Emmanuel literally means "God with us." The implication is that Jesus is God on earth, in the flesh. This is correct, but I am coming to appreciate more and more the idea, the promise, found at the end of the sacrament prayer on the bread: "...that they [we, us] may always have his Spirit to be with them." The Savior's twelve chosen representatives in the Book of Mormon were praying to have the Holy Ghost, even though He was standing right in front of them.
Elder Holland has said, "...because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so" (None Were with Him, April 2009 Gen. Conf.). Indeed, the essence of the agony He felt when He was in the Garden, and again on the cross, was not the physical pain He felt, but the unimaginable pain resulting from the withdrawal of the Spirit by Heavenly Father. "Therefore I command you to repent—repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore—how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not. For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I...Wherefore, I command you again to repent, lest I humble you...lest you suffer these punishments of which I have spoken, of which in the smallest, yea, even in the least degree you have tasted at the time I withdrew my Spirit" (D&C 19:15-20). Jesus explained that the pain was the result of losing the Spirit completely.
"Why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46).
On the other hand, D&C 11:13 says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy." What do we need to do to have this joy? The scriptures constitute an avalanche of advice, counsel, and directions for obtaining and keeping the Spirit with us always.
The sacramental prayers give us a good place to start: be willing to take Christ's name(s) upon us, always remember Him, and keep His commandments given to us.
Why is it that we can do these things, and feel less than happy? I do not believe it is because of the chore-like nature of the tasks, but because we have less of the Spirit than we could while doing them. Laman and Lemuel both did everything they were asked to, and murmured and complained all the way. Nephi, on the other hand, said the following: "The Lord...did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers" (1Ne. 2:16). This is a change of heart, enacted by God on Nephi's behalf.
Humility was a prerequisite (see verse 19). Happiness comes from having the Spirit, and from having it more abundantly. It is possible to do everything asked of us, and yet be miserable because we lack a generous portion of the Spirit. Humility makes us inviting to the Spirit; complete humility gives the Spirit free reign over us, allowing a complete baptism "with fire and with the Holy Ghost" (3Ne. 9:20). Mosiah 4:11-12: "...remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel. And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true."
Perhaps we receive varying portions of the Spirit because our humility reaches various depths.
Pain is inevitable, but is suffering unattended? I delivered newspapers as a boy, and I vividly remember collating stacks of papers and trudging out into the snowscape of my early morning neighborhood, armored with as many layers of clothing as I could carry. Of particular help were small, reusable hand warmers I put in my pocket. Boil them in water for thirty minutes, and carry them in your pocket. Clicking a small metal disk suspended in the fluid would cause them to release stored heat. While I was completely surrounded by cold air, the warmer in my pocket would simulate the sensation of being back home in bed, or at least for part of my chilled skin.
The Spirit can confer happiness on us in this same way, simulating the feeling of being in heaven to some extent, conferring that happiness regardless of circumstance.
Brigham Young spoke of enduring persecution in the early years of the Church: "You that have not passed through the trials, and persecutions..., but have only read of them...may think how awful they were to endure, and wonder that the Saints survived them at all. The thought of it makes your hearts sink within you..., and you are ready to exclaim, 'I could not have endured it.' I have been in the heat of it, and I never felt better in all my life; I never felt the peace and power of the Almighty more copiously poured upon me than in the keenest part of our trials. They appeared nothing to me" (JD 1:313). Missing this, not understanding this power, how to access it, how to keep it, not even knowing it is available, is among the great tragedies of the modern Church. We as a people hear it over and over again, and yet we want to strap on our water skis before we jump out of the boat and try walking on water. Salvation through day planner is alive and well in the hearts and minds of many. Willpower to gag down the chores and broccoli of Church duties and forsake the chocolate cake of unrighteousness is touted openly as the way to accomplish the work. It hurts to hear it, because it speaks to aloneness, an absence of the Spirit in good measure.
