At the time, I was the high council speaker assigned to deliver a Sacrament talk to the singles branch in our California stake. The stake was an accurate reflection of the multi-cultural California population. As I was speaking, I noticed a young man sitting by an attractive Asian young woman, whispering something in her ear. I found this quite distracting. Being an educator by profession, I know the importance of only one person speaking at a time. When this happens to me in seminars or in the classroom, I simply stop talking until the guilty parties have done the same. So, true to form, I stopped talking. The young man also stopped conversing. It worked! But as soon as I resumed my talk, the young man once again leaned over to whisper pretty things in his friend’s ear. This pattern was repeated several times until I had completely lost all composure. I stopped in the middle of my talk and approached the Branch President and explained that I simply could not concentrate with the young couple flirting back there. The Branch President calmly explained that the young man was interpreting for a visitor from Japan.
I frequently used this embarrassing episode, slightly changed, to illustrate presentations at work on interpersonal communication skills. A decade later, I attended a seminar called Crucial Conversations (based on the book by the same title). In the seminar, I learned that we cannot experience a negative emotion without it being first preceded by a story or narrative we tell ourselves. Negative emotions such as anger, jealousy, pride, and envy, then, can only take place if preceded by the corresponding self talk. This workshop provided me with an “aha moment.”
My frustration during the Sacrament Meeting talk had grown as I told myself that these individuals were being rude, interrupting, and not paying attention while they flirted. Soon after this new discovery, I had the perfect opportunity to put to work my new found knowledge about the power of telling ourselves the right story.
One night I had a long layover from an international trip and I found the darkest and most quiet spot in the airport so I could sleep. I was very pleased with myself as I had discovered the perfect spot, and I proceeded to arrange everything for my well deserved sleep. But it was only a few moments later that a couple found the same spot, sat next to me, and began to chat.
I like to sleep in total darkness and in a silent place. I was quite stressed over this change in circumstances. How could I sleep now? How could these folks not notice I was trying to sleep? Why did they have to choose this part of the airport? And worse, why sit so close to me when the waiting room was quite large?
Gladly, I remembered my seminar and decided to tell myself a more productive story. Every family reunion has an uncle who manages to fall asleep despite the fact that everyone is laughing and talking. In our family, that “uncle” is me. So my new self talk went something along the lines of: “Pretend you were in a family reunion and everyone around you is gladly talking and you are so tired you are falling asleep. So, are you tired or are you not tired? If you are tired you will fall asleep; otherwise, you will not.” Well, I was exhausted and managed to quickly fall asleep.
I have been called to teach the family relations class in our Llanquihue, Chile Branch. I teach these classes as Sunday evening firesides. Along with each lesson, I like to introduce an interpersonal negotiation technique. At the previous fireside I had spoken about the stories we tell ourselves and had given class members the assignment of turning a negative story they had to confront during the week, into a more positive one.
My wife and I also had to carry out this assignment, and we pondered and exchanged a number of such stories from our past. On Sunday, my wife shared an event with the class that took place earlier in our marriage. At that time our four children were very young and very active and made a huge mess of the house. There was a sister in the ward that had been married about the same length of time but seemed to be the perfect housewife. Not only was her house in perfect condition, but she managed to keep herself trim, too. She had one child and my wife thought that she was being selfish, and had chosen to only have one child so that she would have time for the gym and to keep everything nice and tidy. My wife was called to be her visiting teacher, and on one visit this young sister broke out in tears because she was not able to have more children. My wife explained that she had permitted herself to become envious of this sister and had created the type of story that allowed for that.
I also had the opportunity to reflect on this subject in ways I had not done before. I came to the realization that self talk is behind both negative as well as positive attitudes, and furthermore, that all sin—both of omission and commission—requires that we tell ourselves a story. In the language of scripture, negative self talk is sometimes referred to with such words as the vain imaginations and thoughts of the heart. These, then, are all the excuses we allow ourselves for not doing that which is right. Or, for any sort of negative thinking. No wonder we read in Mosiah that we will be judged not only by our deeds and by our words, but also by our thoughts (Mosiah 4:30).
It is easy to think that our thoughts are somehow disassociated from our words and acts in some way. That perhaps our thoughts are not such a serious problem. That we can entertain impure or unkind feelings, and that this is somehow natural. It has now become clearer than ever to me that surely, “For as [man] thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). While we often excuse our unrighteous thoughts, we take these excuses even further when we give ourselves permission, through a story, to say something that is unkind rather than tame our tongue. “I probably shouldn’t say this, but....” Indeed, it is a good thing when we can tame our tongue and not excuse ourselves. But even more important, when we realize that Mosiah is right. Our thoughts, our words, and our deeds are inseparably connected.
