John the Baptist

     The New Testament (found in the King James Version of the Holy Bible) is full of stories of great people during the time Christ walked among the children of men.  Jesus Christ Himself is of course the greatest of these.  But today I wish to speak of another great man who is spoken of in the New Testament, a man called John the Baptist.

     In my opinion there are few men who carry a more fascinating story of faith then John the Baptist, even in the scriptures.  Lessons of faith can be learned from so many parts of the life of John the Baptist.  We can turn to the story of the angel appearing to his father to promise a son to Zacharias and his wife, Elisabeth, for a lesson in believing the promises of the Lord (Luke 1). 

     John the Baptist also chose to live in the wilderness, following the command from God to preach of the Messiah who would come among the people (Matthew 3).  This story gives us two powerful messages of faith.  First we learn we can rely on the Lord to provide for us if we follow Him in faith.  Second we learn about faith to forsake the prizes of the world, such as wealth and prestige, in order to obey the commands of God.

     John further demonstrates faith to obey when he baptizes Jesus even though he feels he is unworthy (Matthew 3:13-17).  And a study of the scriptures yields many examples of times when John shared his faith in Jesus with those around him with courage, though always in appropriate methods and in accordance to the promptings of the spirit.  Thus he teaches us to courageously share our faith with those with whom we come in contact in appropriate ways.

     But there is one lesson on faith I think stands out above the rest when you study the life of John the Baptist.  John’s life teaches us that we need to have the faith required to be able to recognize Jesus in our lives.  Only by faith can we know how He touches us, what He does for us, and who He is.  And John demonstrated this faith throughout his life.

     Mary visited Elizabeth when both John the Baptist and Jesus were in the womb.  The growing fetus of John the Baptist recognized the special being growing within Mary and leaped within the womb of his mother (Luke 1:41).  It may strike you as odd to think of a growing fetus showing faith.  But this story demonstrates the strength of John’s spirit.  He knew his Lord and King even before birth.  He recognized Jesus before either of them was born because of the faith he had in Jehovah.

     At another time John stood with two of his followers, John and Andrew, when they saw Jesus walking (John 1:35-42).  John the Baptist bore testimony of Jesus at that time, demonstrating again that he knew who Jesus Christ was and what He would do for mankind.  Because of this testimony, John and Andrew left John the Baptist and followed Jesus the Christ.  Andrew would later bring his brother Simon Peter, who would carry another incredible story of faith in Jesus.  The three men would later become members of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ.  All of this came about because John the Baptist had faith in Jesus Christ and recognized Him when he saw the Messiah.

     Still another time John bore his testimony of Jesus Christ and the mission He would perform to those that followed John (John 3:25-36).  His testimony let his followers know that John the Baptist knew those following him must leave him and follow Jesus to truly receive salvation.  John in humility and with no jealousy declared who Jesus was and what He would become.  This was because John had faith in Jesus Christ and loved Him for who He was and what He would become, for Jesus Christ would become the Redeemer of all mankind when He gave Himself as a sacrifice for our sins.

     John was given an incredible blessing because of his faith in the Savior.  He was the one who had the privilege of baptizing the Sinless One (Matthew 3:12-17).  John knew who Jesus was when He came to be baptized.  But he was given a further witness of this truth because of his faith in Jesus Christ.  John saw the Holy Ghost descend upon Jesus in the form of a dove, testifying to John that what he knew was true.  Jesus was the Sacred One.  And the voice of the Father came from Heaven and declared Jesus was the Father’s Son.  John had the privilege of hearing this witness because of his faith.  John would later bear record of these things (John 1:29-34) again because of his faith and because he loved Jesus.

     So to me the lesson of faith that stands out from the life of John the Baptist is having the faith to know who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for us.  John the Baptist had this faith before he was ever born into this world.  He had that faith before he baptized Jesus Christ.  He had that faith before he witnessed the Father and the Holy Ghost testifying of the Son.  With that faith he boldly testified of Jesus Christ throughout his life and ministry, and even before and after.  And because of the faith he carried, John the Baptist had the privilege of baptizing Jesus Christ, seeing the Holy Ghost testify of Him, and hearing the Father proclaim His love for Jesus.

