Jacob 5 in the Book of Mormon contains a long parable about the "Lord's vineyard." This vineyard contains both tame and wild olive trees, which represent Israel and the gentiles. One theme to recognize in this parable is how people can be changed so that they who once rejected Christ might be ready for His Second Coming.
The entire chapter represents different time periods:
1. Before Christ (vs 4-15)
2. During the time of Christ (vs 16-28)
3. After Christ, during the Great Apostasy (vs 29-60)
4. The Gathering of Israel (vs. 61-77)
This whole chapter is so rich, but I want to focus on one particular phrase that caught my eye: to "lay up fruit against the season." I noticed this multiple times throughout the chapter, so I took some time to study what that means.
In Jacob 5:41-47 (the section describing the Great Apostasy, or the corruption of the gospel after the time of Jesus Christ), the Lord of the vineyard weeps because of the corruption of His vineyard. He asks multiple times,
"What more could I have done for my vineyard?"
In verse 46 He mourns:
"And now, behold, notwithstanding all the care which we have taken of my vineyard, the trees thereof have become corrupted, that they bring forth no good fruit; and these I had hoped to preserve, to have laid up fruit thereof against the season, unto mine own self. But, behold, they have become like unto the wild olive tree, and they are of no worth but to be hewn down and cast into the fire; and it grieveth me that I should lose them."
In this context it seems that the Lord of the vineyard was trying to preserve good fruit despite the corrupt surroundings. He did all that He could to care for the trees in every part of the vineyard in order to produce good fruit. To me, this shows an unconditional love and desire that Christ has to bring us back to Him. He does everything He can to lead us to truth and peace, but ultimately it is our choice to follow Him.
Earlier in the chapter (verses 11-14, representing before the time of Christ), the Lord of the vineyard instructs his servant to graft in the natural branches of a tame olive tree into other trees of the vineyard:
"And the Lord of the vineyard caused that it should be digged about, and pruned, and nourished, saying unto his servant: It grieveth me that I should lose this tree; wherefore, that perhaps I might preserve the roots thereof that they perish not, that I might preserve them unto myself, I have done this thing.
"Wherefore, go thy way; watch the tree, and nourish it, according to my words.
"And these will I place in the nethermost part of my vineyard, whithersoever I will, it mattereth not unto thee; and I do it that I may preserve unto myself the natural branches of the tree; and also, that I may lay up fruit thereof against the season, unto myself; for it grieveth me that I should lose this tree and the fruit thereof.
"And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard went his way, and hid the natural branches of the tame olive tree in the nethermost parts of the vineyard, some in one and some in another, according to his will and pleasure."
The "grafting" that the servant of the vineyard refers to the steps that each person must take to receive the full blessings of the kingdom of God: the steps of faith, repentance, baptism, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. Taking these steps allows people to be nourished by God's word and have a deeper understanding of His truth and His plan. As Jacob 5 illustrates, throughout time the world has gone through periods of corruption and periods of peace. But God has always provided ways for people to find the fulness of the gospel and to again be "grafted" into His family. Throughout time, God has "laid up fruit against the season" to preserve His gospel even during times of corruption.
I am grateful for God's unconditional love and for His desire to bring us back to live with Him again after this life. His main purpose is to help us achieve "immortality and eternal life" (Moses 1:39), and He provides us with a plan to achieve those!
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Thursday, March 17, 2016
What do some of Isaiah's writings mean as quoted in the Book of Mormon?
One of the prophets in the Book of Mormon, Nephi, built many of his writings around the words of Isaiah. Because of this, we know Isaiah's words are important to study and understand. As I read through Nephi's writings and other references to Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, I pondered how I could understand these verses better.
To be honest, these chapters have taken me months to study and ponder. I have read only one or two verses a day to really understand their deeper meaning. There is no way I could list everything I have learned here, but I want to share some significant highlights that really stood out to me.
1. Nephi quotes Isaiah in 1 Nephi 20 to teach of Christ. As I read this chapter I discovered some powerful commentaries that I will share here.
In 1 Nephi 20:10, the Lord says, "I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." No person goes through this life without suffering some sort of afflictions. That is why we are here--to struggle and go through trials, and ultimately to learn to turn to our Savior for guidance.
In a talk given in the 1997 BYU Women's Conference, it was said,
"No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God . . . and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven."
"Afflictions can soften us and sweeten us, and can be a chastening influence. (See Alma 62:41) We often think of chastening as something being done to punish us, such as by a mortal tutor who is angry and peevish with us. Divine chastening, however, is a form of learning as it is administered at the hands of a loving Father. (See Helaman 12:3.)
"Oh, the magnitude of that sacrifice, that condescension! That night, God the Son traded his heavenly home with all its celestial adornments for a mortal abode with all its primitive trappings. He, the King of heaven (Alma 5:50), the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth (Mosiah 3:5), left a throne to inherit a manger. He exchanged the dominion of a god for the dependence of a babe. He gave up wealth, power, dominion, and the fullness of his glory—for what?—for taunting, mocking, humiliation, and subjection. It was a trade of unparalleled dimension, a condescension of incredible proportions, a descent of incalculable depth. And so, the great Jehovah, creator of worlds without number, infinite in virtue and power, made his entry into this world in swaddling clothes and a manger."