It is a difficult challenge to rule our thoughts. We must master our thoughts if we wish to master our tongues and our deeds—if we wish to become more Christ like. It will require a truly pure heart to tell ourselves the type of story that is full of mercy and kindness—and is not judgmental—toward others. It will require a truly pure heart to refuse self justifying excuses.
Joseph of Egypt is such a good example. When the famine came, he was in a position of power over his brothers. Joseph could have entertained thoughts of revenge. He could have sent his brothers back empty handed or made sure they suffered retribution for the abuse he experienced at their hands. Instead, Joseph repeatedly consoled his brothers and suggested they forgive themselves, as he had already forgiven them: “Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life… to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance” (Genesis 45:5, 7). Joseph picked the best, most generous, of the possible stories he could have entertained.
Every day we make countless choices as to the stories we will contemplate. Sometimes destructive self doubt can creep into our minds. I often worried as to whether I would be valiant and endure until the end. Alma taught us that the true desires of our hearts would win out in the end. That in effect, we decide if we want to be happy, not just now, but in eternity. As I pondered Alma 41 anew, I was able to change my story, and realize that if I truly loved the Lord, all would be well. This brought a quiet reassurance to my heart. When doubt creeps in, I just ask myself if I really love the Lord. The imaginations and thoughts of our hearts, truly, if they are good, can bring us unbound joy. The right stories can also give us the strength to do what is right.
______
References
Billikopf, Gregorio. Party Directed Mediation: Helping Others Resolve Differences (2009).
Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R., & Switzler, A. (2002). Crucial conversations: Tools for talking when stakes are high. New York: McGraw-Hill.
08 September 2010
24 July 2010
Elohim (אֱלֹהִים), Adonai (אֲדֹנָי) and Divine Investiture
A careful reading of the Old Testament seems to indicate that the word Elohim is often used as an exalted title for deity as well as a noun meaning God or angels. It is at times also used to speak of pagan gods. Both titles, Elohim (אֱלֹהִים) and Adonai (אֲדֹנָי) have been applied to each God the Father and God the Son.
In the Old Testament, Elohim is most frequently associated with Jehovah or Yahweh (JHVH or YHWH). For instance, in the KJV, we frequently encounter the expression LORD God, which literally, in Hebrew, would be rendered Jehovah Elohim (יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים). Furthermore, we come across scriptures that say that the “LORD he is God,” (Deuteronomy 4:35), יְהוָה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים. Or rather, the more literal rendition is “Jehovah, He the God.” This last statement is given a double emphasis in 1 Kings 18:39:
יְהוָה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים יְהוָה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים.
Once again, it becomes clear that when Elohim is used as an exalted title in the Jewish Holy Scriptures or Old Covenant, it almost always refers to Jehovah, Jeshua, or the promised Messiah, Jesus the Christ.
In Genesis 1:1 we read: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Or rather, “In the beginning Elohim created the heaven and the earth.” Analyzing the Hebrew for the expression ‘in the beginning’ (BERESHIT, בְּרֵאשִׁית), the Prophet Joseph Smith taught us that בְּרֵאשִׁית, based on the word ROSH (רֹאשׁ), head, originally was missing the BETH (ב) and meant “The Head One of the Gods.” This is interesting to me because—although I realize Brother Joseph was not speaking of Elohim here—the expression Elohim has been defined precisely as the head God in the Ugaritic tradition (TWOT). Most references to Elohim in the Old Testament, however, as we have said, refer to Jehovah or Christ, rather than to God the Father. This does not mean that God the Father is absent from the Old Covenant, as we shall see. In fact, he is intimately present.
The Savior makes it clear that none of His words are His own, but rather, He glorifies the Father: “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak” (John 12:49). We also read: “Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me…” (John 17:7-8a).
The Sweetness of the Unity between the Godhead
The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are three distinct beings who are one in purpose. There is no envy between them. They are of one mind. This truth was powerfully revealed to me by the Holy Spirit on the way home from school, as a young boy of thirteen or so, years before I ever saw, heard of, or handled the Book of Mormon (or any literature published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).