     We should strive to be like John.  We should strive to have the faith to know who Jesus is and what He has done for us.  

The Prophet Isaiah

     After last week’s post, one of my readers shared some of their favorite scriptures and explained why they enjoyed these scriptures so much.  I really enjoyed the comments, particularly because they connect with one of the prophets of the scriptures that I wish to share some thoughts on.  The reason my reader likes these scriptures and the reason I like this prophet so much are very similar.  So I decided I would start with this prophet, whose name is Isaiah.

     Isaiah is often considered one of the greatest prophets of the Lord.  The Savior and his apostles quote the words of Isaiah more than any other prophet.  The words of Isaiah are also quoted heavily in The Book of Mormon:  Another Testament of Jesus Christ and in The Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  This makes Isaiah the most quoted prophet of all the prophets.

     One of the reasons Isaiah is quoted so often is how effectively his words apply to life in all ages.  Isaiah was a poetic mastermind fully capable of incorporating different periods of time into the same prophecy.  So many of the prophecies of Isaiah would be fulfilled at the time Jesus came to earth as the son of Mary as well as when He would come again as the exalted Redeemer.  Using brilliant poetic imagery, Isaiah was able to describe technology and events that wouldn’t be invented for thousands of years to help the people of his time understand what would come.  And understanding his imagery is the key to understanding the messages of Isaiah.

     During his ministry of 40 years, Isaiah dealt with five different kings, though some very briefly.  His prophecies would touch upon the armies of the Assyrians, the Babylonians, and the Persians.  And from these kings and armies would stem symbolism of the wicked world (often represented by the Assyrian and Babylonian armies), the followers of Christ (usually represented by Jerusalem and the people of Judah), and even Jesus Christ Himself (represented at times by Cyrus, king of Persia).

     There are many wonderful messages you can take from the words of Isaiah.  But there is one message in particular that stands out to me, and I feel you can find it throughout any of the prophecies of Isaiah.  That message is that when you put your trust and faith in Jesus Christ, the Deliverer, you have nothing to fear.  One of my favorite scriptures sums this up perfectly.  Reading in Isaiah 41:10, “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.”  Many other scriptures in Isaiah, such as Isaiah 41:13-14, 43:5-7, 51:7-8, and 54:4-5 to name a few, support this.  On the other hand, trusting in the armies or wonders of men leaves you no such promise and can ultimately lead to destruction.

     The lives of King Ahaz, King Hezekiah and King Manasseh, three of the kings who were privileged to hear the prophecies of God through Isaiah, also demonstrate this.  During the reign of King Ahaz, the king refused to trust in God and pursued wickedness.  Instead of turning to God for aide in times of need, he turned to Assyria.  He even rejected the prophecies of God that came from Isaiah as he turned to Assyria for aide.  Assyria would turn on Judah in the end, invading her borders and throwing aside the trust Ahaz, king of Judah, had placed in Assyria.

     King Hezekiah, however, had faith in God.  He would reign during the invasion of Assyria.  He turned to God, calling for the prophet of Isaiah.  Because of his faith in God, Hezekiah would witness several miracles.  For example he would have his life extended by fifteen years because of his faith (2 Kings 20).  His faith would also save Judah from destruction at the hands of the Assyrians when God sends an angel to destroy 185,000 of the Assyrian soldiers (2 Kings 19).  And because of his faith in Jehovah, he would have nothing to fear.

     But King Manasseh, who reigned in Judah after King Hezekiah, turned from God and built altars to Baal.  It is even believed he had Isaiah killed by sawing him in half.  And for his wickedness, God promises destruction upon Jerusalem.  His trust in Baal would not save Jerusalem from the destruction God sends at a later time.

     So the message I get from Isaiah is to trust in God, the Great Deliverer.  When we trust in Him we will have nothing to fear.  The inventions and discoveries of man cannot save us.  Only Jehovah the Atoning One can save us.  And we should turn to Him in faith and trust, not to the arms of feeble men or to their inventions.  We should turn to God.

