I Will Go and Do -- 1 Nephi 3:7

I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

This is one of the most quoted verses in all of latter-day revelation. It is a promise and assurance that are vital if we are to learn to trust the Lord in all things. It is the marvelous assurance that we can do all that the Lord commands us to do.

Nephi was able to express this assurance, not because of his self-confidence or faith in his own power and ability. He trusted not in himself, but in the kindness of an all powerful and all loving Lord, who could equip him to do whatever was required. Nephi still had to choose to obey and to walk in the path of obedience -- but that path and his ability to walk it he knew could only come from God. His faith was the same as that of the Apostle Paul, who proclaimed "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me," (Phil. 4:13) and who exhorted the Saints at Philippi, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." (Phil 2:12-13)

The eighteenth century Bible commentator, Matthew Henry, wrote in respect to this passage:

"We must be diligent in the use of all the means which lead to our salvation, persevering therein to the end. With great care, lest, with all our advantages, we should come short. Work out your salvation, for it is God who worketh in you. This encourages us to do our utmost, because our labour shall not be in vain: we must still depend on the grace of God. The working of God's grace in us, is to quicken and engage our endeavours. God's good-will to us, is the cause of his good work in us."

We know that Nephi was a diligent student of the prophet Isaiah. Perhaps he had taken to heart the words we find in Isaiah chapter 40:

"Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that await upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40: 28-31)

On this famous passage from Isaiah, Matthew Henry also wrote:

"Where God had begun the work of grace, he will perfect it. He will help those who, in humble dependence on him, help themselves. As the day, so shall the strength be. In the strength of Divine grace their souls shall ascend above the world. They shall run the way of God's commandments cheerfully. Let us watch against unbelief, pride, and self-confidence. If we go forth in our own strength, we shall faint, and utterly fall; but having our hearts and our hopes in heaven, we shall be carried above all difficulties, and be enabled to lay hold of the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus."

As we learn in holy places, the servants of the Lord may always go forth upon His errand with unfailing confidence that what He has commanded shall be done. They need not respond to Him by saying, "I will try," or "I will do my best." They can have full faith that He who commands empowers them to obey and to accomplish.

Let these thoughts comfort and encourage us when we are worn out in His service, or when we feel a command or assignment is beyond our capacity.

Annie Johnson Flint is an example of persistence in working righteousness. Born in 1866, she was left an orphan before reaching age 6. She hoped to be a composer and concert pianist, but these dreams were shattered by arthritis that began to afflict her as a teenager and took away her ability to walk. Later, unable any longer to play the piano, she turned to writing poetry. Eventually, arthritis left her unable to even open her hands enough to hold a pen. She turned to writing on a typewriter, using only her knuckles. Thus, she came to write the encouraging words of the following hymn:

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials he multiplies peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

Leaving It All Behind -- 1 Nehi 2:2-4

And it came to pass that the Lord commanded my father, even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness. And it came to pass that he was obedient unto the word of the Lord, wherefore he did as the Lord commanded him. And it came to pass that he departed into the wilderness. And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness.

Unless we are careful, we will hurry past this verse and miss its tremendous implications. Various hints are scattered throughout 1st Nephi that Lehi and his family were persons of wealth and prominence. It is likely that the house he left behind was quite comfortable for that time and place. The family probably had servants and enjoyed significant worldly benefits in Jerusalem. But at the Lord's command to depart, Lehi had the tremendous faith to leave that all behind -- and we must not underestimate that sacrifice.

Life for Lehi and his family would never be the same. Instead of a comfortable house, they would dwell in tents in an unforgiving wilderness. Instead of a society in which they enjoyed some prominence, they would be "strangers in a strange land." Instead of being served by others, they would have to work hard merely to carve out an existence. There is no evidence in the Book of Mormon account that, at this point, Lehi knew that they were being led to a land of promise. All he knew was that the Lord had told him to depart into the wilderness and so he departed, leaving behind all he had known and enjoyed. He truly went to the edge of the light and took that great step of faith into the darkness of the unknown future.

What an amazing faith! Lehi literally entirely placed his whole life into the Lord's hands. Moreover, he must have thought about the sacrifice that he was asking of his wife and children in doing so. It is one thing to make a decision to sacrifice your all at the Lord's bidding; it is an entirely different thing to ask those you love to make a similar sacrifice. Did he anticipate that Laman and Lemuel might ultimately fail the test? Was he confident that his wife, Nephi and Sam would remain faithful? Did he ever wonder, years later, if he should have allowed Laman and Lemuel to remain in Jerusalem so their sins might not have been as grievous? We can never know for certain. If Lehi had questions or misgivings at this early point, the record does not mention them. It also appears that whatever fears Lehi may have had did not delay him. Although the text does not expressly say so, it appears that Lehi's obedience was immediate.