It is understandable that some—when taking the scriptures out of context—are confused upon reading John 14: “Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake” (John 14:8-11).
As LDS we believe that the Savior of mankind was made in the similitude of the Father. So that a person who has seen the Son has also seen what the Father looks like. But the primary purpose of these verses are not to speak just of the physical similarity between the Father and the Son, but to make it clear and certain that the Father and the Son are one in purpose—despite being different individuals. The next verse makes this plain: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” (John 14:12-14). In other words, just as the Savior does the works of the Father, we can do the works of the Savior, which in turn are the works the Father would have us do.
This is essentially the same message of D&C 50:43, “And the Father and I are one. I am in the Father and the Father in me; and inasmuch as ye have received me, ye are in me and I in you.” And John 17:11b and 21-22 make this point even clearer, beyond any doubt, that the question is one of unity of purpose: “Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are,” and “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.” Well is it said that “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (1 John 5:7).
Divine Investiture
For many of these scriptures to truly make sense, we need to rely on modern-day Prophets. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we believe in the principle of Divine Investiture. Joseph Fielding Smith taught: “All revelation since the fall has come through Jesus Christ, who is the Jehovah of the Old Testament. In all of the scriptures, where God is mentioned and where he has appeared, it was Jehovah who talked with Abraham, with Noah, Enoch, Moses and all the prophets. He is the God of Israel, the Holy One of Israel; the one who led that nation out of Egyptian bondage, and who gave and fulfilled the Law of Moses. The Father has never dealt with man directly and personally since the fall, and he has never appeared except to introduce and bear record of the Son” (Doctrines of Salvation 1:27).
Except for times when the Father is introducing the Son, the words of the Father are pronounced and brought to us by the Son. The Son delights in giving all honor and credit to the Father even in these matters. For instance, in the Book of Mormon, when referring to words given by Jehovah to Malachi, the Savior reminds us that these words, the words spoken in the Old Covenant by the Holy Prophets, are truly the words of the Father--even if delivered by the Son: “And it came to pass that he commanded them that they should write the words which the Father had given unto Malachi, which he should tell unto them … Thus said the Father unto Malachi—Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant … ” (3 Nephi 24:1).
As Christians, we pray to the Father, in the name of the Son. We receive an answer, usually, through the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost reveals the Father and the Son. The revelations received by Joseph Smith in the Doctrine and Covenants were given to the Prophet by the Savior (either directly, or again, through Divine Investiture through the Holy Ghost). Thus it is that in the Doctrine and Covenants we have Jesus Christ speaking: “listen to the words of Jesus Christ, your Lord and your Redeemer” (15:1b). Nephi, similarly, explains that the words he has spoken come from the Son: “if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ” (2 Ne. 33:10b). When we receive answers to our prayers, the Holy Ghost speaks to us through Divine Investiture, also. When we give a Priesthood blessing, the words we speak are gvien through Divine Investiture.
The Son, our Holy Redeemer, then, speaks for the Father. It is a power of attorney, so to speak. There are some very important scriptures in Isaiah where this happens, and we hear the Son speaking about His own mission as the mortal Messiah as if it was the Father who was speaking. Thus we have Jehovah speaking in Isaiah 53:6 and 53:10, “and the LORD (Jehovah, יהוָה) hath laid on him the iniquity of us all,” and “Yet it pleased the LORD (Jehovah, יהוָה) to bruise him.” It is the Lord speaking, but He (Jehovah, Christ) is speaking for the Father in first person about Himself (Christ) and his future Messianic role.
So it is in Moses: “And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten; and mine Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior, for he is full of grace and truth; but there is no God beside me, and all things are present with me, for I know them all’ (Moses 1:6). Once again, it is the Son who speaks the words of the Father.
There are notable exceptions, of course, during those times where the Father is introducing or bearing witness of the Son. For instance, in the New Covenant, when Christ is upon the earth, we hear the Father glorifying the Son (e.g., Matthew 3:17, John 12:28). In Joseph Smith History-1:17b, Elohim the Eternal Father introduces the Son to the boy Prophet Joseph Smith: “When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
The Book of Revelation gives a perfect example of Divine Investiture. In this case, an angel speaks the words of Christ. John distinctly hears the words of the Savior from the angelic messenger who is clothed in great glory (see a similar event in the Ascension of Isaiah). We hear this personage speaking the words of Christ in the first person, “Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book” (Revelation 22:7). John thought himself in the presence of our Redeemer. Scripture tells us that John fell to worship, but was prevented from doing so: “Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God” (Revelation 22:9).
