Ordained By God To Teach

After Alma teaches us the Plan of Redemption in Alma 12, he says:

1 And again, my brethren, I would cite your minds forward to the time when the Lord God gave these (second) commandments unto his children; and I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordained priests, after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son, to teach these things unto the people (Alma 13:1 emphasis added).

This is significant on so many levels. 

1) God gave these second commandments 

2) God ordained priests

3) He did so after His holy order

4) Which was after the order of His Son

5) (why?) To teach these things 

6) (what things?) what Alma taught 

7) what did Alma teach? (See Alma 12) 

It is also significant for what is not written. This priesthood is not ecclesiastical! It is not about keys or authority or hierarchy. It is about teaching by authority what God wants taught and why. Alma says further:

2 And those priests were ordained after the order of his Son, in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption" (Alma 13:2 emphasis added) .

What does Alma mean by "after the order of his Son?" It is God's priesthood which is also after the order of Christ, so it belongs to the order of God the Father which, even though prepared from the foundation of the world, is without beginning or end. It is the same priesthood sought for by Abraham to bless the lives of others (Abraham 1:2).

Redemption comes in and through Christ who at the time Alma is recording this, had not yet come, but as you will see it also applies to His second coming. Look forward to Christ and we look forward to redemption and deliverance.

Let's go back to what Alma taught about the plan of redemption. 

"But God did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid) saying: If ye will repent, and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son;

Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest.

And whosoever will harden his heart and will do iniquity, behold, I swear in my wrath that he shall not enter into my rest" (Alma 12:33-35).

Note the similarities between Christ's plan of redemption and the priesthood after the manner of his Son. To receive this priesthood, one must have great faith, repent and desire to teach others. The priesthood is then used to teach His plan of redemption--repent and harden not your hearts. 

And what does Alma say we hardened our hearts against? 

His word, which those ordained by God must have or they cannot teach His plan of redemption. We look forward to receiving His mercy and to entering into His rest. And only those who teach His plan of redemption are called by God. Anyone who does not teach His plan of redemption is not called of God.

For further evidence of this truth let's continue in Alma 13. 

3 And this is the manner 

after which they were ordained—

being called and prepared 

from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their 

exceeding faith and good works; 

in the first place being left 

to choose good or evil; 

therefore they having chosen good, 

and exercising exceedingly great faith, 

are called with a holy calling, yea, 

with that holy calling 

which was prepared with, 

and according to, 

a preparatory redemption for such.

So who is called of God? Anyone who chooses good and exercises great faith, who hardens not his or her heart, who receives His words and repents. 

"Behold, the field is white already to harvest; therefore, whoso desireth to reap let him thrust in his sickle with his might, and reap while the day lasts, that he may treasure up for his soul everlasting salvation in the kingdom of God.

Yea, whosoever will thrust in his sickle and reap, the same is called of God" (D&C 11:3-4).

Alma's words about priesthood and teaching now become clearer.

4 And thus they have been called to this holy calling on account of their faith, while others would reject the Spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds (Alma 12:9-11), while, if it had not been for this they might have had as great privilege as their brethren.

Called on account of their faith.

5 Or in fine (another way of saying), in the first place they were on the same standing with their brethren; thus this holy calling being prepared from the foundation of the world for such as would not harden their hearts, being in and through the atonement of the Only Begotten Son, who was prepared—

Those who are called are those who would no harden their hearts.

6 And thus being called by this holy calling, and ordained unto the high priesthood of the holy order of God, to teach his commandments unto the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest—

Called and ordained by God to teach His commandments. 

7 This high priesthood being after the order of his Son, which order was from the foundation of the world; or in other words, being without beginning of days or end of years, being prepared from eternity to all eternity, according to his foreknowledge of all things—

His priesthood is not ecclesiastical. 

8 Now they were ordained after this manner—being called with a holy calling, and ordained with a holy ordinance, and taking upon them the high priesthood of the holy order, which calling, and ordinance, and high priesthood, is without beginning or end—

9 Thus they become high priests forever, after the order of the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, who is without beginning of days or end of years, who is full of grace, equity, and truth. And thus it is. Amen.

Once a teacher always a teacher desiring all to receive His love and mercy. But Alma is not finished. He has more to tell us about this high priesthood and who is qualified to receive it.