4. In Mosiah 16:3, Abinadi teaches about the Fall of Adam and Eve, and how that requires us to use the atonement of Jesus Christ to be saved. I learned that the Fall was not a fall from God's grace, but a fall from innocence. When Adam and Eve partook of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they "fell" into a state of knowledge. That necessary knowledge came at a price, but that knowledge gave them power. In the book Gospel Doctrine, Bryan Richards explains this idea further:
"Prior to the fall, Adam and Eve lacked the power that they had after they had learned the difference between good and evil. Similarly, a child is powerless, spiritually speaking, compared to the servant who is spiritually mature and yet has become as a little child, meek, submissive, etc. For Adam and Eve and us, it is a long road through the wilderness of the carnal, sensual, and devilish to return the innocence we had as a child (and that Adam and Eve had in the garden). But this is all according to the wisdom and knowledge of God. For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he…becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father (Mosiah 3:19). The Lord loves purity and innocence, but He would rather we make this difficult journey, from childhood innocence to the innocence of the childlike servant because the virtuous servant is so much more powerful. This power comes by virtue of his knowledge of good and mastery over evil."
"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12). How many ways is Christ the light and the life of the world? He is the light of truth, the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not (D&C 6:21). He is the intelligence of the world, for The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth (D&C 93:36). He gives all of us the light of Christ, the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings (D&C 88:11). He is the literal giver of life through his light, The light…giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God (D&C 88:13). He is the giver of life by virtue of the resurrection, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live (Jn 11:25). Christ is the literal source of power for the light of the sun, moon, and stars, he is in the sun, and the light of the sun, and the power thereof by which it was made. As also he is in the moon, and is the light of the moon, and the power thereof by which it was made; As also the light of the stars, and the power thereof by which they were made (D&C 88:7-9). Lastly, he will replace the sun as the source of light for the inhabitants of the celestial kingdom, the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof (Rev 21:23).
The prophet Joseph F. Smith told us:
"But the thing for us to do is to live according to the light and intelligence that God has revealed to us in this dispensation, that we may be in harmony with the heavenly powers and with heavenly beings, and especially with our Lord Jesus Christ, who stands at our head, who is our lawgiver, our exemplar, and the way of life and salvation to all the world, through whom we may enter into the celestial kingdom of God, and without whom we can never enter that state of glory worlds without end. He is the way, the light and life of the world; and whosoever will obey the commandments He has given, and do the works which he has done, and commanded us to do, shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have in them the light of life.” (Journal of Discourses, vol 22, Jan. 29, 1882)
I hope these random insights help somebody out there in some way :) They sure helped me.
To be honest, these chapters have taken me months to study and ponder. I have read only one or two verses a day to really understand their deeper meaning. There is no way I could list everything I have learned here, but I want to share some significant highlights that really stood out to me.
1. Nephi quotes Isaiah in 1 Nephi 20 to teach of Christ. As I read this chapter I discovered some powerful commentaries that I will share here.
In 1 Nephi 20:10, the Lord says, "I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." No person goes through this life without suffering some sort of afflictions. That is why we are here--to struggle and go through trials, and ultimately to learn to turn to our Savior for guidance.
In a talk given in the 1997 BYU Women's Conference, it was said,
"No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God . . . and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven."
In the book All These Shall Give Thee Experience, it states,
"He knows, being omniscient, how we will cope with affliction beforehand. But we do not know this. We need, therefore, the refining that God gives to us, though we do not seek or crave such tribulation.
"Is not our struggling amid suffering and chastening in a way like the efforts of the baby chicken still in the egg? It must painfully and patiently make its own way out of the shell. To help the chick by breaking the egg for it could be to kill it. Unless it struggles itself to break outside its initial constraints, it may not have the strength to survive thereafter.
"He knows, being omniscient, how we will cope with affliction beforehand. But we do not know this. We need, therefore, the refining that God gives to us, though we do not seek or crave such tribulation.
"Is not our struggling amid suffering and chastening in a way like the efforts of the baby chicken still in the egg? It must painfully and patiently make its own way out of the shell. To help the chick by breaking the egg for it could be to kill it. Unless it struggles itself to break outside its initial constraints, it may not have the strength to survive thereafter.
"Afflictions can soften us and sweeten us, and can be a chastening influence. (See Alma 62:41) We often think of chastening as something being done to punish us, such as by a mortal tutor who is angry and peevish with us. Divine chastening, however, is a form of learning as it is administered at the hands of a loving Father. (See Helaman 12:3.)
"Elder James E. Faust of the Council of the Twelve has said, 'In the pain, the agony, and the heroic endeavors of life, we pass through the refiner's fire, and the insignificant and the unimportant in our lives can melt away like dross and make our faith bright, intact, and strong.' (Ensign, May 1979, p. 53.) Elder Faust continued, 'This change comes about through a refining process which often seems cruel and hard. In this way the soul can become like soft clay in the hands of the Master.'"
I love the idea that we are soft clay in Christ's hands. He gives us afflictions to shape us and mold us, to help us grow into the Christlike beings He wants us to become.
2. Later in the Book of Mormon, Abinadi preaches repentance using the words of Isaiah. As I read about the atonement of Jesus Christ in Mosiah 14, I loved this commentary that I found from Elder Melvin J. Ballard:
"'In that hour I think I can see our dear Father behind the veil looking upon these dying struggles until even He could not endure it any longer; and, like the mother who bids farewell to her dying child, has to be taken out of the room, so as not to look upon the last struggles, so He bowed his head, and hid in some part of his universe, his great heart almost breaking for the love that He had for his Son. Oh, in that moment when He might have saved his Son, I thank him and praise him that He did not fail us, for He had not only the love of his Son in mind, but He also had love for us. I rejoice that he did not interfere, and that his love for us made it possible for him to endure to look upon the sufferings of his Son and give him finally to us, our Savior and our Redeemer. Without him, without his sacrifice, we would have remained and we would never have come glorified into his presence. And so this is what it cost, in part, for our Father in Heaven to give the gift of his Son unto men."