____
References
McConkie, Bruce. The Promised Messiah. Deseret Book Company, 1978.
Smith, Joseph Fielding. Doctrines of Salvation (3 volumes).
Talmage, James E. Jesus the Christ. (Including notes from The Father and The Son: A Doctrinal Exposition by The First Presidency and The Twelve, set forth in 1916)
Response to comments below:
Thanks for the comment. In the book of Moses, the Savior is speaking for the Father, through Divine Investiture.
In the Old Testament, Elohim is most frequently associated with Jehovah or Yahweh (JHVH or YHWH). For instance, in the KJV, we frequently encounter the expression LORD God, which literally, in Hebrew, would be rendered Jehovah Elohim (יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים). Furthermore, we come across scriptures that say that the “LORD he is God,” (Deuteronomy 4:35), יְהוָה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים. Or rather, the more literal rendition is “Jehovah, He the God.” This last statement is given a double emphasis in 1 Kings 18:39:
יְהוָה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים יְהוָה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים.
Once again, it becomes clear that when Elohim is used as an exalted title in the Jewish Holy Scriptures or Old Covenant, it almost always refers to Jehovah, Jeshua, or the promised Messiah, Jesus the Christ.
In Genesis 1:1 we read: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Or rather, “In the beginning Elohim created the heaven and the earth.” Analyzing the Hebrew for the expression ‘in the beginning’ (BERESHIT, בְּרֵאשִׁית), the Prophet Joseph Smith taught us that בְּרֵאשִׁית, based on the word ROSH (רֹאשׁ), head, originally was missing the BETH (ב) and meant “The Head One of the Gods.” This is interesting to me because—although I realize Brother Joseph was not speaking of Elohim here—the expression Elohim has been defined precisely as the head God in the Ugaritic tradition (TWOT). Most references to Elohim in the Old Testament, however, as we have said, refer to Jehovah or Christ, rather than to God the Father. This does not mean that God the Father is absent from the Old Covenant, as we shall see. In fact, he is intimately present.
The Savior makes it clear that none of His words are His own, but rather, He glorifies the Father: “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak” (John 12:49). We also read: “Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me…” (John 17:7-8a).
The Sweetness of the Unity between the Godhead
The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are three distinct beings who are one in purpose. There is no envy between them. They are of one mind. This truth was powerfully revealed to me by the Holy Spirit on the way home from school, as a young boy of thirteen or so, years before I ever saw, heard of, or handled the Book of Mormon (or any literature published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).
It is understandable that some—when taking the scriptures out of context—are confused upon reading John 14: “Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake” (John 14:8-11).
As LDS we believe that the Savior of mankind was made in the similitude of the Father. So that a person who has seen the Son has also seen what the Father looks like. But the primary purpose of these verses are not to speak just of the physical similarity between the Father and the Son, but to make it clear and certain that the Father and the Son are one in purpose—despite being different individuals. The next verse makes this plain: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” (John 14:12-14). In other words, just as the Savior does the works of the Father, we can do the works of the Savior, which in turn are the works the Father would have us do.
This is essentially the same message of D&C 50:43, “And the Father and I are one. I am in the Father and the Father in me; and inasmuch as ye have received me, ye are in me and I in you.” And John 17:11b and 21-22 make this point even clearer, beyond any doubt, that the question is one of unity of purpose: “Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are,” and “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.” Well is it said that “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (1 John 5:7).
Divine Investiture
For many of these scriptures to truly make sense, we need to rely on modern-day Prophets. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we believe in the principle of Divine Investiture. Joseph Fielding Smith taught: “All revelation since the fall has come through Jesus Christ, who is the Jehovah of the Old Testament. In all of the scriptures, where God is mentioned and where he has appeared, it was Jehovah who talked with Abraham, with Noah, Enoch, Moses and all the prophets. He is the God of Israel, the Holy One of Israel; the one who led that nation out of Egyptian bondage, and who gave and fulfilled the Law of Moses. The Father has never dealt with man directly and personally since the fall, and he has never appeared except to introduce and bear record of the Son” (Doctrines of Salvation 1:27).
