Peace in Christ

Of all the gifts we can receive at God’s hand, few are more needed and wanted in the world today than peace—feelings of peace and the good relationships they beget. Satan cannot counterfeit peace.

George Q. Cannon stated, “I will tell you a rule by which you may know the Spirit of God from the spirit of evil. The Spirit of God always produces joy and satisfaction of mind. When you have that Spirit you are happy. The spirit of doubt is the spirit of the evil one; it produces uneasiness and other feelings that interfere with happiness and peace” (Journal of Discourses, 15:375).

Inner harmony between heart and mind and attendant peaceful feelings are marks of true revelation from righteous sources. Some of the first revelations in this dispensation are about discernment, learning to recognize revelation and its sources.

“Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.

“…this is the spirit of revelation…” (D&C 8:2-3).

“…you must study it out in your mind…if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you…” (D&C 9:8).

“…if you desire a further witness, cast your mind back upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart…

“Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?” (D&C 6:23). Peace in the mind and heart is evidence that the Spirit is with us, and evidence of the validity of revelation.

Sin makes us “like a troubled sea…There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked” (Isa. 57:20).

There is no such thing as a spiritual void. Either we have “a portion” of the Lord’s Spirit with us, or we have an unworthy spirit with us. If we sense that loss of the Lord’s Spirit, we can repent and get worthy again. “Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of my enemy?” (2Ne. 4:27).

Fear and anger and guilt all disrupt our peace and afflict our souls, and they are all evidence (not full proof) that we are off the track.

“…if [we] should transgress and go contrary to that which has been spoken, that [we] do withdraw [ourselves] from the Spirit of the Lord, that it may have no place in [us] to guide [us] in wisdom’s paths that [we] may be blessed, prospered, and preserved…

“…the demands of justice do awaken [our] immortal soul[s] to a lively sense of [our] own guilt, which doth…fill [our] breast with guilt, and pain, and anguish…” (Mosiah 2:36, 38). We need not wait for the afterlife to experience a foretaste of justice. To lose the Spirit is to lose our peace.

My Peace… 

Savior means Rescuer. Christ can save us from distress in our hearts. One title He bears is “Prince of Peace.”

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:26-27).

The Savior’s peace is therefore unlike peace this world offers. It is unnatural or supernatural peace. Unlike worldly kinds of peace, His peace can come independent of our outward circumstances. No barriers can block the Holy Ghost. The promise of both consolation and revelation is reiterated in modern scripture:

“…put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good—yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit.

“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” (D&C 11:12-13).

These verses show the Spirit comforting us in at least two ways—first, by the warmth of His presence in us; secondly, by giving us information that fills us with hope about the unseen future, knowledge of how to act for our benefit.

In one instance, the Lord literally whispers peace to the struggling missionaries in the Book of Mormon without changing their circumstances (yet): “And it came to pass that the Lord did visit them with his Spirit, and said unto them: Be comforted. And they were comforted” (Alma 17:10). Instead of changing their circumstances, the Lord changed His missionaries’ hearts.

Anyone could have told them, “Be comforted,” but only the Lord’s voice would actually still their souls. This kind of peace is available through the Atonement. It comes from living the Gospel of repentance and doing our duty, and then as we ask for it. The Lord takes care of those who are invested in taking care of His flock.

Inviting His Peace 

We should learn the rules that govern the things we are seeking. The scriptures teach us rules that govern receipt of peace in Christ. (Many of these are rules we obey internally.)

“Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me” (D&C 19:23). Meekness allows us to experience the Lord’s peace.

One of the meekest men I have ever known brings healing peace with him everywhere he goes, and it seems to fill whatever room he enters. There is nothing shrill or harsh about him; he is not devoid of whimsy or unable to loosen up and joke, but kindness and tenderness characterize all his words and actions.

“Peace, peace be unto you, because of your faith in my Well Beloved, who was from the foundation of the world” (Hel. 5:47). Faith in Christ brings peace, probably both cognitive and spiritual. Thinking about the Savior can cause us to hope, and calm us down in a cognitive, natural way. As the sacrament prayers teach, however, remembering the Savior also allows us to “have his Spirit to be with” us.

As Nephi indicates, our sin exposes us to the attacks of Satan, which include destroying our peace and afflicting our souls. Grudges and despair, fear and anger, characterize our thoughts when we lose the Spirit through sin. In other words, sin leads to the opposites of peace. Repentance is our part in the process of extricating ourselves from this bondage of misery sin invariably brings.

