President's Weekly Letter #45

SUCCOR MY PEOPLE

The scriptures are full of teachings about the atonement of Jesus Christ; that great act, planned in the pre-existence, which allows us to overcome physical death and spiritual death.  Amulek taught eloquently in Alma Chapter 11 that Christ would come and redeem his people by taking upon himself the punishment for the sins of those who believe on his name and that all shall be raised from the temporal death.

Before the birth of Christ, the atonement was frequently prophesied.  Prophets taught the atonement would cleanse us of our sins and raise our physical body of flesh and bones from death.  For example: 

Isaiah said: “ 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”  (Isaiah 53:5)

Nephi prophesied: “12 …the grave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men will be restored one to the other; and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel.” (2 Nephi 9:12)

However, a big part of the power of the atonement is sometimes overlooked.  Jesus Christ suffered the pains, sickness, anguish, regrets, temptations, etc. of mankind so that we can gain relief from these burdens when we take our inevitable turn to suffer with them.  This third gift of the atonement is taught throughout the scriptures but it often goes un-used because it is over looked, ignored, and misunderstood.  A few references to this part of the atonement are:

“18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.” (Heb. 2:18)

“1 Behold, and hearken, O ye elders of my church, saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ, your advocate, who knoweth the weakness of man and how to succor them who are tempted.” (DC 62:1)

“3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief…

 4 ¶Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows…” (Isaiah 53:4)

Alma clearly taught this third component of the atonement, when teaching in verses 12 and 13 that Christ will blot out our sins and loose the bands of death.  In verses 11 and 12 he said:

“11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

 12 …and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. (Alma 7:11-12)

What this says is, the suffering of Jesus in Gethsemane and on the cross exceeded the combined suffering from infirmities of all human beings since the worlds were created.  Somehow he vicariously experienced all the temptations, grief, heartaches, sickness, physical pains, handicaps, emotional burdens, depressions, loneliness, unfairness, etc. of us and all the human family before us and after us.  He personally knows all these things and this suffering because he lived and suffered them in Gethsemane. 

These experiences of pain and suffering that come to all human beings at one point or another cannot just simply be whisked away by us or God.  The laws of this cause-and-effect world do not allow it.  The suffering is a consequence of something.  Through prayer, we can seek relief from burdens, above which we cannot bear.  The burdens do not simply disappear; they are transferred to Christ’s shoulders to bear.  Christ literally knows how to succor his people because he descended below all of us and experienced our infirmities.  This parallels our casting the punishment for sin on Christ’s shoulders through sincere repentance.

A few years ago an LDS author named Stephen Robinson wrote the book, Believing Christ.  One of the theses in the book is that many members of the Church of Jesus Christ “believe in Christ” as the Son of God and our Savior and Redeemer.  But, they do not always “believe Christ”; what Christ says and promises. 

Christ says he will succor us and bear our burdens, temptations, and grief, but we often never ask in prayer to use that portion of the atonement but bear those burdens ourselves.  We ask for forgiveness of sin and hope for a glorious resurrection, but forget that through the power of the atonement he also has his hand outstretched and is offering to relieve us from life’s burdens that seem too heavy to bear.

In the Mission and in your life, you may struggle with temptation, sickness and other ailments.  I encourage you to believe Christ and put it to the test.  Ask for relief through the power of the atonement.  The Lord will bless you and answer your request as you strive to live his commandments because he stated:

29 For behold, the Lord hath said: I will not succor my people in the day of their transgression; but I will hedge up their ways that they prosper not; and their doings

shall be as a stumbling block before them.

 30 And again, he saith: If my people shall sow filthiness they shall reap the chaff thereof in the whirlwind; and the effect thereof is poison.  (Mosiah 7:29-30)

President Robinson 

President's Weekly Letter #44

GIVE OF YOUR SUBSTANCE

A few years ago while serving as the Young Men President in my home ward, I observed that “giving of your substance” is emphasized and reemphasized in the scriptures.  The boys in my quorum were still in High School and essentially had no substance; they could not give money to the poor and the needy.  Yet the commandment still stood.  This made a strong impression on me as I pondered how these Priests age young men could comply with this commandment; now or in the near future when they would become missionaries.  I came to realize that “substance” is not only money, but what you have to share.  And, the “poor and the needy” are not only people with no money but also people who are poor and needy spiritually, emotionally, physically and mentally.  Since no one is perfect, then using this definition everyone is poor and needy in some way.  The following outlines a few of the scriptural references to “giving of your substance” which takes on a whole new dimension using the spiritual definition not the literal definition. (By the way, I think it is also mandatory to take literal the commandment and to give generously of your money and material wealth.)