I love the idea that we are soft clay in Christ's hands. He gives us afflictions to shape us and mold us, to help us grow into the Christlike beings He wants us to become.
2. Later in the Book of Mormon, Abinadi preaches repentance using the words of Isaiah. As I read about the atonement of Jesus Christ in Mosiah 14, I loved this commentary that I found from Elder Melvin J. Ballard:
"'In that hour I think I can see our dear Father behind the veil looking upon these dying struggles until even He could not endure it any longer; and, like the mother who bids farewell to her dying child, has to be taken out of the room, so as not to look upon the last struggles, so He bowed his head, and hid in some part of his universe, his great heart almost breaking for the love that He had for his Son. Oh, in that moment when He might have saved his Son, I thank him and praise him that He did not fail us, for He had not only the love of his Son in mind, but He also had love for us. I rejoice that he did not interfere, and that his love for us made it possible for him to endure to look upon the sufferings of his Son and give him finally to us, our Savior and our Redeemer. Without him, without his sacrifice, we would have remained and we would never have come glorified into his presence. And so this is what it cost, in part, for our Father in Heaven to give the gift of his Son unto men."
Continuing to read Mosiah 15, I found more commentaries about the great sacrifice of our Savior. One comes from Tad R. Callister in his book The Infinite Atonement:
Incredible.
3. Mosiah 15:2-3 caught my eye because I have heard confusion around the concept of Christ being the Father and the Son. I wanted to understand better this concept, and here is the insights I found through my research (through multiple resources that I did not record...Anybody who is interested in researching this topic more can ask me for resources):
- The roles of Father and Son when referring to Christ are symbolic rather than biological.
- To the House of Israel, Christ is Father because the people become His sons and daughters.
- To God the Father, Christ is Son because He subjects His will to the Father.
- What the Father does for His Son, the Son does for His sons and daughters.
- Christ is the Father:
- Of those who accept the gospel of Jesus Christ because it is made possible through His atonement.
- Of this earth--He created the earth under the direction of the Father.
- Because He has been given the power to represent and act for His Father on the earth.
- In the sense of the dictionary definitions of "father": "one to whom respect is due," "one who cares as a father might," "an originator, source, or prototype," and "one who claims or accepts responsibility."
- Christ is the Son:
- Because He was the Firstborn of God in the Spirit.
- As the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh.
- Because He submitted His will to His Father.
Christ's will was completely swallowed up in the will of His Father. (See Mosiah 15:7.) In his book That Ye May Believe, Neal A. Maxwell said that this means "being totally enveloped--without question, protest, reservation, or resentment. It is 'all the way,' not halfway. Choosing such spiritual submission is the highest act of deliberate, individual will."
Because Christ submitted completely to His Father's will, He represented His Father on earth and thus can be referred to as the "Father." This research really helped me to understand the concept of Christ taking the roles of both the Father and the Son.
4. In Mosiah 16:3, Abinadi teaches about the Fall of Adam and Eve, and how that requires us to use the atonement of Jesus Christ to be saved. I learned that the Fall was not a fall from God's grace, but a fall from innocence. When Adam and Eve partook of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they "fell" into a state of knowledge. That necessary knowledge came at a price, but that knowledge gave them power. In the book Gospel Doctrine, Bryan Richards explains this idea further:
"Prior to the fall, Adam and Eve lacked the power that they had after they had learned the difference between good and evil. Similarly, a child is powerless, spiritually speaking, compared to the servant who is spiritually mature and yet has become as a little child, meek, submissive, etc. For Adam and Eve and us, it is a long road through the wilderness of the carnal, sensual, and devilish to return the innocence we had as a child (and that Adam and Eve had in the garden). But this is all according to the wisdom and knowledge of God. For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he…becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father (Mosiah 3:19). The Lord loves purity and innocence, but He would rather we make this difficult journey, from childhood innocence to the innocence of the childlike servant because the virtuous servant is so much more powerful. This power comes by virtue of his knowledge of good and mastery over evil."
5. Because Christ overcame both physical and spiritual death (both effects of the Fall; see Mosiah 16:7-8), these are the comforts we can receive when we experience the "sting of death" (as illustrated by Bryan Richards again):
- The compassion and mercy of Christ when someone loses a loved one.
- The knowledge of God's plan of salvation.
- Sealing ordinances of the temple.
- Death not being frightful or painful to the righteous (see D&C 42:46).
- The atonement. The sting of death is sin, and Christ has already overcome all the effects of sin, so when we repent before we die, we can rest from all of our trials and sins.
6. Anybody familiar with scripture knows that Jesus Christ is often referred to as the "light of the world." In what ways is He a "light"? In Bryan Richards' Gospel Doctrine, he explained:
The prophet Joseph F. Smith told us:
"But the thing for us to do is to live according to the light and intelligence that God has revealed to us in this dispensation, that we may be in harmony with the heavenly powers and with heavenly beings, and especially with our Lord Jesus Christ, who stands at our head, who is our lawgiver, our exemplar, and the way of life and salvation to all the world, through whom we may enter into the celestial kingdom of God, and without whom we can never enter that state of glory worlds without end. He is the way, the light and life of the world; and whosoever will obey the commandments He has given, and do the works which he has done, and commanded us to do, shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have in them the light of life.” (Journal of Discourses, vol 22, Jan. 29, 1882)
I hope these random insights help somebody out there in some way :) They sure helped me.