Sins need not be obvious to destroy our peace. One sin we can commit even when we are locked in a closet is the sin of wishing to override other people’s agency, their God-given freedom to choose.

Even if we are right in assuming that what another person is doing is wrong, that still does not give us the right to try to compel others to conform to what we believe. When we do exercise unrighteous dominion, even think about doing so, “the Spirit of the Lord is grieved” and “withdrawn.”

Our emotional trajectory begins to resemble Satan’s, who “sought to destroy the agency of man” (Moses 4:3) which God gave us: “Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God” (D&C 121:37-38). Unless we are guided by the Holy Ghost to offer correction, our attempts to help might send us, and the people we criticize, flying off into sin and everything that is the antithesis of peace.

(We can see this kind of thing happening daily as we read and hear political discourse. The tone is one of anger arising from the will to compel others, to force others to correct their behavior through whatever means are available. Self-righteousness and criticizing others can lead to misery as quickly as flagrant sin and ignoring God’s commandments.)

Cheer Up Your Hearts 

Sometimes the Lord commands us to simply stop wallowing in misery and despair—to perk ourselves up by remembering blessings and just choosing gratitude over despair. Rejoicing, lifting up our hearts for gladness, silencing our own fears—sometimes the Lord expects US to still ourselves before He will step in. Imagine a small boy squirming and thrashing as his mother tries to put clothes on him. His job is simply to hold still so she can apply the clothes, to calm himself down so she can give him what he needs.

The Spirit brings peace, but acting calmly and choosing to have a peaceful, hopeful, thankful, positive attitude also invites the Spirit.

“Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still, and know that I am God” (D&C 101:16).

The Lord freed a group of Nephites in slavery as soon as they began to bear their burdens cheerfully:

“And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

“And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage” (Mosiah 24:15-16).

Section 19 of the Doctrine and Covenants provides some sobering views of just how deep human misery can get, especially in the next life. The Lord seems to end this revelation by shaking the reader out of the dire stupor caused by this brief glimpse into hell:

“Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing—yea, even more than if you should obtain treasures of the earth and corruptibleness to the extent thereof.

“Behold, canst thou read this without rejoicing and lifting up thy heart for gladness?

“…canst thou be humble and meek…?” (D&C 19:38-39, 41).

The Lord describes things that are both true and potentially discouraging, but He does not leave us on a sour note—He reminds us that we have great cause to hope.

Sometimes we can just choose to be positive. There are other times when burdens are so heavy, when the fire is so hot, that the Lord comforts us when we cannot console ourselves.

Here is another moment when the Lord consoles His missionaries:

“O Lord, my heart is exceedingly sorrowful; wilt thou comfort my soul in Christ. O Lord, wilt thou grant unto me that I may have strength, that I may suffer with patience these afflictions which shall come upon me, because of the iniquity of this people…

“…And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ” (Alma 31:30, 38).

Elder Maxwell once related the notion that, rather than fix all our problems, the Lord would often drown out the pain with the roar of His peace.

Alma teaches his son Helaman:

“…I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day” (Alma 36:3).

An angel visited Alma and chastened him, rebuked him for his attacks on the church and his many sins, and he fell into a coma. His body was limp, but his mind was awake in hell.

“And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.

“Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.

“And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more” (Alma 36:17-19).

Repentance and faith bring peace.

The Temple 

Jesus prophesies to the Nephites about the restoration and the last days—our time. He quotes Isaiah to describe the youth and members of the Church:

“And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

“In righteousness shalt thou be established; thou shalt be far from oppression for thou shalt not fear, and from terror for it shall not come near thee” (Isaiah 54:13-14).

The Lord is watching over the Latter-day Saints and their children. The Temple is not just a hiding place to retreat from the world; we carry some of its peace with us, like the flame of a lighted torch, as we exit the Temple. It steadies us, and the more often we go to the Temple, the more peace we enjoy.

Perhaps more amazing than any difference between the Latter-day Saints and the rest of the world will be the peace we exhibit when the rest of the world is sucked into the vortex of anger and despair engendered by sin. Rather than make us immune to problems, perhaps the Lord will make us a light to the world by demonstrating how differently we carry the common burdens of mortality.

