Intercession

2 Nephi 2

v. 8 "Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth,"


Our church is a missionary church.  Why?  Because it is essential for all the inhabitants of the earth to know these things.  How are people to know if we don't tell them?  We're not trying to force our religion on anyone.  In fact, most of us are a little shy in sharing the gospel for the simple reason that we don't want to step on toes.  But, if we do share the gospel with you, there's a reason for it: We care about you.  The gospel makes us happy, and we want to share that with you.  What kind of friend would I be if I didn't at least give you the choice?

"...that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, ^asave it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah,"

When I read this, I think about the curse that came to Laman and Lemuel when they rebelled against God.  The curse was that they were cut off from the presence of the Lord.  By the fall of Adam, we are all cursed to be cut off from the presence of the Lord.  But through the atonement of Jesus Christ, we may in the flesh approach God and dwell, in various degrees, in His presence again.

"...who ^blayeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the ^cresurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise."

Here Jacob is talking about Jesus Christ overcoming physical death through the resurrection.  I find it interesting (and somewhat confusing) that he intertwines physical death and spiritual death in the same verse.  I think his sons must have been similarly confused, because he goes on to explain in greater depth later in this chapter.

v. 9 "Wherefore, he is the firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make ^aintercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved."

In trying to understand "intercession" better, this verse led me to Isaiah 53:

v. 4 ¶Surely he hath ^aborne our ^bgriefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

v. 5 But he was ^awounded for our ^btransgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his ^cstripes we are ^dhealed.

I love this verse.  It is so sadly beautiful, a reminder of what He went through for me, and a promise that I can be healed.

v. 6 All we like ^asheep have gone ^bastray; we have turned every one to his ^cown way; and the Lord hath laid on him the ^diniquity of us all.

I love the imagery in this verse.  We are like sheep, and we have all gone astray.  We have turned to our own way, and our way is what causes us to get lost.  The atonement (literally at-one-ment) brings us back to God and returns us to His way.  His way is the good way, the only way that brings happiness in this life and the life to come.

I have this image in my mind of me, a wayward wandering child, walking away from God, and my Savior, Jesus Christ running after me.  He takes my hand and gently, lovingly leads me back to my Heavenly Father.  Every step He leads me in the right direction brings me closer to God.  And the journey there, with my hand in His, is a happy, pleasant one.

A Great Love

Alma 20

v. 26

I love reading the account of Ammon and his brothers as missionaries.  It always brings up the feelings I had while I was a missionary in France almost 25 years ago.

Verse 26 tells how King Lamoni's father was astonished at the love that Ammon felt for his son, and that his son returned.  And it brings back thoughts of Sr. Le Tendre, Marie-Cecile, Albanne, Julien and Patrice, and many more.  The reason I loved my mission so much was that I loved the people I met so much.  We shared so much joy as I taught them the things that I knew to be true, as I offered them the opportunity to come unto Christ and delight in His gospel.  I loved them.  I loved the work I was doing.  I felt closer to my Heavenly Father than ever before.

I think about the time when this life is over and we all meet again.  Hugs and tears and laughter, and thank you's, I'm sure.  Unnecessary thank you's, because I've been blessed over and over again, not the least by their love and association.

How Beautiful Upon The Mountains Are Their Feet

Mosiah 15

9 Having ascended into heaven, having the bowels of mercy; being filled with compassion towards the children of men; standing betwixt them and justice; having broken the bands of death, taken upon ^ahimself their iniquity and their transgressions, having redeemed them, and ^bsatisfied the demands of justice.

Imagine that you are hearing these words for the first time (perhaps you are).  Jesus Christ, motivated only by love for you, descended below all and redeemed you.  No longer must you be weighed down with sin, for He has already borne them for you.  No more need you fear death, for He has conquered it, and you will live again.  He has offered you peace and joy in this world and in the world to come.

How do you react?  My heart fills with joy, hope, gratitude, and love.  Others -- as we will see later in this section of Mosiah -- react in anger.