Friday, June 26, 2015
2 Nephi 10, Alma 41&42 - What is the meaning of "restore"?
I have been very intrigued lately by how often I see a form of the word "restore" in the scriptures. I noticed it especially in a few chapters of the Book of Mormon. I will illustrate here what I found in the verses and how those verses changed my understanding of the meaning of "restore."
2 Nephi 10:2 says, "For behold, the promises which we have obtained are promises unto us according to the flesh; wherefore, as it has been shown unto me that many of our children shall perish in the flesh because of unbelief, nevertheless, God will be merciful unto many; and our children shall be restored, that they may come to that which will give them the true knowledge of their Redeemer."
As I read this verse I thought, What does it mean to be restored??
Verse 6 says that after the Jews crucify Jesus Christ and destruction comes upon them, those who are not destroyed will be scattered "among all nations." But "when the day cometh that they shall believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I covenanted with their fathers that they shall be restored in the flesh, upon the earth, unto the lands of their inheritance" (verse 7).
Restored = to be brought back; to return to a place of belonging
Verse 8 - "And it shall come to pass that they shall be gathered in from their long dispersion, from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth; and the nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of me, saith God, in carrying them forth to the lands of their inheritance."
Verse 10 - "But behold, this land, said God, shall be a land of thine inheritance, and the Gentiles shall be blessed upon the land."
Restored = brought back to something that was yours before; gathered in. This implies that you are "coming back."
I love the idea that God will "restore" us to a place where we belong as He gathers the righteous together.
Alma 41 & 42 use the idea of "restoration" in a different context. These chapters discuss the plan of restoration which includes the body and soul being restored together, and good being restored for good / evil being restored for evil:
41:2 "The plan of restoration is requisite with the justice of God; for it is requisite that all things should be restored to their proper order. Behold, it is requisite and just, according to the power and resurrection of Christ, that the soul of man should be restored to its body, and that every part of the body should be restored to itself."
41:3 "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."
41:4 "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--mortality raised to immortality, corruption to incorruption--raised to endless happiness to inherit the kingdom of God, or to endless misery to inherit the kingdom of the devil, the one on the one hand, the other on the other--"
41:5 "The one raised to happiness according to his desires of happiness, or good according to his desires of good; and the other to evil according to his desires of evil; for as he has desired to do evil all the day long even so shall he have his reward of evil when the night cometh."
41:6 "And so it is on the other hand. If he hath repented of his sins, and desired righteousness until the end of his days, even so he shall be rewarded unto righteousness."
41:10 "Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness."
41:12 "And now behold, is the meaning of the word restoration to take a thing of a natural state and place it in an unnatural state, or to place it in a state opposite to its nature?"
41:13 "O, my son, this is not the case; but the meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again evil for evil, or carnal for carnal, or devilish for devilish--good for that which is good; righteous for that which is righteous; just for that which is just; merciful for that which is merciful."
41:14 "Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again."
41:15 "For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all."
Restored = to reward good for good, bad for bad, etc.
These verses introduce the idea that everything will be restored or "brought back" to its natural state. God will reward each of us according to our works and the desires of our hearts.
Alma 42 continues with this concept:
42:23 "But God ceaseth not to be God, and mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God; and thus they are restored into his presence, to be judged according to their works, according to the law and justice."
42:27 "Therefore, O my son, whosoever will come may come and partake of the waters of life freely; and whosoever will not come the same is not compelled to come; but in the last day it shall be restored unto him according to his deeds."
42:28 "If he has desired to do evil, and has not repented in his days, behold, evil shall be done unto him, according to the restoration of God."
2 Nephi 10:2 says, "For behold, the promises which we have obtained are promises unto us according to the flesh; wherefore, as it has been shown unto me that many of our children shall perish in the flesh because of unbelief, nevertheless, God will be merciful unto many; and our children shall be restored, that they may come to that which will give them the true knowledge of their Redeemer."
As I read this verse I thought, What does it mean to be restored??
Verse 6 says that after the Jews crucify Jesus Christ and destruction comes upon them, those who are not destroyed will be scattered "among all nations." But "when the day cometh that they shall believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I covenanted with their fathers that they shall be restored in the flesh, upon the earth, unto the lands of their inheritance" (verse 7).
Restored = to be brought back; to return to a place of belonging
Verse 8 - "And it shall come to pass that they shall be gathered in from their long dispersion, from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth; and the nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of me, saith God, in carrying them forth to the lands of their inheritance."
Verse 10 - "But behold, this land, said God, shall be a land of thine inheritance, and the Gentiles shall be blessed upon the land."
Restored = brought back to something that was yours before; gathered in. This implies that you are "coming back."
I love the idea that God will "restore" us to a place where we belong as He gathers the righteous together.
Alma 41 & 42 use the idea of "restoration" in a different context. These chapters discuss the plan of restoration which includes the body and soul being restored together, and good being restored for good / evil being restored for evil:
41:2 "The plan of restoration is requisite with the justice of God; for it is requisite that all things should be restored to their proper order. Behold, it is requisite and just, according to the power and resurrection of Christ, that the soul of man should be restored to its body, and that every part of the body should be restored to itself."
41:3 "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."
41:4 "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--mortality raised to immortality, corruption to incorruption--raised to endless happiness to inherit the kingdom of God, or to endless misery to inherit the kingdom of the devil, the one on the one hand, the other on the other--"
41:5 "The one raised to happiness according to his desires of happiness, or good according to his desires of good; and the other to evil according to his desires of evil; for as he has desired to do evil all the day long even so shall he have his reward of evil when the night cometh."
41:6 "And so it is on the other hand. If he hath repented of his sins, and desired righteousness until the end of his days, even so he shall be rewarded unto righteousness."
