One of the predominant characteristics of Jesus Christ is being Merciful. Some of the synonyms I use for Merciful are long-suffering, flexible, full of grace, forgiveness, gentleness, kindness, and patience. I love this quality in him. But it wouldn’t be as beautiful to me if I didn’t also know about his Just side.
Just
Some of the synonyms I use for Just are steadfast, immovable, powerful, intense, in control, driven, focused, committed, persistent, take-charge, and goal-oriented IN TRUTH. That last part—in truth—is extremely important to the description of this quality. There have been lots of tyrants in history that have been steadfast, immovable, and driven in their twisted beliefs and ideologies. What makes this quality so amazing in Christ is that it is combined with the Father’s pure truth. I want to spend a little time in this blog post highlighting Jesus’ Just characteristics but as I describe them I’m always keeping in mind that these qualities aren't as valuable to any of us unless they are used to promote truth and are dynamically balanced with Mercy.
Environmental Influences
I’ve been reading a little of Edersheim this week. I see that he believed that Jesus’ life and thinking were significantly influenced by his environment. He seemed to think our Savior formed opinions based on the opinions of others around him, like he was evaluating all of the arguable doctrines in existence to form an eclectic idea of what later turned out to be his doctrine.
“Other influences were at their silent work to weld His inward and outward development, and to determine the manner of His later Manifesting of Himself. We assume that the School-education of Jesus must have ceased soon after His return to Nazareth. Henceforth the Nazareth-influences on the Life and Thinking of Jesus may be grouped—and progressively as He advanced from youth to manhood—under these particulars: Home, Nature, and Prevailing Ideas.” ~"The Life and Times of Jesus The Messiah” by Alfred Edersheim, pg. 173
“But whatever the precise relationship between Jesus and these ‘brothers and sisters,’ it must, on any theory, have been of the closest, and exercised its influence upon Him.” ~"The Life and Times of Jesus The Messiah” by Alfred Edersheim, pg. 174
It almost seems like Edersheim was concluding that, because Jesus had these family members and was raised in a zealot-like community, and because he was raised in such a rural area to have witnessed scenes of nature so often, he turned out the way he did and preached the things that he did.
Edersheim discusses Jesus’ brothers and describes them as cleaving to widely ranging Jewish ideas that represented various parties and movements of their day. I see Jesus as hearing them, evaluating them, and maybe even entering into some discussion with them on their beliefs, but I don’t think their perspectives would have changed his views if they conflicted with His Father’s. He would have seen what was true about their ideas and also what was false. He would have had the ability to evaluate where exactly a philosophy deviated from truth to become false, which meant he also knew how to make it true again by correcting the specific imbalanced reasoning. We know he would have been able to do this spiritually because it’s exactly what he did physically when he healed the people of their physical disabilities, maladies, and diseases. He repaired the cellular dysfunctions in diseased eyes, ears, musculature, bones, or other body systems so that they regained homeostasis and could operate normally.
We can see how he would have responded to his brothers' viewpoints by how he responded to the various groups of people he came in contact with—the Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, Lawyers, Essenes, Gentiles, Herodians, Romans, Samaritans, etc. Hearing his brothers' arguments would have only given him a taste of what he would later encounter when he left Nazareth to begin his Ministry.
“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” ~Colossians 2:8
“Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.” ~2 Nephi 28:31
The Son of God
I think that his environment, including family, nature, and prevailing ideas did influence the type of examples he used to convey his core doctrines to the people. It enabled him to know the people, empathize with them, and thereby be able to better communicate with them. But his core doctrines were not formed or changed by this environment. My reasoning behind this is that Jesus is the Son of God, not only in his physical genetics but also in his spiritual framework. His Father’s DNA was in him and his Father’s TRUTH was in him. And in this he was steadfast and immovable.
“I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.” ~John 8:28-29
Jesus Christ was and is the product of God. Everything he evaluated or experienced was purposefully and intently organized and defined through his Father's framework. The various societal movements would not have formed his core thinking and teachings. He received his doctrine straight from God.
“Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.” ~John 7:16
“…the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.” ~John 10:25
His environment just provided the movie screen of examples which played out various ways people and things could be balanced in truth or imbalanced in error. His family’s and community’s various viewpoints, the physical properties in nature, and the societal dynamics he observed only served as scattered building blocks for him to categorize into their appropriate positions in relationship to the framework of truth that was already in Him. And let's not forget he was the one who created all these things in the first place. His life experience must have been more like remembering who he was, what he had already done, and why he seemed to know all the things that he knew. Déjà vu must have been his frequent experience.
"...and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?" ~Mark 6:2
The quality of being Just was in Jesus in regards to the doctrine that his Father sent him to teach and exemplify. He was no push over. He was no wimp. He had an agenda and was constantly driven to fulfilling it. He was focused and committed. He was an intense, take-charge kind of man.
“And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.” ~Mark 1:22
Very Male
I’ve had some personal experiences with this part of our Savior’s personality. I have to say that this is seriously one of my favorite things about him. But again, it’s because it’s always done to promote truth (teaching me something so I can grow) and is balanced with his Mercy (comforting me, stabilizing me). I grew up in California. My family often went to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, which is an amusement park right off the beach. There is a roller coaster there called the Giant Dipper. I road it a number of times every time I went there. As I got older and moved away, I stopped riding roller coasters. I was more interested in life’s real roller coasters and the post-nausea deterred me from having much desire to seek out these kinds of amusements. When we went back in July of 2008 for a family reunion, it had been a long time since I had ridden one. By this point in my life I had developed a pretty close relationship with the Lord. I had developed the ability to keep my mind with His predominantly.
“Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.” ~D&C 6:36
I sensed he wanted me to go on the Giant Dipper with my kids. Just have fun with them. I was good watching them enjoy themselves but the instructions were to join them. So I did. Haha. The roller coaster has this drop off in the very beginning that is pretty steep and in the past I always experienced the weightless-stomach-drop fear. But this time when the coaster cars started going over the edge, I could feel His inclinations inside of me. He was riding that roller coaster as if he were in charge of it, as if his foot were on the gas peddle that controlled its speed. His attitude was like, “Bring it on!” I could even sense his desire to increase the speed and altitude. Very male. Definitely not my way of viewing the situation. Yet, after experiencing that with him, I have to say it is one of my top 10 favorite experiences of my life.
Alpha Male
This wasn’t the only time I became more aware of this Alpha-Male-God-like disposition. In August of 2009 on another family vacation in Durango, Colorado at Lake Vallecito, we rented a jet ski. I was in charge of driving it from the dock where we rented it to a dock closer to where we were all staying. This was the first time I had handled a jet ski. I had driven speed boats at Lake Powell but not one of these smaller faster machines. Even though the owners had gone over how to use it, I was nervous. But I took the challenge anyway. So when I got on it with a couple of the kids and started out across the lake, I could feel His confidence inside me, contrasting with my fear. He was urging me to speed up and take some risks. Not crazy stupid risks. He was just telling me to let go a little, relax, have fun. So I sped up. I felt exhilaration inside of me. I felt safe because of him. I couldn't help but exclaim, “Woooohooo!” I sensed that a lot of that need for speed and the exhilaration was him, not me. I was just laughing at it. So funny!
Listen: "Emmanuel" by Amy Grant
So the point of sharing these stories about him is to demonstrate that I felt through personal experience those same Just characteristics that come across in his personality as I read his story in the scriptures. He inherently takes control of the situations he finds himself in. He drives. He is the Alpha Male. As mentioned earlier, some people might have this quality in them and just end up using it to do stupid things. They may force their dominance to accomplish things that result in very bad consequences such as Caesar, Hitler, Napoleon, or other tyrannical historical leaders. Many in our day use it to go overboard in risky behavior and then cry out for someone to save them. Our Redeemer uses it in truth and in balance with his Mercy. That is, he is able to use it to accomplish Sustainable Results that are good—that are exactly what he intended to accomplish. He’s able to see the Results of whatever he does before he even begins. He doesn’t allow himself to get carried away in extremes.
