Your standing with the Lord

Recently, I attended an Institute class with my wife in which the instructor said that personal revelation can enlighten us as to our standing before the Lord. This statement greatly intrigued me.

 It had never occurred to me that the Lord would reveal to me my standing before Him through personal revelation. I always thought that I could perhaps gauge my standing with Him based on my level of obedience, my involvement in the Church, my commitment to service, and my scripture study.

But there is no meter or indicator that I can attach to my finger to measure my righteousness. There is no sweeping dial that can indicate my level of humility, my love of the gospel, my integrity, or my willingness to follow counsel.

The rule of mercy

Before we begin, I need to acknowledge that the thoughts and ideas expressed here this month are. at least in part, inspired by our Institute class instructor, Jack Helgeson – a man full of knowledge of the gospel and love for the Lord.

As we begin to read the scriptures, the first thing we often notice is the wrath and the judgments of God. We learn that the Father cannot tolerate sin “with the least degree of allowance.” (Alma 45:16, D&C 1:31) We learn that sin must be accounted for in one way or another – that if we are unrepentant, we must suffer for our sins, (D&C 19:15-18) and that our suffering will be exquisite and sore. We see Him destroy Sodom and Gomorra. We read of the flood. We see the Savior drive the moneychangers from the temple. We are told of the cataclysmic events we will see in the last days.

Giving and receiving

I have been thinking about the relationship between giving and receiving a lot lately, mostly because of the emphasis on both during the Christmas season. All of the typical thoughts have passed through my mind. I thought about the scripture in Acts 20:35 where Paul quotes the Savior:

I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Christmas thoughts

There is always some small flap at Christmastime about whether or not the Savior was born on the 25th of December. The anti-December folks can be fairly vehement in their condemnation of those of us who choose to celebrate his birth this month. Some of them suggest that we are so blinded by pagan tradition and crass commercialism that we cannot accept that the whole holiday is just a sham. Sad. They miss the point.

The path

3 Nephi 27:33

Enter ye in at the strait gate; for strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there be that find it; but wide is the gate, and broad the way which leads to death, and many there be that travel therein,

One definition of strait is close, or intimate. Another is strict, or rigorous. A third is a narrow pass or passage. We all understand that the strait “gate” that the Savior refers to is “baptism for the remission of sins and laying on of hands for the Gift of The Holy Ghost” (4th Article of Faith). Indeed, it is close and intimate, but strict and rigorous, and the entrance is narrow, only through baptism may we enter the gate and embark on the path.

Speak peace

Since my childhood in Ogden, Utah, one of my favorite hymns has been Master, The Tempest Is Raging with lyrics by Mary Ann Baker and music by H.R. Palmer. When I was a child, what I loved about the music was the crescendos – the rise and fall in intensity – and the rise and fall of the musical notes that created a raging sea in my young mind. Exactly what the writers intended, I think. As an adult, I still love those things – the “tossing billows” in the music that are calmed and made peaceful by the Savior’s simple words: “Peace, peace, be still.”

As I was thinking about that hymn today, I realized again that while the hymn dramatizes a real event as described in Matthew 8:24-27 and Mark 4:36-41, it is nevertheless, a metaphor for the Savior’s concern and love for us and for his desire to succor us in our time of need.

The blood of patriots

This post is in response to a post on http://puremormonism.blogspot.com/ titled: Should a Mormon Join the Military?  As a retired military officer and a 5th generation member of the LDS Church, I cannot let this blog post pass unchallenged.