UNTO EVERY NATION, TONGUE AND PEOPLE

Yea, and the voice of the Lord, by the mouth of angels, doth declare it unto all nations; yea, doth declare it, that they may have glad tidings of great joy; yea, and he doth sound these glad tidings among all his people, yea, even to them that are scattered abroad upon the face of the earth; wherefore they have come unto us.

And they are made known unto us in plain terms, that we may understand, that we cannot err; and this because of our being wanderers in a strange land; therefore, we are thus highly favored, for we have these glad tidings declared unto us in all parts of our vineyard.

For behold, angels are declaring it unto many at this time in our land; and this is for the purpose of preparing the hearts of the children of men to receive his word at the time of his coming in his glory. (Alma 13: 22-24)

There is no doubt that as my days have lengthened it is true that I have, as some have accused me, become more and more (Paul-E-Anaish) as my belief in a God of love and mercy has dramatically increased and my rejection of a god of fear and retribution has all but been eliminated. In spite of what others might think, I personally prefer to believe that the gospel or the good news has softened my heart and broadened my hope for myself and my brothers and sisters whose sojourn upon this earth was of but a few or of numerous days.

I have spent many hours pondering: what seems to me to be an unequal distribution of the words of angels given to just and holy messengers (Alma 13: 26) who declare these glad tidings among Heavenly Fathers children.

I have spent many hours pondering: if in fact all nations have equally received the plain truths brought forth by angels, why was it necessary for Jesus the Christ after His resurrection to go and preach and institute the great missionary work among those in Spirit Prison who had perished at the time of Noah.

I have spent many hours pondering: why, if the gospel is equally available in every strange land, latter-day prophets talk of anxiously anticipating the day when they can participate in the great missionary work being done among those who have left mortality.

I have spent many hours pondering: if the fullness of the Savior’s Atoning Sacrifice covered not only those who had had their hearts prepared and who had received the word, but also those who were too innocent to be held responsible, along with those who were covered in the cloak of ignorance and I have even pondered about those who fall into the category of being deceived through the craftiness of men.

I have spent many hours pondering: while doing sealings for children and couples on both sides of the veil whether their worthiness for receiving the blessings being pronounced were initiated by angels during mortality or while they were learning in the Post Mortal Spirit World.

I have spent many hours pondering; why even among those peoples who have been highly favored in that they have heard just and holy messengers declare the words they have received of angels, do they continue to error and do not come to an unified understanding of the truth, but contend over the word.

Although I do not even pretend to have eternal definitive understanding of God’s knowledge of my ponderings, I do find I like the person I have become, who in his porch sitting days, has become far less likely to point the finger at his neighbor’s faults and far more likely to feel compassion for their cause and broader in my desire to understand their plights.

I have come to a deep conviction that Alma’s proclamation that every soul will hear the words of gospel sung by angels and delivered by just and holy messengers can only happen to every nation, tongue and people if we include all the phases of our existence.

As we learn in Alma’s concluding words in this 13th chapter of his writings, no matter when or by whom we receive the gospel there are requirements which come upon us if we are going to receive the promised blessings.

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; but that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering; having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest.

As I read these closing words of Alma:

I am filled with Joy that I have had the privilege of being among those unto whom much has been given during my physical probationary period.

I am grateful that I have felt an increase of the promises made to those who watch and pray that they will be led by the Holy Spirit, helping them to an increase of humility, meekness, submissiveness, patience, love and long suffering.

Although I have little hope in my ability to gain perfection and completeness in these attributes while in my mortal body, I have faith that I will have the help of angels and messengers in the Spirit World for ages after I am no longer sitting and swinging on the porch.

I daily become more convinced that the last day spoken of by Alma is that time when the Lord declares our probationary time finished not by some arbitrary change from one phase of our existence into another, whether we refer to it as a death from our pre-mortal state to life in our mortal state or death from our mortal state unto being born unto eternal life, we will continue to hear, understand and strive to perfect His word in us until He says it is finished.

I pray the Lord will bless us to do now those things we know to do, search to know what more we can know and have sufficient charity to allow all our brothers and sisters to labor in the vineyard they have been given until we unitedly are laboring once again in the vineyard of the Lord.


THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY

EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY

PEACE + JOY + LOVE + FAITH + HOPE + CHARITY = THE GOOD LIFE