“My name is Jehovah, and I know the end from the beginning; therefore my hand shall be over thee.” ~Abraham 2:8
He Always Has A Purpose
He usually doesn't do things or have me do things just for the heck of it. There is a purpose behind everything. I think his message in hanging out with me on roller coasters and jet skis is that when I am faced with the roller coaster events of life, I need to let go and trust him more. He is my rock. He is my firm foundation. I can rely on him. He knows what he's doing and can handle the situation. He wanted me to look at the stressful situations that come up in my life more as opportunities than things to run away from or avoid. I tend to be very careful to not make choices that end me up in situations I totally regret. We can live our lives by taking too many risks or too little. I tend to err in taking too little. From these experiences, I got the impression that I needed to loosen up my tight grip on life, take more chances, and just let him save me once in a while.
“…he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.” ~Psalms 92:15
“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.” ~Matthew 7:24-25
Empowerment
A really cool example to demonstrate how I have seen Him up close using this strength of his to empower others (Merciful) happened on one of our Colorado Cares Days. Our stake does this every year. We join our community to beautify our local parks and open spaces. In August of 2013 we were working on digging up fence posts. I got there a little late so there were many people already at work. I noticed some men were sweating profusely and expending all their energy to get just one post out of the ground. There were several of them working on one post at a time and I could see their progress was way slow. I work a lot in my yard so I’m not a stranger to these kinds of activities. I had dug up tree stakes before and I knew that once they were in the ground it is seriously hard to get them out. These fence posts were similar but heavier, deeper, and bigger. I noticed they were trying to use a tool designed to make this process more efficient. But they had broken one of them already so they were just using their shovels to dig it out. So here’s the cool thing. I was watching them and asked about how the tool worked. They showed me and as they did I saw exactly what they needed to do to make it work right. It was like I could just sense what the problem was. I had never used a tool like that before but I somehow knew how to use it.
They needed to make sure the base was at a 90 degree angle to the post before they put pressure on it to ratchet the post out. They hadn’t dug enough room in front of the post so that the tool could sit flat in the hole like that. But once I pointed that out to them and helped them with the first one, they did it in no time. Out popped the fence post and off they went to do the next one. I noticed them teaching the rest of the men after that so that it became a rewarding challenge to get them out instead of an excruciating back-breaking job that took forever to accomplished next to nothing.
I recognized that the “know-how” didn’t originate with me. It was Him. He knows these things and when I work to keep my mind and spirit with him, his knowledge becomes mine. It’s like he’s logged into my mind and he can see what is going on through my eyes as if they were a FaceTime camera, and he basically thinks the solution and it is simultaneously downloaded to my mind. So I just receive his thoughts and inclinations as if they were my own and then do what he would do to resolve the conflict. This kind of experience is pretty common for me when I’m trying to fix things around the house.
But at the Colorado Cares day it could have been a touchy situation. Me telling those men what to do. So I had to help out as nonchalantly as I could. I had to give the least amount of directions to help them see what they needed to do. I couldn’t do it in pride—like a know-it-all. I had to be humble, objective, strategic. In short, I tried to make it look like they were the ones who figured it out and just quietly moved away after they had done so.
“It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” ~Harry S. Truman
Acknowledgment, Admiration, Gratitude
To acknowledge the presence of the Lord inside of me and his Justice-strengths brings me greater happiness than to claim the credit for myself. I would rather admire than be admired. And that’s saying something because I do like to be admired. I just would rather be admired by someone I totally admire. I can’t develop that admiration for Him if I’m always taking the credit.
It is a total joy to see Jehovah in action. I marvel at his Alpha-Male-no-fear character and his ability to fix anything and everything. I love his behind-the-scenes way of sharing these strengths with me and others without worrying about who gets the credit. This method of communicating is taking a back seat to us. That’s pretty hard for someone to do who has so much drive, natural ability, and knowledge about how everything works. He knows all the answers yet he whispers them to us as we ask for them instead of stepping in front of us and doing it all himself.