Hardly any of us will be called upon to sacrifice as did Lehi and his family. But we must not minimize what the Lord demands of those who would be His faithful people. We must be willing to sacrifice whatever He requires. That demand should give us pause -- it should frighten us. Because only if it does so, have we really understood Christ's call to follow Him. And only if it does so, will we turn to Him with the desire and urgency we need to seek the gift of a faith like that of Lehi. Through the Spirit, He can implant such faith in our hearts if we seek it and allow Him to do so. When Jesus sent away the rich young man, who was sorrowing because he could not bring himself to give his all to the poor, the disciples "were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." (Matt. 19:25-26)

The well-known 19th century hymn writer, Frances Havergal, penned the following lines -- which we can echo if we allow the Spirit to increase our faith.

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.
Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

Temple Covenants

The following is the text of a talk I gave last Sunday in our ward's sacrament meeting. It is related to our topic, although it does interrupt the flow of Book of Mormon comments. I hope you find it helpful in any event.

TEMPLE COVENANTS

Given August 31, 2008
Naperville 1st Ward Sacrament Meeting

One of the most important truths revealed in all the Scriptures is found in the familiar passage from Moses chapter 1, where the Lord explained:

“For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” Moses 1:39

This opens to us the very heart of God. It tells us His goal, that He loves His children so much that He devotes all His infinite power, knowledge and wisdom to their happiness.

To God, everything is simple. He wants each and every one of His children to receive eternally all of the joy and light and glory they are willing to receive.

The fullness of these blessings is described in the Scriptures as eternal life and exaltation. That is the gift Our Heavenly Father yearns to give every person who will accept it. The Prophet Joseph declared, “God is glorified in the salvation and exaltation of each of His children.”

Accepting this gift consists of preparing ourselves for this blessing. In D&C 78:7, the Lord says:

“For if you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you.”

To dwell in the celestial kingdom, we must become celestial people. Do you think there are people in the celestial kingdom who are disobedient and rebellious? Do you think anyone there is selfish and possessive? Do you expect to see anyone there who is hateful, bigoted or resentful? Could any of the exalted be impure? Would it not surprise you to encounter there any person who does not seek to fulfill the will of the Father in all things?

President John Taylor explained:

“. . . if men do not live according to the laws of a celestial kingdom, they are not going into a celestial glory; they cannot pass by the angels {and the Gods}, who are set to guard the way of life. Straight is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there be that find it.

“Is God merciful? Yes. Will he treat his children well? Yes. He will do the very best he can for all. But there are certain eternal laws by which {the Gods in} the eternal worlds are governed {and which they cannot violate, and do not want to violate.} These eternal principles must be kept, and one principle is that no unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of God. What, then, will be the result? {Why}, the people . . . who do not keep the celestial law—will have to go into a lesser kingdom, into a terrestrial, or perhaps a telestial, as the case may be. Is that according to the law of God? Yes, for if they are not prepared for the celestial kingdom, they must go to such a one as they are prepared to endure. . . . [W]e are here in a school to learn, and it is for the elders of Israel who are desirous to do the will of God, and keep his commandments, to put themselves in the way of doing so, to seek to the Lord for his guidance and direction, to repent of their follies, their nonsense, and wickedness of every kind, and to come out for God and his kingdom, and to seek to build up the Zion of God and the kingdom of God upon the earth, and if we do this, God will bless us and exalt us in time and throughout the eternities that are to come.”— Gospel Kingdom, p. 19.

The straight and narrow path – the only path that leads to eternal exaltation – goes through the Temple – for only through the ordinances and covenants of the Temple can we become celestial people, prepared to dwell in that high and glorious place.

The covenants that we make in the Temple teach us how to live celestial lives, how to become celestial people. The Encyclopedia of Mormonism (p. 455) summarizes these covenants by saying:

“The temple Endowment is seen as the unfolding or culmination of the covenants made at baptism. Temple covenants give "tests by which one's willingness and fitness for righteousness may be known" (Widtsoe, p. 335). They include the "covenant and promise to observe the law of strict virtue and chastity, to be charitable, benevolent, tolerant and pure; to devote both talent and material means to the spread of truth and the uplifting of the [human] race; to maintain devotion to the cause of truth; and to seek in every way to contribute to the great preparation that the earth may be made ready to receive…Jesus Christ" (Talmage, p. 84). One also promises to keep these covenants sacred and to "trifle not with sacred things" ("D&C 6:12D&C 6:12).”