10 Now, as I said concerning the holy order, or this high priesthood, there were many who were ordained and became high priests of God; and it was on account of their exceeding faith and repentance, and their righteousness before God, they choosing to repent and work righteousness rather than to perish;

And so He called them and then sanctified  them.

11 Therefore they were called after this holy order, and were sanctified, and their garments were washed white through the blood of the Lamb.

12 Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence; and there were many, exceedingly great many, who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God.

And then Alma's prayer for us.

13 And now, my brethren, I would that ye should humble yourselves before God, and bring forth fruit meet for repentance, that ye may also enter into that rest.

14 Yea, humble yourselves even as the people in the days of Melchizedek, who was also a high priest after this same order which I have spoken, who also took upon him the high priesthood forever. 

We can now understand better what priesthood Melchizedek has. Hint. It is not the Melchizedek Priesthood. 

15 And it was this same Melchizedek to whom Abraham paid tithes; yea, even our father Abraham paid tithes of one-tenth part of all he possessed.

This is the same priesthood sought for by Abraham (Abraham 1:2) and that through this priesthood he could bless the lives of others with greater peace, rest and happiness. This is the same priesthood we should seek. 

16 Now these ordinances were given after this manner, that thereby the people might look forward on the Son of God, it being a type of his order, or it being his order, and this that they might look forward to him for a remission of their sins, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord.

17 Now this Melchizedek was a king over the land of Salem; and his people had waxed strong in iniquity and abomination; yea, they had all gone astray; they were full of all manner of wickedness;

18 But Melchizedek 

having exercised mighty faith, and received the office 

of the high priesthood 

according to the holy order of God, 

did preach repentance 

unto his people. And behold, 

they did repent; and 

Melchizedek did establish peace 

in the land in his days; 

therefore he was called 

the prince of peace, 

for he was the king of Salem; 

and he did reign under his father.

19 Now, there were many before him, and also there were many afterwards, but none were greater; therefore, of him they have more particularly made mention.

Now we know why we call it the Melchizedek Priesthood. Hopefully you see it now as the Lord wants us to see it. Alma is still not finished, however, being the example of one who is ordained of God and called to this Holy Priesthood to teach others.

20 Now I need not rehearse the matter; what I have said may suffice. Behold, the scriptures are before you; if ye will wrest them it shall be to your own destruction.

21 And now it came to pass that when Alma had said these words unto them, he stretched forth his hand unto them and cried with a mighty voice, saying: Now is the time to repent, for the day of salvation draweth nigh;

Alma is doing what he does best--teaching us the word of God so that we too may taste as he has tasted and be redeemed by the Lord. Once he accepted that priesthood to teach he had no other objective but to proclaim the good news to all within the sound of his voice. He adds his voice to the voice of the Lord and to the mouth of angels.

22 Yea, and the voice of the Lord, by the mouth of angels, doth declare it unto all nations; yea, doth declare it, that they may have glad tidings of great joy; yea, and he doth sound these glad tidings among all his people, yea, even to them that are scattered abroad upon the face of the earth; wherefore they have come unto us.

23 And they are made known unto us in plain terms, that we may understand, that we cannot err; and this because of our being wanderers in a strange land; therefore, we are thus highly favored, for we have these glad tidings declared unto us in all parts of our vineyard.

Alma hints that those who are not comfortable in Babylon are more likely to hear the words of God.

24 For behold, angels (and others like me) are declaring it unto many at this time in our land; and this is for the purpose of preparing the hearts of the children of men to receive his word at the time of his coming in his glory.

25 And now we only wait to hear the joyful news declared unto us by the mouth of angels, of his coming; for the time cometh, we know not how soon. Would to God that it might be in my day; but let it be sooner or later, in it I will rejoice.

26 And it shall be made known unto just and holy men, by the mouth of angels, at the time of his coming, that the words of our fathers may be fulfilled, according to that which they have spoken concerning him, which was according to the spirit of prophecy which was in them.

27 And now, my brethren, I wish from the inmost part of my heart, yea, with great anxiety even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance;

28 But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering;

29 Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest.

30 And may the Lord grant unto you repentance, that ye may not bring down his wrath upon you, that ye may not be bound down by the chains of hell, that ye may not suffer the second death.

31 And Alma spake many more words unto the people, which are not written in this book.

We have more to look forward to if we but receive what we have.

One last comparison between Alma, angels and those called and ordained by God, Alma says, they are called on account of their exceeding great faith. Compare this to D&C 121 where the Lord says:

"Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?

Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—

That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.

That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man" (D&C 121:34-37).

Perhaps this is why the Lord calls to His Holy Priesthood only those who receive His words, repent, have great faith, and desire all to repent and receive His mercy. In this there can only be righteousness. 

Q: "Wherefore, I the Lord ask you this question—unto what were ye ordained? 

A: To preach my gospel by the Spirit, even the Comforter which was sent forth to teach the truth" (D&C 50:13-14 emphasis added).

Born of the Word

“…except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

I have often wondered why Paul didn’t just say Faith comes by hearing the word of God, and have concluded that the double emphasis on ‘hearing’ means we must ‘hear’ the word as the Lord intended we ‘hear’ it. This emphasis on ‘hearing’ the word of God is why the Lord spoke in parables. Also I’ve wondered why it does not say anything about faith comes by reading the word of God. 

Reading and hearing are different experiences. We can read and not hear, but we do not have a chance to hear if we do not read His written words. Faith does not come by simply reading the word of God. We must ‘hear’ it in order to develop faith. The concept of ‘hearing’ the word of God comes from several scriptures, and is related to hearing the voice of God through His word. (D&C 18:34-36) 

The Savior, in telling us why He uses parables, says: ” For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever continueth not to receive, from him shall be taken even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand” (Matt. 13:12-13 JS Translation).

The Savior then references Isaiah, “which saith, by hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them” (Matt. 12:14-15; Isa. 6:9-10). 

The Savior then gives, as the first parable, the parable of the sower as well as the interpretation of it, and yet hearers do not hear and perceive. I have heard the parable of the sower taught many times in gospel doctrine classes where the emphasis is put on the soil, where more often than not, class members and teachers like to think that we are the good soil. 

Ask what is it that he wants you to hear and perceive? It is the sower (Christ) who is sowing the seed (the word of God). Some hear the word and understand it not; some hear the word and receive it with joy, but persecution arises because of the word and they are offended; others receive the word of God but the cares of the world and deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and they become unfruitful. Others receive the word and nourish it and understand it and it beareth fruit. In other words the seed (word of God) is found in those that receive it, and when it is nourished, the word brings forth the fruit (not the person). Obstacles to Receiving the Word of God

Remember that He said that He is the vine and we are the branches and the branches cannot of themselves bring forth fruit. This is further illustrated in the Allegory of the Olive Tree found in Jacob 5 (which relates to the parable of the sower), where the servant tells the Lord that certain branches had overcome the root and had began to take ‘strength unto themselves’ and had become corrupted. (vs. 48) This is precisely the problem when we start to believe we are the good soil and it is because of us that the seed grows—an excellent example of hearing but not understanding and seeing but not perceiving. 

The power is in the word, which is the Spirit of Jesus Christ (D&C 84:45). Note that the Lord ‘nourishes His vineyard by sowing His seed (the word of God), and we are told in Jacob 5:71 that we are in the time where the Lord has nourished the vineyard (sown His word) for the last time. See also 1 Timothy 4:6; Alma 32:37 and Moroni 6:4. Again this is made clear in Alma 32 wherein “…if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to experiment upon my words, and exerciseth a particle of faith….” (vs 27). 

The seed is the word, and through the experiment you will know that the seed is good, if you don’t cast it out because of your unbelief. You will know that it (the word/seed) is good because it will begin to grow within you, “for it beginneth to enlarge” your soul and ”it beginneth to lighten” your understanding and ”it beginneth to be delicious unto” you. (vs 30) Again notice that while we need to nourish the seed, it is not us that are good, but the word of God, and that we are to be nourished by the good word of God. (Moroni 6:4) 

By planting an apple seed, one could expect that it would grow into an apple tree, but what kind of tree does the word of God (the seed) grow into? In scripture there are several allegories concerning a tree, Zenos’ allegory of the olive tree (Jacob 5) being the most descriptive, even though there are also allegories concerning trees in Isaiah (Isaiah 11) and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 37:15-20). Paul and Nephi also use the olive tree imagery. But the message is that the tree is both a people and a record of God’s word that come together to bear fruit, i.e, a celestial people. The Lord nourishes His trees (peoples) in His vineyard with His word. The trees (peoples) that bring forth good fruit have themselves received His word and use His word to nourish themselves, and by doing so they become a ‘precious people’ or celestial people. 

