Posted on 09/05/2008 3:14:14 PM PDT by greyfoxx39
M E R I D I A N M A G A Z I N E
Lesson 16
“Ye Shall Be Called the Children of Christ”
Mosiah 4-6
By Maurine Jensen Proctor
Children of Christ
Before his death, King Benjamin hoped to help his people make a covenant to become the children of Christ. He said:
And now because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters (Mosiah 5:7).
Since Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and Elohim is our Father, people are often confused by this terminology. In what way is Jesus Christ our father? Joseph Fielding Smith answered that question:
What is a father? One who begets life. What did our Savior do? He begot us, or gave us life from death, as clearly set forth by Jacob, the brother of Nephi. If it had not been for the death of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the spirit and body would never have been united again.
If there had been no redemption from death, our spirits would have been taken captive by Satan and we would have become subject to Satan's will forever.
What did our Savior do? He begot us in that sense. He became a father to us because he gave us immortality or eternal life through his death and sacrifice upon the cross. I think we have a perfect right to speak of him as Father"( Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 4:177-79.)
Jesus Christ is also the life giver to our wounded and sin-ridden spirits. Without his atoning sacrifice we would be lost forever, unable to enter God's presence. The natural man would reign, and we would be unable to escape the chains that bind us. It is Jesus Christ who heals us, binds our wounds, and takes upon himself our sins. Without the protective cloak of his atonement around us, we would stand naked in our sins at the bar of justice, and be cast off.
Since Jesus saves us from physical and spiritual death, he gives us physical and spiritual life. No wonder his sentiment rings with such clarity, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).
Just as a child takes upon himself his father's name, so do we take upon ourselves our Savior's name. It not only indicates that we are seeking to be like him, but that we are under his protection and love. He will lend his strength in our struggle with sin.
Bruce R. McConkie said, "May I speak of the special family relationship enjoyed by those who so live that they become a peculiar people. Of them it is written: 'Ye are the sons of the living God' (Hosea 1:10). That is, those who gain the high status of a peculiar people are adopted into the family of the Lord Jehovah. They become his sons and his daughters and have him as their father."
Who Is God?
How do we become a son or daughter of Jesus Christ? We begin by seeking to understand who God is. What is he like? If we were to think of the most righteous person we ever knew, is God something like that? Or is he like those other authority figures in our lives-our earthly parents?
In this finite, mortal state, we struggle to understand God's attributes for he is simply so much more than we can conceive. We taste his love, but we don't comprehend it. Our mortal brains cannot leap far enough to take Him in. Yet, we can read something about the prophet's experiences with him in scripture.
Moses, when he was caught up into an exceedingly high mountain saw God face to face and talked to him. "And God spake unto Moses, saying: Behold, I am the Lord God Almighty, and Endless is my name; for I am without beginning of days or end of years; and is not this endless?"(Moses 1:3).
Then Moses was shown "the world upon which he was created; and Moses beheld the world and the ends thereof, and all the children of men which are, and which were created; of the same he greatly marveled and wondered"(Moses 1:8). After this magnificent and sweeping vision in which he began to comprehend the glory of God, Moses fell to the earth and said, "Now, for this cause I know that man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed (Moses 1:10).
This was a clarifying moment for Moses, because he had edged closer to knowing who God is, and thus knew more certainly who he was. After the Lord gave his powerful introduction to Moses, he claimed him as his own. "Thou art my son." To be truly related, next-of-kin, to this great and glorious God filled Moses with awe and humility.
Just as Moses came to comprehend something about God's attributes in his vision, so King Benjamin urges his people to know God. "Believe in God," he pleads. "Believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend" (Mosiah 4:9)
It is in coming to "a knowledge of God's goodness, his matchless power and his wisdom, and his patience, and his long-suffering towards the children men" (Mosiah 4:6) that we see ourselves for the first time. We are, as Moses discovered, nothing. We are dependent on him for everything that we are, everything that we have, every breath that we take. We are unprofitable servants. We are beggars. We are in a fallen and carnal state. We are less than the dust of the earth. We are wounded.
