My Final Entry

     I've decided the time has come to make my final blog entry.  I want to simply close by testifying to those reading this blog that I know the Savior Jesus Christ lives.  I know that it is only through His infinite Atonement that we have hope for true peace, happiness, and joy.  Have faith in Jehovah our King.  Nothing matters unless you trust in Him and make Him the center of your life.

A Poem about Christ

     As I was determining what to write about in this week's blog entry, I came across this poem about the miracle of the Savior's Atonement and what it does for us.  It's a poem written by President Packer of The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I really liked the poem and wanted to share it.  So here it is below.

"Washed Clean"
In ancient times the cry “Unclean!”

Would warn of lepers near.

“Unclean! Unclean!” the words rang out;

Then all drew back in fear,

Lest by the touch of lepers’ hands

They, too, would lepers be.

There was no cure in ancient times,

Just hopeless agony.

No soap, no balm, no medicine

Could stay disease or pain.

There was no salve, no cleansing bath,

To make them well again.

But there was One, the record shows,

Whose touch could make them pure;

Could ease their awful suffering,

Their rotting flesh restore.

His coming long had been foretold.

Signs would precede His birth.

A Son of God to woman born,

With power to cleanse the earth.

The day He made ten lepers whole,

The day He made them clean,

Well symbolized His ministry

And what His life would mean.

However great that miracle,

This was not why He came.

He came to rescue every soul

From death, from sin, from shame.

For greater miracles, He said,

His servants yet would do,

To rescue every living soul,

Not just heal up the few.

Though we’re redeemed from mortal death,

We still can’t enter in

Unless we’re clean, cleansed every whit,

From every mortal sin.

What must be done to make us clean

We cannot do alone.

The law, to be a law, requires

A pure one must atone.

He taught that justice will be stayed

Till mercy’s claim be heard

If we repent and are baptized

And live by every word. …

If we could only understand

All we have heard and seen,

We’d know there is no greater gift

Than those two words—“Washed clean!”

From an April 1997 general conference address.

The Waiting Savior

     Would you like to know the one thing I hate most?  I hope so, because I’m going to tell you.  I hate my sins.  There is nothing in this world I find more loathsome than my sins.  They wouldn’t be so bad if I had a lapse in judgment once, learned from it, and never committed that sin again.  But unfortunately I have a rather thick skull and seem to learn very slowly.

     So I find myself sinning over and over and over again.  I’m not just sinning either.  I’m repeating the same sins constantly.  I do something I know I shouldn’t.  I beat myself up over it for a day or so, telling myself to grow up and never do that again.  Then the next time I’m tempted with this sin comes along, and what do I do?  I repeat it, having apparently learned nothing the first time.  I beat myself up over it again and began the process over.

     So I totally understand the words of the prophet Nephi when he writes, “O wretched man that I am!  Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.  I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.  And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins…” (2 Nephi 4: 17-19 in The Book of Mormon:  Another Testament of Jesus Christ)

     But I know that a sinner such as I has hope.  I have hope because of the Hope of Israel, my Redeemer, Jesus Christ.  He has descended below all things, taking upon Him all the sins and afflictions of the world.  He has suffered for my sins so I wouldn’t have to if I forsake my sins and repent.  So I have a hope in the Son of God.  And you do, too, even though you’re a sinner, too.

     You may think, “There is no hope for me.  I’ve done too many bad things to be able to be forgiven for my sins.”  But let me remind you of a couple stories I know showing otherwise.

     In the Book of Acts (The New Testament), we read that the apostles of Jesus Christ chose seven men to assist them in testifying of Jesus Christ.  One of these was a man named Stephen.  Stephen went throughout the land testifying of Christ, and for this he was taken and stoned by those who persecuted the followers of Christ.  One man, Saul, held the clothes of those who martyred Stephen and looked on with approval.  He then went about persecuting the followers of Christ, dragging men and women out of their homes to through them into prison.  (Acts chapters 6-8)

     Yet the time came that Saul repented of the things he had done wrong in persecuting the followers of Christ (Acts 9).  A careful study of his life from that time on will teach you that he became one of the greatest witnesses of Christ in his time.  He tells us in his own words that he is free from the blood of all men because of the testimony he has born.  (Acts 20:26) 

      Alma the Younger and his friends, the sons of Mosiah, were in a similar situation.  In the book of Alma (The Book of Mormon:  Another Testament of Jesus Christ), we read these men went about persecuting the followers of Christ.  But Alma called to repentance by an angel of God.  He tells us that for three days after this he was “racked with eternal torment” and “tormented with the pains of hell” because his sins were so great.  (Alma 36:12-13)  He states, “Oh, thought I, that I could become extinct both soul and body, that I might not be brought to stand in the presence of my God, to be judged of my deeds.  And now for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the pains of a damned soul.”  (Alma 36:15-16)

     But then Alma remembered his father teaching of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who would come to atone for the sins of the world.  When he remembered this, he cried out, “O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.”  From that moment Alma could no longer remember the pain of his sins.  Instead he felt the intense joy of Jesus the Messiah.  He tells us there was nothing as exquisite and bitter as his pain had been.  But there was nothing as exquisite and sweet as his joy had become.  (Alma 36:17-21)

     That’s what the Savior wants to give us.  He has already paid the price for our sins.  He wants to give us the exquisite joy that comes from obtaining freedom from the damnation that comes as a result of sin.  He’s waiting for us to cry out with a repentant heart, as Alma did, “O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me.”  He’s waiting for us, and He will come when we seek Him.  This I know to be true.

A Fellow Soldier

     While I was in the military, I had the opportunity to spend some time serving in overseas.  While I was there, I wasn’t needed for any critical missions.  My job was to make sure our dining facility was kept safe for the soldiers and civilians that ate there.  Yet it was necessary for me to be prepared for the worst possible situations, such as being in a convey that was struck by an improvised explosive device (IED).  So, like everybody else in my unit, I went through three months of training for possibilities.