Thoughts on Themes of General Conference Oct. 2016

We all get something unique from General Conference. As it unfolded, I saw themes running throughout the talks. Interspersed with my thoughts, and without actually naming speakers, here is what jumped out at me: 

“Thy will, not mine, be done” was one theme.

The link between the authenticity of the Book of Mormon and its support of Joseph Smith’s prophetic call was another theme. The good feelings we have when we study it seriously, and the power that comes into our lives, are both strong confirmation that Joseph Smith actually was a prophet.

Repentance, simple and straightforward, was also there. The call to repent was repeated many times. Yet it was seasoned by a parallel idea: Stop beating up on yourselves! Keep trying—your efforts count, regardless of ultimate performance. The idea that God sees all our flaws, yet He patiently, lovingly works with us was expressed many times, and in varied ways. Regardless of how the individual speakers phrased it, the essence of the message was showing mercy and patience to self.

Another recurring theme was repentance involving confession to priesthood leaders and spouse, one’s family members. The image of the penitent husband trapped in pornography, yet confessing to his bishop and to his heartbroken wife was recurring. Hiding sin, minimizing it, rationalizing and justifying it impede us by leaving the unrepented sin in place.

(I think some sins are like fungus; they thrive in the dark. Confession is the safest way to throw light upon them, at which point we can deal with them effectively.) Beyond the need for confession is the need for assistance from priesthood leaders, family, and therapists in overcoming addictions. Nephi cried for strength to burst his bands with which he was bound; likewise, addicts need divine assistance to achieve freedom (and perhaps other support along the way).

“Intent,” and “real intent,” were other words that came up over and over. The sacrament prayer has that key word, “willing,” in it, and a fairly close synonym is intent. (As I look at the sacrament prayers, “willing” is hard to replace with any phrase or word; ready, intending, planning, determined, committed, excited, eager, prepared, resolute—all convey some part of the flavor of willing.) We are blessed for our sincere intent and attempts that fail, along with our success.

A companion to this theme of not beating oneself with guilt was the outstretched hand of invitation to all who are weary in Church membership, whose faith has dimmed, or who are teetering on the edge of abandoning the Church. I heard several talks directed at those who are weary, faith under assault, perhaps ashamed of a Church doctrine or policy.

It is so easy to be offended! Answers to our questions will come as we hold fast to our covenants, and what light we already have, however limited. Staying active in the Church and pushing uphill (which is what staying active always feels like) eventually lead to having the curtain of confusion pushed back as our questions are answered and the next level of truth is illuminated for us.

(The image that came into my head at one point was of a pyramid of Gospel knowledge. It takes a wide base of simple obedience to first principles in one’s pyramid of understanding before the blocks that are higher up can be added. The wider our foundation of obedience to simple truths, the more likely we are to have the blocks that belong higher up, the mysteries, explained to us. Without that wide base, we would have an unstable skinny structure, likely to topple. Conference reiterates the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel of Christ—if we live those things well and consistently, the Lord will reveal the rest to us as we are ready to receive it.)

Answers may come slowly, but for the faithful members of the Church, they come inevitably.

God’s love is manifest in the rigors and trials He puts us through as much as in the pleasant things He showers down upon us. (I think that for us, we define success as complete removal of all problems, trials, burdens, and discomfort; for God, success is achieved when we can be saddled with any discomfort and still remain cheerful. Ironically, that is the moment He is most likely to remove the obstacles and burdens!)

“Preach the Gospel” was another theme that resounded. Instead of inviting people to go on missions, the call was more an invitation to us as members, wherever we are, to not postpone opportunities to share the Book of Mormon, to follow promptings to invite others to take whatever step they need next, to invite non-member friends to feast at the table of the Gospel and find joy.

We should pray for opportunities to share the Gospel, and prepare ourselves by living it. Then we get chances to invite others to come to Christ by sharing the Gospel with them because they see the difference it makes in us.

Two late general authorities, President Packer and Elder Maxwell, were quoted frequently.

Living the Word of Wisdom, avoiding harmful substances and putting nourishing foods into our bodies, and subsequent blessings of stamina came up. We all need refreshment and energy to endure; the Lord provides it as we are obedient, and pray fervently for energy (perhaps this idea connects to being happy in all circumstances).