The stream is deepest in the middle; if we would have a greater portion of the Spirit, we must go where it leads, conform our lives to it. Then we will have it in a greater measure. So humility inside us, as well as obedience outside of us, qualify us to receive that happiness, a foretaste of heaven.
Elder Holland has said, "...because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so" (None Were with Him, April 2009 Gen. Conf.). Indeed, the essence of the agony He felt when He was in the Garden, and again on the cross, was not the physical pain He felt, but the unimaginable pain resulting from the withdrawal of the Spirit by Heavenly Father. "Therefore I command you to repent—repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore—how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not. For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I...Wherefore, I command you again to repent, lest I humble you...lest you suffer these punishments of which I have spoken, of which in the smallest, yea, even in the least degree you have tasted at the time I withdrew my Spirit" (D&C 19:15-20). Jesus explained that the pain was the result of losing the Spirit completely.
"Why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46).
On the other hand, D&C 11:13 says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy." What do we need to do to have this joy? The scriptures constitute an avalanche of advice, counsel, and directions for obtaining and keeping the Spirit with us always.
The sacramental prayers give us a good place to start: be willing to take Christ's name(s) upon us, always remember Him, and keep His commandments given to us.
Why is it that we can do these things, and feel less than happy? I do not believe it is because of the chore-like nature of the tasks, but because we have less of the Spirit than we could while doing them. Laman and Lemuel both did everything they were asked to, and murmured and complained all the way. Nephi, on the other hand, said the following: "The Lord...did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers" (1Ne. 2:16). This is a change of heart, enacted by God on Nephi's behalf.
Humility was a prerequisite (see verse 19). Happiness comes from having the Spirit, and from having it more abundantly. It is possible to do everything asked of us, and yet be miserable because we lack a generous portion of the Spirit. Humility makes us inviting to the Spirit; complete humility gives the Spirit free reign over us, allowing a complete baptism "with fire and with the Holy Ghost" (3Ne. 9:20). Mosiah 4:11-12: "...remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel. And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true."
Perhaps we receive varying portions of the Spirit because our humility reaches various depths.
Pain is inevitable, but is suffering unattended? I delivered newspapers as a boy, and I vividly remember collating stacks of papers and trudging out into the snowscape of my early morning neighborhood, armored with as many layers of clothing as I could carry. Of particular help were small, reusable hand warmers I put in my pocket. Boil them in water for thirty minutes, and carry them in your pocket. Clicking a small metal disk suspended in the fluid would cause them to release stored heat. While I was completely surrounded by cold air, the warmer in my pocket would simulate the sensation of being back home in bed, or at least for part of my chilled skin.
The Spirit can confer happiness on us in this same way, simulating the feeling of being in heaven to some extent, conferring that happiness regardless of circumstance.
Brigham Young spoke of enduring persecution in the early years of the Church: "You that have not passed through the trials, and persecutions..., but have only read of them...may think how awful they were to endure, and wonder that the Saints survived them at all. The thought of it makes your hearts sink within you..., and you are ready to exclaim, 'I could not have endured it.' I have been in the heat of it, and I never felt better in all my life; I never felt the peace and power of the Almighty more copiously poured upon me than in the keenest part of our trials. They appeared nothing to me" (JD 1:313). Missing this, not understanding this power, how to access it, how to keep it, not even knowing it is available, is among the great tragedies of the modern Church. We as a people hear it over and over again, and yet we want to strap on our water skis before we jump out of the boat and try walking on water. Salvation through day planner is alive and well in the hearts and minds of many. Willpower to gag down the chores and broccoli of Church duties and forsake the chocolate cake of unrighteousness is touted openly as the way to accomplish the work. It hurts to hear it, because it speaks to aloneness, an absence of the Spirit in good measure.
The stream is deepest in the middle; if we would have a greater portion of the Spirit, we must go where it leads, conform our lives to it. Then we will have it in a greater measure. So humility inside us, as well as obedience outside of us, qualify us to receive that happiness, a foretaste of heaven.