     As often happens when a unit is deployed, our unit needed some people from other companies to be fully ready for the mission we were supposed to have.  I was a part of the headquarters group, and many in this group had been sent on a deployment shortly before this mission.  So they were not required to go.  Nearly half of our headquarters group was replaced with people from other units because of this. 

       One of the new members of the unit was a married man about my age who seemed to delight in ignoring and breaking as many rules as possible.  Once he learned I was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he also took great pleasure in trying to persuade me many of our beliefs could not possibly be true.  Most of these attempts I pointedly ignored.  I love my religion with all my heart, and I love discussing it.  But I didn’t want to get into an argument with this man over it.  So I just ignored his attempts to get me to argue with him.

     Then came the day we were supposed to fly to our assigned station overseas.  It was late, all of us were tired, and I wanted nothing more than to have some peace and quiet until we had to get on the plane that would take us there.  But there was a program on the television talking about the “Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith”.  This happened to be the other man’s favorite point of dispute with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and he seemed to absolutely need to argue with me about the details of Joseph Smith brought up by this program.  So he naturally kept interrupting my peace and quiet.

     I finally got fed up with it and decided to start arguing with him.  He made a point against the possibility Joseph Smith could have been a prophet.  I countered it.  I can’t remember what the point was or what my response was.  But I do remember that I failed to argue well because the Spirit of God doesn’t dwell with a contentious heart.  That is exactly what I had at that moment, so I didn’t have the help of the Lord God in defending the Prophet Joseph Smith.  Instead I sounded like a bumbling idiot, and my fellow soldier and I both knew it.

     He made his next argument and I feebly attempted to counter it.  This went on for ten minutes or so before I witnessed what I consider a miracle.  He had made an argument against Joseph Smith and I was beginning to counter it.  But he stopped me and said, “It has to be true, doesn’t it?”  I didn’t know what he meant and I didn’t want to agree with something I believed to be wrong.  So I asked him what he just decided was true.  He said, “Joseph Smith had to be a prophet, didn’t he?”

     I knew then, every bit as much as I know now, that Joseph Smith was indeed the prophet of God ordained by the Almighty to restore the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  But I had no idea how he had suddenly come to the point of completely changing his opinion about Joseph Smith.  So I responded, “Of course it’s true.  But why do you suddenly believe that?”  The truth was I suspected he was trying to trick me.

     Yet I was surprised by the response I received.  He said, “Nobody could make up The Book of Mormon.  So it has to be true.  And if it’s true, then the rest of it (meaning the First Vision of Joseph Smith, the fact he was called by God as prophet, and the validity of all he had testified of) has to be true.”

     Over time I’ve come to recognize that this man wasn’t arguing just because he wanted to be obnoxious as I had so incorrectly assumed.  He was actually interested in the subject matter.  Unfortunately I was being too selfish to be able to have the help of the Spirit in speaking on these matters with him.  But the Lord God didn’t need me in order to be able to touch the heart of this man and testify through the Holy Spirit that the Joseph Smith was His prophet.  All God needed was the setting that allowed this man to accept it.  In spite of me, He set that stage.  He provided the circumstances that would allow this man’s heart to be receptive.  And the Holy Spirit bore witness to him that The Book of Mormon:  Another Testament of Jesus Christ was true.  By this means God bore witness to him that Joseph Smith was called by God as His prophet.

     This man went on to change the course of his life.  Because he came to have faith that Joseph Smith was the prophet of God, he developed faith in the Atoning Son, Jesus Christ.  This led him to stop shirking duties, stop kicking back against the rules, and ultimately become instrumental in developing a new system the military could use in its operations overseas. 

     Now the truth is I’m not really sure what lesson you’re supposed to be hearing in this blog entry.  So, as much as I want to leave you with some closing argument, I don’t have one.  But I do testify that I know Joseph Smith was called by God to restore the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I have a testimony that his work on this earth was ordained by God, and Jesus Christ the Son helped Joseph fulfill his mission on earth.  I know The Book of Mormon:  Another Testament of Jesus Christ is the word of God and has been sent to testify of the Prince of Peace, along with the Holy Bible.  Most importantly, I have a testimony that Jesus is the Messiah and that He lives. Of this I testify in His Name, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The Place I Didn't Want to Be

     As I’ve been pondering what to write about for this week’s blog entry, my mind came to rest upon a young man I served with in Iraq.  I’ve decided I want to tell his story.  Yet in thinking about telling his story, my mind became seriously impressed with the need to first tell my story and why I was in the military. 

     During my teenage years, I had a strong desire to accomplish two goals in my life.  First, I wanted to serve as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I’ve always had a passion for the messages of Jesus Christ shared through this wonderful church, and I wanted to share that passion while serving as a missionary.  My second desire was to have a family of my own.  I’d often spend time thinking about what fun it would be to teach my children, particularly sharing with them my passion for the Resurrected Lord Jesus.

     Yet, as the time for me to serve as a full-time missionary drew near, I had some spiritual experiences that led me to conclude that wasn’t where the Lord wanted me.  So I spent a lot a time praying for guidance and finally made the decision not to go on the mission I had been looking forward to all my life.  I still don’t know if it actually was the decision my Heavenly Father wanted me to make, but I trusted it was and acted in faith and prayer.  I knew that, because of my faith, He would make my decision the best it could be for me, even if that meant correcting my decision.

     For a short time after that, I found myself feeling adrift and lost.  I no longer had a purpose.  What was I supposed to do?  Who was I supposed to be?  Where did I belong?  I really didn’t know what to do next.

