Challenging My Beliefs

On many occasions, aggressive non-believers have encouraged me to challenge my beliefs. Their reasoning was that if what I believed was true, then there would be no risk in challenging it, right? Of course they were not trying to help me find objective truth, they just wanted me to quit going to church, or to start smoking, or whatever. This was especially common when I was young and didn't have an adequate reply.

Recently I was reading in Malachi and happened upon one of my favorite verses. It's the tithing verse, and it goes like this:

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. (Malachi 3:10)

As I read that verse I had a sudden flash of satisfaction. The reason that I've always liked this verse is God issues a challenge. "Prove me," he says! I never connected the dots between God's challenge and those of my peers.

My challengers have been unwittingly correct. If my beliefs are right, there's nothing to be afraid of. God expects us to challenge his word. The way the challenge works is like this:

1. Follow His instructions.
2. See if you get the results.

This is wonderful. It's the scientific method. You do this over and over until you've built up a sample size and then you draw a conclusion. This is why people who pay tithing love it and people who don't pay tithing hate it. The method is critical because the input is faith, and God blesses us for exercising faith.

So now I see that I've been challenging my beliefs all my life. I've been faithfully keeping commandments to the best of my ability since I was old enough to comprehend them. I've given God countless opportunities not to exist, or at least not to be the being in whom I believe. He has never failed, though. Not only has he rewarded me according to his promises, but he has given me spiritual confirmations from time to time for good measure. Remarkable.

The funny thing about people who invite us to challenge our faith is their proposed method. Their proposal is not to try to prove an affirmative, i.e. "see if God exists by testing his promises." Instead they want us to "think for ourselves" and derive a negative. Imagine applying that to scientific experimentation:

1. Develop a hypothesis.
2. Explore your doubts about the hypothesis.
3. Don't bother with experimentation.
4. Declare the hypothesis wrong.

Absurd, yes? Yet that is what we are asked to do when we are told to "challenge our beliefs." In the future, my response to such challenges will be something like, "Sure, we'll challenge our beliefs together. Now let's talk methodology..."

Contact Matt here.

The Secret To Happiness: "The Ways Of Remembrance"

The Book of Mormon teaches two important ways that we can improve our worthiness and our spirituality.  The first is to look at how others felt the consequences of bad choices, and how God rescued them. An example is found in these words of Alma:

Yea, I have always remembered the captivity of my fathers; and that same God who delivered them out of the hands of the Egyptians did deliver them out of bondage. (Alma 29:12)

The second is to learn from our own mistakes. We also receive consequences of our bad choices, and when we are sufficiently humble he rescues us as well:

if ye have...received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness... (Mosiah 4:11)

Notice that both of these verses, and virtually every verse like them in the book of Mormon, hinges on our ability to remember.

That's the problem: remembering. "How have ye forgotten?" is the constant lament of Book of Mormon prophets. Memories of consequences are not as severe as consequences themselves. Worse yet, they fade over time. (Note: that's a good thing. If the pain of suffering never abated, we would be unable to function.) Unfortunately it means that with the passage of time we become more susceptible to making the same mistakes again.

Moreover, repentance and forgiveness accelerate the process of forgetting. Look at the words of Alma:

And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more. (Alma 36:19)

Part of the beauty of becoming clean is being relieved of the burden of sin. Thus, after we suffer the consequences of sin and receive forgiveness, our resolve immediately begins to weaken:

• I'll never do that again.
• I don't want to do that again.
• I shouldn't do that.
• Maybe if I only do this much it will be ok.
• How did I end up here again?

And then we rinse and repeat. The question is, how do we end, or at least minimize this cycle? How do we remember the pain of sin and the joy of forgiveness when our memories naturally fade? Look what God tells Nephi:

And if it so be that they rebel against me, they shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in the ways of remembrance. (1 Nephi 2:24)

The "ways of remembrance?" What are the ways of remembrance? If there is a method to remembering, that would help us solve our problem, wouldn't it? Let's look at a few clues that will help.

Hold to the Iron Rod

And this he did that he himself might go forth among his people, or among the people of Nephi, that he might preach the word of God unto them, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty...(Alma 4:19)

The first "way of remembrance" is to hold to the rod. Remember that those in Lehi's vision who did not hold firmly to the rod were led astray by the mist of darkness. Our mist of forgetfulness can be abated by our resolve to "feast upon the words of Christ." There is no substitute for daily, prayerful scripture study. We need a firm commitment that no matter what we will study our scriptures every day. This will help us remember.