Anger?  I do not understand it.  I am glad it is beyond my comprehension, because it means that someone is so deeply entrenched in their sins, that they have chosen evil so many times that they have grown to love it.  I cannot say they are happy in their ways; that is contrary to eternal truth.  But they are addicted to the satisfaction of it, the thrill, the adrenaline rush perhaps.  They choose to remain lost and rebellious.

14 And these are ^athey who have published peace, who have brought good ^btidings of good, who have ^cpublished salvation; and said unto Zion: Thy God reigneth!

15 And O how beautiful upon the mountains were their feet! 

 

Thank you to the missionaries who first came to my father's house when he was a teenage boy.  And thank you to the missionaries who came to see my mom when she was a very young mother.  Thank you to my parents who taught me the truths that they knew, and helped me learn to love those truths.  Thank you to the prophets who testify of Him still.  Your feet are beautiful upon the mountains to me.

A Mom and a Missionary

Mosiah 18:18-20   Doctrine and Covenants 43:15-16   Doctrine and Covenants 52:9   Alma 17:2-3; 10-12   Doctrine and Covenants 84:85

When I was a missionary, I was so impressed with the missionary lessons that I vowed to teach them to my future children.  After I had kids, I discovered that they responded better to simpler lessons.  Nonetheless, I taught my children all the principles contained in there.  In fact, I taught them over and over again, reinforcing the plain and precious truths of the gospel.  Oh, I was so confident that I had done enough for their nascent testimonies, that I had created little stalwarts who would never waver in the gospel.  I had done all I could, right?  Truly, I was like the mothers of Helaman's stripling warriors.  I felt safe, and perhaps a tad bit smug.

And then my children became teenagers.  And they were thrown into a nasty dervish of a world.  I hear about the things they face, and I cringe.  My children's testimonies haven't been the safe harbor I had hoped it would be.  They struggle.  They falter sometimes.  They push away, and sometimes they openly rebel.  They kick against the pricks and find out for themselves, by their own experience, that it hurts.

And so I'm a missionary again.  I'm back to teaching the plain and precious truths of the gospel: faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ; repentance; renewing our baptismal covenants through the sacrament; following the gift of the Holy Ghost.  It's a lot harder than when they were just little.  These are bright kids with deep thinking minds.  This time, it's not enough just to know the gospel.  I have to find a way to challenge them to live the gospel, to help them take one step, to take one bite of this precious fruit, to try the experiment, and then to take the next step.

I like the comparison to the sons of Mosiah.  My kids can be every bit as daunting as the Lamanites.  I take comfort in the Lord's words to them in Alma 17:10-12:
"And it came to pass that the Lord did visit them with his Spirit, and said unto them: Be comforted.  And they were comforted.
"And the Lord said unto them also: Go forth among the Lamanites, thy brethren, and establish my word; yet ye shall be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls."

Scripture Journal

Funny how the Lord works.  How He puts an idea into your head a little piece at a time until it all comes together in a wonderful way.  I've felt that recently.  This new blog is one of the pieces in the puzzle.  Or maybe it's where I was being led all along.

It began with the newest edition of the Ensign magazine, September 2010.  I read an article on using the manual Preach My Gospel as a personal scripture study tool.  I had just finished the Book of Mormon again, and I was wondering where to take my scripture study next.  I thought that would be a great idea.  So, I brought it up to my room and started.

One of the suggestions in the manual is to keep a study journal.  I liked that idea.  I already have a notebook I use for recording spiritual impressions as they come to me, and I thought I could expand its function and use it.  Then, a couple of things happened: My husband was preparing a Sunday School lesson on missionary work, and I read another article in the Ensign about sharing the gospel through the internet.  The impact of all of these things -- the articles, my discussions with my husband, my reading in Preach My Gospel -- led me to the idea of using a blog as my scripture journal.

These are private thoughts that are important and precious to me, but I am willing to share them publicly.  I do so hoping that some of my insights touch your own heart, make you think, help you feel the love of the Lord as I have, and strengthen your faith, whatever it may be.