What Would You Write?
This week, we have studied the shortest books in the Book of Mormon. There are a few reasons the messages of these books are so short. Among them are the limited space on the plates, everything has already been said, or the authors were preoccupied with other things or considered themselves unworthy of what they were tasked with. At least we can give these men credit for fulfilling their duty.
Even though the messages in these chapters are short, most of them contain valuable instructions for each of us, regardless of our stage of life. We have all reflected on the meaning of life and where we stand in the grand scheme of things. We have all desired to have joy. We have all cried out to God for forgiveness, to be right before our Maker. We have all wanted the best for others and want to share the lessons we learn so that they don’t have to make the mistakes we have made. These are the things Enos thought were most important. Jarom saw the conditions of the world around him and the consequences of an unrepentant society. Omni was preoccupied with war; Amaron explained how not keeping the commandments of the Lord leads to destruction. Finally, Amaleki recorded the discovery of the Mulekites and their people’s merger with the Nephites.
These chapters contain two kinds of messages: messages of historical significance and messages of spiritual significance. What would you write if you were tasked with recording things for future generations and had only five kilobytes of storage space on the flash drive that would be passed down to them? That limited space would hold approximately 1000 words in English. Would you be inclined to write about the conditions of the time or things that you consider to be of the most value? Perhaps you could combine the two to allow the reader to see the cause and effect of the things that you write.
I will now attempt to write a 1000-word essay about what I consider most important and valuable.
I am Ken, the son of righteous parents who lovingly taught me to believe in God and His Son, Jesus Christ, and gave me opportunities to feel the Holy Spirit. They also demonstrated the value of living by faith, and that hard work is required to obtain the necessities of life and education. They also afforded me the freedom to make mistakes and have success. They loved me. This upbringing has served me well, and I have been fortunate to enjoy a comfortable existence. Through study, prayer, and experience with Him, I have gained my testimony of God.
Now, I will write the things you should know to navigate the world of your existence regardless of your poverty or prosperity, your pain or joy, and your trials and comforts.
There is a being we call God who lives in a place we call heaven. I do not know if those are the best terms for beings and places we cannot remember and have difficulty describing. He is at the pinnacle of all things, meaning He is above all things, surrounding all things, and through all things. Though he is all-powerful and just, He is merciful and loving. He is the Father of our spirits and is accompanied by a co-equal companion who is our Mother. Though such doctrine is not scriptural as it is currently written, all of the descriptions of Father and Son imply familial relationships, with us who are called the children of God.
The plan of our Father in Heaven has, as its purpose, the immortality and eternal life of His Children. As children of God, we have a divine purpose that will fill our lives with meaning if we can accept and implement the plan through faithful action. At the center of these actions are covenant promises made to ancient patriarchs and renewed in the baptism and temple ordinances. The covenantal relationships between God and His children grow as we remain true to our part of the bargain.
All of these covenants are made possible through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who came in the meridian of time to redeem everyone from death and hell. As we learn of Him and follow His example, we take on His image in our countenance and actions. We understand our true spiritual nature as our image transforms closer to Christ. Jesus is who he claims to be: the Son of the Living God. Jesus stands as the gatekeeper between us and the Father. He beckons us to enter into the Divine Presence through Him.
The third member of the godhead guides us: the Holy Ghost. This spiritual companion is promised to those who enter the waters of baptism and are baptized by someone with priesthood authority. The baptism of the Holy Ghost can change us in an instant or may take a lifetime of incremental prompting. We are never alone or comfortless as we conduct our lives in accordance with God’s commandments.
We cannot live or learn without the gift of moral agency. We came into existence from an eternal intelligence and became individuals by choice. Our Father and Mother in Heaven gave us spiritual form by our choice. We chose to come into mortality by choice. In each of these states of existence, we gain greater and greater knowledge, some by experience and some by study and faith. God gives each of us choices to see if we will do what He commands. Each and every choice we make adds to or takes away options. Choose wisely.
We are not left alone to navigate the world around us. We are given scriptures, prophets, and family and friends who have our best interests at heart. Our ability to handle life’s challenges increases as we surround ourselves with these earthly assets. As societies crumble around us and Satanic forces co-mingle with technology and political systems, the words of God found in scripture and continuing revelation keep us on a firm foundation.
There is a way to happiness. The way is Jesus Christ. It is impossible that any human endeavor can offer what Christ does. All human institutions, inventions, systems, societies, governments, and kingdoms will fail. History attests to this fact. Only truth will endure, and the truth is in Christ. All human wisdom is flawed and inferior to the wisdom of God.
God is not selfish with his grace. He offers it freely to those who choose to accept it. He will reveal the mysteries of eternity to us as we come closer to him. He will protect us from the destroyer as we keep our promises to Him. He forgives us the moment we turn from sin.
There are portals between earth and heaven where we can commune with God. These portals, both ancient and modern, are called temples. Constant and frequent temple worship connects us to the Divine and builds spiritual momentum, which will carry us through the rough patches in life. Remembering the sacrifice of Jesus through the weekly taking of the sacrament is another way to keep us up to speed spiritually.
Please think of the laws of motion to visualize what happens to us spiritually in sacramental service and the temple. The equivalent of an object in motion tends to stay in motion unless an external force (sin) acts upon it, which could be equated with renewing our baptismal covenant each week by taking the sacrament. Frequent and consistent temple worship adds mass to the object, which requires greater force to stop it. Our goal is to be an unstoppable force for good in the world.
In summary, there is a God. He is our spiritual Father. He sent His Son into the world to redeem us from sin. Jesus is the way to return to God in joy. We have agency, and our very existence depends on how we use it. When we make, renew, and keep covenants with God, we come to know ourselves as He knows us because we come to know Him.