     Then I received a call from an army recruiter asking for an opportunity to meet with me and discuss how the Army could help me.  When I heard the voice of the recruiter explaining the purpose of his call, my first instinct was to scoff.  I had absolutely no desire to join the military.  And, even if I did by some miracle join the military, the Army not where I wanted to be.  Who would want to join the army when the Air Force had all the best toys?  If I had to join the military, it would definitely be the Air Force.  The Navy certainly sounded better than the Army, also.  They had all the beautiful ships.  The United States Army was one of the last places I wanted to be. 

     Imagine my surprise, then, when I found I couldn’t tell the recruiter I wasn’t interested.  Instead I found myself making an appointment with him so he could visit me at home—home of all places!  “It’s okay,” I told myself.  “He’ll come, you’ll tell him you’re not interested, and you’ll move on with your life.”  Yet I knew that wasn’t true.  I knew my future was with the United States Army.  So it was that he came, we talked, and I found myself in one of the last places I wanted to be.

     This was truly a trying test for me.  I found it incredibly difficult to make it through Basic Training.  The irony is Basic Training wasn’t even that difficult when I think about it.  Sure, drill sergeants yell at you and make you do a lot of exercise.  But you know where you’re going to sleep, you know who you’re going to be with the next day, you know by and large what is expected of you the next day, and you know you’re going to get three meals of some quality between mediocre and great.  There aren’t a lot of surprises and it’s really not that difficult.

     But it was difficult for me because I didn’t want to be there.  I often found myself lamenting that I was in the military instead of teaching that Christ the Lord lives.  I hated that my life was going so much differently than I had planned.  I plotted ways to get out of my current circumstances, and I prayed asking the Lord to get me out of there and take me somewhere I wanted to be.  I had full faith in Him, and I believed He could make my life better than it currently was.  I still believed He would make my life the best it could be because I continued to trust Him and tried to do what I believed He was directing me to do.

     Irony struck again.  God did make my life better than it was, just as I kept hoping for, but He didn’t do it by taking me out of the military.  Instead He did it by helping me come to terms with my circumstances and seeing the good that could come out of it.  He started giving me opportunities to speak with others around me about God.  I suddenly found myself having opportunities to share the messages of joy about my Heavenly Friend that I so desperately wanted to share.  And God carried me through Basic Training.  He carried me through the advanced training specific to my specialty in the military.  He carried me through a tour of duty in Iraq.  And, through it all, He placed people in front of me who wanted to know what I knew about the Messiah.

     A few years have passed since that time.  Now, looking back, I can see so many large impacts the military had on my life for the better.  I have been able to grow from my time in the military, and I know that I have my Savior Jesus Christ to thank for it.  Because I had faith in Him, trusting and believing He would guide my life for the best, He did.

     From this I learned that God can make you the best you can be no matter where you’re at if you have faith in Him.  You’re life doesn’t have to follow your idea of the perfect life.  You can find yourself in places you don’t want to be.  You may have to endure some trying times you’d rather not endure.  But if you continue to trust and have faith in the Lord Jehovah, you will find God will help you through the tough times and make them good for you.

     The promise of Jesus holds true.  “”Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart:  and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”  (Matthew 11:28)  If you come unto Christ, the tough times won’t be so tough.  When you find yourself in places you don’t want to be in, He will make them good for you, and He will help you through.

The Enabling Power of the Atonement

     This past week as I attended my ward, I had the opportunity to speak with one of my ward members about the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  (A ward is the smallest division of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)  Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints often speak of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  We recognize the eternal importance of this divine gift from the Son of God. 

     However, my experience indicates that when we speak of the Atonement, we typically focus on the forgiving power and the healing power that comes from the sacrifices made by the Lamb of God.  We don’t often focus on the enabling power.  Yet this enabling power is one of the most important parts of our lives and a precious gift that comes through our faith.  The fact is it’s vital to the success of the forgiving and healing powers of the Atonement also.  Without it we wouldn’t have the ability to become worthy of forgiveness of sin, nor would we live our lives in a manner that allows us to be healed of the various pains that strike us.

     So what is the enabling power of the Atonement?  If we turn to “Grace” in the King James Version of the Holy Bible used by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we read,

“The main idea of the word is divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ.  It is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, made possible by His atoning sacrifice, that mankind will be raised in immortality, every person receiving his body from the grave in a condition of everlasting life.  It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means.  This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts.”

     So the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ is more commonly known as grace.  It’s the power that grants us the ability to come forth out of the grave at the time of our resurrection.  It’s the power that gives us strength and help in overcoming our sins.  It’s the power that allows us to do good in the world around us.  It’s the power to do things we wouldn’t ordinarily be able to do because we are mortal beings who don’t have the omnipotent strength of God.  In short, “It is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.”  (2 Nephi 25:23)

     There are so many different ways the grace of Jesus Christ impacts our lives.  I’ve seen it in my life when I’ve needed to give a Priesthood blessing to another person.  I’ll place my hands on their hand and suddenly have the thoughts and impressions that guide me through the blessing the Lord has for that person.  I’ve had my Priesthood leaders place their hands on my head and give me the blessing I needed that addressed the issues I was facing at the time, even when they had no way of knowing what was on my mind.  And I’ve received guidance and direction from the Spirit in the needs of my children and those around me.

     I’ve seen the different ways grace can impact the lives of people through studying the scripture.  It was by the grace of Jesus Christ that the Liahona worked for the family of Lehi while they journeyed in the wilderness and crossed the ocean (1 Nephi in The Book of Mormon:  Another Testament of Jesus Christ).  It’s the power that allowed Peter to discern the hearts of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5 in the New Testament).  It’s the power by which David slew Goliath before the hosts of Israel and Philistine (1 Samuel 17 in the Old Testament).  And it was the power used by Moses to part the waters of the Red Sea (Exodus 14 in the Old Testament).  