Do your part where you stand, however small, in your local Church calling, was another point of emphasis. There are no small callings in the Church. Our individual efforts, when combined, amplify one another. Small actions can precipitate huge effects down the road, results we are unaware of. So do not be weary in well-doing! (ESPECIALLY in the small things! Our consistency in the small things no one ever sees is the best indicator of what we really want, the actual condition of our hearts.)

“Joy” was another word that jumped out of the talks. Everyone everywhere experiences pain and discomfort, physical and emotional, at some point. Can we have joy while we are in pain? Yes! (Jesus’ discourse to His Apostles in John 13-17 is basically: You will be persecuted and tormented by the world, but I will impart my otherworldly peace to you and direct you via My Spirit, so instead of moping, rejoice!)

Saints can have joy in any circumstance. People can try to be good through their own efforts, but only the power of the Atonement can sanctify us, literally saintify us.

We were warned against taking the bounteous blessings of the Gospel for granted, becoming “at ease in Zion.” Perspective and remembering generate gratitude and stave off complaints.

The inevitable success of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (despite our small numbers; part of success will include survival at the bottleneck moments before the actual Second Coming) was reiterated. Relax. Whether we choose to stay on board the Old Ship Zion or not, it will not sink.

Avoid Gospel hobbies and extremism, especially inflicting or imposing such extremes on other members of the Church. We should stay aboard the ship, but not dangle upside down from the mast.

When home teaching was discussed, it occurred to me that Satan throws his greatest opposition at the most useful parts of God’s plan; assaults on the family, the home, and morality are far more common than vandalism or violent persecution of the Latter-day Saints today. I wonder if that initial feeling of having one’s feet glued to the floor regarding home teaching is just evil opposition from Satan. It MUST be important! Home teaching is something that can feel onerous before we do it, yet we rejoice as we complete our assignment to watch over and care for each other.

This is a time of sifting, like never before, and we sift ourselves by choosing whether to remain in the Church. What makes the difference? No one boots themselves out of the Church on the spur of the moment. Just as we acquire testimony and conversion by degrees over time, so they can erode by degrees over time. We all need daily interaction with God to sustain and rebuild faith.

The social motivations to stay in the Church will not be enough to keep us there. We must have the Holy Ghost as our constant companion, receive the power of Christ’s Atonement, and worry more about what our heavenly Father thinks, our relationship with Him, rather than what mortals think, if we are to withstand the rude blast of Satan’s fiery darts and hail. We are to be converted to the Gospel, not to the Church.

Developing an open correspondence with God and living by the promptings and subtle directions He sends will eventually be the only thing that can keep us faithful to the end. Nothing else, no contrivance by teachers, leaders, parents, or us, will be enough to make up for the lack of that divine connection and relationship with God.

Family was a constant theme also in General Conference this time. Satan wants us disconnected, isolated, forgetting our past and fearing our future. Family context, remembering those who went before us and what God empowered them to do, can imbue us with solid identity, place us in a web of connections with ancestors, parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, uncles and aunts, and our own children. Pressing forward hand-in-hand is much easier and more encouraging than doing so alone. (Shepherds are often too busy tending sheep to worry about themselves anyway.)

Too often we think of ourselves as virtuous for struggling alone, without help, with our problems. The Savior (Rescuer) is there because there are some things we just cannot manage on our own. Humility enables us to admit we need Him, AND opens up the channel through which the enabling power of His Atoning sacrifice comes to us.

Sacrifice and holiness are connected terms; sacrifice makes something holy. Jesus Christ offered His whole self for us; when we offer our whole self to Him, it connects us with an invisible yet unbreakable cord. I feel that that cable is what He will pull on to reel us in, back to Him, after we depart mortality.

Success is inevitable for us when we are connected to, and obedient to, Christ.

This is by no means a comprehensive collection of ideas and themes that ran throughout this recent General Conference. This is the distilled version of some things I picked up on; I am sure there was individualized prompting for everyone who came with an open, humble heart. I look forward to hearing and reading the talks again.

As the world around us sinks into sin, it seems that Conference talks get more powerful. There is compensatory power available to us because the world is getting worse, and there must be opposition in all things. That includes greater goodness in the world, not just greater evil.

It was nice to have the notion that olive oil is blood-red when it emerges from the press confirmed. I had heard that years ago, yet could not confirm it with any research.