Priests to Teach

...and also had appointed priests to teach the people, that thereby they might hear and know the commandments of God, and to stir them up in remembrance of the oath which they had made... (Mosiah 6:3)

In addition to scripture study, being continuously taught and partaking of priesthood ordinances will stir us up in remembrance of the covenants that we have made. We are taught and receive ordinances during weekly church attendance and at the temple. Skipping church and procrastinating temple worship will lead us to forget.

Miracles and Marvelous Works

They were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey; (Alma 37:41)

As we slip down the slope of forgetfulness we can feel a reduction of the fruits of the Spirit. We can feel our spiritual progress stagnating. If we make a practice of noticing this when it happens, we can know that sin and its consequences are fast approaching. We don't have to wait to hit bottom.

Someday we will have a "bright recollection" of our sins. Better that we should remember now. By following the "ways of remembrance" we can retain a remission of our sins and increase in righteousness before God. The ways of remembrance mentioned here are:

1. Daily, prayerful scripture study.
2. Church and temple attendance.
3. Watching for drops in our spirituality as warning signs.

If we do not do these things, we can be assured that forgetfulness is coming, and that sin is following close behind.

Contact Matt here.

Like Unto This River

Lehi, prophet and master orator, laid down some fantastic imagery when he stopped in the wilderness.

And when [Lehi] saw that the waters of the river emptied into the fountain of the Red Sea, he spake unto Laman, saying: O that thou mightest be like unto this river, continually running into the fountain of all righteousness! (1 Nephi 2:9)

Nephi was sufficiently impressed to include this in his record. Nephi would later add an additional river/sea simile from Isaiah:

O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments—then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea. Thy seed also had been as the sand... (1 Nephi 20:18-19)

Following Nephi's admonition to "liken all scripture unto us," let's see what these two passages can teach us about our relationship with Jesus Christ.


Into the Fount of All Righteousness


Lehi was thrilled to find a "river of water." Perhaps after some exploration, he saw that it connected to the Red Sea. He then waxed poetic, comparing the sea to Jesus Christ, the "Fount of All Righteousness." He told his son to flow into Jesus Christ like the river flowed into the sea. How do we flow into Jesus Christ? How can we be like the river?


1. Water. A river is only useful when water is flowing through it. Where do rivers get their water? From the sea, of course. Water evaporates from the sea, falls on the high places, fills the river bed, and flows back to the sea. Jesus Christ is the Living Water. Each of us has the potential to be a river of Living Water, but we are not the source of the water. It originates with Him. It descends on high places ("stand ye in high places"). It passes through us as we become channels for righteousness. Ultimately it flows back to Him. Without that source, we become rivers of sand.


2. Life. A river gives life to everything in its vicinity. Similarly, as the Living Water passes through us it enables us to share it's life-giving ability with all around us. The mercy and the grace that we receive from Christ we should freely give in his service


3. Emptied. Lehi's language in the beginning of verse 9 is particularly clear. He did not see that the river "flowed" into the Red Sea. He saw that the "waters" of the river "emptied" into it, which triggered his spontaneous poetry. Like the waters of the river, all of the glory for the righteous works that we do by His power should be returned to Him. All of it.


Peace as a River


Sometimes rivers are peaceful. Often they are not. However, to someone in the wilderness a river of water is always more peaceful than a dry riverbed. Again, Lehi was thrilled to have encountered a river of water. Knowing that the source of life is amply available inspires peace.


Similarly we have peace when we enjoy the blessings of the atonement of Jesus Christ. As we wander through the wilderness of life, being far from Him creates fear and despair. But "sweet is the peace the gospel brings."


Righteousness as the Waves of the Sea


Consider the precise wording that Isaiah used. He didn't say "righteousness as the sea." He referenced the waves. He then went on to compare our posterity to the sand. What do the waves do? They are an extension of the sea, and they cover the sand repeatedly.


If we hearken unto the commandments of God, our righteousness, flowing from the Fount of All Righteousness, will be a blessing to generation after generation of our posterity, which will be as the sand of the sea.