Except for times when the Father is introducing the Son, the words of the Father are pronounced and brought to us by the Son. The Son delights in giving all honor and credit to the Father even in these matters. For instance, in the Book of Mormon, when referring to words given by Jehovah to Malachi, the Savior reminds us that these words, the words spoken in the Old Covenant by the Holy Prophets, are truly the words of the Father--even if delivered by the Son: “And it came to pass that he commanded them that they should write the words which the Father had given unto Malachi, which he should tell unto them … Thus said the Father unto Malachi—Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant … ” (3 Nephi 24:1).
As Christians, we pray to the Father, in the name of the Son. We receive an answer, usually, through the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost reveals the Father and the Son. The revelations received by Joseph Smith in the Doctrine and Covenants were given to the Prophet by the Savior (either directly, or again, through Divine Investiture through the Holy Ghost). Thus it is that in the Doctrine and Covenants we have Jesus Christ speaking: “listen to the words of Jesus Christ, your Lord and your Redeemer” (15:1b). Nephi, similarly, explains that the words he has spoken come from the Son: “if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ” (2 Ne. 33:10b). When we receive answers to our prayers, the Holy Ghost speaks to us through Divine Investiture, also. When we give a Priesthood blessing, the words we speak are gvien through Divine Investiture.
The Son, our Holy Redeemer, then, speaks for the Father. It is a power of attorney, so to speak. There are some very important scriptures in Isaiah where this happens, and we hear the Son speaking about His own mission as the mortal Messiah as if it was the Father who was speaking. Thus we have Jehovah speaking in Isaiah 53:6 and 53:10, “and the LORD (Jehovah, יהוָה) hath laid on him the iniquity of us all,” and “Yet it pleased the LORD (Jehovah, יהוָה) to bruise him.” It is the Lord speaking, but He (Jehovah, Christ) is speaking for the Father in first person about Himself (Christ) and his future Messianic role.
So it is in Moses: “And I have a work for thee, Moses, my son; and thou art in the similitude of mine Only Begotten; and mine Only Begotten is and shall be the Savior, for he is full of grace and truth; but there is no God beside me, and all things are present with me, for I know them all’ (Moses 1:6). Once again, it is the Son who speaks the words of the Father.
There are notable exceptions, of course, during those times where the Father is introducing or bearing witness of the Son. For instance, in the New Covenant, when Christ is upon the earth, we hear the Father glorifying the Son (e.g., Matthew 3:17, John 12:28). In Joseph Smith History-1:17b, Elohim the Eternal Father introduces the Son to the boy Prophet Joseph Smith: “When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”
The Book of Revelation gives a perfect example of Divine Investiture. In this case, an angel speaks the words of Christ. John distinctly hears the words of the Savior from the angelic messenger who is clothed in great glory (see a similar event in the Ascension of Isaiah). We hear this personage speaking the words of Christ in the first person, “Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book” (Revelation 22:7). John thought himself in the presence of our Redeemer. Scripture tells us that John fell to worship, but was prevented from doing so: “Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God” (Revelation 22:9).
____
References
McConkie, Bruce. The Promised Messiah. Deseret Book Company, 1978.
Smith, Joseph Fielding. Doctrines of Salvation (3 volumes).
Talmage, James E. Jesus the Christ. (Including notes from The Father and The Son: A Doctrinal Exposition by The First Presidency and The Twelve, set forth in 1916)
Response to comments below:
Thanks for the comment. In the book of Moses, the Savior is speaking for the Father, through Divine Investiture.
27 June 2010
Moroni 10:3-5: A Perfect Pattern of Prayer
As a young man of almost sixteen, I was wondering what to do with the copy of the Book of Mormon that I held in my hands. A few weeks previously, I had been asked to write a report on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for school. I had walked over to the Church Mission Home in Santiago, only a few blocks away from my house. A missionary gave me a copy of the Book of Mormon and several Church magazines. The latter were full of colorful photos that helped me with my report. But now that I had finished my paper, I wondered what to do with the book.
I opened the book to a promise that would change my life: “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things” (Moroni 10:4-5).
As I read these words for the first time, I was immersed in the Spirit. I was acutely aware that it was the Holy Ghost I was feeling, testifying of the truthfulness of the book I held in my hands. While usually the Holy Ghost has acted upon me as a still, comforting reassurance, there have been a few instances in which I have felt the influence of the Holy Spirit as a compelling force. This was one of those times. Three and a half years later, 9 March 1974, when I was an agricultural student at the University of California, Davis, I was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I began receiving the missionary discussions after I had read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover, over a four day period, during Christmas break. It was while reading the Book of Mormon that I discovered the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
As I write these words, I am only a few years away from my 40th anniversary of my baptism and confirmation. If I am honest, I must admit that it was not easy to truly understand how to pray: to do so in such a way that I could know that my prayers had been heard. Even though I am still learning how to pray, I would like to share a few things I have discovered about prayer. To me, prayer is the essence of religion. It is a communion between God and man. Scripture study and prayer are my stay and my staff.