     Let me close with one of my favorite scriptures from Isaiah.  Isaiah chapter 12 reads, “And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.  Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.  Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

     “And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.  Sing unto the Lord, for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.  Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.”

The Stories of the Scriptures

     One of the primary things members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints learn is a great appreciation for the scriptures.  We learn in Sunday meetings how valuable it is to intimately know the stories of Jesus Christ, the prophets, and the many people that are contained within the pages of those precious books.  And those who are wise will make studying the scriptures by themselves and in their families a part of their everyday lives.

     My parents made sure their children knew the stories of the scriptures.  So I have had the privilege of learning these wonderful stories since I was a child.  I’ve come to know just how much faith plays an intimate role in each and every one of these stories. 

     Trials come to everyone, but their choices regarding their faith in Jehovah impact the outcome of those trials.  Those who exercise faith in Jesus Christ, like Abraham, will at some point receive blessings from God.  And ultimately they will have everything God has.  That’s the promise that has been made to them. 

     On the other hand, those who falter and lose their faith in God, like Saul, lose the blessings of heaven and at some point find they have nothing left.  It’s true that many people who go through this life without faith in Jesus Christ have great wealth and riches.  But wealth and riches of the world cannot follow us into death.  So if they choose to never come unto Christ, they will find they won’t receive the riches of the kingdom of heaven.  They won’t have all that the Father has, for they had no faith in Jehovah.  Such was the case with King Saul and many others in the scriptures.

     Over the years a few of these stories have become special stories to me.  Some of them have been among my favorite stories since my youth, like the lives of Alma the Younger (found in The Book of Mormon:  Another Testament of Jesus Christ) and King David (found in The Old Testament portion of the Holy Bible).  Some of them have come to hold special meaning to me because of the experiences of my life, like the lives of Job (found in The Old Testament portion of the Holy Bible) and Joseph Smith, Jr., (found in The Pearl of Great Price) whose trials have exceeded the worst trials I’ve ever seen.

     Some of them hold dear places in my heart because of the wonderful words of wisdom that can be found within their pages, like the words of Isaiah (found in The Old Testament portion of the Holy Bible).  And some of them are so dear to me because they are the stories of the life of Jesus Christ, like His life and ministry (found in The New Testament portion of the Holy Bible) and His visit to the American continents (found in The Book of Mormon:  Another Testament of Jesus Christ).

     Whatever the reason is, I have come to hold specific stories and verses of scripture dear because of the lessons of faith they hold.  Most people who study the scriptures will find this happens to them.  Starting next week (not this week because I want a full blog entry for each), I want to spend a few blog entries highlighting some of the scriptures that mean a great deal to me.  These scriptures will hold different lessons for different people, just as God intended.  I want to share with you what makes some of the stories and verses of scripture so special to me. 

     I hope that as you read my next few entries, you will see how valuable the scriptures can be to somebody as ordinary as me.  And I hope you will recognize that if they can be so valuable to me, they can also be valuable to you.  The messages God has waiting for you in the scriptures are among the most valuable lessons, promises, and words of caution you will ever receive.  They are priceless.  So take the time to turn to the scriptures in your life.  And learn from them what God would have you learn.

The Greatest Place of All: The Celestial Kingdom

     The past few blog entries have focused on the various degrees of glory that come after resurrection.  This week our focus will turn to the kingdom of heaven that brings the highest degree of glory:  the Celestial Kingdom.  As you’ll recall the degrees of glory are compared to the sources of light in our sky.  The glory of the Telestial Kingdom is compared to the brightness of the stars (Doctrine and Covenants 76:98), which can be considered brighter than our earth since to our eyes the earth doesn’t produce its own light but the stars do.  The glory of the Terrestial Kingdom is compared the brightness of the moon to our eyes (Doctrine and Covenants 76:97).   The glory of the Celestial Kingdom is compared to the brightness of the sun (Doctrine and Covenants 76:96).

     I want you to stop and think of the comparison being made one more time.  Think of how bright the stars seem to us, and how much difference it makes for them to give their own light when the earth can’t give light to our eyes.  Again ponder upon how much more beautiful the Telestial Kingdom must be than the earth for it to be compared to the glory of the stars in comparison to the earth.  Think of the beauty of the earth that surrounds you and realize that it, in all its wonderful glory, has far less beauty than the Telestial Kingdom, just as the earth gives off far less light in comparison to the stars.