Conclusion


As with other passages in the scriptures, the water similes passed to us by Nephi can give us deeper understanding and increased satisfaction. These verses teach us about how we can serve Jesus Christ. They show that through us He will bless our posterity, and those around us, if we will be "like unto this river" and if we will "hearken unto [His] commandments." These images are profound, and such is the power of scripture if we will "feast upon the words of Christ" and "liken all scriptures unto us."


For more discussions of Book of Mormon imagery, try Mists of Darkness or The Jaredite Journey.

Contact Matt here

Mercy and Grace: What's the Difference?

"When it confers happiness without merit, it is grace; when it bestows happiness against merit, it is mercy."¹ Thus Steven Charnock (1628-1680) described the goodness of God. What a marvelous statement, worth rereading and pondering.

The difference between mercy and grace is often blurred in LDS talks and lessons. Grace is frequently used to mean either grace, or mercy, or both. The scriptures are less ambiguous, though. When the Book of Mormon says "grace," it generally means "grace." When it says, "mercy," it is usually talking about mercy.

Whether we are trying to repent or to improve, knowing the difference between mercy and grace will give additional clarity to verses of scripture in which they are found. A brief discussion of these two characteristics follows.

Mercy

The purpose of mercy is to free someone from a debt or a penalty. When someone does something to hurt you, forgiving them is an act of mercy. When someone has done something to hurt someone else, paying their penalty is an act of mercy. Mercy rescues us from deficit and puts us back at zero.

Mercy cannot be deserved. If we could deserve mercy, it would not be mercy by definition. If one receives mercy, it implies that he rightfully owed some debt to someone, and that person chose to forgive that debt.

The mercy of God is manifest in the forgiveness of sins. When we sin, we incur penalties, which are rightfully owed. We have no right to expect the penalty to be lifted. Because of the atonement, though, we can know that someone else--Jesus--paid the penalty for us, and in doing so is in a position to offer us forgiveness. That forgiveness takes us out of negative territory and puts us back at zero. Forgiveness doesn't make us better; it makes us even.

The Book of Mormon starts with mercy. The first chapter of First Nephi contains this praise from Lehi: "because thou art merciful, thou wilt not suffer those who come unto thee that they shall perish!" (1 Nephi 1:14) What does this mean? It means that in our natural state we are all doomed to perish, but if we come unto Christ, his mercy will rescue us.

Mercy is what you and I need to recover from the effects of sin. Jesus extended mercy by paying for our sins. We receive that mercy by repenting and partaking of the sacrament, and by being merciful to others. He forgives us and puts us back on flat ground.

Grace

Grace is different than mercy. It is the bestowal of a gift. Paying someone's tuition is an act of grace. Mentoring is an act of grace. Anytime someone with ability or means freely helps someone else who has less or none, grace has been extended. In eternal terms, the purpose of grace is to grant change and improvement of which we, on our own, are incapable. Grace takes us from zero and begins promoting us.

As with mercy, one cannot "deserve" grace. If you earn something and I give it to you, it is not grace, but payment. By definition we cannot earn grace. We cannot warrant grace any more than we can warrant mercy. We can only hope for it and ask for it with faith. It is given despite our lack of merit.

The grace of God is manifest most importantly in changes to our character that afford us "life more abundantly" and eventually exaltation. When we desire to improve, but find that we are unable to do so, we seek God's help. He is under no initial obligation to help us, but it is in his nature to do so, and so he gives us certain promises to inspire hope and encourage us to strive.

The Book of Mormon ends with grace. Moroni closes the book with this admonition: "by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God." (Moroni 10:32) The challenge is to become perfected by appealing to the atonement of Jesus Christ, and to understand and acknowledge that it is by the power of God, not by our own power.

Grace is what we need in order to improve, to change, and to be converted. It sometimes involves the furnace of affliction, but Jesus has already passed through each of our personal furnaces and knows how to make us better.

Mercy and Grace

The difference between mercy and grace explains why both mercy and grace are often mentioned in the same passage of scripture. It is not redundant, nor is it for emphasis. Here is one example:

And behold how great the covenants of the Lord, and how great his condescensions unto the children of men; and because of his greatness, and his grace and mercy, he has promised unto us that our seed shall not utterly be destroyed, according to the flesh, but that he would preserve them; and in future generations they shall become a righteous branch unto the house of Israel. (2 Nephi 9:53)

In this verse we see that mercy will prevent the destruction of the Nephite posterity, and that grace will make them righteous. So it is with us. We require mercy to settle our spiritual debts and grace to increase our spiritual assets.