I was able to give a hearty “Amen” to every talk.

General Thoughts

Whether or not individuals attend or listen to General Conference seems to be an indicator of individual spirituality. There is a feeling of “have to” when it comes to regular Sunday church meetings, but during Conference weekend we see people sort themselves into those who go out and play, and those who come and listen, sitting at the feet of God’s living messengers.

We sift, sort, and judge ourselves by our choices.

Some of the most powerful parts of General Conference are not the words, but the incidental events and actions of those who participate, speakers and audience members alike. Not all lessons are delivered with words, but only those who are watching and listening pick up on them.

“Why should I listen? I can just read it later.” This is a false idea, in my experience. If we cannot find time today, when will we ever find time? There is something zesty about fruit right off the vine, something appealing about bread fresh out of the oven. They still have the same calories after spending time on the shelf, but have lost something—a bit of zing.

Conference talks are always good, and they keep forever in storage, but there is a little something extra as they are delivered live that we otherwise miss out on.

Physical and Spiritual Healing in 3 Nephi 17

Instances of miraculous healing in the scriptures grab our attention; we would rather be healthy and strong than in pain or weak. Our health reaches its peak at some point, and it is downhill from there, mostly. Our bodies wear out at various speeds until death.

People pay extravagant sums trying to recapture the power and beauty of youth. No serum, elixir, salve, or anything else yet invented, can stave off death permanently, or halt the decline of health permanently.

The Lord heals us not just because He is kind, but beyond that, those who experience miraculous healing have a work to do, and restored health enables them to accomplish that work. Again, spiritual considerations take preeminence over temporal convenience. (The Lord will actually give us weaknesses and flaws if it will further our spiritual, eternal progression; see Ether 12:27.)

Healings are usually temporary. Jesus raised the dead back to life during His mortal ministry, but it was to mortal life—He was the first Person to be resurrected, His spirit and body permanently reunited. We want health and restoration of limbs and organs, but to what end? It is better to die and be resurrected than to live forever in this telestial state. Unwelcome as death often is, delaying death indefinitely would interrupt our eternal progression. Mortal life ends according to God’s time table, ultimately.

Forgiveness With Healing

When the paralytic is lowered through the roof by his friends into the home where Jesus is teaching, Jesus says to him, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee” (Mark 2:5). His friends had carried him on a bed for Jesus to heal his body temporarily, but Jesus gave him something that could last forever—forgiveness.

“For by the power of my Spirit created I them…

“First spiritual, secondly temporal, which is the beginning of my work; and again, first temporal, and secondly spiritual, which is the last of my work—

“…Wherefore, verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal…

“…for my commandments are spiritual…” (D&C 29:31-32, 34-35). This does not mean the Lord does not differentiate between spiritual and temporal; rather, the spiritual, eternal consequences of our obedience to His commandments take precedence over the temporal.

Yet Jesus heals both physically and spiritually—the whole human being.

The Pharisees criticized Jesus for eating with publicans and sinners. Jesus responded, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

“But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matt. 9:12-13). Mercy motivates His healing.

Among the most remarkable instances of healing in the scriptures is the account in Third Nephi, chapter 17. The Lord heals 2500 people physically, but this is only a prelude to mightier spiritual experiences.

Physical

In 3Ne. 17, Jesus announces that He must go elsewhere. The people fasten their eyes on Him, “as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer” (v. 5).

“And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you” (v. 6). We might be too shy to come to Jesus in a wounded or flawed state, but the Savior commands them to bring anyone forward in need of physical healing:

“Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy.

“For I perceive that ye desire that I should show unto you what I have done unto your brethren at Jerusalem, for I see that your faith is sufficient that I should heal you” (v. 7-8).Many people would trade everything for the offer these people have just received. Instead of money, faith was the price Jesus required of them. (Faith includes willingness to accept His will regarding our illnesses, whether to be healed or not. In some ways this kind of faith exacts more of us than the largest doctor’s fee—submission to God’s will.)

“And it came to pass that when he had thus spoken, all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him” (v. 9).
It often takes help from others to get us to Jesus. We either carry others to Him, or others carry us. The whole group participates: “bring them hither.”

“One accord” indicates unity—no pushing or shoving to get to the Savior.