41:10 "Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness."
41:12 "And now behold, is the meaning of the word restoration to take a thing of a natural state and place it in an unnatural state, or to place it in a state opposite to its nature?"
41:13 "O, my son, this is not the case; but the meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again evil for evil, or carnal for carnal, or devilish for devilish--good for that which is good; righteous for that which is righteous; just for that which is just; merciful for that which is merciful."
41:14 "Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again."
41:15 "For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all."
Restored = to reward good for good, bad for bad, etc.
These verses introduce the idea that everything will be restored or "brought back" to its natural state. God will reward each of us according to our works and the desires of our hearts.
Alma 42 continues with this concept:
42:23 "But God ceaseth not to be God, and mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God; and thus they are restored into his presence, to be judged according to their works, according to the law and justice."
42:27 "Therefore, O my son, whosoever will come may come and partake of the waters of life freely; and whosoever will not come the same is not compelled to come; but in the last day it shall be restored unto him according to his deeds."
42:28 "If he has desired to do evil, and has not repented in his days, behold, evil shall be done unto him, according to the restoration of God."
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Alma 36:28-29 - What do the scriptures mean when they say "From time to time"?
As I was reading Alma 36 I read about how God released the people from bondage "from time to time." I wondered if that meant "from one time to the next" or "every now and then"? Did God consistently release His people from bondage, or was it dependent on certain actions on their part?
In Alma 36:28-29, Alma says to his son Helaman (regarding God), "And I know that he will raise me up at the last day, to dwell with him in glory; yea, and I will praise him forever, for he has brought our fathers out of Egypt, and he has swallowed up the Egyptians in the Red Sea; and he led them by his power into the promised land; yea, and he has delivered them out of bondage and captivity from time to time. Yea, and he has also brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem; and he has also, by his everlasting power, delivered them out of bondage and captivity, from time to time even down to the present day; and I have always retained in remembrance their captivity; yea, and ye also ought to retain in remembrance, as I have done, their captivity."
As I studied further I noticed something important in verse 30: "But behold, my son, this is not all; for ye ought to know as I do know, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land; and ye ought to know also, that inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God ye shall be cut off from his presence. Now this is according to his word."
It seems to me that these scriptures are saying that God's mercy comes with our faith and obedience to His commandments. So "from time to time" would reflect how often His people choose to keep the commandments. Verse 28 could be interpreted to say, "he has delivered them out of bondage and captivity when they choose to follow his commandments." Verse 30 illustrates the principle that obedience leads to prosperity, and disobedience leads to being cut off from God. It seems, then, that God's deliverance is conditional upon our faithfulness.
Richard Lyman Bushman, in Believing History: Latter-day Saint Essays, illustrates a pattern of God's deliverances in the Book of Mormon: "Book of Mormon prophets saw the major events of their own past as comprising a series of deliverances beginning with the archetypal flight of the Israelites from Egypt. Alma the Younger pictured the Exodus from Egypt and Lehi's journey from Jerusalem as the first of a number of bondages and escapes. . . . Among those bondages reaching 'down to the present day' were those of his father and Limhi, who, like their illustrious predecessors, were 'delivered out of the hands of the people of king Noah, by the mercy and power of God. And behold, after that, they were brought into bondage by the hands of the Lamanites in the wilderness . . . and again the Lord did deliver them out of bondage' (Alma 5:4-5)." He writes of the benefits of understanding God's deliverances because "they illustrated so perfectly the familiar ways of God with his people. Events took on religious meaning and form as they followed the established pattern of divine intervention." Understanding God's patterns of deliverance in the past can help us predict the consequences of future events.
My biggest takeaway from these scriptures is that God's deliverance from our bondage is conditional upon our faithfulness to His commandments. When we are obedient, we reap the benefits of His mercy, and He delivers us.
In Alma 36:28-29, Alma says to his son Helaman (regarding God), "And I know that he will raise me up at the last day, to dwell with him in glory; yea, and I will praise him forever, for he has brought our fathers out of Egypt, and he has swallowed up the Egyptians in the Red Sea; and he led them by his power into the promised land; yea, and he has delivered them out of bondage and captivity from time to time. Yea, and he has also brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem; and he has also, by his everlasting power, delivered them out of bondage and captivity, from time to time even down to the present day; and I have always retained in remembrance their captivity; yea, and ye also ought to retain in remembrance, as I have done, their captivity."
As I studied further I noticed something important in verse 30: "But behold, my son, this is not all; for ye ought to know as I do know, that inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land; and ye ought to know also, that inasmuch as ye will not keep the commandments of God ye shall be cut off from his presence. Now this is according to his word."
It seems to me that these scriptures are saying that God's mercy comes with our faith and obedience to His commandments. So "from time to time" would reflect how often His people choose to keep the commandments. Verse 28 could be interpreted to say, "he has delivered them out of bondage and captivity when they choose to follow his commandments." Verse 30 illustrates the principle that obedience leads to prosperity, and disobedience leads to being cut off from God. It seems, then, that God's deliverance is conditional upon our faithfulness.
Richard Lyman Bushman, in Believing History: Latter-day Saint Essays, illustrates a pattern of God's deliverances in the Book of Mormon: "Book of Mormon prophets saw the major events of their own past as comprising a series of deliverances beginning with the archetypal flight of the Israelites from Egypt. Alma the Younger pictured the Exodus from Egypt and Lehi's journey from Jerusalem as the first of a number of bondages and escapes. . . . Among those bondages reaching 'down to the present day' were those of his father and Limhi, who, like their illustrious predecessors, were 'delivered out of the hands of the people of king Noah, by the mercy and power of God. And behold, after that, they were brought into bondage by the hands of the Lamanites in the wilderness . . . and again the Lord did deliver them out of bondage' (Alma 5:4-5)." He writes of the benefits of understanding God's deliverances because "they illustrated so perfectly the familiar ways of God with his people. Events took on religious meaning and form as they followed the established pattern of divine intervention." Understanding God's patterns of deliverance in the past can help us predict the consequences of future events.
My biggest takeaway from these scriptures is that God's deliverance from our bondage is conditional upon our faithfulness to His commandments. When we are obedient, we reap the benefits of His mercy, and He delivers us.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
2 Nephi 30:15 - How does the "knowledge of the Lord" create peace and harmony on the earth?
The verses leading to 2 Nephi 30:15 illustrate a scene that would seem quite unusual for the world today: the wolf dwelling with the lamb; the leopard lying down with the kid, calf, and fatling, all led by a little child; the cow and the bear feeding together and their young ones lying down together; the lion eating straw like the ox; the baby playing on a hole of a snake, etc. This scene comes at a time of peace and righteousness on the earth, after the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This time will be called the Millennium.
2 Nephi 30:15 explains that "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord." What is it about the knowledge of the Lord that will create this peace and harmony? The next few verses begin to answer this question.
"The things of all nations shall be made known; yea, all things shall be made known unto the children of men. There is nothing which is secret save it shall be revealed; there is no work of darkness save it shall be made manifest in the light; and there is nothing which is sealed upon the earth save it shall be loosed. Wherefore, all things which have been revealed unto the children of men shall at that day be revealed; and Satan shall have power over the hearts of the children of men no more, for a long time" (2 Nephi 30:16-18).
When I think of secrecy I think of mistrust, miscommunication, misunderstanding, and unsurety. Because all things will be made known in the Millennium, all these negative effects of secrecy will disappear.
I imagine being in a classroom learning new material and not understanding that material. My peers get together to study together, but they don't allow me to join. They are secretive about it, because they want to have an unfair advantage over the rest of the class. This would leave me feeling mistreated, lost, and frustrated. If I didn't understand the material I would not have the ability to do well in the class. However, with knowledge, I would be enabled to pass the class and continue to receive further knowledge. I would feel fulfilled and liberated.
It is a beautiful prophecy that in the times preceding the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, "wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of [our] times, and strength of salvation" (Isaiah 33:6).
In October 2013 general conference, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, "When the entire truth is eventually known, things that didn’t make sense to us before will be resolved to our satisfaction." All of us have questions, some of which will never be answered until we pass on to the next life. But letting those questions cause doubts lead us to stop progressing and gaining more knowledge. President Uchtorf says to "doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith. We must never allow doubt to hold us prisoner and keep us from the divine love, peace, and gifts that come through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ" (Dieter F. Uchtorf, "Come Join with Us").
It was necessary for Adam and Eve to exercise their faith in Jesus Christ after they chose to partake of the forbidden fruit. They were commanded not to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They were given a choice, and they chose to eat the fruit. With their choice came the ability for Satan to tempt and try God's children. Because of this, it was necessary for God to provide a Savior to redeem all mankind from the results of the Fall. Without gaining knowledge, Adam and Eve would never have had the opportunity to progress and become like God. They would never experience good and evil and understand the difference. They would never have the opportunity to exercise their agency. They would never experience true joy. (See 2 Nephi 2:22-23.)
The Bible Dictionary states that "knowledge of divine and spiritual things is absolutely essential for one's salvation. . . . The scriptures, and also living prophets, are given so that the people might have knowledge of things of God. . . . Knowledge is one of the endowments of the Holy Ghost and one of the gifts of the Spirit. . . . Since no one can be saved in ignorance of the gospel, and one progresses only as fast as he gains knowledge, it follows that the person who gains knowledge will have 'the advantage in the world to come' (D&C 130:18-19)."
Knowledge comes from the Spirit of God which is the Spirit of peace. The Spirit gives us knowledge "and power according to [our] faith and desires which are in God" (Alma 18:35). When we receive knowledge through the Spirit, we discover the mysteries of God and "all the riches of the full assurance of understanding" (see Colossians 2:2-3).
In Romans 15, Paul lays out the beauty of obtaining knowledge from the scriptures: "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. . . . Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another" (Romans 15:4, 13-14). With knowledge we can obtain hope, joy, and peace, because we understand what is good.
As stated in the scriptures, the knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth before the Second Coming of the Savior. "And this is according to the prophecy, that they shall again be brought to the true knowledge, which is the knowledge of their Redeemer, and their great and true shepherd, and be numbered among his sheep" (Helaman 15:13).
In the Book of Mormon, Mormon glorifies God as he illustrates his gratitude for the knowledge God has given to him and his people: "I am Mormon, and a pure descendant of Lehi. I have reason to bless my God and my Savior Jesus Christ, that he brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem, (and no one knew it save it were himself and those whom he brought out of that land) and that he hath given me and my people so much knowledge unto the salvation of our souls. Surely he hath blessed the house of Jacob, and hath been merciful unto the seed of Joseph. And insomuch as the children of Lehi have kept his commandments he hath blessed them and prospered them according to his word. Yea, and surely shall he again bring a remnant of the seed of Joseph to the true knowledge of the Lord their God. And as surely as the Lord liveth, will he gather in from the four quarters of the earth all the remnant of the seed of Jacob, who are scattered abroad upon all the face of the earth. And as he hath covenanted with all the house of Jacob, even so shall the covenant wherewith he hath covenanted with the house of Jacob be fulfilled in his own due time, unto the restoring all the house of Jacob unto the knowledge of the covenant that he hath covenanted with them. And then shall they know their Redeemer, who is Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and then shall they be gathered in from the four quarters of the earth unto their own lands, from whence they have been dispersed; yea, as the Lord liveth so shall it be. Amen" (3 Nephi 5:20-26).