The ability of Jesus to provide these two benefits, forgiveness and improvement, is the object of our faith. This is his merit, upon which we are are told we must rely upon alone, and which we access through humility.

Mercy: "And now, because ye are compelled to be humble blessed are ye; for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh repentance; and now surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy; and he that findeth mercy and endureth to the end the same shall be saved." (Alma 32:13)

Grace: "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." (Ether 12:27)

When we read scripture humbly looking for hope to obtain forgiveness, mercy is the object of our desire. When we are desperately looking for power to change, it is grace that we seek. That is not to say that they are given separately or that there is an abrupt transition between the two; they go hand in hand. The scriptures, though, use the terms with some precision, and we may benefit in our study by reading them with the same care.

Question: In what ways are you seeking mercy now? In what areas of your life do you need grace? 

(For more on mercy and grace, read After All We Can Do.)

Contact Matt here

1. Charnock, Stephen. Existence and Attributes of God. 1993 Baker Books, Grand Rapids. P. 542.

Mists of Darkness: Lehi's Vision

Nephi provides a record of Lehi's vision of the tree of life. The scene had many components worthy of exploration. Here we'll focus on just a few, namely:

• the mist of darkness
• the iron rod
• the straight and narrow path

We'll look at these in context of other Book of Mormon writings and attempt to gain greater insight into how to "liken them unto us."

Mists of Darkness and the Iron Rod

In the book of Mormon we read about several mists of darkness. The first is seen by Lehi in his vision:

And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost. (1 Nephi 8:23)

The second overcame the Lamanites at the prison where Nephi and Lehi were held captive:

And it came to pass that they were overshadowed with a cloud of darkness, and an awful solemn fear came upon them. (Helaman 5:42)

The third was at the time of Christ's death, which we first see prophesied in Nephi's vision, but later read about in third Nephi:

And it came to pass that there was thick darkness upon all the face of the land, insomuch that the inhabitants thereof who had not fallen could feel the vapor of darkness; (3 Nephi 8:20)

These mists of darkness have several things in common. First, the darkness was physical, but more important, the darkness was spiritual. The travelers in Lehi's vision could not see the tree shining brightly. Worse, they lost interest in maintaining the path to reach it. The Lamanites at the prison "could not flee because of the cloud of darkness." Even worse, they were in the act of persecuting the prophets of God at the time. At Christ's coming, the darkness was so extreme that no light could be seen. Worse still, entire cities had been destroyed because of great spiritual wickedness.

Second, for those who are willing, the darkness yielded to light. Lehi's righteous wanderers arrived at the glowing Tree of Life and partook of its fruit. The Lamanites at the prison saw the cloud dispersed, received the Holy Ghost and and were visited by angels. The righteous survivors in Third Nephi saw light again on the third day and later received a visitation from Jesus.

Third, the word of God provides guidance leads to light during each of these episodes. Lehi's vision had the iron rod, a symbol of God's word. The Lamanites at the prison and the inhabitants in Third Nephi heard the actual voice of Christ in the darkness offering salvation to those who would repent and turn to Him.

Question #1 : How do those three attributes also apply to each of the following accounts:

• Zoram's encounter with Nephi at night (See also After All We Can Do.)
• Paul's blindness
• Nicodemus, who came to Jesus by night
• Alma's "darkest abyss"
• Lamoni's "dark veil of unbelief"
• the people of Ammon's "darkest abyss"
• the reformation and the "Dark Ages"
• Joseph Smith's first vision
• The creation of the Earth
• The temple

Question #2: What is the implication for each of us? Are we traveling amid spiritual darkness? Do we want to reach the light? What critical thing do we need in order to reach the light?

The Strait and Narrow Path

Lehi saw a "strait and narrow path" leading to the Tree of Life. His wording is interesting: he sees "numberless concourses of people" trying to "obtain" the path. (Note: a concourse is a road or a path.) In other words, Lehi saw this:

For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it— (D&C 123:12)

People were trying to find the the Strait and Narrow Path. And what is the that path? The fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, including the priesthood, the ordinances, and membership in His church. There are three stages to reaching the Tree of Life via the Strait and Narrow Path:

Obtaining the path. The initial concourses of people were trying to "obtain the path." Obtaining the path is the first part of what Jesus described to Nicodemus.