     Now think of how much brighter than the stars the moon is.  Ponder upon how that brightness is so much more to our eyes than the lack of light the earth appears to give, as well as the dim light the stars give in comparison.  Realize this is compared to the difference between the beauty of the earth, the Telestial Kingdom, and the Terrestial Kingdom.  The Terrestial Kingdom has to be incredibly more glorious and beautiful than either the Telestial Kingdom or the earth for this comparison to be made.

     But it doesn’t stop there.  Then we have the Celestial Kingdom, whose glory is likened to the sun, to think about.  Think of how much more light the sun gives than the moon.  It’s magnificent in comparison.  The moon doesn’t even come close to the same level of light as the sun!  And the stars and the earth are even farther from the same degree of light and glory the sun gives than the moon is.  And this represents the beauty of the Celestial Kingdom!

     To me it seems impossible to even come close to imagining the beauty of the Celestial Kingdom when that beauty exceeds the beauty of our magnificent earth to the same degree as the brightness of the sun exceeds the brightness of our earth.  It’s impossible for my mortal mind to grasp.  Yet the Celestial Kingdom is waiting for the faithful and righteous children of God.

     How is it possible that the Celestial Kingdom can have so much light?  It can because God the Eternal Father dwells in the Celestial Kingdom.  This is His abode.  His presence is always there.  This is why those who come to dwell there will have celestial bodies with glory like the glory of God (Doctrine and Covenants 76:70), because they have earned the privilege of living with God and Jesus Christ forever (Doctrine and Covenants 76:62).

     Why do those who dwell in the Celestial Kingdom earn the privilege of the presence of God and Jesus Christ forever?  The answer lies in Doctrine and Covenants 76:51-53.  It reads, “They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandments which he has given—that by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto the power; and who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true.”

     This means those who come to dwell in the Celestial Kingdom with God are those who receive a testimony of Jesus Christ and live it.  The exercise their faith in Him and live His commandments.  They obey His laws and perform those things, such as baptism, that He has asked of His disciples by first showing them the way.  They grow through their life experiences and their faith in Jesus Christ to be better people, more obedient to the will of God.  They are willing to forsake temporal pleasures manifested in unrighteous manners so they can follow righteous eternal principles set forth by the laws and commandments of God. 

     Because of this, the Holy Spirit, the Great Testifier of All Truth, testifies of the righteousness of these people.  He seals them to God the Eternal Father through the Atonement of Jesus Christ (which cleanses them from their sins by their faith).  And they are allowed to enter the Celestial Kingdom and the presence of God, where they will dwell and live for all eternity and gain access to the blessings God has promised.

     What are these blessings?  They receive of the fullness and glory of God, to become kings and queens in His courts.  They will become Gods as the sons and daughters of The One True God.  All things will be theirs, and they will be able to overcome all things.  They will come forth in the first resurrection, the resurrection of the just, to be made perfect through Jesus the Perfect One.  They will come to Mount Zion, the city of the Living God, to dwell with God and His Son forever.  (Doctrine and Covenants 76:55-56, 58-60, 62, 64-66, 69)  And as we know from the description of the beauty of the Celestial Kingdom in comparison to the beauty of this earth, they will dwell in beauty that defies the all description.  They will dwell in beauty that the mortal mind can’t grasp.  They will dwell in the most beautiful place of all.

     What great blessings!  Who wouldn’t want to dwell in the Celestial Kingdom, the greatest of all?  What in this world is so important that it would warrant sacrificing a place in the Celestial Kingdom?  I submit to you that nothing is, for I know that nothing is.  God has promised the Celestial Kingdom, and all that comes with it, to all who follow Christ in faith.  Following Him in faith means using His Atonement to repent of your sins and return to the paths of God.  And it is attainable by everyone.  It is attainable by you.  I know this to be true, and I testify of it in the name of Jesus the Anointed One.  Amen.