The "knowledge of the Lord" is far more valuable than any other knowledge we could attain. Let us continue to seek knowledge so that we can be brought into the fold of God, and receive the peace and joy that comes from knowing our Savior, Jesus Christ.
2 Nephi 30:15 explains that "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord." What is it about the knowledge of the Lord that will create this peace and harmony? The next few verses begin to answer this question.
"The things of all nations shall be made known; yea, all things shall be made known unto the children of men. There is nothing which is secret save it shall be revealed; there is no work of darkness save it shall be made manifest in the light; and there is nothing which is sealed upon the earth save it shall be loosed. Wherefore, all things which have been revealed unto the children of men shall at that day be revealed; and Satan shall have power over the hearts of the children of men no more, for a long time" (2 Nephi 30:16-18).
When I think of secrecy I think of mistrust, miscommunication, misunderstanding, and unsurety. Because all things will be made known in the Millennium, all these negative effects of secrecy will disappear.
I imagine being in a classroom learning new material and not understanding that material. My peers get together to study together, but they don't allow me to join. They are secretive about it, because they want to have an unfair advantage over the rest of the class. This would leave me feeling mistreated, lost, and frustrated. If I didn't understand the material I would not have the ability to do well in the class. However, with knowledge, I would be enabled to pass the class and continue to receive further knowledge. I would feel fulfilled and liberated.
It is a beautiful prophecy that in the times preceding the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, "wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of [our] times, and strength of salvation" (Isaiah 33:6).
In October 2013 general conference, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, "When the entire truth is eventually known, things that didn’t make sense to us before will be resolved to our satisfaction." All of us have questions, some of which will never be answered until we pass on to the next life. But letting those questions cause doubts lead us to stop progressing and gaining more knowledge. President Uchtorf says to "doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith. We must never allow doubt to hold us prisoner and keep us from the divine love, peace, and gifts that come through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ" (Dieter F. Uchtorf, "Come Join with Us").
It was necessary for Adam and Eve to exercise their faith in Jesus Christ after they chose to partake of the forbidden fruit. They were commanded not to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They were given a choice, and they chose to eat the fruit. With their choice came the ability for Satan to tempt and try God's children. Because of this, it was necessary for God to provide a Savior to redeem all mankind from the results of the Fall. Without gaining knowledge, Adam and Eve would never have had the opportunity to progress and become like God. They would never experience good and evil and understand the difference. They would never have the opportunity to exercise their agency. They would never experience true joy. (See 2 Nephi 2:22-23.)
The Bible Dictionary states that "knowledge of divine and spiritual things is absolutely essential for one's salvation. . . . The scriptures, and also living prophets, are given so that the people might have knowledge of things of God. . . . Knowledge is one of the endowments of the Holy Ghost and one of the gifts of the Spirit. . . . Since no one can be saved in ignorance of the gospel, and one progresses only as fast as he gains knowledge, it follows that the person who gains knowledge will have 'the advantage in the world to come' (D&C 130:18-19)."
Knowledge comes from the Spirit of God which is the Spirit of peace. The Spirit gives us knowledge "and power according to [our] faith and desires which are in God" (Alma 18:35). When we receive knowledge through the Spirit, we discover the mysteries of God and "all the riches of the full assurance of understanding" (see Colossians 2:2-3).
In Romans 15, Paul lays out the beauty of obtaining knowledge from the scriptures: "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. . . . Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another" (Romans 15:4, 13-14). With knowledge we can obtain hope, joy, and peace, because we understand what is good.
As stated in the scriptures, the knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth before the Second Coming of the Savior. "And this is according to the prophecy, that they shall again be brought to the true knowledge, which is the knowledge of their Redeemer, and their great and true shepherd, and be numbered among his sheep" (Helaman 15:13).
Saturday, May 2, 2015
How many times will the Savior forgive?
I am the type of person who loves perfection. I love being in control of my life and doing things right. But I have one weakness that I have never seemed to overcome completely. I have always been an emotional eater, and at times it has gotten completely out of hand. There have been moments when all I could do was pray and give myself completely to God, knowing that I couldn't overcome this struggle on my own. Sometimes I have felt hopeless because I messed up again and again and didn't think I could ever overcome this weakness. I have wondered if the Savior really would help me again and again. And again. (To see a post I wrote about this, click on this link: "Food, Self Worth, and the Real Me" ... and here is the follow-up post.)
The following is a friend's recent post on Facebook. It was very timely, and something I needed to hear. She shares a beautiful testimony about families and the hope of eternal life, and then she illustrates the Savior's ability to forgive.
This is one of my absolute favorite pictures of Christ.
These past few months I've been challenging myself to recognize the blessings in my life and become more grateful for them. I am so so thankful for the atonement. Knowing that it is not the end when we have made mistakes is such a powerful thing to know. We have second chances. Third chances, fourth chances, and fifth chances even. However many chances it takes for us to get things right, The Lord is waiting and wanting to forgive. That knowledge to me is priceless. As long as we are striving, struggling, and desiring, the Lord is waiting with a forgiving heart and open arms. At times when I have made wrong choices and felt that I could not carry on, I have felt overwhelming peace and reassurance that the Lord has mercy and enough love to carry me through tough times. I'm thankful for trials big and small so that we are able to come closer to our Savior and have him help us through. I love knowing that we all have the same end goal in mind, just how we get there is different. I love love love the gospel with all of my heart, and my great family who would do anything for me. I'm thankful for a forgiving Savior and brother who has paid for my mistakes. I'm thankful for the knowledge that none of us are perfect, yet are capable of a perfect love, and lastly I'm thankful for our Father in Heaven who wants the best for us and is waiting until we are with him again.