So this is how I’m seeing the Lord. First, he is so Just in complete truth. Second, he’s imparting his strengths, skills, and knowledge to men, women, and children who actively seek his presence and guidance without trying to take all the credit. We are At-One-Ment with God. To acknowledge him and his Atoning power is our choice, privilege, and gratitude. When we do, he is more apt to hang out with us and give us his precious confidence and guidance. He is amazingly beautiful! I’m so thankful for these experiences. I love to see who he is. It is the Joy of my existence!
Listen: "When You Say Nothing At All" by Alison Krauss
This post is part 2 of the last one. The topic of the last one was our covenant relationship with Jesus Christ and how it is sometimes likened to the covenants made between a husband and wife in marriage. Our Savior never breaks up with us. We are usually the ones who wander off. We do that by breaking our commitments to him in sundry ways. We cheat.
What Really Matters: Striving to Get the Cheat Out
Some people don’t cheat at all. That’s our Savior, Heavenly Father, and the Holy Ghost. Some people cheat a little and others cheat a lot. Some are striving a little to get the cheat out of them and others are striving a lot to get it out. How much we are trying to get the cheat out of us with real intent determines the kind of people we spiritually live with NOW and spiritually and physically will live with in heaven (our Paradise). It determines just how close of a relationship with our Savior we have now and throughout all of eternity. If we continuously break our commitments to him without sincerely repenting, we separate ourselves from him.
“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” ~John 15:10
“For their works do follow them” ~3 Nephi 27:12
“And it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works; and if their works were good in this life, and the desires of their hearts were good, that they should also, at the last day, be restored unto that which is good. And if their works are evil they shall be restored unto them for evil. Therefore, all things shall be restored to their proper order, every thing to its natural frame” ~Alma 41:3-4
“…and it shall be unto every man according to his work.” ~Alma 32:20
“Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.” ~Matthew 21:31
“If you love me, keep my commandments.” ~John 14:15
Proximity
Some people today are offended by the fact that they won’t be forgiven IN their sins (Alma and Amulek in Ammonihah; also check out D&C 19). This means that they demand forgiveness and Mercy of God and his people without any intentions of ceasing their cheating behavior (Cain). They want to be allowed to live with people who don’t cheat even though they purposefully continue to do so themselves. It is not that they aren’t allowed to live. They are. Just at a certain degree of distance from Christ. None of us can enjoy the close living quarters of our Savior and those who are like him unless we sincerely and consistently repent. It’s all about PROXIMITY. We are required to forgive all men and endure their persecutions and negligence in the hopes that sacrifice will eventually soften their hearts to be motivated to get the cheat out. But if they persist in their cheating ways, there will come a time when God will either separate them from us or will instruct us to separate from them. PROXIMITY.
“Wherefore, he is the firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved.” ~2 Nephi 2:9
Examples of Separation: Decreases in Proximity
Moses and the Children of Israel separated from Egypt and Pharaoh.
Lehi and his Family separated from the people in Jerusalem
Nephi and all who obeyed the commandments of God in his family separated from his brothers Laman and Lemuel
Alma, the elder and his people separated from the Lamanites and priests of King Noah
The people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi separated from their Lamanite brothers and the descendants of the priests of Noah who were slaughtering them
Our Potential
We have the potential to be in our Savior’s continuous spiritual presence. For each of us, the degree and frequency of his spiritual presence (Proximity) is based on the individual degree of Faith we place in Him. Each of us chooses just how close of a relationship we want to have with him. Those of us who want to be closer, need to sacrifice more. We sacrifice relationships with Causes that conflict with Him (And this gets pretty tough the closer we get to him. It's scary.). It is when we put our trust in Conflicting Causes that we are led to cheat. It is helpful for me to not pretend that I have none of this tendency inside of me. We all have some level of it. It is the natural man. It is born out of Fear, which conflicts with our Faith. When the going gets tough, we tend to fear and then grasp onto what those Conflicting Causes have to offer (Pseudo Effects) instead of remaining steadfast in our relationship with Christ. This is when we “play the harlot” or “cheat.”