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)

To find the path is to recognize the fullness of the Gospel, i.e. Christs's true church with its priesthood and ordinances.

Entering the path. Jesus explained this next step to Nicodemus as well:

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Entering the path, that is, entering the kingdom of God, is done via covenants. In particular, the covenant of baptism is referred to as "the gate" through which one must pass in order to begin walking on the strait and narrow path. There are too many good passages of scripture relating to the gate and the path to list them here. Try this scripture search for a healthy sampling. One particular gem, though, is this quote from Jesus:

...Enter ye in at the strait gate; for strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there be that find it; but wide is the gate, and broad the way which leads to death, and many there be that travel therein, until the night cometh, wherein no man can work. (3 Nephi 27:33)

Notice that we find the imagery of the Strait (Gate) and Narrow Path, the Tree of Life, the Forbidden Paths, the multitudes that follow them, and the many who wander off in the dark until they are lost.

Walking the path. Finally, and this is really important, note when the mist of darkness appears and whom it affects.

And it came to pass that they did come forth, and commence in the path which led to the tree. And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost. (1 Nephi 8:22-23)

The mist of darkness was not preventing people from finding the path. Their many concourses were doing that. The mist of darkness was leading astray people who had already entered ("commenced in") the path. Lehi was watching baptized members of the church wander off into inactivity and apostasy! Which members wandered off? Those who did not hold to the rod.

Question #3: How do the images of the gate and the path (representing covenants and living the fullness of the Gospel) apply to these scriptural episodes?

1. The Israelites at the Red Sea
2. Abraham
3. the people of Alma
4. the pioneers

Question #4: Based on Lehi's vision, if you have already entered by the gate and are walking the path, what is the greatest risk to your reaching the Tree of Life?

Question #5: We read about two groups of people who reached the Tree of Life. One group, which was "clinging" to the iron rod, tasted of the fruit and then fell away. The other group was "continually holding fast" to the rod of iron. They were saved. What is the difference between clinging and holding fast to the word of God? Which are you doing now? Do you believe that you can get by with "snacking" on the words of Christ rather than "feasting" on them? If so, Lehi disagrees with you!

After All We Can Do

The story of the Brother of Jared yields new insights nearly every time I read it. My new favorite part of the story is the prayer that he offers in chapter 3 of Ether:

O Lord, thou hast said that we must be encompassed about by the floods. Now behold, O Lord, and do not be angry with thy servant because of his weakness before thee; for we know that thou art holy and dwellest in the heavens, and that we are unworthy before thee; because of the fall our natures have become evil continually; nevertheless, O Lord, thou hast given us a commandment that we must call upon thee, that from thee we may receive according to our desires.

Behold, O Lord, thou hast smitten us because of our iniquity, and hast driven us forth, and for these many years we have been in the wilderness; nevertheless, thou hast been merciful unto us. O Lord, look upon me in pity, and turn away thine anger from this thy people, and suffer not that they shall go forth across this raging deep in darkness; but behold these things which I have molten out of the rock.

And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross the sea.

Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to show forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding of men.¹

For all of us who want to be good but have found ourselves to be "less than the dust of the earth,"² this prayer is a model. Look at what he says:

• Lord, I know that I am no good. I see that it is not in my nature to be good.
• But you said to pray anyway, and that you would give based on my desires.
• I've suffered and wandered because of my iniquity, but you have been merciful to me.
• So now don't be angry; look at me with pity for the wreck that I am.
• I know that you can do anything that you want to do for my benefit.
• So I brought some rocks--nice rocks--but rocks nonetheless. Please make them shine.

God granted his desire. He added grace to the brother of Jared's best effort. The brother of Jared had to do something, and he made his best effort. How close did his effort bring him to creating a source of light for his boat? Not close at all! The Lord was totally responsible for making those stones shine. All Jared did was show up with his best effort applied.

Grace or Works?

This is so important. In classes, when I've asked whether we're saved by grace or by works, a few of the sharpest students always say "grace." Then someone chimes in with an abrupt "...AFTER ALL WE CAN DO!"³. I think some of us are worried about sounding like Born Again Christians. Note to us: we are. More important, some of us seem nervous about attributing all of our salvation to Christ because it sounds like we're getting off easy. Note to us: we are.

