The Love of a Father

It has been a while since I've posted anything. I have recently been reading in the Infinite Atonement by Tad R. Callister and I thought I should post this it is about our loving Heavenly Father and His love for us and his Son.


“suppose at your command you could release your son from the exquisite pain that has caused him to cry” father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me”. which of us could resist such a request from a son who had never erred, never complained, never asked anything for himself— who all his life had honored and obeyed and served us, whose only thoughts were for others, and now in this moment of supreme agony plead for help, just his once, for himself? would not our hearts have been bursting with compassion? would not that cry of pathos, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me,” offered by the purest of all beings, the most obedient of all sons, so overpower us as to break our hearts and weaken our resolve? how much could this most loving o all fathers stand? but the words of the messianic the tender heart of the most loving of all fathers: “why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?” (psalm 22:1). would the overwhelming emotion of the moment have so flooded our powers of reason, so diluted our vision that we would have yielded and release him? would we in our wisdom have sent the legion of angels to heal the bleeding pores and remove the nails from his torn flesh? fortunately, even with his incomparable love for his Son, our Father in Heaven did not relent. Paul paid tribute to our Father, who chose not to exercise his saving power on behalf of his Only Begotten Son, so that we also might be saved: “He… spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all” (Romans 8:32). Truly, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son”, or as John later observed, “in this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him” (1John 4:9). Why did God not release his Son? because he knew there was no other way to save the rest of his children. Christ was our only hope, our only means to salvation. Elder Melvin J. Ballard, with a tender insight that seemed to penetrate the veil, commented on the father’s choice not to rescue his son: “God heard the cry of his Son in that moment of great grief and agony, in the garden when, it is said, the pores of his body opened and drops of blood stood upon him, and he cried out: ‘Father if thou be willing,  emove this cup from me.’ I ask you, what father and mother could stand by and listen to the cry of their children in distress, in this world and not render aid and assistance? … we cannot stand by and listen to those cites without its touching our hearts. The Lord has not given us the power to save our own. He has given us faith, and we submit to the inevitable, but he had the power to save, and he loved his Son, and he could have saved him… He saw that Son finally upon Calvary; he saw his body stretched our upon the wooden cross; he saw the cruel nails driven through hands and feet, and the  lows that broke the skin, tore the flesh, and let out the life’s blood of his Son. He looked upon that. In any case our Father, the knife was not stayed, but it fell, and the life’s blood of his Beloved Son went out. His Father looked on with great grief and agony over his Beloved Son, until there seems to have come a moment when even our Savior cried out in despair: ‘My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me?’ In that hour I think I can see our dear Father behind the veil looking upon these dying struggles until even he could not endure it any longer; and, like a mother who bids farewell to her dying child, has to be taken out of the room, so as not to look upon the last struggles, so he bowed his head, and hid in some part of his universe, his great heart almost breaking for the love hat he had for his Son. oh, in that moment when he might have saved his Son, I thank him and praise him that he did not fail us, for he had not only the love of his Son in mind, but he also had love for us."