Accountability
We all are presently at a certain degree of Proximity to our Savior in our relationship with him. The more we know him and understand him, his Gospel, the way he expects us to live AND are receiving the attendant privileges that come with this level of commitment, the more accountable we are to him (To whom much is given…). Cheating for someone who knows him better may not be cheating for someone who doesn’t know him as well.
“For behold that all little children are alive in Christ, and also all they that are without the law. For the power of redemption cometh on all them that have no law; wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is under no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such baptism availeth nothing—" ~Moroni 8:22
Those who are closer to him not only need to control their words and actions, but also their thoughts and the Desires of their hearts. That is the spiritual realm. That is where the closer relationship with our Savior takes place.
“The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” ~Matthew 10:7
“Yea, I tell thee, that thou mayest know that there is none else save God that knowest thy thoughts and the intents of thy heart.” ~D&C 6:16
“Behold, the kingdom is yours. And behold, and lo, I am with the faithful always. Even so. Amen.” ~D&C 62:9
“…for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” ~1 Samuel 16:7
“For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?” ~Mosiah 5:13
“Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men…” ~Isaiah 29:13
"Darling If You Want Me To Be Closer To You, Get Closer To Me"
If we want him to remain with us or for him to come closer, we need to make and keep our internal spiritual environment clean and holy. Our thoughts and Desires need to be aligned with his. And I’m not saying we have to be filled with some impossible prude-like angelic purity all the time. He doesn't want that. He knows we have to deal with people who cheat on us. There are people who conflict with us and Him in their ways, their abuses, and their negligences. He had to deal with many cheaters during his lifetime.
“And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” ~John 8:23-24
He still has to deal with people like that. There is a space that he gives us in our relationship with him where we can hash out all of our frustrations and bad thoughts and feelings that are the result of interacting with cheaters. He is our Savior. How could our relationship with him be sustainable if he only wanted to hear about all our angelic thoughts and then left us alone during our struggles with our hellish thoughts?
“He lives to grant me rich supply.
He lives to guide me with his eye.
He lives to comfort me when faint.
He lives to hear my soul's complaint.
He lives to silence all my fears.
He lives to wipe away my tears.
He lives to calm my troubled heart.
He lives all blessings to impart.”
~"I Know My Redeemer Lives" text by Samuel Medley
Listen: “Better than a Hallelujah” by Amy Grant
Come Unto Me, All Ye That Labour and Are Heavy Laden
There is a difference between temporarily struggling with hurt, frustrated, sorrowful, fearful, and doubtful thoughts/feelings and our subsequent unavoidable repulsions towards others AND nourishing vengeful, angry, bitter, jealous, self-pity thoughts over extended periods of time. He knows that our relationships with other people who cheat on us are going to cause all manner of ground shaking imbalances inside of us. He wants us to come to him when we are experiencing adversity. He’s got our backs. When we come to him, he heals us so that we won’t respond to others in kind.
“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 11:28-30
There Is a Season
Sometimes it takes time to get through our more difficult trials, but he understands all of that. Part of our Faith is learning how to be patient with ourselves during these times of healing and Conflict Resolution, instead of condemning ourselves. There are times when we won’t be able to return to loving thoughts and desires right away. Giving ourselves and our Savior enough space and time to rebalance us is crucial to sustaining our relationship with him and crucial to maintaining protection from the overwhelming temptations Conflicting Causes are always offering us.
There literally is a time and a season for all things. Time matters. He gives us time.
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”
Listen: “Turn, Turn, Turn” by the Byrds
Taking the Lord’s Name in Vain
When we take the Lord’s name in vain, we are cheating on him. We receive the privileges from the relationship but purposefully or negligently fail to fulfill our responsibilities. One of the primary responsibilities of our covenant relationship with him is to STAY with him in good times and in bad times. But when we do fear, doubt, wander, cheat, and basically try out the comforts and Conflict Resolution Processes of Conflicting Causes and find that they are not working for us, He is always waiting for us to come back. He doesn’t hold grudges. He uses empathy and patience when he contemplates our deviations. He wants to reestablish our covenant relationship. He wants to fulfill his promises to us if we will recommit to fulfilling ours.
