BRINGER OF GOOD TIDINGS – PUBLISHER OF PEACE – PUBLISHER OF SALVATION

During the trials of Abinadi before the wicked King Noah we may find for the first time that Zeniff must have taken some record of the scriptures with him when he departed the Land of Nephi and returned to the land of their original inheritance, because one of the priests of Noah quotes verses which could have only come from the Brass Plates of Laban as he interrogates the prophet.

And it came to pass that one of them said unto him: What meaneth the words which are written, and which have been taught by our fathers, saying: (Mosiah 12: 20)

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings; that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good; that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth; Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing; for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion; Break forth into joy; sing together ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem; (Mosiah 12: 21-23 and Isaiah 52: 7-10)

The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God? (Mosiah 12 :24 and Isaiah 33: 2)

In his no holds barred sermon Abinadi rebukes the Priests of Noah and gives some solemn counsel to those who would ever be involved in the calling of being a publisher of the Lord’s word.

In order to avoid perverting the way of the Lord we must first have understanding before we attempt to teach.

We must apply our hearts (have desire) to gain understanding.

Only though having the spirit of prophesy will we gain understanding.

Only after gaining wisdom through understanding are we able to teach correctly.

No matter how much preparation we had done, it would be impossible to teach; as a bringer of good tidings, as a publisher of peace or as a publisher of salvation, if we are not truthfully living the principle we are attempting to teach.

I suspect appropriate one word summations of my life could include such words as a son, disciple (of Christ), husband, father and fan (sport), but if the aggregate of non-sleeping hours were used to determine the most appropriate one word descriptor it would be teacher.

My formal teaching experiences started when I became my father’s Home Teaching companion at the age of 12. My first calling as a teacher came at the age of 17 when I was given the assignment to teach the 13, 14 year old youth in Sunday School. After the age of 19 the hours I spent teaching each day seldom dipped below 4 and usually exceeded 10, publishing salvation. After retirement from being a professional publisher of peace my daily hourly dedication to publishing good tidings declined to between 4 and 6 hours a day.

I suspect it would be impossible to have had even the least degree of activity with the Priesthood organizations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints without having read or been taught the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood as found in Section 84 of the Doctrine and Covenants verses 33-41. To one degree or another I believe all who have had this experience are affected by having been introduced to those obligatory phrases with the accompanying promised blessings.

And yet, only as I was reading the 12th chapter of Mosiah in preparation for this Thought was I struck with the profoundness of Abinadi’s words, which could easily be used as an oath and covenant of one who would bring good tiding, a publisher of peach and a publisher of salvation.

I add a few scriptures to ponder, which could add to Abinadi’s words:

But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. (Matthew 10: 19, 20)

And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say. (Luke 12: 11, 12)

And now I, Nephi, cannot write all the things which were taught among my people; neither am I mighty in writing, like unto speaking; for when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men. (2 Nephi 33: 1)

And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day. (Jacob 1:19)

As I conclude this Thought for a Sabbath Day I am profoundly struck with the understanding that of all the talents and attributes a teacher must have in order to be a bringer of good tidings, a publisher of peace and a publisher of salvation, it is that of being in tune with what Abinadi identifies as the Spirit of Prophesy and is called elsewhere in scripture the Holy Ghost.


THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY

EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY