The Gum Tree for 2007 September 6

Suffering of the Righteous i. It should be clear to all believers that the righteous are not spared suffering. We are told that we cheered when the world was created, but those who are in the thick of life’s troubles might now be wondering what all the clamour was about. ii. While in the midst of all these things, if we are wise like Job, we will avoid charging God foolishly. (See Job 1:22.) iii. Henry B. Eyring - “The Lord will always prepare a way for you to escape from the trials you will be given if you understand two things. One is that you need to be on the Lord’s errand. The second thing you need to understand is that the escape will almost never be out of the trial; it will usually be through it.” iv. Christ, is our shining example: He was spat upon (see 1 Ne. 19:9). He was also struck (see 1 Ne. 19:9; Mosiah 3:9). Likewise, He was offered vinegar and gall while athirst (see Ps. 69:21). He was scourged, with a Roman flagellum designed to tear the flesh. He was oppressed and afflicted of men; and yet, as Isaiah poignantly observed, “He opened not his mouth” Mosiah 14:7. Such suffering as Christ endured makes our ‘Thorns in the Flesh’ seem quite quaint in comparison. (2 Corinthians 12:7). As Paul observed, those thorns prevent our ‘exalting ourselves beyond measure.’ Christ endured every kind of physical thorn one might possibly imagine, but that was not Jesus’ chief anxiety. Jesus’ few dozen words describing the agonies of the Atonement reveal that He was determined that He “not drink the bitter cup, and shrink” (D&C 19:18). Mark wrote that Jesus became “sore amazed” and “very heavy” (Mark 14:33), and “depressed and dejected.” None of us can tell Christ anything about depression! At least one Gospel writer recorded the Saviors Pleadings thusly: “Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt” (Mark 14:36). How grateful I am that Christ finished his preparations and became the author of our salvation. Sometimes, we are asked to suffer callings or trials for reasons which we know not. Adam was asked why he offered sacrifices and he responded “I know not, save the Lord commanded me” Moses 5: 6-7. In order that ‘all these things’ may be for our experience, we are asked to sacrifice the only thing which is truly ours to give: our will. Peter explained: “For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye take it apatiently? But if, when ye do well, and bsuffer for it, and take it cpatiently, this is dacceptable with God. (1 Pet. 2: 19-21, 23). If ye asuffer for brighteousness’ sake, chappy are ye, For it is better, that ye asuffer for well doing, than for evil doing” (1 Pet. 3: 14, 17-18). We shouldn’t be surprised that the Lord’s Chosen People are called to suffer, and with Luke, we should arejoice that we are counted worthy to bsuffer cshame for his dname. Disciples of Christ from all ages of time understood what Elder Eyring has said that sometimes the easiest way to get out of trials is to go through them. Three young men in Babylon many years ago were given two choices: either deny your God or be thrown into the fire. They held to their faith in God, but realizing he does not always save us as we would be save they responded: “But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not aserve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up” (Daniel 3:18). Thus, even our fiery trials, said Peter, should not be thought of as “some strange thing.” (1 Pet. 4:12.) God has repeatedly said He would structure mortality to be a proving and testing experience. (See Abr. 3:25; Mosiah 23:21.) We are asked to endure, going forward with faith even when we would rather turn off to the side of the road for just a moment (2 Ne. 31:20). But for those who do endure, powerful promises are made: Wherefore, ye must press forward with a asteadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of bhope, and a clove of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and dendure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eeternal life. What is it that enables the faithful to endure bitterness, without becoming bitter? The righteous people of Alma were just settling into their new homes in the beautiful city of Helam when, as Mormon explains, the Lord saw fit to ‘chasten his people and try their patience.’ Nevertheless, Mormon added, "whosoever putteth his atrust in [the Lord] the same shall be blifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people.” The people were burdened, but faithfully suffered, “And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did astrengthen them that they could bear up their bburdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with cpatience to all the will of the Lord.” As we endure, we will achieve that peace which “passeth all understanding.” (Philip. 4:7.) You and I see in those who “endure well” a quiet, peaceful majesty, an unspoken, inner awareness that, like Paul, they have “kept the faith.” And they know it, though they do not speak of it. The people of Anti-Nephi Lehi were so faithful that they cheerfully suffered “death in the most aggravating and distressing manner which could be inflicted by their bretheren.” Couldn’t the Lord save them from torture and death? He could, but the Lord knew from personal experience that our tiny cup cannot be taken from us either. For this purpose have we come unto the world (See John 12:27.). Neal A. Maxwell taught: “Trials and tribulations tend to squeeze the artificiality out of us, leaving the essence of what we really are and clarifying what we really yearn for.” Joy is what we call that deep and ineffable yearning. It is a desire for something that is just out of reach. It is the spirit of quiet reverence that overwhelms believers. It is the spiritual manifestation of hope and the author of our faith. Alma explained that remorse of conscience is the opposite of joy. We are told that the people of King Benjamin “were filled with joy, having received a aremission of their sins, and having peace of bconscience” (Mosiah 4: 3, 11, 20). King Benjamin explained that God “has caused that your hearts should be filled with cjoy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.” Joy is a gift of the spirit, and in order to not offend the spirit the Lord has cautioned us to “acease from all, [loud] blaughter, dpride and