Experience
Our Redeemer wants us to have experiences away from him with Conflicting Causes so we will know without a doubt why there is no better relationship to make our priority relationship. He wants us to experience the sorrow of following other pathways, so we can know just how good we had it with Him. He gives us a space. He wants us to cheat but he doesn’t want us to. He would rather that we just give him the benefit of the doubt. He doesn’t want us to leave him for someone else and subsequently experience all kinds of sorrow, which I am sure has and will continue to cause him all kinds of sorrow (#Gethsemane, #TheCross). Yet, at the same time, if we are going to remain wishy-washy, lukewarm, constantly doubtful, plagued by harlot-like itches, and lacking the ability to remain allegiant to him, he would rather us go out and see if we can find a better Husband, Cause, Leader, King, Provider, Teacher, Exemplar, Evaluator.
The Wrath of God—Adversity
But we all know that the wrath of God does indeed exist. It’s real. I personally think the wrath of God is the adversity we experience when we are living life too far from Him. It has taken my experience with intense adversity to motivate me to firmly establish unshakeable boundaries between me and Conflicting Causes. That intense adversity always accompanies putting my trust in them. My experience with adversity also increases the strength of the bonds of love in my relationship with my Savior Jesus Christ.
Because I experience adversity and depression when I am living my life too far from him, I can understand more of who I am. I can understand just how close I need to be to him in order to live in Sustainable Joy now and eternally. I don’t need to feel ashamed or guilty because I’m majorly depressed or stressed out when I’m too far from him. I don’t see this as a punishment. I mean, I could look at it that way but I don’t. I see it as an invitation to come home—to come closer. I see that I’m missing him. I’m missing that pure love that I once lived with. My spirit needs PROXIMITY. I see the existence of the feelings of depression and anxiety as beacons that are calling me home to him. They testify of my need for Him. And the beacon is basically saying to me,
Climb every mountain
Search high and low
Follow every byway
Every path you know
Climb every mountain
Ford every stream
Follow every rainbow
'Till you find your dream
A dream that will need
All the love you can give
Every day of your life
For as long as you live
~“Climb Every Mountain” from the movie Sound of Music
I’m seriously amazed by his forgiveness, his loyalty, his mercy, his empathy. Yet I’m also impressed by his unyielding nature when I cheat. He won’t cross certain lines no matter how much I plead with him. He expects me to change where I need to change. He makes me run where I need to run. He expects me to keep my commitments if I want the continuous privilege of his presence. Coming to know him better through scriptures study, prayer, and applying what I learn has increased His Proximity to me. It is that pure love—His Charity—that has pulled me out of the pit I used to live in—a place that was too distant (for me) from where he is.
How is it possible that such a dynamically beautiful, just, loving, steadfast, merciful, dangerous person exists? Can it really be true? What I’m trying to say in this post and perhaps in everything I write is that the answer to all our problems is Emmanuel, God with us! Oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me!
Listen: “Love is the Answer” by England Dan & John Ford Coley
For a Christmas gift to our Savior this year I’ve decided to start this blog. I want to highlight and then comment on various events of his life and his teachings. My desire is to testify of Jesus Christ. I want to write about who I think he is and how coming to know him like this has been my saving grace. Elder James E. Faust wrote a song called “This Is the Christ” One verse says, “With saints of old, I too can testify, this is the Christ.” And so with this blog I echo those words.
Opposite Toby Keith, "I wanna talk about You You You You!"
Over the past eleven years as I’ve studied Jesus’ life, gospel, and atonement I have learned so many amazingly beautiful things about him. I’ve shared some of them in my other blogs and videos. And I’ve been striving to implement them in my life. Despite the fact that it has been no easy task, it has brought me so much Joy. I love talking about him! I love focusing on him and describing him. When I do, I see him more clearly.