     The power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ is immense.  It spans history from before the beginning of this earth.  Its power will reach far into the future long after this earth has passed away.  That’s because it has no beginning and no end.  It is everlasting and eternal.  And it is promised to us if we are faithful to the laws of God.

He is risen!

     It’s that wonderful time again!  It’s Easter time, the wonderful spring time holiday I enjoy the most.  This wonderful season is the time of year when the earth appears to be reborn.  The ground shakes off the cold of the winter months.  The weather turns warm and pleasant.  Plants start sprouting out of the ground and producing green foliage.

     Throughout the history of the world this wonderful season has been celebrated because of the promise of life it brings.  Some cultures throughout history have chosen to celebrate the spring equinox.  Others have celebrated different gods, often depicting a form of death and rebirth.  Christian cultures celebrate the actual suffering, death, and resurrection of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. 

     One of the things I marvel at is how much this season points to the glorious event of the rising of the Son of God.  After Jesus suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane and died on the cross at Calvary, He was laid in a tomb for a period of time spanning three days.  In symbolism of this, the plants of the earth (and many animals) spend the winter months lying dormant.  The earth grows cold and seemingly remorseful to me as snow coats the earth and winter frosts rage across the land.  Darkness descends on the earth for longer periods of time at night.  All of these hints at the dark, remorseful state the world would have been in when its hope and salvation lay in the tomb.

     Then come the beautiful spring days full of hope and promise.  The days start drawing out, giving more light.  The sun warms up the atmosphere.  It feels like everything around you is bursting at the seams with life, production, happiness, and joy, just as the world would have been when the Resurrected Lord brought hope and salvation to those who will pass through the veil into immortality.

      I love the spring.  I love this sense of promise.  I love the indications of Christ, my Friend, that present themselves around every corner.  I love seeing all the evidence that promises He is alive.  He is alive!  I love knowing that because He is alive, I will live beyond mortality.  I love the promise of hope that spring so abundantly gives us.  I love that Easter is celebrated to give us an opportunity to praise the Risen Lord and sing of the salvation and glory that comes from Him.

                “He is risen!  He is risen!

      Tell it out with joyful voice. 

      He has burst his three day’s prison;

                Let the whole wide earth rejoice.

      Death is conquered; man is free.

                Christ has won the victory.
                He is risen!  He is risen!
                He hath opened heaven’s gate.
                We are free from sin’s dark prison,
                Risen to a holier state.
                And a brighter Easter beam
                On our longing eyes shall stream.”  (LDS Hymns #199, verses 1 and 3)

Faith in the Little Things

     One of the stories of faith from the scriptures that I like is the story of Naaman.  (2 Kings 5)  Naaman was a captain among the hosts of the Syrians, who were attacking the Israelites during his time.  He was a strong and valiant man, but had leprosy. 

     During one of the attacks, the hosts of Syria took an Israelite woman captive and brought her into Naaman’s house, where she served his wife.  Naaman must have been a kind master.  The Israelite woman liked him enough to help him.  She told her mistress that the prophet in Israel could heal Captain Naaman.

     Naaman heard from the servants of his house what the Israelite had said.  Naaman hoped these words were true, and the king of Syria sent a valuable gift to the king of Israel along with a message in behalf of Naaman.  The message was a request for Naaman to be healed. 

     The king of Israel (who I believe was Jehoram) was upset to receive the letter.  How could he heal the leprosy of this captain of the enemy?  He knew he didn’t have the power and feared the wrath of the king of Syria because of it.  Fortunately Elisha heard of the request.  He sent a message to the king directing him to send Naaman along.  Elisha would heal the man, stating he would do so in order to let Naaman know there was a prophet of God in Israel.

     So Naaman was sent to see the prophet of God.  There are so many different ways God could have decided to heal the leprosy.  The one He chose through His prophet was a simple one.  When Naaman arrived, Elisha sent a messenger to instruct him to dip seven times in the river Jordan.  After this he would be healed.

     At first Naaman was furious with the response.  How could Elisha not come out to see him, a captain of the Syrian host?  Furthermore, why should he be healed by such a simple thing?  Shouldn’t a great miracle be wrought to heal him of his leprosy?  So he left in anger.

     Fortunately, Naaman was a man who was humble enough to listen to those who served him.  One of his servants approached and said, “If the prophet had bid thee to do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it?  How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?” 

     Naaman really did hope he could be cleansed.  So he humbled himself and acted in faith.  He went to the river Jordan and dipped in it seven times as he had been instructed.  When he came out the seventh time, he was clean.

     This story is wonderful because of the simplicity of its message.  God doesn’t always work mighty miracles to respond to our hopes and faith.  In fact, He rarely works mighty miracles.  Instead He works through simple means.  So often we want mighty miracles to demonstrate the power of God.  He is God, after all.  So why not?  But why should God work mighty miracles when He knows it will help us grow more to have our answers given through simple yet true means?  So He works by small things.  He asks us to dip in a river instead of asking us to perform some mighty feat.

     I also love that Naaman was instructed to dip seven times instead of one.  Surely the Lord could have healed him after the first one, or the second, or the third.  Instead it was seven.  You could argue this is because seven was the number used to represent perfection in Israel, and maybe that had something to do with it. But I think it was because the Lord wanted Naaman to demonstrate his faith by having him perform the act several times.

     Imagine the scene.  Naaman, along with those who were with him, go to the river Jordan.  He dips in it the first time.  He comes out and sees no visible change.  He does it again.  Nothing changes.  A third time He goes in, comes out, and finds nothing different.  Perhaps he starts thinking, “This is ridiculous!  This Israelite just wanted to humiliate me in front of my men!  I’ll go in seven times and come out still a leper, and I will look like a fool!” 