Yet that very knowledge can fill us with joy, because it is what draws us to him, the source of healing. We can be forgiven and lifted from the ashes of despair. We can be refreshed and renewed through our Savior. We can be cleansed and refined.
It is more joyful to be transformed through Christ, than believe we are self-made and sufficient. It is happier to see our weaknesses and overcome them, than hide them from ourselves. Nothing tastes sweeter than the atonement or is a more healing balm of Gilead. Only when we understand how much we need forgiveness, can we comprehend the extent of God's goodness and love towards us.
The Joy of Forgiveness
King Benjamin's people knew "exceedingly great joy" because they had tasted of God's love and received a remission of their sins. How can we know when our sins have been forgiven? President Harold B. Lee told this story:
Some years ago, President Marion G. Romney and I were sitting in my office. The door opened and a fine young man came in with a troubled look on his face, and he said, “Brethren, I am going to the temple for the first time tomorrow. I have made some mistakes in the past, and I have gone to my bishop and my stake president, and I have made a clean disclosure of it all; and after a period of repentance and assurance that I have not returned again to those mistakes, they have now adjudged me ready to go to the temple. But, brethren, that is not enough. I want to know, and how can I know, that the Lord has forgiven me also.”
What would you answer one who might come to you asking that question? As we pondered for a moment, we remembered King Benjamin's address contained in the book of Mosiah. Here was a group of people asking for baptism, and they said they viewed themselves in their carnal state:
"And they had viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth, And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth and all things; who shall come down among the children of men. And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come"(Mosiah 4:2,3).
There was the answer.
If the time comes when you have done all that you can to repent of your sins, whoever you are, wherever you are, and have made amends and restitution to the best of your ability; if it be something that will affect your standing in the Church and you have gone to the proper authorities, then you will want that confirming answer as to whether or not the Lord has accepted of you. In your soul-searching, if you seek for and you find that peace of conscience, by that token you may know that the Lord has accepted of your repentance.
Satan would have you think otherwise and sometimes persuade you that now having made one mistake, you might go on and on with no turning back. That is one of the great falsehoods. The miracle of forgiveness is available to all of those who turn from their evil doings and return no more, because the Lord has said in a revelation to us in our days, "go your ways and sin no more; but unto that soul who sinneth [meaning again] shall the former sins return, saith the Lord your God.” (D&C 82:7). Have that in mind, all of you who may be troubled with a burden of sin. (Harold B. Lee, Stand Ye in Holy Places, pp. 184-185.)
Retaining a Remission of Sins
Once we have been filled with the sweetness of forgiveness and felt to rejoice in God's love, we must live as new people — people who have been born again. Those in this state of refreshment do not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably. They nurture their children well, teaching them the laws of God. They walk soberly and uprightly.
Then, King Benjamin mentions this acid test. If we would retain a remission of our sins, we will "succor those that stand in need of your succor, ye will administer to your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish (Mosiah 4:16).
What? If we would retain a remission of our sins, we must respond to the needs of the poor? It is so easy to think of that as a "going the extra mile" kind of task, after the real work of life is done. (See "Consecration Beckons" currently on Meridian.)
Yet Amulek gives us this additional insight in his sermon on prayer in Alma 34. He lists all the places and reasons we should cry unto the Lord, and then adds, "Behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you do not suppose that this is all; for after ye have done these things, if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted and impart of your substance, if ye have, to those who stand in need-I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith" (Alma 34:28).
If we would have our prayers answered and retain forgiveness for our sins, we must respond to the outstretched hand of the beggar. How appropriate. King Benjamin has just demonstrated that we are beggars, dependent on the largesse of the Lord. Now, we see, that in turn, in order to receive the full bounty of his gifts, we must respond to the beggars in our lives.
No thanks, I don’t care to debate our religions. I don’t need to because I don’t have a problem with your beliefs. I respect you for following god and recognizing Jesus as our savior, and I respect that you love your denomination, in fact, I have even fought for your right to do so. I just wish that you were more tolerant and less insulting.
What is the substitutionary atonement?
Does Jesus teach that once you are forgiven of your sins, if you are not perfect and sinless from there on in, all your past sins will be lumped together in a big wad and dumped on your head...again?