A brief summary of Alma 32 will show how the Lord uses the allegory of a tree to typify His word. Alma likens God’s word to a seed: the seed is nourished and grows into a tree. (Alma 32:28-37) If the tree is not cared for, it may decay and even die. (Alma 32:38-40) But if one nourishes it well, “looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.” (Alma 32:41) 

The tree’s fruit is “most precious”—the result of faith, diligence, patience, and long suffering in nourishing the word of God. (Alma 32:42-43). We as a people are to be nourished continually by the good word of God, and so the word increases our faith in Christ and in His words, and we desire to receive more, and as we do so, our faith in Christ and His words continues to grow, until we are changed by the word (by Christ) and partake of the precious fruit, i.e., become the precious fruit. 

Jacob, following Zenos’ allegory of the olive tree places the emphasis on the word of God: “For behold, after ye have been nourished by the good word of God all the day long, will ye bring forth evil fruit, that ye must be hewn down and cast into the fire? Behold, will ye reject these words? Will ye reject the words of the prophets; and will ye reject all the words which have been spoken concerning Christ, after so many have spoken concerning him; and deny the good word of Christ, and the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and quench the Holy Spirit, and make a mock of the great plan of redemption, which hath been laid for you?” (Jacob 6:7-8) 

Another metaphor which describes the same process as planting the word of God as a seed, is being born of the word. Jesus said to Nicodemus: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except (one) be born again, (one) cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (John 3:3). Being born to see refers to the process by which a person reads and hears the word of God, and through the power of the word, is able to see and understand the things of God and to know they are true. 

This can also be likened to a fetus in the womb, quickened with life, but liable to perish, unless born of the water and of the spirit. On the other hand those who have been baptized and confirmed, but have not had true faith in Christ through His words, who are not repenting, are stillborn and must be brought to life by the powers of the Spirit, which is His word. Without being quickened with life, we are likely to hear and not understand—use reason and human understanding rather than receiving His word and letting it work in us, thereby receiving His spirit which giveth life and leads to faith and repentance. 

We learn but are never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. Receiving light allows us to receive more light, but if we do not continue in the light and ‘continueth to receive, from (us) shall be taken even that (we have).’ 

A similar imagery is that of Christ being the vine. Christ says: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch (person, people) in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me (and in His words which is His light and His spirit), and I in you (is the word of God found in you?). As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:1-5; see also John 15:6-11). 

The formula for faith coming by hearing the word of God, and thereby receiving it, is found in Mosiah 3. King Benjamin has just spoken the words which had been delivered to him by an angel of God, the people had fallen to the earth seeing themselves in their lost and fallen state, and exercising faith in Christ, received a remission of their sins. King Benjamin then “again opened his mouth and began to speak unto them saying: My friends and my brethern, my kindred and my people, I would again call your attention, that you may hear and understand the remainder of my words which I shall speak unto you.” (These are God’s words delivered to Benjamin by the angel.) vs. 4 “For behold, if the knowledge of the goodness of God (coming through the word of God) at this time has awakened you to a sense of your nothingness, and your worthless and fallen state—I say unto you, if ye have come to a knowledge of the goodness of God, and his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his patience, and his long-suffering towards the children of men; and also, the atonement which has been prepared from the foundation of the world, that thereby salvation might come to him that should put his trust in the Lord, and should be diligent in keeping his commandments, and continue in the faith even unto the end of his life…. I say, that this is the man that receiveth salvation, through the atonement…. And this is the means whereby salvation cometh. And there is none other salvation save this which hath been spoken of; neither are there any conditions whereby man can be saved except the conditions which I have told you.” vs. 5-8 

So the combination of the knowledge of the Goodness of God and the knowledge of our worthless and fallen state is the formula for putting our faith in Christ. 

This is what Mormon and Paul described as godly sorrow (“sorrowing unto repentance, because of the goodness of God”), which is the only sorrow that results in repentance (“godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation”). (Mormon 2:13; 2 Cor. 7:9-10) Through His words I have come to experience what George MacDonald said: “Is my faith so little that I cling to the deeds I do, calling them good because I am afraid to see the evil in me? Yet it is only through seeing the evil in me that I can exercise faith to see the good in Him.” 

This is the effect that Godly sorrow has on us. King Benjamin then gives the scriptural definition of what it means to endure to the end: “And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel. And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true (Mosiah 4:11-12).

Is The Word of God Found in You?