When we pray, we address God the Eternal Father, and we do so in the name of His beloved Son, even Jesus Christ. In the olden days, people who traveled to faraway lands would do so with a letter of introduction. Such a letter would open many doors. By coming in the name of Christ, we can dare approach the Father in prayer. It was Christ Himself who repeatedly taught us to address the Father in Jesus’ name: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you” (John 16:23b).
We pray while we walk, while we talk, while we study, and not just when we can take the time to kneel down. Further, many people cannot kneel for medical reasons. If we are able to kneel, however, there is something very special about doing so. We add our testimony that indeed the time will come when “Every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ.”
In order to obtain an acknowledgment that our prayers have been heard, one of the first steps is to be precise in terms of what we are asking for. I like to think that the particular answer to my prayer is less important to me than knowing that the prayer was heard by the Father. It helps to first meditate upon some of the things that I am grateful for. Then I can kneel down and address the Father, tell Him of those things I am grateful for, speak of my love for Him, and ask one simple question. “Father, hast thou heard my prayer?” I can then ‘listen’ for the reassurance of the Spirit, that indeed my prayer has been heard of the Father. For me, this is normally a comforting feeling or warmth. I can now thank the Father for having heard me, and do so in the sacred name of Jesus Christ. We now know what an affirmative answer feels like.
Now, we have a pattern: we ponder in a spirit of gratitude, we thank the Father, we ask Him a question, and we feel of His loving comfort through the Spirit. Through this pattern we have a key to ask other questions. “Is the Book of Mormon the book mentioned by Ezekiel 37:15-28 that, together with the Bible, would help bring people unto Christ?” “Am I making the right choice in dating such a person?” “Is this a good field for me to study at the university?” “Should I begin to look for a different job?” An affirmative answer to these questions will be much like the comforting one we received when we asked if God had heard our prayer. We now have a key to asking questions regarding matters that are important in our lives. One day I realized that this is precisely the pattern of prayer taught to us in Moroni 10:3-5.
Moroni 10:3. “Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.” Here we are exhorted to be filled with a spirit of gratitude for what God has done for us. To ponder His tender mercies from the creation of Adam until now brings to mind one of my favorite scenes of all time, when the Savior walked along two of His disciples on the way to Emmaus and expounded the scriptures to them: “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). What a better way to be filled with gratitude than to immerse ourselves in the Scriptures.
Moroni 10:4. “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.” We have already spoken about the importance of addressing the Father in the name of Christ. Verse 4 also calls for faith in Christ and confidence that we will receive an answer. So it is that we read in James 1:5-6: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” Let us not be afraid to ask. We have been commanded of the Savior to pray always (Luke 21:36b).
Our attitude in prayer needs to be submissive to the will of the Father. If we really do not want to know the will of the Father, we will probably not receive an answer. If we want to tell the Father what we want done, rather than ask that His will be carried out, we will probably not receive an answer, either. To ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, means that we will act upon the answer. God does not want us to be like the people of Judah who approached Jeremiah the Prophet to inquire of the Lord for them.
The people seemed, on the surface, committed to do as commanded: “Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us. Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God” (Jeremiah 42:5-6). The Prophet Jeremiah did inquire of the Lord on their behalf, but the answer enraged the people so much that they reviled the Prophet and accused him of speaking falsely (Jeremiah 43:2).
Moroni 10:5. “And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” Through this simple pattern of prayer to the Father in the name of Christ, then, we may receive reassurance from the Spirit about proceeding through life’s most difficult mazes.
God loves us so much, that He is concerned over those things we are concerned about and says, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10). So, let us pray in confidence, full of assurance that God will hear our prayers. While some promises that God makes to us may take some time before they are realized, they will come to pass.
I opened the book to a promise that would change my life: “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things” (Moroni 10:4-5).
