The Power of His Everlasting Word
(Alma 5:5, 7)
To be read as part of the weekly assignment after Principle Four.
THE HONEST LIGHT OF TRUTH
These two verses from the Book of Mormon, Alma 5:5 and 7, disclose the key to getting out of bondage-whether that bondage be to Lamanites, or a destructive habit, or to a dysfunctional past. In any of those cases, being free-free to grow and shine and become one’s own fullest potential self-in this life and in the next hangs squarely on recognizing, acknowledging, and embracing (internalizing) “the power of his [everlasting] word.”
Let us examine then, just what this power is by searching the symphonic nature of several scriptures:
In John 1:14 we are told that the “Word” is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Thus we are led to understand that “the power of his [everlasting] word” is the power of Jesus Christ.
In Doctrine and Covenants 84:45 the transposition is plainly stated: “For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” So now we have the understanding opened to us that “the power of his [everlasting] word” is synonymous with the power or Spirit of Christ, which is synonymous with truth.
Next, we find in Doctrine and Covenants 84:46 that Christ is the light that lighteth every man who comes into the world. So thus we understand that every man and woman has the potential, at least, to be in conscious contact with truth, and that conscious contact is the power that will lead them out of bondage. This is true of everyone-member or non-member.
So at its most basic level, a level available to all, the light of Christ is a source of truth that functions even anonymously if necessary. In other words even agnostics and atheists have it, if they live by a standard of truth and honesty. We would do well to realize there are likely some “agnostics” even among active Latter-day Saints-people who, if they would be true and honest and who fear (respect) God, whose standard is truth, more than they do man (their family and societal expectations), would have to admit, “I don’t know if there is a God or not…at least a God who is personal to me.“
So where and how do we begin to let this respect for truth enter our lives? We begin by accepting the challenge to recognize, acknowledge and embrace honestly what our conscience tells us is true about our past and present choices.
THE KEY IS WRITING
Writing is the key to this honest look within. Keeping a notebook that we can use to write down our inner thoughts or feelings is essential. A very wise person once said, “How can I know what I think until I see what I say?” Writing tends to solidify our focus, cutting through the inner turmoil of all the “voices” we hear within; the “old tapes” that were imprinted in us by the influence of parents and significant others (siblings, extended family, close friends, etc.).
Besides using writing to keep up with current “events,” a second writing project is unavoidable if a person desires the privilege of “graduating” from the basic level of conscience, the light of Christ, to the realization of the gift of the Holy Ghost. This writing project is the exercise of doing a fearlessly honest moral inventory of our past. This must be done because even though we might clean up our storefront, so to speak (picture a little old-fashioned country store), or in other words, our current life-if we do not go back into the storeroom (our past) and check every box and barrel stored there as thoroughly as we consciously can, we will still be plagued with “rotten smells” that will drive others away. And the most significant “other” our stored-up garbage will drive away will be the Holy Spirit. And since we need His “patronage” in our little store (His power in our life) in order to continue our progression in living by personal revelation, we would be wise to do all we can to cultivate His constant attendance with us. He is, after all, the First Comforter who can in His own time and in His own way prepare us to receive the Second Comforter, even Jesus Christ Himself.
A THOROUGH HOUSECLEANING
And so let’s begin this inventory process. Visualizing that country store might prove helpful. We could even visualize it with a big sign stretched across the front that says “Temporarily Closed for Inventory,” and we could take a couple of days and just work on the project. Most of us, however, find that we have to keep the “store” of our life open for business as usual while we conduct this inventory work in our spare time, drawn out over a longer stretch of time-a month or so for instance. This can be a pretty taxing time in either case, but it is worth it. A fullness of the Holy Spirit’s companionship is our desire and will be our reward. His gifts are beyond comprehension-the greatest being the gift of revelation, which begins with the sure witness of Christ. Not just your witness of Him either, but even more important-His witness of you. Oh, what a small price to pay-to do this fearless and searching moral (honest) inventory.
It will take a great deal of faith and maybe some false starts to get people to attempt this effort, though, for the substance of its promise is only hoped for and not yet seen. And after all, their hesitancy is understandable because (1) this is going to be hard work on their part-no quick fix from a priesthood blessing or a counseling session; this is the “working out one’s own salvation” (Mormon 9:27) part of the process of humbling themselves; (2) there are some pretty scary things back there in that storeroom of the past-boxes and bundles, for instance, marked “From Mom (or Dad) with Love” that stink to high heaven.
How do people clean those out without offending their parents-whether living or dead? These are real concerns and need to be met with patience and the assurance that it’s worth it.
The bottom line, as always, for each of us individually is to what length we are willing to go in order to obtain the promised results of such a thorough “housecleaning,” to have the fullness of whatever degree of spiritual guidance we have been ordained to receive. For those of us who have received the ordinances of baptism and confirmation, that fullness is of the Holy Ghost, which fullness brings the gifts of the Spirit, the greatest of which is the spirit of revelation. That gift will eventually, in God’s time, introduce each of us individually to the reality of our true eternal heritage and identity. We will have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to have the heavens opened unto us, and to commune with our eternal family (D&C 107:19). Thus will all the “rivets” that hold the “creeds of [our] fathers, who have inherited lies,” be loosed; and the “confusion” and “corruption” in our personal lives will be removed (D&C 123:7). Our hearts will be changed and we will have no more desire to do evil, but to do good continually. Our dispositions will be changed (Mosiah 5:2). Do you hear that? Do you realize what it means? A person who is “in the midst of darkness” (negativity) can be “illuminated” (Alma 5:7)!