Each of us struggles with something. And each of us messes up, sometimes once, sometimes twice, sometimes over and over and over again. How can the Savior love us enough to continue to forgive us?
Although we may feel otherwise, Jesus Christ wants to forgive us. In an April 2013 conference talk, Elder Craig A. Cardon said that Christ "does not excuse us in our sins. He does not condone our return to past sins. But when we repent and obey His gospel, He forgives us. . . . If we exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the enabling power of His Atonement strengthens us in our moment of need, and His redeeming power sanctifies us as we '[put] off the natural man.' This brings hope to all, especially to those who feel that recurring human weakness is beyond the Savior's willingness to help and to save." This last sentence is crucial in our repentance process, and it is a principle I am still trying to understand. For me, the most important thing to remember is that no matter how many times I sin, I can always come to my Savior and ask Him for strength to overcome my sins. It doesn't seem fair to me that I can mess up so many times and He will continue to give me chances, but because of that I am eternally grateful. He will never give up on me. Or anyone. The beauty of this principle is that "He allows for improvement over time rather than demanding immediate perfection." We have a lifetime to become like Him.
The following is a friend's recent post on Facebook. It was very timely, and something I needed to hear. She shares a beautiful testimony about families and the hope of eternal life, and then she illustrates the Savior's ability to forgive.
This is one of my absolute favorite pictures of Christ.
These past few months I've been challenging myself to recognize the blessings in my life and become more grateful for them. I am so so thankful for the atonement. Knowing that it is not the end when we have made mistakes is such a powerful thing to know. We have second chances. Third chances, fourth chances, and fifth chances even. However many chances it takes for us to get things right, The Lord is waiting and wanting to forgive. That knowledge to me is priceless. As long as we are striving, struggling, and desiring, the Lord is waiting with a forgiving heart and open arms. At times when I have made wrong choices and felt that I could not carry on, I have felt overwhelming peace and reassurance that the Lord has mercy and enough love to carry me through tough times. I'm thankful for trials big and small so that we are able to come closer to our Savior and have him help us through. I love knowing that we all have the same end goal in mind, just how we get there is different. I love love love the gospel with all of my heart, and my great family who would do anything for me. I'm thankful for a forgiving Savior and brother who has paid for my mistakes. I'm thankful for the knowledge that none of us are perfect, yet are capable of a perfect love, and lastly I'm thankful for our Father in Heaven who wants the best for us and is waiting until we are with him again.
Each of us struggles with something. And each of us messes up, sometimes once, sometimes twice, sometimes over and over and over again. How can the Savior love us enough to continue to forgive us?
Although we may feel otherwise, Jesus Christ wants to forgive us. In an April 2013 conference talk, Elder Craig A. Cardon said that Christ "does not excuse us in our sins. He does not condone our return to past sins. But when we repent and obey His gospel, He forgives us. . . . If we exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the enabling power of His Atonement strengthens us in our moment of need, and His redeeming power sanctifies us as we '[put] off the natural man.' This brings hope to all, especially to those who feel that recurring human weakness is beyond the Savior's willingness to help and to save." This last sentence is crucial in our repentance process, and it is a principle I am still trying to understand. For me, the most important thing to remember is that no matter how many times I sin, I can always come to my Savior and ask Him for strength to overcome my sins. It doesn't seem fair to me that I can mess up so many times and He will continue to give me chances, but because of that I am eternally grateful. He will never give up on me. Or anyone. The beauty of this principle is that "He allows for improvement over time rather than demanding immediate perfection." We have a lifetime to become like Him.
Monday, April 27, 2015
John 12:47-50 - Does Christ judge us for our sins?
"And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak."
These verses stuck out to me today because I have been reminded many times recently of the power of Christ's Atonement. I was asked to offer a prayer yesterday with a group of women after we had each shared our simple testimonies of Jesus Christ. I don't believe I've ever offered a more thankful and sincere prayer. I have recently heard several examples of the enabling power of the Atonement changing people to become better. My testimony of the power to change has grown, and Christ's sacrifice has become more personal to me.
These verses teach me that Christ was never here to judge us. His purpose was never to condemn us for our sins. His purpose has always been to help us and save us from our sins. He was sent to earth simply to accomplish the will of His Father, which was to teach His word and help people know how to find everlasting life through Him. It is not Christ who judges us--it is the word of God. When we sin, God's law condemns us, but when we repent and keep His commandments, His law saves and renews us.
These verses stuck out to me today because I have been reminded many times recently of the power of Christ's Atonement. I was asked to offer a prayer yesterday with a group of women after we had each shared our simple testimonies of Jesus Christ. I don't believe I've ever offered a more thankful and sincere prayer. I have recently heard several examples of the enabling power of the Atonement changing people to become better. My testimony of the power to change has grown, and Christ's sacrifice has become more personal to me.
These verses teach me that Christ was never here to judge us. His purpose was never to condemn us for our sins. His purpose has always been to help us and save us from our sins. He was sent to earth simply to accomplish the will of His Father, which was to teach His word and help people know how to find everlasting life through Him. It is not Christ who judges us--it is the word of God. When we sin, God's law condemns us, but when we repent and keep His commandments, His law saves and renews us.
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