Satan combines all His forces to prevent the word of God from being found in us. He uses lies, half-truths, traditional teachings, deceptions, and he uses the ignorance of others to perpetuate his lies, even those who claim to have priesthood and authority. He encourages us to put our trust in others, especially the prophet, and Satan encourages us not to question what is taught from the pulpit. He does not want us to search the scriptures for ourselves, and he certainly does not want us to use the word of God as the basis for knowing all truth. He does not want us to know that the word of the Lord is truth! 

Alma said that "if our hearts have been hardened, yea, if we have hardened our hearts against the word, insomuch that it has not been found in us, then will our state be awful, for then we shall be condemned" (Alma 12:13).

What does it mean for the word of God to be found in us? Having His word found in us is more than just knowing some or all of His words.  Because His words are truth, light and spirit, even the spirit of Christ, His words are the light we live by, the light which sustains us. His words are Him. Without His light, our state will be awful.

Let's find out. I am going to use Alma 12 and the Lord's plan of redemption as taught by Alma to test whether the word of God is found in you. Because this chapter on the Lord's plan of redemption is so important, it behooves us to know both the what and the why. It was so important that we know of His plan of redemption that he sent messengers to tell us. Spend some time searching it and then take this test to see if the word of God is beginning to be found in you. 

As you read and take the test look for words and phrases that are not found in Alma 12 because they have nothing to do with the Lord's plan of redemption. Keep in mind that it is not just a matter of memorizing and testing. There is so much more to it. The test is only the beginning. If His word is beginning to be found in you, you should have no problem with this test. Knowing which questions are true and which are false is not just about learning and regurgitating what we learned. It is about experiencing the truth, light and spirit of His words and then experiencing our own condition with respect to His words.

If you answer each question correctly there is a chance that the word of God may be found in you. But if you miss one question, His word is not yet found in you. Keep in mind that perhaps if we have not yet experienced our own redemption, the word may not be found in us until we do.

1) True or False. By Adam's fall, all mankind became a lost and fallen people, including you.

2) True or False. There was a space granted unto man in which they (you) might repent.

3) True or False. This life became a probationary state to see if men (you) would repent and live the gospel.

4) True or False.  There was a plan of redemption laid and it had nothing to do with living the gospel.

5) True or False. God conversed with men, and made known unto them the plan of redemption.

6) True or False. He made known unto them His plan of redemption only according to their faith and repentance and their holy works, which followed their repentance.

7) True or False. He gave commandments unto men, they having first transgressed the first commandments as to things which were temporal, and becoming as gods, knowing good from evil.

8) True or False. They then had only two choices--good or evil, and were placed in a state to act according to their wills and pleasures, whether to do evil or to do good, according to the living prophet's definitions of good and evil.

9) True or False. Mankind (you) could not merit anything of themselves. 

10) True or False. We are to do everything we can, and then rely upon Christ's merits for the difference. 

11) True or False. Mankind can choose good but cannot be good.

12) True or False. Therefore God gave unto them commandments, after having made known unto them the plan of redemption.

13) True or False.  The penalty for doing evil is a second death, which is an everlasting death as to things pertaining unto righteousness.

14) True or False. Whosoever dieth in his sins, as to a temporal death, shall also die a spiritual death.

15) True or False. The plan of redemption could have no power over this second death, for the works of justice could not be destroyed, according to the supreme goodness of God.

16) True or False. God did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid) saying: If ye will repent, and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son.

17) True or False. Therefore, only those who repent, harden not their heart, and live the gospel, shall have claim on His mercy through His Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of their sins; and only these shall enter into His rest.

18) True or False. Christ saves us in our sins.

19) True or False. Those who insist on being justified by their works will be subject to Satan, bound by the chains of hell, and shall not enter into His rest.

20) True or False. These His 'second commandments' include tithing.

And now, my brethren, seeing we know these things, and they are true, let us repent, and harden not our hearts, that we provoke not the Lord our God to pull down his wrath upon us in these his second commandments which he has given unto us; but let us enter into the rest of God, which is prepared according to his word.

Answers 

1) T

2) T

3) F      

(Has nothing to do with living the Gospel.)

4) T

5) T

6) T

7) T

8) F      

(The Lord's definition of Good and Evil.)

9) T

10) F    

(We rely wholly upon the merits of Christ. We do not merit anything of ourselves.)

11) T

12) T

13) T

14) T

15) T

16) T

17) F    

(Again has nothing to do with living the Gospel.)