In those classes I've asked a follow-up question: "What percent of our salvation is based on our effort versus Jesus's atonement?" Again, the folks who have tasted God's goodness, and who have the works to prove it, have replied, "It's 100 percent Jesus." The rest have answered, "50/50," or, "It depends on the person," or something like that. Look again at the brother of Jared. How much of providing light in the ships did he perform? None. God did it. He allowed the brother of Jared to participate, to manifest his faith through his works so that he could receive grace.

At least that's how I have experienced the relationship between grace, faith, and works. My works, wrought through my faith, prepare me to accept the grace that God is offering. I liken this to the Israelites at the Red Sea.

The Israelites were in a jam, so God parted the sea--grace. The Israelites had sufficient trust to obey God and follow His prophet--faith. So they started walking--works. Note that the overwhelming contributing factor to the salvation of the Israelites in that situation was grace. Parting the Red Sea dwarfed every other consideration. Works without grace would have gotten the Israelites drowned, like the Egyptians. On the other hand, if they had not accepted grace by their works they would have been killed by the enemy army. This leads me to what I believe to be an accurate, although proprietary, statement on this matter:

We are saved by grace. We cannot be saved without works wrought with faith.

I believe this neatly unifies the writings of Paul and James that are often quoted in opposition to each other. I'll elaborate some more.

Grace is like a life preserver thrown to someone who has fallen overboard. The person doing the throwing is providing salvation. The person in the sea still has to trust and take hold, but once safely back on board he cannot brag about how well he grabbed the ring.

The brother of Jared acknowledges this. "I'm no good," he says to the Lord, "but you have all power." Then he pulls out a handful of rocks and asks the Lord to turn them into lights.

Mercy and grace

I did a search on "all we can do" in the Book of Mormon. I only found one other instance of it. It was in the Book of Alma. In chapter 24 the king of the converted Lamanites says:

"And now behold, my brethren, since it has been all that we could do...to repent of all our sins..."⁴

Now we're talking. Repentance is a work wrought through our faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We acknowledge that we are no good, and that He has all power. We ask Him for mercy ("please make me clean") and for grace ("please make me shine"). And He does it. Thus, "[we] are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have [we] to boast?"⁵

So the problem with "after all we can do" is perhaps one of emphasis. Rather than "We are saved by grace after all we can do," we might better say, "We are saved by grace after all we can do." Remember, Christ's atonement is infinite. That means no matter how much effort you expend, His contribution is infinitely more significant. This does not trivialize our works; it only puts them in perspective.

Works by grace?

Let's take it a step further. Consider the works that we are under covenant to produce. Even those works are made possible by grace. Remember, "I am the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world."⁶ Without the light of Christ and the Holy Ghost, we would be incapable of good. There would be nothing to entice us toward truth. So the "after all we can do" clause is, in effect, "after all we can heed."

This brings us to the things that Jesus actually says He requires:

• a broken heart
• a contrite spirit
• a willing mind

A broken heart and a contrite spirit avail us of mercy. We should strive to live in a state of perpetual mercy ("always retain a remission of your sins"⁷). To this end we, like the people of Ammon, place an emphasis on repentance and we stress sacrament observance.

A willing mind puts us within the reach of grace. We, want to be better, but we can't. So like the brother of Jared, we bring Him rocks and ask Him to make them shine. And He does. We move from grace to grace "according to [our] desires." It isn't always quick. Sometimes it requires the furnace of affliction. Sometimes it comes line upon line and precept upon precept. However, it comes and the result is that we change. We become more righteous. God is glorified. We are better prepared to stand before Him with a bright hope for salvation in His kingdom.

After all we can do, we are saved by grace.

1. Ether 3:2-5
2. Mosiah 4:2
3. 2 Nephi 25:23
4. Alma 24:11
5. Mosiah 2:24
6. D&C 93:2
7. Mosiah 4:12

Jaredite Journey

I love Nephi's instruction to "liken all scripture unto us." A master institute teacher, James Wright, taught me to apply this principle to imagery in the scriptures. Doing so has produced a wealth of gospel insight. One of my favorite "liken unto us" stories is the Jaredite journey. By faith they undertook a long, treacherous voyage to inherit a land "choice above all other lands." Their story includes powerful parallels to our migration through mortality. Let's apply the following images to ourselves:

• the promised land
• barges
• wind
• the sea and waves
• stones for light

The Promised Land

The Jaredites needed to leave home. As with Abraham, Lehi, Zoram, and others, they left familiar--yet cursed and decaying--surroundings for God's promise of something better.