light-mindedness” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:121). The passage of joy through us, like that of a great river, can cut great canyons in our souls that deepen our understanding and increase the echoes of our longing. On the other hand, if the filthy river of worldly idolatrousness is mistaken for joy, it soon reveals itself as but tinkling cymbal and sounding brass—full of noise but empty. Is it not surprising that those who quit the journey towards the tree of life are left with nothing better to do than to ridicule the faithful followers of Christ on their journey. After all, if the great and spacious pleasure palace is this empty—with its pretty but unsatisfying fruit and terrible loneliness, what could a small, far-off tree offer? Laman and Lemuel chose to leave the straight and narrow for the great and spacious building. Instead of being filled by the fruit of the love of God, they found only empty and haunted rooms of regret. They left the truths of the gospel, but those truths will never leave them alone. Some might scorn gospel-induced pure Joy as nothing more than the visions of a frenzied mind. Scorners call it names like nostalgia, childish naiveté, romanticism or idealism. Yet they will envy the quiet cross-bearers. They will look for joy in music, broadway plays, movies, politics and non-Christ centered relationships, but they will only find the ghosts of pleasure and momentary happiness. The whole man or woman drinks deeply from the fountain of joy. Most people, however, are found slopping up the muddy drops that have fallen from the cup of joy; impure and second-hand. Is it any wonder, therefore, that they become confused at the notion of a cup, or the source of the living water which is found therein? For the thoughtful follower of Christ, this life is a journey. We are like Abraham who Paul explained “asojourned, as in a strange country, and who died in faith, not having received the apromises, but having seen them afar off, and [was] persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were bstrangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek and desire a [far off] acountry; that is, heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God. Abraham and Sara endured well because of their joy or incomprehensible yearning for the promises. That yearning convinced them that what God had promised, he was able to fulfill. Alma also praised God who continued to lead his people who were also ‘wanderers lost in a strange land” (Alma 26: 37). The qualifications for obtaining of this joy are simple; “this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of bhappiness” (Alma 27: 16-19, 26). Joy points the humble seeker towards the living truths. Enos described it as a ‘Hunger.’ “And my soul ahungered; and I bkneeled down before my Maker, and I ccried unto him in mighty dprayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him” (Enos 1:4). But here is a lesson for each of us, not even after having received forgiveness and the promises for himself and his family did Enos cease his petition; but he continued in prayer for his enemies and their children. So strong is the yearning the gospel produces. Joy is, therefore, a springboard for charity and revelation. [For] blessed are all they who do ahunger and bthirst after crighteousness, for they shall be dfilled with the Holy Ghost (3 Ne. 12: 6). The joy that comes from the holy spirit of promise might not always be constant, but filed in the dark corridors of our minds we can remember the mercies of the Lord and retain the well of thanksgiving for His supreme sacrifice constantly flowing. When we are lost in the woods, the sight of a signpost is a great matter, but when we are on the road and are passing signpost every few miles we shall not stop and stare. They will, indeed encourage us, and we shall be grateful for the Authority who set them up for us, but our yearning is for that “golden valley” which C.S. Lewis described as “always being just round the bend in the road, over the brow of the hill.” That deep desire, which if rooted deep in the fertile ground of a righteous soul, will grow until the perfect day when we are able to testify that our souls have been enlarged, and our understanding enlightened. As Children we wake early on Christmas morning with exuberant, joyful anticipation. As we grow older, the Christians’ thoughts and deepest yearnings are drawn, like gravity on celestial planets, nearer to that personal Easter Morning when we all shall see our Lord and Savior face to face and with joy hear the words, “well done thou good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25: 21). That is my hope ADDITIONAL NOTES. Count of Monte Cristo— There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state with another, nothing more. He who has felt the deepest longing is best able to experience supreme happiness. "Therefore, Be happy and never forget that until the day when God shall deign to reveal the future to man, all human wisdom is summed up in these two words, -- `Wait and hope.' Marius in Les Miserables— The wealthy young man has a hundred coarse and brilliant distractions; occupations for the baser side of the soul, and he develops these at the expense of the loftier and more delicate sides. The poor young man goes with the spectacles God furnishes gratis; he gazes at the sky, space, the stars, flowers, children, the humanity among which he is suffering, the creation amid which he beams. He gazes so much on humanity that he perceives its soul, he gazes upon creation to such an extent that he beholds God. He dreams, he feels himself great; he dreams on, and feels himself tender. From the egotism of the man who suffers he passes to the adoration of the man who understands. The expense of spirit in a waste of shame Is lust in action; and till action, lust Is perjured, murderous, bloody, full of blame, Savage, extreme, rude, cruel, not to trust; Enjoy'd no sooner but despised straight; Past reason hunted; and no sooner had, Past reason hated, as a swallowed bait, On purpose laid to make the taker mad: Mad in pursuit, and in possession so; Had, having, and in quest to have, extreme; A bliss in proof, and proved, a very woe; Before, a joy proposed; behind, a dream. All this the world well knows; yet none knows well To shun the heaven that leads men to this hell.