18) F    

(Christ saves us from our sins.)

19) T

20) F    

(Repent and be baptized) See Who Needs to Repent

Taking Strength Unto Ourselves

In Zenos' Allegory of the Olive Tree, the Lord asks His servant this question: "Who is it that has corrupted my vineyard?" The servant answers with two questions:  

1) "Is it not the loftiness of thy vineyard--? and

2) Have not the branches thereof overcome the roots which are good?"  

He then says, 

"And because the branches 

have overcome the roots thereof, 

behold they grew faster 

than the strength of the roots, 

taking strength unto themselves, 

behold, I say, is not this the cause 

that the trees of thy vineyard 

have become corrupted?" 

(Jacob 5:58 emphasis added)

When we take strength unto ourselves and boast in our own strength, then we are "left to our own strength" (Helaman 4:13), we do not prosper, we do not bring forth any good fruit, we become corrupted and are good for nothing but to be cast into the fire. 

For more on not bringing forth any good fruit see We Are The Wild Branches.

Compare on the other hand, taking strength unto ourselves with "relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who is the author and the finisher of our faith" (Moroni 6:4).  Moroni was echoing what Nephi had previously written, reminding us that we only get into the strait and narrow path by virtue of the word of Christ with unshaken faith in Christ "...relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save" (2 Nephi 31:19).

One requires faith in Christ and the other is putting our faith in ourselves, and in our, or even some of our strength and abilities. When we use words like striving, discipline and trying, we are taking strength unto ourselves. It is either relying totally upon the merits of Christ or not relying totally upon the merits of Christ.  

I have a problem, therefore, with the way that we teach and understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let me give you an example. A few years ago in a Sacrament meeting a brother who had had extensive experience in the church as a bishop, stake president and mission president, gave a talk on charity. He used Moroni 7 as the basis for his talk. It was well researched and well presented, but he concluded his talk by admonishing us to have more charity and to be more charitable in our daily lives, as if all we had to do was decide to be more charitable, and then act more charitable. In other words, we were being admonished to rely on our own strength and through better efforts, be more loving. Unfortunately this is the norm of our teaching rather than the exception. It totally misses the mark.

If he had just directed us to one more verse in Moroni 7, we would have known that the only way for us to receive charity and become more charitable was to "...pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that (we) may be filled with this love, which he has bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ" (Moroni 7:48). In other words, we cannot be more charitable through any will or acts of our own. We can, however, be filled with His love by receiving His love from Him. We then become more loving, not by our efforts, but by His filling us with His love for us and for others. Another reminder that He is the vine and we are the branches and that the branches cannot bring forth fruit of themselves.

We need to remember that love is one of the blessings that lies within God's gifts, and His power, not our own.  Let me illustrate this with another story.

A dramatic example of this gift comes from the life of Corrie Ten Boom, who survived incarceration in a World War II concentration camp with her radiant testimony of the power of God intact.  Ten years later, she was speaking at a church service in Munich when:

I saw him the former SS man who had stood guard at the shower room door in the processing center at Ravensbruck. He was the first of our actual jailers that I had seen since that time. And suddenly it was all there--the roomful of mocking men, the heaps of clothes, Betsie's pale blanched face.

He came up to me as the church was emptying, beaming and bowing, "How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein," he said. "To think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away."

His hand was thrust out to shake mine.  And I, who had preached so often....the need to forgive, kept my hand at my side.

Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them. Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more?  Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him.

I tried to smile. I struggled to raise my hand. I could not. I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. And so again I breathed a silent prayer. Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me your forgiveness.

As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me.

And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world's healing hinges, but on His.  When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself. (The Hiding Place, p 239)

This is true of all the gifts of God. We do not and cannot earn them.  Because they are gifts we must receive them.  

"For what doth it profit a man 

if a gift is bestowed upon him 

and he receive not the gift? 

Behold, he rejoices not 

in that which is given unto him, 

neither rejoices in him 

who is the giver of the gift"  

(D&C 88:33).

Christ has reminded us that He is the vine and we are the branches, and that the branches cannot bring forth fruit of themselves. By taking strength unto ourselves, we deny His power and His gifts, which is a lack of faith in His goodness and power.

Because God is the source of all goodness, and because we do not merit anything of ourselves, it is death for us to take strength unto ourselves.