Doubt Not Because Ye See Not

            So today I would like to share a quick experience that happened to me a couple of weeks ago. I hope that it can help at least one of my readers. It is a simple lesson that is taught eloquently in the 12th chapter of Ether by Moroni, where he said “doubt not because you fear not.”
            This semester has been an interesting one for me as I have at times felt like I could conquer the world and at others where the world had taken me and shoved me to the ground and kicked me while I was down. It came to the point where a couple of weeks ago the stresses of school and everything else were getting to me and I didn’t know if I could take it anymore. I have always wanted to become a doctor and because of that the classes that I take are by necessity harder than most other classes. It has been frustrating to me as I have studied long hours for a test and put in the effort in order to good and then when performance times comes I don’t do as well as I would like. It has been very frustrating. It even came to the point where I started to ask myself, “can I do this?”. I have at multiple times felt that I am completely alone in the accomplishment of my dreams and that God didn’t care if I succeeded of failed. It came to the point where I even started to wonder if God was really there. After enduring the doubt for a time I decided to ask for help. My plea for help was a small text to my angelic mother which said, “Mom I am tired, I cannot do this anymore.” To which she responded “maybe you should ask for a priesthood blessing”
            That weekend I went home and asked my “adopted” older brother for a blessing. Before he came over to give me a blessing my mother asked me “what do you expect from the blessing?” My response was, “I don’t know.” I knew I needed help but my faith was dwindling and I didn’t know what the Lord would care enough to help. When my brother arrived to give me a blessing we sat and talked for a while about everything that was going on. I told him my frustrations of not being able to perform as well as I would like on tests and that I needed to do better if I was ever to make it in to Medical School. He then proceeded to give me a blessing one that could only come from God. In the blessing he began by talking about my desire to become a doctor and that my choice to follow the Savior’s example as a physical healer was a noble and just cause. I don’t ever remember telling him about that. I have always looked at the scriptures and one of the biggest things that has stuck out to me is that Christ healed people both physically and spiritually and I have always wanted to follow in his footsteps. He talked about the Love of God and how much he loved me. He then talked about how there are people on the other side of the vail that are with me constantly praying and doing everything that they can in order to help me. He said, “they are happy when you are happy and cry when you are sad.” The whole time I felt the spirit and knew what he was saying was true but there was always in the back of my mind the questions, how? Why? The spirit was strong throughout the whole blessing. When he finished he sat down and we began to talk again. I we talked about faith and not knowing if something will work out or even knowing the answer to the question why? I wondered why did I feel so strongly to transfer to BYU? Why am I here? I felt like the father in Mark 9 that brings his son to the Savior. Elder Jeffery R. Holland describes the event as follows: On one occasion Jesus came upon a group arguing vehemently with His disciples. When the Savior inquired as to the cause of this contention, the father of an afflicted child stepped forward, saying he had approached Jesus’s disciples for a blessing for his son, but they were not able to provide it. With the boy still gnashing his teeth, foaming from the mouth, and thrashing on the ground in front of them, the father appealed to Jesus with what must have been last-resort desperation in his voice:
            “If thou canst do any thing,” he said, “have compassion on us, and help us.
            “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
            “And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help                        

           thou mine unbelief.”1
            This man’s initial conviction, by his own admission, is limited. But he has an urgent, emphatic desire in behalf of his only child. We are told that is good enough for a beginning. “Even if ye can no more than desire to believe,” Alma declares, “let this desire work in you, even until ye believe.”2 With no other hope remaining, this father asserts what faith he has and pleads with the Savior of the world, “If thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.”3 I can hardly read those words without weeping. The plural pronoun us is obviously used intentionally. This man is saying, in effect, “Our whole family is pleading. Our struggle never ceases. We are exhausted. Our son falls into the water. He falls into the fire. He is continually in danger, and we are continually afraid. We don’t know where else to turn. Can you help us? We will be grateful for anything—a partial blessing, a glimmer of hope, some small lifting of the burden carried by this boy’s mother every day of her life.” “If thou canst do any thing,” spoken by the father, comes back to him “If thou canst believe,” spoken by the Master. “Straightway,” the scripture says—not slowly nor skeptically nor cynically but “straightway”—the father cries out in his unvarnished parental pain, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”
            I am in no way comparing myself to this father as far as the severity of his trials but his words were now my words. Lord I believe, help thou mine unbelief. I prayed that the Lord would open my eyes so that I could see his hand in my life because for the moment I was blind. Then for a moment no one spoke, all was quiet, then entered into my mind one line from my patriarchal blessing. It says, “You will be blessed to receive an education worthy of the spirit inside you.” One simple line that entered into my heart with great power and force. My blessing never says anything about my career and I have always wondered why but in this moment I understood. In this moment God was telling my that everything would be okay and everything would work out. I still didn’t know how but I felt peace that things would be okay. A feeling of overwhelming love then entered into my heart and all I could think was “Father you knew, Father you knew” He knew I would be in that very moment doubting, hurting, and confused. He knew that I would wonder if I could ever become a doctor despite the fact that I had received so many spiritual confirmations that that was what I supposed to do. He knew I would feel alone. He knew all along and so he inspired a Patriarch to say that simple line in my patriarchal blessing.
            Moroni said, “4 Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.
            5 And it came to pass that Ether did prophesy great and marvelous things unto the people, which they did not believe, because they saw them not.