“And they did all, both they who had been healed and they who were whole, bow down at his feet, and did worship him; and as many as could come for the multitude did kiss his feet, insomuch that they did bathe his feet with their tears” (v. 10).

The longer we suffer, the greater our gratitude at relief. Other virtues (like faith) grow in us as we cope with problems patiently and humbly. Easy to say, often extremely difficult to accomplish—but the Lord is instilling virtues, focusing on the spiritual outcome. We see the problem as a broken body; He sees our need for more humility, patience, and faith. Our bodies will die eventually; virtues can become eternal parts of us.

“Every trial that a man goes through, if he is faithful in that trial and does honor to God and his religion he has espoused, at the end of that trial or affliction that individual is nearer to God, nearer in regard to the increase of faith, wisdom, knowledge and power, and hence is more confident in calling upon the Lord for those things he desires” (Lorenzo Snow, Deseret News, Apr. 11, 1888, 200).

Spiritual

Jesus heals their physical ailments, but that only precedes a more magnificent blessing. Picture this:

“And it came to pass that he commanded that their little children should be brought.

“So they brought their little children and set them down upon the ground round about him, and Jesus stood in the midst; and the multitude gave way till they had all been brought unto him” (v. 11-12).

Jesus is in the center; children sitting in a ring around Him, the adults standing outside them.

“And it came to pass that when they had all been brought (again, helpless people carried to Him!), and Jesus stood in the midst, he commanded the multitude that they should kneel down upon the ground.

“And it came to pass that when they had knelt upon the ground, Jesus groaned within himself, and said: Father, I am troubled because of the wickedness of the people of the house of Israel” (v. 13-14).

These people are part of Israel, too. Are they “wicked?” Left to themselves, even after seeing Jesus perform miracles, these people might forget and slide back into sin.

Jesus does not point out problems without solving them (or offering solutions). What He does next for them heals these individuals, minds, hearts, and spirits.

“And when he had said these words, he himself also knelt upon the earth; and behold he prayed unto the Father, and the things which he prayed cannot be written, and the multitude did bear record who heard him.

“And after this manner do they bear record: The eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father;

“And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father” (v. 16-17).

What Jesus said when He prayed for them was not just forbidden to repeat; it was inconceivable, ineffable, beyond mortal ability to contrive or express. Whatever He said, this prayer filled them with incomprehensible joy. (There are good things awaiting us in heaven beyond what we have yet experienced.)

Jesus intervenes, getting the Nephites (and us) ready to live in Zion, and then heaven.

Many people have speculated and dreamed of living in an ideal society; what does it take to actually make one? Third and Fourth Nephi record the birth of an actual Utopia. Here we see that it takes more than good intentions and human ability, wisdom, or exertion. It takes divine intervention.

“And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of praying unto the Father, he arose; but so great was the joy of the multitude that they were overcome” (v. 18). They needed healthy, whole bodies in order to endure this ineffable spiritual experience; they were overcome by intense joy.

“And it came to pass that Jesus spake unto them, and bade them arise.

“And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.

“And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bear record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them” (v. 19-21).

Earlier, Jesus “groaned,” lamenting the wickedness of the world. But He tells the people that now His joy is full—because of their faith.

Again, though He is interacting with a crowd, Jesus ministers to individuals. He blesses each child individually, and prays for each child.

“And when he had done this he wept again;

“And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones.

“And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them” (v. 22-24).

It takes divine intervention, God and His angels, to raise lost individuals from sin. Angels are involved in ministering to lost children, especially when faithful parents cannot reach them.

Is it significant that this event transpires near a Temple? Family history work and Temple work strengthen the youth of the Church today against evil like few other things. For these little ones, their Temple experience with Jesus and His holy angels fortifies them permanently.

“And the multitude did see and hear and bear record; and they know that their record is true for they all of them did see and hear, every man for himself; and they were in number about two thousand and five hundred souls; and they did consist of men, women, and children” (v. 25).

Physical healing is an incomplete gift; any such gift also requires some kind of spiritual rebirth to empower them to not misuse their health and extra time on earth. The prayers and blessings of Jesus, followed by angelic ministrations, set individuals (ergo families, ergo a nation) on the right path.

It is possible to have perfectly good health, yet be miserable. It is possible to have a broken body, yet be filled with light (see 3Ne. 13:22) and have lasting joy. These people were healed physically and spiritually by Jesus, and filled with joy by Him.