Mercy

For those of you who do not know, Shannon and I have been through a very difficult week. Interestingly enough, only last week I was asked to help another family through a similarly difficult trial. I spent a lot of time reflecting on how I could help them. I hope that I was able to provide them with some comfort. What I didn't know at the time was that I was in fact also preparing myself to face an unknown trial.

I meant these words when I wrote them for another family, and I told them so. It made them all the more powerful when I found myself reading them for myself. It is one thing to know the answers, it is quite another to find yourself asking the questions. Please tread lightly, this is tender ground. 

            An ancient prophet named Jacob wrote, “Time passed away with us, and also our lives passed away like as it were unto us a dream, we being a lonesome and a solemn people, wanderers cast out from Jerusalem, born in tribulation, in a wilderness, and hated of our brethren, which caused wars and contentions; wherefore, we did mourn out our days.” (Jacob 7:26 – Book of Mormon pg. 135)

           

He was good man, who was doing his best to be a good teacher, leader, and disciple. However, his life was still full of difficult days. He often felt alone. Perhaps one of his most painful burdens was the betrayal of two of his own brothers who had turned completely away from God, and from the teachings of their father.  Because of their bad choices, generations of their descendants would come to hate and make war against Jacob’s people.  

            Jacob was a compassionate, but straightforward teacher. For example, he once had to give a very difficult sermon. Many of his own people were starting down a road of darkness and sin. After talking about some of the things that they needed to change, he said “ O my brethren, hearken unto my words; arouse the faculties of your souls; shake yourselves that ye may awake from the slumber of death; and loose yourselves from the pains of hell…” (Jacob 3:11 – Book of Mormon pg. 123) 

            So often as we go through life when our souls are wounded we close our hearts, and our spiritual eyes. These wounds can come from things that we do, such as making choices that we know we shouldn’t, and they can also come from things completely outside of our control. This “slumber of death” seems at first to be a way that we can find relief from the pain of the here and now, but sooner or later we find that our burdens are just as heavy, and sometimes heavier, but they are now buried, and we have worn ourselves out by trying to run away from them.

            The Gospel of Jesus Christ gives us a better way.  Even though we do not always understand why things happen, we can come to understand his plan for us. We are all of us children of a loving Father in Heaven. We are all brothers and sisters who are more precious to him than anything else. In order to give us a place where we could live and grow to become more like him, he created this beautiful world. In order to teach us about his plan he has reached out to humanity throughout time and given us prophets, promises, and scriptures. Finally, in order to give us a way to overcome our individual and collective failings, God so loved the world that He sent His only Begotten Son, that man might not perish, but have everlasting life.

            At the core of this plan that I have mentioned, is an essential truth that comes as a great comfort to us on days such as this one. Life does not begin with birth, nor does it end with death. Our time here on Earth is a temporary state. Before we were born we lived with God, and we all chose to come here to follow his plan, knowing full and well that it would mean that we would have dark days and face unfair circumstances. Part of the reason that we were willing to leave our home in heaven to come here to Earth is that we trusted in the plan of happiness that we had been taught by our Father, and we knew that we could count on our Savior to help each of us overcome our weaknesses and failings. He promised us that if we would have faith and trust in him that he would give everything, even his own life, to make sure that we had a way back home.

            When difficulty comes our way as followers of the Gospel of Christ we may trust in the promises that God has made to all of us. One of the most beautiful of these promises is that because Jesus died for us and then was resurrected, one day we all will overcome death. He promises to judge each of us with perfect justice and infinite mercy. Meaning that we will only have to answer for things that we could control. He has provided each of us a way to find forgiveness for our shortcomings and mistakes. 

            There are some things that the scriptures are very clear on. One of those things is that in the eyes of God, there is nothing in this world that is quite so pure and innocent as a little child.  Jesus taught his disciples that they had to learn how to trust and be just as teachable as a small child in order to truly follow him.  (See Luke 18:17 KJV Bible pg. 1310) He has promised us that little children who die before they have a chance to make their own choices are all “alive in Christ” and are “partakers of salvation” (See Moroni Ch. 8 – Book of Mormon pg. 525)

            Jacob understood these doctrines. He understood the plan that God has for all of us. It is why he was able to have faith even when dealing with difficulty. It is how he found the strength to help others even when he must have felt alone. Despite the fact that each of our lives are filled with unique personal challenges the council that he gave his people can still help us.  As we listen with courage, we can awake from the “slumber of death” and find comfort in the mercy of Jesus Christ.”

            “Come with full purpose of heart, and cleave unto God as he cleaveth unto you. And while his arm of mercy is extended unto in the light of the day, harden not your hearts. “ (Jacob 6:5 - Book of Mormon pg. 132)

            God does not expect us to pretend to be happy when we aren’t. He doesn’t expect for us to forget the difficult things that we have had to face. He does ask for us to trust him, even when it is hard to understand our lives. Our friend Jacob learned many of these things from his own father, Lehi. In the last recorded words we have from Lehi to Jacob, we learn that we always have a choice. We cannot choose our circumstances, and sometimes we cannot even choose how we feel. But we can always choose to trust in God. We can always choose to have faith. When we do it gives us power. It brings light into our souls, and makes us just a little bit stronger. (See 2 Nephi Ch. 2 – Book of Mormon pg. 57) 

            When we need it most, the love and light of God can sustain us. It is my humble prayer that our Loving Father in Heaven will continue to watch over and bless you no matter where you are in life. I implore you to keep your hearts open. I know it is not easy, but as you exercise faith you will find in small and simple ways that God is there and that he cares. I am a witness of his love, and I am blessed through His grace. I know that he can and will comfort you, very often through the people around you. To those with eyes to see and ears to hear, who do not harden their hearts, the hand of God can be seen even in times of severe trial.  I bear this witness in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.