     But he goes back in.  After three more times, there is still no change.  Nothing has happened to indicate things will be different the seventh time.  But he does go in the seventh time and when he comes out he is clean.  He was required to be persistent and put more thought and effort into his actions than one simple dip.

     In our trials, struggles, and difficulties, the Lord requires the same of us.  He doesn’t allow us to walk free of our difficulties after a single act of faith.  One simple dip isn’t enough.  Instead He asks us to stretch our faith, acting with persistence.  We must dip seven times, not just one.  Then, after we’ve persisted in faith, He steps in and grants us answers to our prayers.  That’s the way of God because that’s what helps us grow.

The Sure Witness

     In my last few blog posts, I’ve touched on a few miracles performed by God because of the faith of His children.  The scriptures share hundreds of other examples of miracles worked by the faith of people.  Some examples that are easy to recognize include healing the sick, raising the dead, turning water into wine, and parting rivers and seas. 

     In my opinion, there are two more common miracles worked by the power of faith that are far greater than any of these obvious ones.  These miracles are forgiveness for our sins and mistakes and the sure witness of the Holy Spirit.  Today I wish to focus on the second of these, the sure witness of the Holy Spirit.

     There are many ways we are able to learn in this world.  We can learn by experimenting through trial and error.  We can learn by having another person show us what we want to know.  We can learn by studying facts.  Any of these methods can impart knowledge to our mind, showing us the truths about the world around us.  Since all truth flows from God, any method of learning truth about the world can also teach us truths about God, giving us spiritual knowledge as well.

     Spiritual learning can also happen in many ways.  We can learn through the study of scriptures.  We can learn through the example and teaching of others.  We can even have heavenly messengers appear and give us knowledge.  These methods, and many others, can do a wonderful job teaching us the truths of God.  They can also be wonderful ways to learn the truths of the world.

     The various methods of learning truths about God and the world can be quite effective, but none of them can compare with learning truth through the sure witness of the Holy Spirit.  It doesn’t matter how effective any of the various ways of learning truths about God or the world are for you.  The sure witness of the Holy Spirit still stands out above the rest as the best way to learn truth and knowledge.

     Let me give an example to demonstrate this truth.  Imagine you have a really difficult class in college.  You have a test coming up tomorrow and have been preparing for it for weeks.  Unfortunately you have a problem.  In spite of the weeks of studying hard to be ready for this test, you still struggle with the material.  You know you aren’t ready for the test.  You’ve gone to the professor for help, but it’s still not clicking.  One of your friends is in the class and has tried explaining it to you, but you still know you’re not ready.

     So you turn to God, kneeling in prayer to ask for His help.  You anxiously go to class to take the test.  As you start through the questions, you begin to realize you know the answers.  You haven’t had any heavenly visitors come to give the answers.  You aren’t any smarter than you were before.  Yet you actually know the answers to this material that was so difficult to understand.

     The reason is the Holy Spirit is speaking to your spirit and helping you recall all the things you’ve been studying.  You may think this a ridiculous thought.  Why would the Holy Spirit care how you did on your test?  But the scriptures teach us the Holy Spirit “will guide you into all truth”.  (John 16:13)  Your test mattered to you enough to cause you to pray for help in faith.  For this reason it mattered to God and He sent the promptings of the Spirit to guide you.  The Holy Spirit can speak to your spirit and teach it the things that nothing else could so that you can pass this difficult test.

     You may not relate to this story.  Perhaps you are one of those people that never struggled in school, or perhaps you are one of those people that never cared enough about school to ask for help.  But this same principle applies to every aspect of your life.  There will come times when you need the help of God at work, in relationships, or in some other aspect of your life.  In all of these situations, the Holy Spirit can bring understanding to your mind far better than any other method of learning can.

     This sure witness of the Holy Spirit is one of the mightiest miracles this world has ever known.  This is how the race of men has been able to grow through the ages.  We have learned all we know about God because of the sure witness of the Holy Spirit.  Scientific advancements have come into our world because the silent promptings of the Holy Spirit have given knowledge to scientists.  Mothers and fathers have been able to protect, nurture, and defend their children because of the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 

     The Holy Spirit has guided and shaped the growth of individual lives, entire civilizations, and the world.  All of it has been done through the faith of people who are willing to listen for the quiet promptings of the Spirit of God.  That’s the power of the miracles that can be worked by faith.

Daniel and His Friends

     The faith of Daniel and his friends in the Old Testament book “Daniel” also led to a great miracle.  Daniel was brought to the courts of Babylon during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar, along with three children the king named Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  King Nebuchadnezzar was, of course, not from the land of Israel, and his house probably knew little of the Jewish laws, customs and culture.  Because of this, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would run into situations where they were asked to violate some of the laws of God given through the Law of Moses.

     The first time Daniel and his friends found the king’s command directed them to disobey God came with their daily meals.  The king had instructed that a portion of his meat and wine would be given to the children for food in order to get them healthy and strong before they were brought before him.  The Law of Moses did not forbid them from eating all meat.  It instead instructed them not to eat fat or blood.  (Leviticus 7:22-27)  Further instruction is given in the Law of Moses forbidding the consumption of certain living things, deeming them unclean.  (Leviticus 11)  It stands to reason that the food they were instructed to eat fell among the forbidden groups in some manner because Daniel and his friends didn’t want to eat it for fear of angering God.

     The man in charge of their meals was afraid that, if they didn’t eat the meat and drink the wine, they would not be healthy like the other children when they went before the king.  Fortunately Daniel had become friends with this man and was able to strike a deal.  For ten days he and his friends would be allowed to eat fruits and grains and drink water.  If they were not as healthy as the other children, they would then eat the king’s meat and drink his wine.  Otherwise they would be allowed to continue eating and drinking the fruits, grain, and water.  At the end of the ten days, the four friends were healthier than the other children.