            6 And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.
            7 For it was by faith that Christ showed himself unto our fathers, after he had risen from the dead; and he showed not himself unto them until after they had faith in him; wherefore, it must needs be that some had faith in him, for he showed himself not unto the world.
            8 But because of the faith of men he has shown himself unto the world, and glorified the name of the Father, and prepared a way that thereby others might be partakers of the heavenly gift, that they might hope for those things which they have not seen.
            9 Wherefore, ye may also have hope, and be partakers of the gift, if ye will but have faith.
            10 Behold it was by faith that they of old were called after the holy order of God.
            11 Wherefore, by faith was the law of Moses given. But in the gift of his Son hath God prepared a more excellent way; and it is by faith that it hath been fulfilled.
            12 For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith.
            13 Behold, it was the faith of Alma and Amulek that caused the prison to tumble to the earth.
            14 Behold, it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi that wrought the change upon the Lamanites, that they were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost.
            15 Behold, it was the faith of Ammon and his brethren which wrought so great a miracle among the Lamanites.
            16 Yea, and even all they who wrought miracles wrought them by faith, even those who were before Christ and also those who were after.
            17 And it was by faith that the three disciples obtained a promise that they should not taste of death; and they obtained not the promise until after their faith.
            18 And neither at any time hath any wrought miracles until after their faith; wherefore they first believed in the Son of God.
            19 And there were many whose faith was so exceedingly strong, even before Christ came, who could not be kept from within the veil, but truly saw with their eyes the things which they had beheld with an eye of faith, and they were glad.
            20 And behold, we have seen in this record that one of these was the brother of Jared; for so great was his faith in God, that when God put forth his finger he could not hide it from the sight of the brother of Jared, because of his word which he had spoken unto him, which word he had obtained by faith.
            21 And after the brother of Jared had beheld the finger of the Lord, because of the promise which the brother of Jared had obtained by faith, the Lord could not withhold anything from his sight; wherefore he showed him all things, for he could no longer be kept without the veil.
            22 And it is by faith that my fathers have obtained the promise that these things should come unto their brethren through the Gentiles; therefore the Lord hath commanded me, yea, even Jesus Christ.”

            There will be times in all of our lives where we will will wonder why and how, but in those moments we must doubt not and fear not. The Lord will help us.

Between Death and the Resurrection

BETWEEN DEATH AND THE RESURECTION

(Kyle S. McKay, Kaysville Utah Haight Creek Stake Conference; November 4, 2006)

