the voice of the people gave them the land of Jershon, Ammon “returned to the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi, and also Alma with him.”  I’m not sure I’d really paid attention to that detail before, but Alma went with Ammon to see the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi for the first time and gave them the news that the Nephites would accept them.  What caught my attention was this line: “And Alma also related unto them his conversion, with Ammon and Aaron, and his brethren” (Alma 27:25).  Here they were in the midst of this very tenuous situation, with thousands of these Lamanite converts fleeing from their Lamanite brethren who sought their death.  They were in the wilderness, in limbo, waiting to see if the Nephites would accept them; if not, they would all be killed.  The Lamanite armies “had followed their brethren into the wilderness” and surely were not far from them, preparing for battle (Alma 28:1).  And yet, in the midst of all of this, Alma took the time to bear his testimony and share his conversion story, and these faithful converts took the time to listen to him.  Hearing his witness “did cause great joy among them” (Alma 27:26).  The gospel was everything to these converts—both Alma and the sons of Mosiah as well as these Lamanites—and temporal affairs were simply not as important to them.  They rejoiced in Jesus Christ and nothing else came close in importance, even the potential loss of their lives.  I think we could learn a lot about priorities from these brethren who forsook the world for the gospel’s sake.    

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