I’d like to see the actual Bible reference for that. _________________________________________________
There’s Bible references about something else happening to ours sins...and how God “deals” with us...
He has not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 102:10-12
Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will give truth to Jacob and mercy to Abraham, Which You have sworn to our fathers from days of old. Micah 7:18-20
Also...
Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. 2 Samuel 12:13
Lo, for my own welfare I had great bitterness; It is You who has kept my soul from the pit of nothingness, For You have cast all my sins behind Your back. Isaiah 38:17
I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins. Isaiah 43:25
For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,’ declares the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. Zechariah 3:9
Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Hebrews 9:26
I am 42 and joined the church in 1999.
The fact that the Temple curtain was rent while Christ was on the Cross was a significant miracle as well as a MAJOR DEMARCATION POINT IN THE CHRISTIAN TIME LINE.
Yet, the Book of Mormon makes NO note of this Covenantal shift.
IN fact, the Book of Mormon is a mishmash of Old and New Covenants.
This is a dangerous practice and set of beliefs in the End Times.
We cannot pretend we are under the Old Covenant, as Joseph Smith and friends did with their Office of the Old Testament Prophet, with their practice of Old Testament polygamy and their threats to people who left the Mormon faith of retribution by death.
But the fact that the Book Of Mormon, reportedly a version of history that takes place during a course of time before and after the Cross, makes not Covenantal differentiation is glaring giveaway that the source of the Mormon gospel is not God but Satan and a doctrine of demons.
I have no interest in arguing, it is just that the facts about Mormonism are so clear, and it saddens me because I love the Mormons I know.
It is the Betty Crocker/American Family Values part of Mormonism that is appealing but yet, this is not the Cross.
We cannot worship at the idol of American Family Values or the American Dream even, as true Christians, we only can worship at the Cross by taking up our cross and dying daily to self as we follow Jesus.
I just wish the Mormons on FR would get it that we are not trying to be “mean” to them — but only take our time here because we are AFRAID FOR THEIR SOULS. Because we know that those who “NO LONGER LOVE THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD” will be deluded by false prophets and false teachers.
In a spirit of Love wrapped in Truth, I just implore the Mormons on FR to really listen and realize what trouble anyone comes under when they add to, twist or present a “restoration” of the Gospel's “foundation that has already been laid” ... and cannot be “restored” or “laid again.”
It is a cry to the Mormons to just consider the truth of God's Eternal Word — that Mormonism contradicts. I write this in love because Jesus says He wills it that all should be saved (but the road is narrow and few take it.)0
I implore the Mormons on FR to get past our bickering and just look squarely at the very foundation of the Mormon faith and see that Smith could not be hearing from the Holy Spirit what he reports he did.
The Holy Spirit never contradicts Himself and never contradicts the Word of God. This is the basic reason that Mormonism is not from the Lord.
I speak in love to the Mormon Freepers, please just hear without taking offense. We are only writing because we want to see you in heaven as it is obvious that Joseph Smith did not “tremble at God's holy word” but instead did not test the spirits of the Angel Moroni but listened to a new gospel message that added on things to the Gospel and to the foundation that was already laid.
These acts themselves disqualify Smith from salvation and make him a false teacher of false doctrine that Jesus warns and warns and warns against.
PLEASE HEAR US MORMON FREEPERS!
Thank you, Freeplancer.
Not sure where I insulted you, but I grant you your right to believe it.
Here’s my problem, and it’s the same as many a poster here on the subject of Mormonism. Respectfully, I ask you how a Mormon can reconcile the beliefs put forth in the BOM with the Holy Bible?
In other words, when Joseph Smith claimed that he was greater than Jesus, how can a Mormon who believes the Holy Bible stand by it or justify it? Who’s the greatest? To me, the claim is a slap in the face as a Christian.
When God professes to be The Almighty, is He right or wrong? I ask because I don’t understand how Mormons can believe that God ATTAINED godhood. To whose status (or what god’s status) did HE, GOD ALMIGHTY, have to attain?
You see the problem I have?