            In September of 1842, the Prophet Joseph Smith wrote a letter to the saints about a “subject [that] seems to occupy my mind, and press itself upon my feelings the strongest.” For the past few weeks, my mind and feelings have been occupied by the death of a dear friend.
            When I was in high school, there were several people whom I considered friends, but there were about six young men who were my closest fiends. Of that group, I have remained in regular contact with four. Paul Lawrence of our stake, Dave Wright and Scott Pendleton, formerly of our stake, and spencer Hill, most recently of Salt Lake City. Two of those four are now dead. Scott Pendleton died four years ago, and Spencer Hill died last week of cancer, leaving his wife and four beautiful children. I have wondered whether being my close friend constitutes a health hazard, and feel tonight that I should say, “Run, Paul, Run!”
            I hope you will not mind that I take a few moments to share with you some of the thoughts and feelings that I have had regarding “the state of the soul between death and resurrection.” That is a subject that seems to occupy my mind and press itself upon my feelings the strongest. Some of what I share is quite sacred and I hope you will treat it as such.
            I commend to you the entire 40th chapter of Alma, wherein Alma taught his son, Corianton, about the spirit world in some detail. Additionally, because all of us have been and will b deeply affected by the death of a loved one, I commend the following principles and doctrines regarding the righteous who have passed on. I will put these principles to you in question and answer format.
            Q: Where is the spirit world?
            A: It is here, or at least nearby. Joseph Smith said that the spirits of the righteous “are not far from us.” Ezra Taft Benson taught the same thing. And Brigham Young was even more definitive. He said, “Where is the spirit world? It is right here.” He once asked, “Can you see the spirits in the room? No. Suppose the Lord should touch your eyes that you might see, could you see the spirits? Yes, as plainly as you now see bodies…. If the Lord would permit it, and it was his will that it should be done, you could see the spirits that have departed from this world, as plainly as you now see bodies with your natural eyes.” Elder Parley P. Pratt taught that the spirit world “is here on the very planet where we were born.” He explained: “[T]he earth… [has its] inward or spiritual sphere, as well as [its] outward, or temporal. The one is peopled by temporal tabernacles, and the other by spirits. A veil is drawn between the one sphere and the other, whereby all objects in the spiritual sphere are rendered invisible to those in the temporal.” The veil spoken of is not some vast blanket or curtain. Instead I, it is a veil placed over our individual minds affecting our vision and our memory. When Joseph and Oliver saw the Lord in the Kirtland Temple, it was because the veil was taken from their minds.
            Q: how is the spirit world different from this world?
            A: There is very little difference. Those in the spirit world do not have bodies of flesh and bones, therefore, they are not subject to sickness and disease and all other things that come with having a mortal body. Beyond that, however, the two worlds are strikingly similar. Last year, when Elder M. Russell Ballard visited our stake, he quoted his grandfather, Elder Melvin J. Ballard, who said that when you die, you might not even know you are dead until you try to do something that requires a body. Brigham Young taught: “When you are in the spirit world, everything there will appear as natural as things now do. Spirits will be familiar with spirits in the spirit world—will converse, behold, and exercise every variety of communication with one another as familiarly and naturally as while here in tabernacles.”
            Q: Will we be with friends and family in the spirit world?
            A: Of course. Again from Brigham Young: “We have more friends behind the veil than on this side, and they will hail us more joyfully than you were ever welcomed by your parents and friends in this world; and you will rejoice more when you meet them than you ever rejoiced to see a friend in this life” Among those whom we will rejoice to see and who will be most familiar to us will be our Father in Heaven. President Benson taught this glorious truth: “Nothing is going to startle us more when we pass through the veil to the other side than to realize how well we know our Father and how familiar His face is to us.”
            Q: What do our loved ones do in the spirit world?
            A: The same thing we are (or should be) doing here. The 138th section of the Doctrine and Covenants teaches that “the faithful elders of this dispensation, when they depart from mortal life, continue their labors in the preaching of the gospel of repentance and redemption… in the great world of the spirits of the dead.” Joseph Smith once said to Benjamin Johnson, “Benjamin, [if I die] I would not be far away from you, and if on the other side of the veil I would still be working with you , and with power greatly increase, to roll on this kingdom.”
            Q: Can they see us?
            A: Yes. The prophet Joseph confirmed: “[They] know and understand our thoughts, feelings, and motions, and are often pained therewith” And Brigham young said, “they an see us, but we cannot see them unless our eyes are opened.”
            Q: Can our departed loved ones visit us, aid us, and comfort us?