"For our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless and our thoughts will also condemn us..."  (Alma 12:14). The only way we are found spotless is through the blood of Jesus Christ. Now these are His words and if we harden our hearts against His words (believing that we must do it by our own strivings, our doings, our efforts, our successes, our goodness, our virtues, our callings, our talents, and our activity), then His word will not be found in us and 'we shall be condemned' which is another way of saying we are corrupted because we have taken strength unto ourselves and are good for nothing except to be cast into the fire. (Jacob 4:48)

Corrupted is also used in the scriptures to describe the people in the days of Noah before the flood, and specifically "...the wickedness of men had become great in the earth, and every man was lifted up in the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart, being only evil continually" (Moses 8:22).

The loftiness of the branches is synonymous with pride, and imagining ourselves as 'good guys' simply because our behavior may be somewhat better than that of the world. But remember that it is not about our behavior, but about our hearts. As my friend Tim Merrill says the Gospel is about choosing good, the righteousness of God, not about being good. We can and do deceive ourselves into thinking we are good, but we cannot deceive our Father in Heaven by simply 'living' our religion.

C.S. Lewis reminds us that Satan is perfectly content to see us being chaste and self-disciplined, while he sets up in us the dictatorship of pride. He cures our cold but gives us cancer.

This particular type of wickedness is consistently described in the Book of Mormon and other scripture, and describes the conditions of the last days not only among the world but particularly among the members of the Church as well. "For they seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol..." (D&C 1:16).

George MacDonald put it another way: "True victory over self is the victory of God in the man, not of the man alone. It is not subjugation that is enough, but subjugation by God. In whatever a man does without God, he must fail miserably--or succeed more miserably."

We have already talked about His gift of love and how we pray to Him to be filled with His love, but let me give you some other examples of ways we put the focus on us rather than on Him.

We let our light shine--rather than His. Our light is but a spark (Isaiah 50:11) in comparison to His light which is the light of the sun, moon and stars! (D&C 88)

We seek to attain righteousness through our works, through the law, rather than through faith (Romans 9:30-33).

We go about to establish our own righteousness, rather than submit ourselves to the righteousness of God (Romans 10:1-4).

We rely on our merits (or some of them) rather than rely wholly or alone upon His merits.

We put our trust in man, rather than in God, thereby worshiping the creature rather than the Creator.

We teach that we can acquire the attributes of Christ through our efforts and discipline.

We teach a Gospel of performance rather than a Gospel of repentance.

We teach that the Gospel is about our righteousness, rather than our unworthiness (Alma 38:14).

Let me give you a personal example.

I would not have described myself as a sinner when I was younger or even in my middle age years. Only other people were sinners, those bad people who committed terrible acts and transgressions, none of which I had committed. I had been taught that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was about my righteousness, my goodness, my worthiness and my works. To have been called as a Bishop I had to be righteous. I had to be one of the good guys. Right? I was so good in the pre-existence that I was born a Mormon, had married in the temple, had great kids. I lived the word of wisdom was morally clean, had a temple recommend, and paid my tithing. I had to be good. Right?

I can't remember when I first began to realize that I had been living a perverted gospel, and that I had been deceiving myself into thinking that I was good. But the more I searched the scriptures and listened to His voice in His words, the more I realized that I was worshiping a false image--an image of myself as a good guy in a world with a lot of bad guys. But something changed when I read Romans 10:1-4. I realized I had been going about to establish my righteousness, and had not submitted myself to the righteousness of God.

I learned that repentance is the process of turning to God and His Goodness. I began to see myself as I really am. Even though I was born innocent, there were flaws in my nature, weaknesses in my character and evil in my heart.

Soon everything that I was reading and hearing in the scriptures was telling me: It is not about your righteousness, but about Christ's.  I began to experience my lost and fallen state, and it was then that I realized the need for the Atonement in my life.

When I realized that there are divers ways and means whereby we can sin, even so many that we cannot number them (Mosiah 4:29), and that one sin, no matter how small, subjects me to the Justice of God  (James 2:10), hope for me came only in my Savior. I began to rely wholly on His merits and knew that because of His mercy and righteousness it was possible to not only be found guiltless at the judgment bar, but to have Him not only forgive my sins, but take away my disposition to commit sins and the capacity to commit those sins.

How grateful I am for His gift of repentance, for His love and His mercy.  I can feel that He is taking away my disposition to do evil and curing my tendency to turn away from Him.  I stand all amazed that for me, a sinner, He suffered, He bled and died.