Happy Birthday Bralyn!!
I made these pictures earlier today, but my mind kept coming back to them all day. I felt to write some of my thoughts here on this post.
Bralyn is my nephew who has joined my sweet little Lexi on the other side. He was 4 years old at the time, and although his sudden passing was and is hard, the “the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ” (Mosiah 16:8)
What does that really mean, “swallowed up in Christ?” To understand this, we must look at faith, hope, charity found in Moroni 7.
3 Wherefore, I would speak unto you that are of the church, that are the peaceable followers of Christ, and that have obtained a sufficient hope by which ye can enter into the rest of the Lord, from this time henceforth until ye shall rest with him in heaven.
This is a very special audience, they “have obtained a sufficient hope by which ye can enter into the rest of the Lord.” This is powerful hope. They know because they have obtained such hope, but he continues, “from this time henceforth until ye shall rest with him in heaven. Such amazing hope. As we will soon learn, that this hope only comes to or is possessed by those who have like faith because these two grow and diminish in proportion to each other, in equal amounts.
Moroni 7:33
If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.
So, faith = power, but what kind of power, “to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.” Very important key is taught here, whatever power the Father wants us to have, will be given to those with faith. If it was expedient we could part the Red Sea, be caught up into a high mountain, or remain on earth without a loved one and without the sting and hurt of their absence. I will simply refer to this definition of power as Power with a capital ‘P’ going forward.
King Benjamin’s people understood the Power given by the Father because of their faith.
Mosiah 5:3-4
3 And we, ourselves, also, through the infinite goodness of God, and the manifestations of his Spirit, have great views of that which is to come; and were it expedient, we could prophesy of all things.
4 And it is the faith which we have had on the things which our king has spoken unto us that has brought us to this great knowledge, whereby we do rejoice with such exceedingly great joy. https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/5?lang=eng
With the understanding that faith = Power, we can begin to understand how to lay hold upon or obtain great hope.
40 And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope?
41 And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.
42 Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope.
This is so simple and yet deep at the same time. We hope that Christ atoned for our sins, overcame death through the resurrection, and that eternal life will be ours because of and according to the promise, and we know that God can not lie. With our faith which is Power, we know that if these things are expedient for us, them we shall have them, if we comply with the conditions of the promise. But, important to note, that we now have no shadow of doubt, because of our faith which = Power that God will fulfill our hope.
With such faith and unshaken hope, by and through our faith, we can lay hold upon charity.
43 And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart.
44 If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity.
Remember Peter when he said, Thou art the Christ…
Matthew 16:15-17
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/16?lang=eng
The only way that Peter knew this, is because the Father revealed it unto him. Thus, it is for us. In order for us to “confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ,” were must have had this revealed unto us by the Father. Only the meek and lowly in heart will qualify for us a revelation once they have faith that = Power and sufficient hope. Then and only then will we obtain charity.
48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.
Once endowed with charity, we “become the sons of God.” There is something significant with this status, we would be given power (because of our faith, hope, and charity) to become like Christ in very word and deed, and become purified as He is pure.
Now, to bring this full circle to my original question, what does that really mean, “swallowed up in Christ?”
It all starts with faith and hope, faith that = Power that God will exalt us through the process outlined above. But, there is no shadow of doubt that He can and will do this. With such faith and hope, death has no sting, because it has no victory and our hope fulfilled by our faith which equals Power, we would endure all things like Job, because we will stand victorious.
I hope this post was clear enough. But ultimately let us build up our faith to KNOW that God will give us power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in Him. We will overcome this world by our faith because of the Power He will give us. With this faith, let us elevate our hope, and seek after charity and the revelation the Jesus is the Christ, that we can become His sons and be like unto Him. Then He will say unto us as he has already said unto Bralyn:
Enos 1:27
Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen. https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/enos/1?lang=eng
I say these things in the name of my Savior, even Jesus Christ, Amen.
Craig
Craig, that was a beautiful post, thank you again for being lead by the spirit and for spending time with Bralyn! ❤️Love you!
Beautiful Craig!