     The time finally came when the children were brought before the king.  Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego proved to be extremely bright children because of the blessings of God that came through their obedience.  Daniel was even able to interpret a dream God had given to King Nebuchadnezzar by the power of the Spirit of God.  So they found favor with the king and would dwell in his court.

     Several differences in culture between the Babylonians and the Jews led to other circumstances where the four friends would be instructed to break the laws of God.  I want to speak briefly of two.  The first came when King Nebuchadnezzar ordered an idol to be built and instructed his kingdom to worship it.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would be thrown in a fiery furnace for refusing to worship a false god.  Because of their faith, they spoke with the Son of God while in the furnace and were able to come out of the furnace unharmed.  (Daniel 3)

     The second came with the fall of Babylon.  The Medians conquered Babylon and Daniel was taken into the courts of King Darius.  King Darius also recognized Daniel was valuable because of the favor he had with God (though King Darius probably didn’t realize this).  So the king placed Daniel in one of the top positions of power in his kingdom.  Other leaders in the land convinced the king to sign a decree that would prevent Daniel from praying.  The punishment for breaking the law was to be cast into a den of lions.

     Daniel had such strong faith in God that he didn’t fear men or what they could do to him.  So he continued to pray.  By the decree of the king, Daniel had to be cast into the lion’s den.  But God rewarded the faith of Daniel.  The lions caused him no harm and he came forth unscathed.

     These are among the many miracles God will work for those who have faith in Him.  When you love God and place Him above everything else, you will have no reason to fear man or beast.  God can protect you from either one.  When you place God first, you will find He can strengthen you and place you in better circumstances than those around you or than you would otherwise find yourself in.  God can give you everything.  All that is required is faith and obedience.

Walking on Water

     One of the many miracles worked by faith happened at the time Jesus walked on the water of the stormy sea to come to His disciples.  It was, of course, a miracle that Jesus was able to walk on water, especially when that water was a stormy sea.  But the miracle I want to focus on is Peter walking on water.

     Let me give a little background behind the story.  The day before this, Jesus had gone to the desert.  A large group of people gathered around Him, and He proceeded to heal their sick.  When evening came, Jesus commanded His disciples to bring Him the five loaves of bread and two fish they had.  He then blessed this bread and fish, broke it, and had His disciples feed the large multitude.  Five thousand men and a large group of women and children were fed this way, leaving twelve baskets of food. 

     Then Jesus commanded His disciples to depart in a ship and go to the other side of the sea.  They departed and He went to the mountain to pray.  As the darkness of night descended, a storm broke out over the sea where the disciples labored in the ship.  These disciples labored all night, fighting against the storm in an effort to make it to land.

     Finally, during the fourth watch of the night (meaning between three and six), Jesus came to His disciples walking on water.  Since it was a stormy night, it would have been difficult for the disciples to see very far.  Thus, when they saw Jesus approaching them, they couldn’t see who it was.  People aren’t normally able to walk on water, so they believed it to be a spirit.  They were afraid.

     Jesus knew they were afraid.  So He said to them, “Be of good cheer, it is I; be not afraid.”  This is where we see Peter demonstrate his great faith in Jesus.  I imagine he heard the familiar voice of Jesus from this figure he still couldn’t recognize.  He would probably believe a spirit was capable of sounding like his beloved friend, but he trusted Jesus and knew He was capable of working miracles.  If He could do all the things Peter had seen Him do, wouldn’t it be possible for Him to walk on a stormy sea also. 

     Marveling at the possibility, Peter responded, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.”  I imagine Peter made this response with a somewhat boyish hope.  He wasn’t certain, but he believed this was his beloved friend walking on water!  How cool was that!  Peter believed it was possible and hoped it was true.  He believed that, if Jesus his Master told him he could, he would be able to walk on the water also.  He hoped for this as well.  So he made his response.

     Jesus responded simply, “Come.”  Peter climbed out of the boat and started walking toward Jesus.  Imagine the faith this would take!  Peter had to truly believe Jesus was capable of working mighty miracles if he believed he could walk on water simply because Jesus said “Come”!  He had, of course, seen the Lord work incredible miracles, but nothing that required he put his very life in danger.  This water wasn’t just any water, either.  It was a large sea, and a stormy one at that.  Imagine the faith required to believe you would be okay leaving the relative safety of the ship and walking on a stormy sea.

     Furthermore, it wasn’t likely Peter could say for certain this was Jesus yet.  The figure was probably still hard to make out.  A spirit could possibly take on the voice of the Lord.  So it was possible this wasn’t Jesus.  After all, what human being had ever walked on water before this?

     Yet Peter believed it was Jesus and he climbed out of the boat.  Because of his profound faith, he was rewarded with some time walking across the top of this stormy sea.  That was the miracle wrought by the faith of Peter, the rock of faith. 

     Imagine what you could do if you had the faith of Peter.

The Army of Gideon

     Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (and many other religions) recognize that God works many miracles through the faith of His disciples.  The scriptures teach us that “…all things are possible to him that believeth.”  (Mark 9:23)  The scriptures also provide so many different examples of the miracles that can be worked by God for those who have faith in Him.

     One of those miracles has been on my mind lately.  It’s found in the story of Gideon, who led an Israelite army against the hosts of the Midianites.  Let me build some background around the story before I get into the miracle.

     After the Israelites had come into the Promised Land, they started worshipping the gods of the people who were in the land.  One of these gods was Baal.  God probably sent prophets among the people to cry repentance, but the prophets would have been rejected.  So God allowed the Midianites several victories over the Israelites because of their wickedness.

     After seven years of defeat at the hands of the Midianites, the people of Israel cried unto God for deliverance.  God sent a prophet to teach them the cause of their suffering.  Then He sent an angel to call Gideon to lead the children of Israel to victory over the Midianites.

