On the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus appeared in a transfigured state to Peter, James and John -- "And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow." Then Moses and Elijah made an appearance. Moments later the mount was overshadowed by a cloud and a voice was heard, saying, "This is my beloved Son: hear him."
Before Jesus began his ministry, there were no prophets in the land, and various individuals and groups claimed an exclusive privilege to interpret scripture. Early in his ministry, Jesus claimed that role for himself, but the Transfiguration answered the question definitively from the perspective of the Gospel writers.
The Hebrew Bible was an open canon during this time, though the Torah (Law) was, for all intents and purposes, a closed canon. The authoritative writings could be divided into three distinct sections, the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. In their appearance, Moses represented the law while Elijah represented the prophets, and they were seen talking with Jesus. This was followed by the voice in the cloud, which identified Jesus and God's Son and commanded that He be heard.
This episode ends any controversy about the right of Jesus to interpret the Law and the Prophets. The disciples were to listen to Jesus, and not to representatives from the Scribes, Sadducees, Pharisees, or Essenes, who claimed the right themselves.
As they descended the mountain, Jesus counseled Peter, James and John not to talk about what they had seen until after His death and resurrection, a statement not understood by the three disciples at the time. Though He would be rejected in Jerusalem by the elders, the scribes and the chief priests, the Father had verified by His own voice that Jesus' forthcoming rejection, suffering, and death in no way disqualified Him as God's beloved Son. Jesus' words must still be obeyed, no matter what happened to him in Jerusalem.
As children we learned to sing:
I am a child of God,
And he has sent me here. . . .
Rich blessings are in store;
If I but learn to do his will
I'll live with him once more.
Though we may be persecuted, rejected, even forgotten by our fellow humans, these trials in no way disqualify us as children of God. Though others may not recognized our noble birthright or see the value which we possess, the fact remains that we are the children of a loving Father in Heaven and that we have value. The actions of those around us cannot repudiate God's declaration that the worth of souls is great.
In those times when we are feeling discouraged, alone and forgotten, we should remember that we are God's children, that He loves us, that He has work for us to do, and that He will not forsake us.
Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!
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Six months ago I was writing about choosing happiness and accentuating the positive; while I acknowledged that it was not always easy I was pitching that it was time to "sing hallelujah, come on get happy." The road that followed has been a difficult one.
For all the talk of choosing happiness, life is difficult. Sometimes we are called to sail through troubled waters. Sometimes our challenges are of short duration but highly traumatic, at other times they may be of a low intensity but seemingly interminable. Sometimes we must go straight from an Omaha Beach and into Normandy-like hedgerows.
There are times when we desire to rejoice, yet we find our heart groaning. As important as choosing happiness might be, we should remember two things:
First, Nephi, a prophet who had witnessed many great visions, at least once felt to exclaim "O wretched man that I am" because of the temptations and sins which so easily beset him. What those temptations might have been does not really matter, what matters is that they were difficult for him.
Second, Jesus wept. When he finally reached Mary and Martha, after the death of Lazarus, and he beheld their sorrow, he wept. Even though he knew that he would very soon go and raise Lazarus from the dead, Jesus wept.
Knowing these two things, we should cut ourselves some slack next time we desire to rejoice, to choose happiness, to sing hallelujah, but instead feel despair at the vicissitudes of life. We can allow ourselves to feel frustrated, even angry at some of the challenges we face -- there are times when I am not very fond of diabetes.
But then let us remind ourselves of the great gift we celebrate at this time of year. "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son." Then might we say as Nephi did "Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, o my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul."
---
"I love you."
Three little words.
Three words, if we are blessed to have someone we love, that we should be saying often.
But if we keep saying the same words, will they not become vain repetitions?
No!
Unless our actions betray our words -- reveal our love to be absent -- then our repetition of "I love you" is not in vain.
Think of other words or phrases we might say with some regularity. Do they lose their meaning just because we keep saying them?
Of course not.
So, next time you get on your knees, and find that you are expressing yourself in words you have said before, and you worry that your repetition is becoming vain, ask yourself if you still mean what you say -- if you are truly sincere.
If the answer is yes, then fear not, and keep praying.
---
It occurs to me that before an individual can receive love, truly open themselves up to receive and accept love, they have to first believe and accept that they were worthy of being loved. Seems simple enough, except that the Adversary is working overtime to persuade us that we are not worthy of receiving love.
For myself, it seems that he started early and has been relentless. I have also made a few mistakes along the way, picked up some bad habits, and some shame for the sins and temptations which so easily beset me. There remains a nagging doubt that if my friends really knew about my weaknesses, they would reject me.
But this is just another lie from the father of all lies. I am a child of God, and He has sent me here. As such, I have value -- we all do! We are all beautiful and special because we are the creation of a loving Father in Heaven.
Courage, then, for the Lord is on our side.
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