So the Temple covenants explain specifically who we must become to receive the fullness of our Heavenly Father’s blessings. They set a standard that we commit to reach. In making Temple covenants, we promise to give to our Heavenly Father all that we are and all that we possess. In turn, He promises to us that He will give us all that He is and all that He has. The Temple is the only place where men and women receive the fullness of the Priesthood. In describing the oath and covenant of the Melchizedek Priesthood, the Lord said:

“. . . [A]ll they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord;
For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me;
And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father;
And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father's kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.
And this is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood.
Therefore, all those who receive the priesthood, receive this oath and covenant of my Father, which he cannot break, neither can it be moved.
But whoso breaketh this covenant after he hath received it, and altogether turneth therefrom, shall not have forgiveness of sins in this world nor in the world to come.” D&C 84:35-41

Most importantly, in the Temple covenants, the Lord also promises to give us the added power that we need to keep the covenants that we have made for as long as we are willing to do so. No human being, by his or her efforts, can change a human being into a divine being. Only a divine being has the power to transform a human being into a divine being. The infinite Atonement is the source of this power; and the Holy Priesthood is the means by which this power works this transformation in us. Section 84 of the Doctrine and Covenants also tells us:

“And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.
Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.
And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh;
For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.” D&C 84:19-22.

Elder David E. Sorensen of the Presidency of the Seventy has explained perfectly how Temple covenants and ordinances give us access to divine power. He wrote:

“One reason for the power of covenants may be due to the capability they have for effecting changes in our lives, especially sacred covenants. . . . [B]y entering a covenant that is sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise (the Holy Ghost), we gain special access to the grace of God to help us keep the promises we have made.

“The purpose of temple work is to make more effective the Atonement of Jesus Christ. . . . Consider how the covenants of baptism, the sacrament, and the laying on of hands are all centered upon the Savior and His atoning sacrifice and how they lead us to change our lives. In a similar way, the covenants we make when we receive the endowment can propel us to even greater changes and greater Christlike behavior. . . . How do we gain access to the fullness of the Atonement, this additional dispensation of grace? Only by covenants, which are entered into only through ordinances, which can be performed only through priesthood keys. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught ‘Being born again comes by the Spirit of God through ordinances.’ (Liahona, Aug. 2002, 30)

We have the tremendous blessing of living in this, the last and the greatest of all dispensations of the Gospel. As such, we have a sacred opportunity that is almost unique in the history of this world. We cannot only receive these ordinances and covenants for ourselves. We can return to the Temple again and again to participate in these ordinances for others who have died. So far as has been revealed to us, ordinances been performed for the dead only during a brief part of the New Testament period and, presumably, during the Nephite Golden Age following the Savior’s visit to the Americas. Except for those peoples, during the whole history of the world, only the Latter-day Saints have had the blessing of returning to a Temple as often as they wish to hear and contemplate the eternal ordinances of the endowment.

Brothers and sisters, I counsel you – I implore you – I beg you, do not let this opportunity be wasted. Yes, it can be a sacrifice. It takes time and energy and a bit of money to travel to the Temple and worship there. But our Eternal Father, who will never allow Himself to be outdone in generosity, will reward you abundantly. I think it is of great, great importance that, of all the things the Almighty God could have selected for the highest form of worship, He asks only that we help our brothers and sisters, His children.

Each time we go to the Temple, we have the privilege of partaking more and more of the Savior’s grace and power as we participate in the Father’s work and glory, of bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of all His children. As we enter the sacred space of the Lord’s House, and walk the hallowed halls where angels tread, we can draw closer to the day when we will fulfill the ideal of which our Primary children sing:

I’m trying to be like Jesus;
I’m following in his ways.
I’m trying to live as he did, in all that I do and say,
At times I am tempted to make a wrong choice,
But I try to listen as the still small voice whispers,

“Love one another as Jesus loves you.
Try to show kindness in all that you do.
Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought,
For these are the things Jesus taught.”

I bear solemn witness that these things are true, and I do it in the sacred name of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, amen.