I’ve read a few biographies on Jesus Christ. These mainly comment on his life as is recorded in the four gospels in the New Testament.
“Jesus the Christ” by James E. Talmage
“The Mortal Messiah: from Bethlehem to Calvary: Book 4” by Bruce R. McConkie
Some biographers, in addition to commenting on the New Testament, bring in other biographies, documents, archaeological discoveries, and unauthenticated accounts to evaluate the possibilities.
“The Life of Christ” by Frederic W. Farrar
“The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah” by Alfred Edershiem
“Excavating Jesus: Beneath the Stones, Behind the Texts” by John Dominic Crossan and Jonathan L. Reed
“Jesus And His Times” by Reader’s Digest
When I read these accounts, I sometimes agreed with their description of Him and sometimes I didn’t. Yet their attempts to describe him have enabled the Spirit to communicate to me what was accurate. So it hasn’t even mattered to me if they were off a little here or there. The fact that they were considering a specific characteristic about him or a specific event enabled me to consider it independently with the aid of the Holy Ghost to ascertain the truth. That’s why I value each one of these authors. I love it that they have stood up and shared their opinion of him. In that way I can more clearly see who Christ is and who the authors are.
"Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost." ~2 Nephi 28:31
I hope that all who read my comments will do the same thing. Put them to the Holy Ghost test. It’s possible that sometimes I may not be completely accurate when I describe our Savior, even though my goal is to see him for who he really is. It is true that my perspective continues to be revised in some ways as I progress along my life journey. Some of what I saw in him a few years ago has undergone some alterations. But there are some characteristics that have not changed at all.
Evidence
Because the Holy Ghost bears witness of truth, it is the main source of evidence for what I write. The more closely we are in tune with it, the better we can discern whether what anyone says about Jesus Christ is accurate or not. I will use scriptures and quotes from the prophets that will serve as further evidence, as I have done in my other writings. They verify that I’m not the only person who has seen him like this or who has understood his words to mean what I believe they mean. There are foundational witnesses in the scriptures and the prophets.
I also plan on using examples of other people who have developed Christ-like characteristics and have put them into action without any intent to “be seen of men.” Yet I do see them and they are beautiful!
Witnesses of Truth
I love Jesus Christ. I love the scriptures and have been attempting to summarize what they are saying for many years. I’ve been looking for a way to describe the core structure of truth they are all describing or witnessing. That is, I’ve been looking for Christ in them. All scriptures and all the talks given by the prophets are describing this truth. But I have noticed they are repeating themselves. They are all saying the same thing using different words, perspectives, metaphors, and experiences. I’m still working on boiling it all down to its essence. But it is my total delight to match up what is said in the New Testament with what is said in the Old Testament or in the Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, or Pearl of Great Price. And the cool thing about it is that much of what other people are saying, singing, painting, creating also matches up! People from all ages all over the world and in so many different religions are echoing this truth. And that’s not all! The physics principles of the human body, the earth, and the universe all testify of Christ! It is so beautiful! It is one of my goals for this blog to bring all these witnesses together to praise Him and them at the same time.
“But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.” ~Alma 30:44
“And behold, all things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of me.” ~Moses 6:63
“… for [Isaiah] verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him. And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him as I have seen him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to prove unto them that my words are true. Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word. Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses, and he proveth all his words.” ~2 Nephew 11:2-3
Listen: He Reigns by Newsboys
Note on the Capital H
In all my writings I do not consistently use a capital H for the pronouns that refer to Christ. Since I refer to him so often, that would be totally obnoxious. At least that’s how it makes me feel. Occasionally I’ll use the capital H for emphasis and clarity but usually I’ll use the lower case. However, I do use capital letters for words such as Joy, Desire, Cause, Process, Effect, Result, and Conflict. Those are words I have chosen to represent the meanings that are part of the core structure of truth—His core structure. I’ve noticed that everyone is using those words or their synonyms to describe the truth they are seeing.
So as I give the facts, and my opinion, and my own adoration (I’ll try to keep it down), my goal is actually to picture Him reading what I’m saying about him. I want him to see that I am talking about him out loud and to hear what I think of him. In essence I want to be "guilty by association." I’m hoping he’ll correct me as I go so I can get a better view of him.