For the purposes of these scriptures, think of the following literal physical needs as symbolic for the spiritual needs listed below.  Many other spiritual metaphors could be listed:

·      Our Substance – our ability to minister and our: time, attention, prayer, good deeds, uplifting words, compassion, spiritual support, succor, home or visiting teaching, etc.

·      Sick – with worldliness

·      Afflicted – with sin

·      Poor – in spirituality

·      Needy – in faith

·      Hungry – for meaning in life

·      Naked – without armor of righteousness and shield of faith

·      Heal – Spiritual sickness

·      Raise the dead – raise the spiritually dead

·      Lame – cannot walk the narrow path

·      Blind – cannot see truth, Christ and Christ centered life

·      Deaf – to the word of God

·      Cast out devils – evil that dwell in hearts of man

·      Beggars -  want what you have

Mosiah 18:27-28.  Alma commanded the people of the church to freely impart of their substance which is that which he has to the spiritually needy and spiritually naked souls?

Mosiah 2:21-25.  The Lord created us and gave us our substance.  It is not ours to retain.  In the first place he preserves and supports us day to day that we may live and breath so we are indebted to him.  Secondly, he immediately blesses us when we keep his commandments, so we are still indebted to him.

DC 104:12-18.  We are accountable as a steward over earthly blessings.  All things are the Lord’s.  The earth is full and there is enough to spare.  We must take of our [the Lord’s] abundance and impart to the poor and the needy or lift up our eyes in hell.

Alma 34:13-28.  Christ will bring salvation to all those who shall believe.  We must exercise our faith unto repentance and pray.  After all this, if we turn away the needy, naked, visit the sick and afflicted, impart not your substance to those in need, your prayer is vain and availeth you nothing.

Mormon 8:37-39.  In our day men will love their substance more than the poor, needy, sick and afflicted. 

“39 Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not?”

The Savior’s own teachings are rich in admonishment to give of your substance.  To cite just a few:  the parable of the good Samaritan, the young rich man, the parable laying up treasures in heaven and the parable of Lazarus and the rich man.

Mosiah 4:15-27. We are to succor and administer our substance to him who stands in need.  Never say to yourself this man has brought upon himself his misery and then withhold because his punishments are just.  We are all beggars and rely on God to give us our substance.  We are all beggars for a remission of sins.  God grants to us whatsoever we ask, so we ought to impart the substance we receive from him to others.  It does not belong to you but to God to whom also your life belongs.  Impart of your substance and you will retain a remission of your sins from day to day.

“26 I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants.

 27 And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength…”

Giving your substance is a serious commandment.  Your substance is what you have.  For the rest of our lives, I hope we will remember that imparting our substance includes not only money but also our ministering and our: time, attention, prayer, good deeds, uplifting words, compassion, spiritual support, succor, home and visiting teaching, etc.

President Robinson

President's Weekly Letter #43

COMPASSION

During his ministry in Jerusalem, a certain man named Lazarus was sick.  Lazarus was Martha and Mary’s brother.   Mary is the one who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair. (Matt. 26:7)  Mary is also the one who did not serve the guests in their house when Jesus was present but instead sat at Jesus’ feet and heard his words.  Upon Martha’s complaint (she was left alone with much of the serving) Jesus stated that Mary had chosen the good part. (Luke 10:42)  Jesus was close to this family.  The scriptures state that Jesus loved Martha and her sister [Mary] and Lazarus.  After going to Lazarus, Jesus found that he had lain in the grave 4 days.  Martha and Mary both in heartbroken anguish complained to Jesus, both saying, “If thou had been here, my brother had not died.” 

 “33 When Jesus therefore saw her [Mary] weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,

 35 Jesus wept.”  (John 11:1-44)

After Jesus appeared and taught the Nephites and Lamanites after his resurrection he announced he was leaving and commanded the people to go home and ponder his words to prepare themselves for tomorrow when he would return.  As he looked at the multitude, he saw they were in tears and would ask him to stay longer with them.  He said,

“6 …my bowels are filled with compassion towards you.”

He then healed their sick and his joy was full.

“ 21 And… he wept, [and blessed the children]

 22 And when he had done this he wept again…”   (3 Nephi 17:12-22)

On one occasion, Jesus went to the coasts of Judaea by Jordan and taught the people.  There came a man running and kneeled to him and asked him, “What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”  Christ rehearsed the 10 commandments upon which the man said that he had observed all these from his youth.  Then Jesus told him to sell all that he has and give it to the poor and thou shalt have treasure on earth.  It is interesting the account states,

 “21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him…” (Mark 10:21)

Early in his ministry a leper came to Jesus beseeching him, and kneeling down to him saying:

“40 … If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

 41 And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.”  (Mark 1:41)

Later Jesus went into a city called Nain with his disciples.  At the city gate they met a procession.  A man had died who was the only son of his widow mother.  Jesus raised the dead son and delivered him to his mother.  The scripture says:

“13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.” (Luke 7:13)

We get glimpses here into who Jesus was.  He had compassion for people.  He wept when others were sad.  He wept when others were happy.  He loved people he had never met before but who came asking questions.