I’m just looking for a straight answer and, believe me, there’s no insult towards you or ANY Mormon. NONE. YOU ARE LOVED AND YOUR SOUL IS SOUGHT AFTER BY JESUS CHRIST.
Please, if you will, relate how the Mormon church answers the claims put forth above. I would love to know what is actually believed because when I ask - when I post verbatim quotes of Mormons or Joseph Smith himself - I only get some ugly response.
Your post IS appreciated, Freeplancer.
Kind Regards,
BR
“I just wish that you were more tolerant and less insulting.”
I’ve thought about your statement, Freeplancer.
At what cost should a person be “more tolerant and less insulting”?
At the cost of thousand precious souls? One hundred? Ten?
Even one?
At what cost should I say, “You know, I think I’ll keep the Truth to myself”?
‘Til the day I die, I hope I speak the Truth to YOU and to everyone else.
Let me ask you, will you at least try to see what we all are getting at? Will you try to answer the questions and put the Holy Bible up against the BOM just for a minute?
If you can’t do it, will you at least ask yourself why it’s too difficult to do so? If your belief is in Jesus Christ alone, it should not be hard to do at all.
Will you try to look to us as your friends who are trying to point you to Truth out of love for our Lord, who commands us so, out of love for you, and not your enemy?
If you can’t defend it (Mormonism), why not give a look at Jesus alone?
You state that you were of age when you joined the Mormon church. Did you have any religious background before then?
Finally, what does “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me,” mean in the Mormon way of thinking?
Thanks for any and all responses, Freeplancer.
BR
Your post is beautiful and full of truth.
I certainly am NOT Jesus, and never claimed to be anything within a million miles of Him.
I will not argue the fact that we all have our faults. Of course we do. And I definitely do NOT hate Mormons, or anyone else for that matter. I do, however, believe with all my heart that Mormons have been completely misled by Joseph Smith and others of your leaders.
I have been trying for months now simply to understand how otherwise intelligent people can believe as you do. The Bible is not to be corrupted by either taking from or adding to it. Which is EXACTLY what Joseph Smith has done. I just cannot understand how people can believe him and his revised “Bible” rather than the Bible itself.
Thank you for your response. I’m out of here for tonight, but will check back in the morning.
Oh absolutely!! It has nothing to do with the fact that Joseph Smith was demonstrably a fraud, nothing all.
And really nothing to do with your sour comment calling the other posters cowards and a mob, I promise.
It certainly couldn’t be because this an “Open” forum where you might have to defend yourself, no chance.
Guess that leaves just one thing...that telling you that you can salve your hurt feelings under the shelter of a restricted forum where others will hold your hand and sing along is the only reason I am here. Of course!!
Thanks. I meant every word.
“I have been trying for months now simply to understand how otherwise intelligent people can believe as you do.”
You were able to say what’s been on the tip of my tongue, but I could not manage to bring forth for the longest!
You are a little too mouthy for a new guy. I won’t be baited by you. Get lost
If you have a problem with the BoM, that is fine. I can’t change your mind so I won’t try. However, we beleive the bible is the word of God and it stands alone also. Every other year, we base all of our sunday schools and lessons on the Bible. The BoM does not replace the bible and I believe in the King James version of the Bible. I will never argue anyone into seeing my point of view so that is why I don’t understand why the mormon haters use that as their logic, “they are just trying to save non beleivers” from terrible Mormanism. Nothing says I want to help you by shouting insults at you.
If you believe in the truth of the Bible, or God’s Word, then, my only question is, why do you need the Book of Mormon?
“I have been trying for months now simply to understand how otherwise intelligent people can believe as you do.”
Why are you spending months trying to understand? Why not try to figure out real problems that might actually affect you like trying to figure out why people use abotion as birth control, or why homosexuals are trying to take over our society and change our laws, etc???? Channel your energies into other endeavors instead of making a fellow conservative feel attacked and picked on and making him defend his faith. It rude and uncalled for.
If you believe in freedom of religion, then why do you need to ask me that? Why do you feel such a moral superiority? Unbelievable.
Like I said, if your skin is too thin, maybe you should stay home.
That’s right, insult people and then call them thin skinned when they reply. Keep up the great work, you are a credit to mankind.
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