My Story: Writer-Curator of Jesus Christ
I’m thankful to have been helped to and through college by my grandmother, who enabled me to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Spanish Teaching. I later obtained an additional year of college towards a degree in Health Science. My educational training sharpened my intellect and prepared me to study and write about whatever subject attracted me the most. It taught me how to research and summarize my findings. It also gave me various examples, which I have subsequently been able to use as evidence of core truths I’m trying to explain. My religious education has been equally, if not more valuable as it has taught me how to develop my relationship with God so that I can talk to him personally in prayer and hear his answers (see blog post The Voice Inside My Head).
About 17 years ago when I started learning how to write stories, I wrote a historical fiction story about Jesus Christ but it was rejected by publishers. I wrote another fiction story but didn’t get very far in the publishing world with that either. I read lots of books about ‘how to write.’ I went to writer's conferences. I participated in a writer's group. I practiced, practiced, practiced. All of this was to train me to become a writer. But I still couldn’t accomplish my goal. The criticism was too harsh. The training was ineffective. Constructive positive reinforcement was lacking. No matter how hard I tried, it wasn’t good enough. I got to the point where I swore I would never write again. But that just made me feel like someone close to me had died. I realized I couldn’t disembark from this journey. I couldn’t quit. I had to find a way to accomplish this goal.
I finally turned my entire self to the Lord for help. I asked him to help me understand what the structure of story was. Somehow I knew that was the tool I needed to “build the ship.”
“And I said: Lord, whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hast shown unto me?” ~1 Nephi 17:9
And that’s what He did. He taught me the structure of story, which turns out to be the same thing as the core structure of truth, which turns out to be the same thing as Himself—the core structure of Jesus Christ. This journey has been the greatest Joy of my life!
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” ~John 14:6
"He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things." ~D&C 93:28
Somewhere along the way, I changed the direction of my writing. I was given a choice to make. I could either write the historical fiction novel I had originally set out to do or I could continue researching the structure of story. I chose the longer of the two journeys—the structure of story. So I write about our Redeemer's story. But I don’t focus on the timeline of events and how they all fit together or waste my time trying to prove that he really existed and was really the Son of God or that his miracles really happened. That’s a given for me and I have no interest in entering into that argument. I focus on who he is Presently and Infinitely. I focus on the Living God and the Living Man.
"Therefore it is given to abide in you; the record of heaven; the Comforter; the peaceable things of immortal glory; the truth of all things; that which quickeneth all things, which maketh alive all things; that which knoweth all things, and hath all power according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice, and judgment." ~Moses 6:61
The Word
Whether I use his name or some of those core-structure-truth words, every post, every video, every question in the Servant Program is about him.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." ~John 1:1
And since his whole focus is on us—his Children, everything I have written is about his relationship with us.
"Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." ~Isaiah 49:16
He wants to know what our Desire is.
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" ~Matthew 7:7
He wants us to use our agency to choose him as our Cause, and to stay allegiant to him even when the going gets tough.
"...choose you this day whom ye will serve..." ~Joshua 24:15
He wants to help us with our journey. He knows each one of us and the pathway we need to take to obtain our Desires.
"Wherefore, hear my voice and follow me, and you shall be a free people, and ye shall have no laws but my laws when I come, for I am your lawgiver, and what can stay my hand?" ~D&C 38:22
He wants us to know his voice well, pay attention to his feedback—confirmation as well as his warning signs so we can know when we’re on track and when we’re deviating from our desired destination.
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" ~John 10:27
He wants us to track our Results so that we can verify that in following his guidance, we’re indeed progressing towards the achievement of our goals.
"...live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you." ~Alma 34:38
As a writer-curator of Jesus Christ, I have joined the team that testifies of him. That is my chosen career, my occupation. It is where I spend my time and talents. This blog is an extension of that career path. So I say again, “With saints of old, I too can testify, this is the Christ.”