     Following the Lord’s command, Gideon cast down the groves and altars of idolatry the people of Israel were using.  He then built an altar to the Lord in their place and offered a sacrifice upon the altar.  Then he sent forth a call for the armies of Israel to gather.  Approximately 32,000 Israelites responded, while the armies of the Midianites gathered against them.

     This is the point where we see the miracles of God manifested by the faith of the people.  Many among the children of Israel had been worshipping a false god.  So God would respond by showing His power and establishing that He was in fact the One True God.  He would do it with those who trusted and had faith in Him.  To do so, He needed the armies of Israel to be smaller in number than they were so they had no room for proclaiming they had done it.  They would have to recognize the hand of God in the victory.  God commanded Gideon to tell the people that all who were “fearful and afraid” should depart.  Most of the army departed, leaving only 10,000 to fight the armies of the Midianites. 

     This is one demonstration of the faith of those God would lead into battle.  It’s extremely unlikely that anybody among the children of Israel wasn’t afraid to march against an army that appeared as innumerable as the armies of the Midianites did.  Yet 10,000 people trusted God enough to conquer their fear and stand with Gideon.  They didn’t stay because they lacked fear.  They stayed because they were able to conquer their fear with trust in God.

     God did not intend to allow 10,000 people to fight against the enemy, however.  It was His will to deliver the armies of the Midianites into a much smaller number.  Gideon took the people to the river to drink.  All those who got on their knees to drink like a dog would be sent home.  After sending these people home, only 300 remained. 

     These 300 men yet again demonstrated great faith.  Imagine you were among the army preparing to go against a vast host of men.  Your commanding officer then gives two orders, cutting the number of your fellow soldiers down to 300 men.  Now you’re standing there with only 300 others preparing to take on a massive army.  Your only hope at this point is the promise that God stands with you and will deliver the enemy into your hands.  You would have to have great faith in God to stay and fight.

     These 300 men did stay to fight.  God gave Gideon direction that allowed him to devise a plan of attack.  Then an army of 300 men routed a massive army of Midianites.  Only then were the rest of the children of Israel called upon to pursue the fleeing army.

     In today’s world we have a hard time grasping the incredible miracle worked by God on this occasion.  We live in a world where a single missile fired by one person can kill thousands, if not millions.  It’s not very difficult to believe 300 men can route an enemy much larger than they are. 

     Yet the world Gideon lived in was very different from our world.  Your ability to conquer your enemy rested only in your strength and skill with a simple weapon like a sword.  Even the most skilled warriors had little hope for victory when attacking a significantly larger enemy.

     But God was with the children of Israel because those who remained were men of faith.  He helped Gideon devise a battle plan that delivered the Midianites into the hands of the children of Israel.  And the children of Israel prevailed.  That’s one of the many mighty miracles that can be wrought by the hand of God through the faith of His disciples.

A New Blessing

     My wife and I have been very blessed this week.  We have the privilege of welcoming a new baby to our family.  I’m very excited to have a wonderful little one to add to my family!  Because of this new addition to our family, my time has been limited this week.  So my blog entry is going to be brief. 

     I want to take this week to testify of my Savior, Jesus.  Over two thousand years ago, Jehovah, the Son of God, came to earth as the child Jesus born to Mary.  I have a testimony that He walked this earth as the only truly perfect being to be born in it.  I know He resisted many different temptations so He could rise above the sins of the world.  I know He is the only Pure Being capable of washing us clean of our sins.

     I want to tell you that I am so grateful that I have this knowledge.  I know this is a world filled with the deception and lies of Lucifer, the father of lies.  I know that a lot of this world is covered with those lies to the point of preventing many people from knowing Jesus Christ.  So I know I could have easily come into this world in different circumstances that prevented me from knowing my Heavenly Friend.  I’m so grateful that wasn’t the case.

     Because I had the privilege of coming into this world knowing Jehovah the King, I have the opportunity of raising my two children with knowledge of Him.  I hope and pray that I and my wife will be good and faithful in teaching our children of Jesus Christ.  I want them to know Him.  There have been so many times in my life when I have desperately needed Him, and He’s always been there.  There will be so many times in the lives of my children when they will need Him.  I want them to know He is there.

     The reason this is so important to me is that I know the Mediator Jehovah can do far more for my children than I will ever be able to in this world.  If they know Him, love Him, and trust Him, there will be nothing He can’t do for them.  I know this because I’ve seen Him working miracles for me many, many times. 

     Jesus Christ lives.  He is the Messiah, the King, the Great Friend.  Trust Him and you will have nothing to fear.

Lessons from Les Miserables

     This past week, my wife and I had the opportunity to go to the new production of “Les Miserables” starring Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean.  “Les Miserables” has long been my favorite musical production.  I love the characters of Jean Valjean and Javert.  I love the conflict between justice and mercy demonstrated by their lives.  And I love the symbolic lessons we can learn from their fictional lives if we take the time to notice these lessons.

     Javert is the perfect advocate for justice.  His song, “Stars”, demonstrates his concept of justice.  He believes every fault must be met with punishment for the crime and justice for those involved.  His job as an enforcer of the law grants him the ability to see to it justice is served.  He wouldn’t allow even himself to escape justice.  When he believed he had wrongfully accused the mayor of being Valjean, he presented himself to the mayor to answer for his apparent crime.

     Valjean also believed strongly that justice must be served in the beginning of the story.  His concept of justice was different than that held by Javert.  He believed he had been wronged by the world—a world that deprived him of freedom for simply wanting to eat.  He believed he owed nothing to this world, because it was only just that he gave nothing to a world that gave him only heartache and grief.  After suffering for several years under the hands of justice for the crime of stealing bread, Valjean found himself free in a world that continued to hand him hardship.  He was bitter and angry about the injustice of it.