As I read these words for the first time, I was immersed in the Spirit. I was acutely aware that it was the Holy Ghost I was feeling, testifying of the truthfulness of the book I held in my hands. While usually the Holy Ghost has acted upon me as a still, comforting reassurance, there have been a few instances in which I have felt the influence of the Holy Spirit as a compelling force. This was one of those times. Three and a half years later, 9 March 1974, when I was an agricultural student at the University of California, Davis, I was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I began receiving the missionary discussions after I had read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover, over a four day period, during Christmas break. It was while reading the Book of Mormon that I discovered the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
As I write these words, I am only a few years away from my 40th anniversary of my baptism and confirmation. If I am honest, I must admit that it was not easy to truly understand how to pray: to do so in such a way that I could know that my prayers had been heard. Even though I am still learning how to pray, I would like to share a few things I have discovered about prayer. To me, prayer is the essence of religion. It is a communion between God and man. Scripture study and prayer are my stay and my staff.
When we pray, we address God the Eternal Father, and we do so in the name of His beloved Son, even Jesus Christ. In the olden days, people who traveled to faraway lands would do so with a letter of introduction. Such a letter would open many doors. By coming in the name of Christ, we can dare approach the Father in prayer. It was Christ Himself who repeatedly taught us to address the Father in Jesus’ name: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you” (John 16:23b).
We pray while we walk, while we talk, while we study, and not just when we can take the time to kneel down. Further, many people cannot kneel for medical reasons. If we are able to kneel, however, there is something very special about doing so. We add our testimony that indeed the time will come when “Every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ.”
In order to obtain an acknowledgment that our prayers have been heard, one of the first steps is to be precise in terms of what we are asking for. I like to think that the particular answer to my prayer is less important to me than knowing that the prayer was heard by the Father. It helps to first meditate upon some of the things that I am grateful for. Then I can kneel down and address the Father, tell Him of those things I am grateful for, speak of my love for Him, and ask one simple question. “Father, hast thou heard my prayer?” I can then ‘listen’ for the reassurance of the Spirit, that indeed my prayer has been heard of the Father. For me, this is normally a comforting feeling or warmth. I can now thank the Father for having heard me, and do so in the sacred name of Jesus Christ. We now know what an affirmative answer feels like.
Now, we have a pattern: we ponder in a spirit of gratitude, we thank the Father, we ask Him a question, and we feel of His loving comfort through the Spirit. Through this pattern we have a key to ask other questions. “Is the Book of Mormon the book mentioned by Ezekiel 37:15-28 that, together with the Bible, would help bring people unto Christ?” “Am I making the right choice in dating such a person?” “Is this a good field for me to study at the university?” “Should I begin to look for a different job?” An affirmative answer to these questions will be much like the comforting one we received when we asked if God had heard our prayer. We now have a key to asking questions regarding matters that are important in our lives. One day I realized that this is precisely the pattern of prayer taught to us in Moroni 10:3-5.
Moroni 10:3. “Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.” Here we are exhorted to be filled with a spirit of gratitude for what God has done for us. To ponder His tender mercies from the creation of Adam until now brings to mind one of my favorite scenes of all time, when the Savior walked along two of His disciples on the way to Emmaus and expounded the scriptures to them: “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). What a better way to be filled with gratitude than to immerse ourselves in the Scriptures.
Moroni 10:4. “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.” We have already spoken about the importance of addressing the Father in the name of Christ. Verse 4 also calls for faith in Christ and confidence that we will receive an answer. So it is that we read in James 1:5-6: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” Let us not be afraid to ask. We have been commanded of the Savior to pray always (Luke 21:36b).
Our attitude in prayer needs to be submissive to the will of the Father. If we really do not want to know the will of the Father, we will probably not receive an answer. If we want to tell the Father what we want done, rather than ask that His will be carried out, we will probably not receive an answer, either. To ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, means that we will act upon the answer. God does not want us to be like the people of Judah who approached Jeremiah the Prophet to inquire of the Lord for them.
The people seemed, on the surface, committed to do as commanded: “Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us. Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God” (Jeremiah 42:5-6). The Prophet Jeremiah did inquire of the Lord on their behalf, but the answer enraged the people so much that they reviled the Prophet and accused him of speaking falsely (Jeremiah 43:2).
Moroni 10:5. “And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” Through this simple pattern of prayer to the Father in the name of Christ, then, we may receive reassurance from the Spirit about proceeding through life’s most difficult mazes.
God loves us so much, that He is concerned over those things we are concerned about and says, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10). So, let us pray in confidence, full of assurance that God will hear our prayers. While some promises that God makes to us may take some time before they are realized, they will come to pass.
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