God's servants' love for God's children

Dear friend

There are special people who have been called by God to represent Him; to lead, teach and serve His children. Down the years they have been known as prophets, patriarchs, presidents, pastors, priests, and many other titles (that don't all start with the letter p), not least of these other callings being simply that of teacher. They are all imperfect men and women sent out by a perfect God to do His will and His work. In performing their duties they strive to pattern their lives after the Saviour Jesus Christ. This includes learning to have the same type of pure love Jesus has for all people. The Lord called this ultimate love charity.

There are several examples in the scriptures of the Lord's servants exhibiting the pure love of Christ in the way they serve and lead. For example in the Book of Mormon, Alma 13:27.

27 And now, my brethren, I wish from the inmost part of my heart, yea, with great anxiety even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance;

Notice the truly heartfelt emotion of pure love the Prophet Alma expresses as he desires the people to repent. There is no obvious personal gain for Alma that would cause him to be so concerned for others' salvation. Indeed he and his companion Amulek would end up imprisoned, maltreated and worse. Alma uses language that emphasises the intensity of feeling and selflessness, with words like anxiety and pain.

This is surely an inkling into the kind of love Jesus Christ has for us. It was His pure charitable caring for our spiritual wellbeing and eternal future that motivated the acceded agony of the Atonement. I believe that true servants of Jesus Christ have a testimonial understanding of Christ's sacrificial suffering and the feeling behind it. They want to help us attain to a glorious eternal future. Like the Lord, they too find it intensely saddening to imagine anyone being assigned or resigned to a place that is not with the Father. They also have come to understand the familial connection between every living soul as children of God, even loving us as literal brothers and sisters.

I hope we appreciate the sincerity of God's chosen teachers and leaders. We should pray for them as they serve us. And we too should seek to have that same pure Christlike love for others.

Samuel.

Abundance, an opportunity to give

Dear friend

One of the blessings of righteous gospel living can be an increase in material wealth (although certainly not always). There are numerous examples of God and His prophets promising great harvests, growing flocks and groaningly full fishing nets. Abundance can be more than just spiritual.

After the Lord gave the Parable of the Sower, He made a comment that seems more fitting as an explanation of the Parable of the Talents. The verse is from the New Testament, Matthew 13:12.

12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

The Lord was actually talking about our ability and openness to understand truth, whether taught by parables or some other way. So, the concept of abundance can also relate to gospel knowledge.

Returning to a more practical consideration, the Apostle Paul taught how we should use any extra means we have. This verse is from 2 Corinthians 8:14.

14 But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:

Here then is a social order aimed at meeting each other's needs. The method for helping those in want is based on your "ability to give". And it works both ways if you are the one in want. This perhaps sounds idealistic from the perspective of today's greedy and selfish world.

However, in modern times the Lord has emphasised His expectations, as found in Doctrine and Covenants 104:18.

18 Therefore, if any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion, according to the law of my gospel, unto the poor and the needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment.

I hope we will be willing givers of our abundances, be they financial, spiritual or gospel knowledge-based. Because we never know when we might be in need of a share of someone else's abundance.

Samuel.