     Yet mercy found Jean Valjean through the hands of the bishop.  From the mercy extended by this bishop, Valjean discovered Jesus Christ and determined he would learn how to love again.  From that moment on, Valjean could be found extending mercy to anybody he found in need of it.  He would demand mercy anytime it was necessary to save another.  He would become the advocate of mercy even to extent of granting it to his enemy, the inspector Javert.

     I like comparing the similarities in the two men.  In the start of the story, the two men are in conflict with each other because both believe in justice but have a different understanding of what it means.  Both men try to live in service of God, whom they love very much.  Both men come upon a time when their lives are in the hands of another person, and the other person had every reason to cause them pain, suffering, or death.  Both men receive mercy at the hands of that person and face a moment of crisis—a perfect opportunity to become better men—because of it.  But the two men handle that crisis very differently.

     Javert couldn’t grasp the concept of forgiveness required by the mercy he extended.  Jean Valjean had been a criminal.  Javert couldn’t reconcile the image of the criminal with the man of mercy he had met.  He could see that Valjean had become a better man than he, willing to forgive those who had hurt him.  But he couldn’t understand it, nor could he accept it.  And he couldn’t accept that he had given mercy to a man who had been a criminal.  This lack of understanding or acceptance led him to his death.

     For Jean Valjean the mercy he received caused him to reflect upon the grotesque hatred and furry in his life.  He would come out of it with the resolve to become the better man he ultimately became later.  He understood the need for justice and had paid a price for justice in his life.  But he also knew there was a place for mercy, and he constantly looked for these opportunities. 

     I love the part at the end just after he departs life.  The story closes by taking us with Jean Valjean as he enters a world where freedom has prevailed rather than the world were those fighting for freedom died at the barricade.  The point is that Jean Valjean had paid for his mistakes in life, and he had chosen to become a good man.  So he earned a place in a world of freedom and mercy.

     There are so many good lessons revolving around faith that we can take from this story.  At different times in my life, different lessons have stood at to me.  But the one that stands out to me right now at this moment is that justice and mercy can be reconciled.  Though the two concepts seem to be at odds with each other, they both must be served.  Otherwise a time will come when justice for all will create a conflict that can’t be resolved.

     Mercy requires a mediator who has no part in the fault.  Only Jesus Christ has walked on earth free of fault.  True reconciliation between justice and mercy can only come because of Jesus Christ, the great Mediator.  And only those who come to Him in faith will have access to that mercy.  Part of coming to Him in life involves learning to extend mercy.  So extend mercy when you see somebody fallen under a burden of cares that is crushing their body or their soul.  Extend mercy when you see somebody oppressed by life or people around them.  Extend mercy when somebody who has hurt you in anyway stands before you.  Forgive them.  And while you’re at it, don’t forget to extend mercy to yourself.  Forgive yourself.

Nourishing Faith

     The final part of Alma’s analogy comparing faith in God and His word to a seed (found in The Book of Mormon:  Another Testament of Jesus Christ) is nourishment and enjoyment of the fruit.  In Alma 32:37-43, Alma states, “And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us.  And now behold, if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up, and bring forth fruit.

     “But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.  Now, this is not because the seed was not good, neither is it because the fruit thereof would not be desirable; but it is because your ground is barren, and ye will not nourish the tree, therefore ye cannot have the fruit thereof. 

     “And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life.  But if ye will nourish the word, yea nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life. 

     “And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.  Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.”

     When I read these verses of scripture, I think of my musical career with instruments.  Several times in my life, I’ve attempted to learn how to play a musical instrument.  The first of these came in grade school.  My elementary school had violin classes.  I joined this class and learned how to songs like “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” on the violin.  I really enjoyed playing the violin and thought I’d grow up learning how to do it.  I had every intention of taking orchestra classes through high school.

     In sixth grade, however, my family moved to a place where the schools didn’t teach violin classes.  There were people in the community that taught these classes.  Yet, for whatever reason, I decided to stop taking these classes.  Now, 18 years later, I can’t pick up the violin and play “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”.  It’s not that I don’t have the ability.  It’s that I stopped developing the ability and let myself forget the skills I had learned.

     The piano is another excellent example.  There have been three different times that I remember in my life when I’ve started taking piano lessons.  The first time was in high school.  I practiced enough to be able to play a very simple version of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”.  I wasn’t by any means good.  In fact, I failed miserably the time I tried to perform it in front of a group of people.  But I could do it.  Then I stopped practicing and forgot the little skill I had.

     During my first year in college, I started learning how to play the piano again.  I didn’t learn very much at all before I quit this time.  So I lost the skill again. 

     Then I started trying a short time later.  This time I put more thought and effort into it than I ever had before.  I developed the ability to play several hymns with my right hand.  I could even slowly pluck through the tune to a few hymns with my left hand.  Yet I never reached a point of combining the two hands before I quit devoting my time to developing the skill.  Now I’m again at a point where I can’t play any of the hymns.

     The point with this story is that I actually started developing the ability to play the piano and violin.  Yet I didn’t make either one of these skills a priority in my life.  So neither of them has developed into an actual talent I can use.  My lack of devotion has actually left me with an inability to perform even the little bit I once could.  I could learn either of these talents at any time, but I would have to devote time and effort to either one.  It would have to be a priority in my life.

     The same concept applies to faith in God and His word.  As long as you continue to study the word of God, pray for His guidance, and practice faith, your faith and knowledge in Him and His word will grow.  But if you choose to neglect the things of God, you will be losing the faith and knowledge you have.

     Think of it this way.  If a plant isn’t growing in some way, then it’s dying.  If you aren’t devoting time or energy into developing most of the skills or talents you currently have, then you are forgetting them.  If you aren’t practicing faith, than you are losing the faith you have.  So make faith in God a part of your life every day.  Only then can you have the peace and joy that comes as the fruit of faith in God.