And, one of the most often reiterated commandments in the standard works is to love others.  Therefore, if there ever were an attribute of Jesus that we ought to try to obtain, it is love for others.  Jesus himself stated:

“34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”   (John 13:34-35) 

I think of compassion as an expression of love or charity toward others.  It is the proof of heartfelt love because it really moves us.  Compassion is a feeling of sympathy and empathy for someone because you understand and care about them.  It is often associated with pity or sorrow for the pain of somebody else but in the passage with the Nephites, we clearly see that compassion also includes feeling the joy or happiness of somebody else. 

Sympathy is the ability to understand and feel sorrow or joy felt by somebody else, but with empathy we transfer somebody’s own feelings vicariously to ourselves to experiencing them ourselves.  The Savior provides a perfect example for feeling sympathy and empathy. 

 In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus emphasized the need for compassion.  The story states:

“33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,” (Luke 10:33)

And, in the parable of the Prodigal Son:

20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20)

We will all do well to cultivate and exercise our ability to have compassion.  With compassion toward others we will experience the why of missionary work and it will be the driving force for better success because people will feel it in us.

President Robinson

President's Weekly Letter #42

THE GOSPEL

When I was a young teenager, I was somewhat overwhelmed with the seemingly unending list of commandments from God that my teachers taught on Sundays.  I did not know or understand much about the atonement and actually thought to inherit the Celestial Kingdom would be super difficult because of the sheer quantity of commandments.  I am embarrassed to admit that I figured the Terrestial Kingdom would not be that bad after all. To not just give up, I decided to start a project to read the standard works and list each commandment, principle or attribute that is mentioned.  With that list, I could then maybe sort it out and zero in on compliance to all the commandments.

My project failed because the list became too long and convoluted.  Take DC 4 for example, the list of attributes we are required to be is huge.  Also, many of the stories in the scriptures teach more than one gospel principle which frequently is not apparent until the reader is open to receive that principle.  However, over time I came to realize the gospel is not that difficult.  Yes, we should do our best to internalize good attributes and live the commandments, but the basics are simple.  Nephi teaches this in his great sermon on the doctrine of Christ in 2 Nephi 31.  Joseph Smith taught the same thing in the Fourth Article of Faith.  Christ repeatedly described the key to salvation as baptism and then enduring to the end.

5 …except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5)  

1When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,

3 Now the Lord knew this, though he himself baptized not so many as his disciples… (JST John 4:1, 3)

9 Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life. (3 Nephi 15:9)

13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. (Matt 24:13)

On earth we have a wide variety of experiences as we learn and grow becoming more like our Father in Heaven.  The lessons are never ending as we exercise our new ability to choose for ourselves in a world where opposition exists – good, evil, joy, sorrow, health, sickness, love, pleasure, pain, adversity, work, heart break, etc.  These experiences and growth are a major purpose for us in this life.  In my studies, I have come to the conclusion that, as we learn and grow with our bodies in this fashion on earth, the gospel requires our performance in 3 areas to achieve salvation:

           

Faith:

·      Accept and Develop Faith in Jesus Christ as the Savior and Redeemer

·      Repentance

Accept the Saving Ordinances:

·      Baptism and confirmation to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost

·      Receive the Priesthood

·      Temple Endowment

·      Temple Sealing

·      Weekly Partake of the Sacrament

Obedience:

·      Enduring to the end – meaning to do your best to keep all the commandments

This list is not a step by step checklist, but must be viewed as an ongoing lifestyle involving our constant use of all the steps; for example, living specific commandments while enduring to the end involves looping back to faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, partaking of the sacrament and regular temple attendance.  The most important commandment for each individual is probably the one that the individual finds most difficult to live.  We all have our Achilles Heel.  These weaknesses vary and are specific to the individual, but God has promised, through the power of the atonement, that particular weakness can become strengths to us.  The atonement is truly amazing; especially in that enduring to the end is good enough, as compared to strictly perfecting ourselves with each commandment during our sojourn on earth.   

In addition, I have observed that a few commandments regarding our treatment of others are emphasized and reemphasized in the scriptures by the prophets and, therefore, we probably ought to pay particular attention to making it a priority to live these commandments.  These all relate to Love of Others and were discussed in the previous Zone Conference:

Love of Others:

·      Compassion

·      Service

·      Forgiving and nonjudgmental

·      Give of your substance

In the following few weeks, I will discuss these attributes of Love for Others in more detail.

President Robinson