And it came to pass that Jared spake again unto his brother, saying: Go and inquire of the Lord...And who knoweth but the Lord will carry us forth into a land which is choice above all the earth? And if it so be, let us be faithful unto the Lord, that we may receive it for our inheritance (Ether 1:38).

And the Lord would not suffer that they should stop beyond the sea in the wilderness, but he would that they should come forth even unto the land of promise, which was choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had preserved for a righteous people (Ether 2:7).

Jared's people desired what God was offering. As they were willing to be faithful and righteous, God would not let them stop short of their inheritance. He would direct them to their promised land.

God's plan for us is no different. We agreed to leave our pre-mortal state and be "faithful unto the Lord." He promised to give us His Celestial Kingdom, a land "choice above all other lands." He will not suffer us to stop in the wilderness.

Barges

The Jaredites travelled in boats, or "barges." Their construction and function teach us much.

And they were built after a manner that they were exceedingly tight, even that they would hold water like unto a dish...and the door thereof, when it was shut, was tight like unto a dish. (Ether 2:17)

And it came to pass that when they were buried in the deep there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish...And thus they were driven forth; and no monster of the sea could break them, neither whale that could mar them... (Ether 6:7,10)

Recall the following details about these barges:

• They were made as God instructed.
• Jaredite families entered into them.
• The barges were then sealed.
• Nothing could harm the Jaredites while in the barges.
• The barges were going to the promised land.

Consider our covenants. God dictates how they are made. We enter into them with our families and are sealed therein. If we stay in them our destination is fixed. We may be tossed about, but we will reach the promised land if we do not abandon ship.

Wind

The barges offered protection, but not propulsion. God had a plan for that:

And it came to pass that the Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land; and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind. And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters; and thus they were driven forth before the wind (Ether 6:5,8).

Storms and waves notwithstanding, the furious wind pushed the Jaredites to the promised land. It never ceased blowing. Perhaps sometimes they wished it would, but no wind on the ocean means death.

The Spirit of the Lord is our furious wind. It relentlessly pushes us toward eternal life. We may wish for calm seas, but with each wave we are closer to our destination.  If the wind stops blowing, apostasy and spiritual death are imminent.

The Sea and Waves

God did not provide hot air balloons. The Jaredites were constrained to travel in the sea.

...they got aboard of their vessels or barges, and set forth into the sea, commending themselves unto the Lord their God. And it came to pass that the Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land; and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind. And it came to pass that they were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind. And it came to pass that when they were buried in the deep there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish, and also they were tight like unto the ark of Noah; therefore when they were encompassed about by many waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters. (Ether 6:4-7)

The reaction of the water's surface to the wind was terrible turbulence. This was no surprise to God. He prepared the travelers against the rough conditions, and when they were buried in the water He brought them back up.

Life might be calmer if the Spirit were our our transport medium. Alas, our sea is the flesh, which resists the Spirit, creating tempest-like tribulations. This is no surprise to God. He prepared us against these conditions. If we call on His name each time we are knocked down, He will bring us up again.

Stones for Light

A year of turbulence in the dark would have been unbearable. The solution?

...suffer not that they shall go forth across this raging deep in darkness; but behold these [sixteen clear stones] which I have molten out of the rock...the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger... (Ether 3:1,6)

And thus the Lord caused stones to shine in darkness, to give light unto men, women, and children, that they might not cross the great waters in darkness... (Ether 6:3,10).

We cannot maintain our covenants amid spiritual darkness. As with the Jaredites, God gives us "stones" for light. He gives us the rock of revelation through the church's sixteen-member revelatory body, consisting of Jesus and his prophets and apostles.

Conclusion

The imagery of this story, applied to our quest for exaltation, teaches this ubiquitous Book of Mormon theme:

• Take the straight and narrow path by making, keeping, and renewing covenants.
• Hold fast to iron rod, that is, the word of God.
• Let the Spirit of God guide you to exaltation.

The words of Christ tell us what we must do, but the Holy Ghost shows us (2 Nephi 32:3,5). This is why we liken scripture unto ourselves. Book of Mormon authors have given us stories, doctrinal teachings, and powerful imagery. We should "feast upon the words of Christ" and apply them to our lives.