THE MECHANICS
And what are the mechanics of the process? I can only share what has worked for me. Keep in mind that everyone is different, and the light of truth in each person might lead to personalizing this procedure.
A. Get a notebook. Label several pages in five- or ten-year increments.
B. Now turn to the highest power you can honestly acknowledge-even if it be only your own inner desire to be free of the bondage (the bad habit, etc.) you admit you’re in. (Alma 32 tells us that even a desire is sufficient for a beginning and can work in us.) Draw upon that highest power in you, either by praying (if you can visualize a personal Higher Power, such as a Heavenly Father or Savior) or by picturing that desire to get well, to be free, as a spark of light-a candle or flashlight-held in your hand as you venture into the past; just as long as you see and feel your source of light as “illuminating” (Alma 5:7).
C. Now begin by listing any and every negative memory you have. (By focusing on the negative I do not begin to imply ignoring the positive. If it helps you, keep a separate list of positive memories, but know that doing so will extend the length of time the inventory process will take.)
What you’re looking for is any memory of a person, place, thing or situation in your past that still makes you feel any degree of negative emotion. Following is a sample of the form I used, with some hypothetical examples at different age levels.
|
Person, place, |
Negative emotion the memory causes (fear, guilt, anger, resentment, bitterness, etc.) |
Why does it make |
|
0-5 years |
1) anger, 2) guilt |
1) because she stole it |
|
5-10 years |
1) guilt, 2) resentment |
1) I knew it was wrong
|
|
10-15 years |
1) fear, 2) guilt,
|
1) He always tickled me
|
Just reading those examples might give you a feeling for how the process could help a person begin to develop a relationship with complete truth and honesty. No more pretending that it didn’t happen, or that it didn’t hurt. No more pretending that we don’t feel the way we do. Thus the roots from which our present-day defeating and even destructive behaviors spring begins to come to light.
THE REST OF THE PROCESS
When the inventory is done, and we have left no box, bag, or barrel unopened (to continue our storeroom metaphor) up to the present time, we come to the next step. This is a big one, so brace yourself! Using this written inventory as a guide, we must admit the “exact nature” of our “wrongs” to ourselves, to God, and to another person.
Before you panic, look back at your list. The exact nature of your wrongs are not the things listed in the first column-those are just the outward circumstances, the symptoms of the underlying heart-deep problem. The “exact” nature of your wrongs-the spiritual roots of those outward behaviors-are revealed in the middle column. For instance, if you go back and run your eyes down that center column and find the word “fear” listed over and over again, you can see clearly the truth about yourself-that you are a person who (even though you might be very active-even anxiously active-in the Church) has a real faith deficit. Or as another example, if you find a lot of guilt-type words showing up in that center column, you now know that you are a person with a tendency to refuse the atonement of Christ in your own behalf. If you find a lot of words such as “anger,” “bitter,” “resentful,” it reveals your heart-level rejection of the atonement of Christ for others. (One way or the other, Christ and His atonement are what we’ve been underutilizing, or we wouldn’t have been in bondage to begin with.)
After this process we must turn to Christ consciously and deliberately (Alma 36:18; Alma 38:8) and ask Him to apply His atoning power to our hearts, to purify them of those character traits that cause us to resist His gracious offer of cleansing-to give us a “remission of our sins.” He will then burn through our inner unconscious selves-cleansing us and revealing to us all that we’ve missed. We will find ourselves awakening to (sometimes gradually, sometimes abruptly) and enjoying the ever-increasing companionship of the Holy Spirit.
Note, however, the Lord’s choice of the word remission of our sins. What we have obtained (this cleaned-out storeroom of life) must be retained by taking frequent, even daily inventories, and when we find ourselves tempted to store away a fear or an anger, etcetera, we must promptly admit it to ourselves, to God and to another trusted person. For example, a quick call to a close trusted friend to admit “I was just tempted to lie to Sister Jones about why I couldn’t teach her primary class, but then I consciously reached out to the Lord (remember He’s the Light of Truth) and found the courage in His Spirit to be honest.” When we not only feel tempted but actually give into a temptation, we need to promptly admit it to ourselves, to God, and to that trusted other person-and not hide in denial or rationalization. (**Note: If any of our past situations or current ones involve moral transgressions, the “trusted third person” needs to be our bishop.)
ONE “LAST” THING
We also have not finished the process until we make amends to anyone we might have harmed. The only condition under which we would avoid making amends is if to do so would deeply injure or disrupt someone’s current life. Making amends for current inventory issues is the equivalent of the old adage that we should never let the sun set on a trouble between us and another person.
When we pursue this course to the best of our ability, relying continuously on the guidance of a loving Heavenly Father and Elder Brother, as communicated to us through the administration of the Holy Spirit, we cannot help but be filled with an ever-increasing degree of consciousness of that guidance. The very gifts of the Spirit begin to pour out in such abundance that we can hardly contain them and we know that He is our “constant companion”-even as our confirmation promises us. Life becomes an adventure, not a chore and a challenge, not a trial. Our journey to find Him, even the Spirit of Truth, begins with aligning ourselves with the truth-past and present. In this willingness to become honest is the power of truth, the power of Christ, the power of His everlasting word.
He Did Deliver Me from Bondage can be found at most LDS bookstores or purchased online at www.rosehavenpublishing.com