            A: Yes, and the remainder of my remarks will examine this soothing truth. President Joseph F. Smith said, “[W]hen messengers are sent to minister to the inhabitants of this earth, they are not strangers, but from the ranks of our kindred, friends, and fellow-beings and fellow-servants… [O]ur fathers and mothers, brothers, sisters and friends ho have passed away from this earth, having been faithful, and worthy to enjoy these rights and privileges, may have a mission given to them to visit their relatives and friends upon the earth again, bringing from the divine Presence message of love, of warning, or reproof and instruction, to those whom they have learned to love in the flesh.”
            When we often quote President Harold B. lee, who said: “The most important work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own home.” Death does nothing to change that! In other words, the most important work that Spencer Hill will yet do will be within the walls of his own home. We know that he will be busy preaching the gospel in the world of spirits. He will likely have specific assignments and will be working under the direction of priesthood leadership. All of this will be very time consuming. It will be urgent and important. But none of it will be more important than the work he will yet do within the walls of his own home. His means of accomplishing this work in his home has changed , but spencer will continue to be involved in looking after the spiritual and temporal needs of his family. Death has done nothing to relieve him of that responsibility or strip him of that privilege.
            To illustrate, let me share with you a tender, sacred experience my father had a few weeks ago. When Dad was eleven years old, his father died of cancer, leaving a widow and 8 young children. Dad was the youngest boy. Over the years, he has, on occasion, felt the influence, even the presence, of his father. So have Dad’s siblings. Dad is now 76 years old. A few weeks ago, on September 19th, Dad was driving his truck and pulling a loaded horse trailer up the steep, narrow, winding, 14-mile dirt road that leads to the trailhead of the Brook Cliffs in Southeastern Utah. It was well after dark. As he drove, a great feeling of calm, comfort, reassurance and safety came over him. He wondered why. Suddenly, the back right side of the trailer slipped off the road and would have plummeted down the mountainside, taking the truck with it, had it not been for the fact that the trailer’s axel burrowed into the earth as the trailer was sliding off the road. Even though the trailer was stuck, horses were falling and thrashing inside, rocking the trailer and threatening to send it cascading down the mountain.
            Although they were in grave danger, Dad never once felt frightened or flustered or confused. The great calm that had come over him even before the incident continued the entire time he and my brother and others carefully worked to get the horses out of the trailer and pull their trailer to safety. I will not go into the detail of everything Dad felt guided to do to get out of the predicament. Suffice it to say that what he felt to do ran contrary to the reasoning of everyone there. But, following his feelings, he eventually got the truck and trailer safely back on the road. No one was hurt—not even a horse. When the ordeal was over the others were loading the horses back in the trailer, Dad had a moment to reflect. I now read from his account:
            “As I stood there looking and thinking about my feelings as we came up the dirt road and the calm feelings I had as we worked quickly to solve the situation, I had a most amazing experience… I saw my father James Gunn McKay, whether in my mind’s eye or actual I do not know. I understood a communication in his voice as I remember him. He said: ‘I was here to help you. I know how to get you out of tough situations. You will be all right now.’… I could really feel Dad’s presence, his confidence, his concern for his son. I knew that he had been sent or permitted to help at that time. The ‘vision’ only lasted a couple of minutes, but the feeling and wonderment lasted the rest of the drive up the steep switch-backs to the parking lot on top. The feeling of Dad’s presence left as we got to the parking lot.”
            I do not know what it was about that situation that required or allowed my grandfather to visit and assist my dad. All I know is that James Gunn McKay has been dead for 65 years, but he continues to look after the spiritual and, on that night, the temporal needs of his 76-year-old baby boy. Even though most of his time is likely spent working among friends and extended family on the other side of the veil, nothing is more important that caring for his immediate family on either side of the veil. So it will be with Spencer. So it is with all the righteous who depart this life.
            I testify of the great plan of happiness. I bear witness that the atonement of Jesus Christ is central to that plan and the family is the constant and ultimate aim of that plan. Thus, when loved ones die they are not far from us. They are taken from our view, but not altogether from our presence. They can see us; they rejoice with us, mourn with us and work with us. I testify that the righteous who have departed this life are working urgently to roll forth the kingdom of God and that the most important work they will ever do in that process will be within the walls of their own home. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.