Moroni - Chapter 6

4And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost...

All my life I have been taught, and have thought that I was cleansed by the water of baptism.  This verse seems to indicate otherwise.  Here it seems that we are cleansed by the Holy Ghost after baptism.  In light of our discussion about the Sacrament for the past two days, this makes more sense to me.  We don't improve, grow or even approach goodness without the companionship of the Spirit.  Elder Henry B. Eyring of the Quorum of the Twelve put it this way:

"If you have felt the influence of the Holy Ghost during this day, or even this evening, you may take it as evidence that the Atonement is working in your life.  For that reason ...you would do well to put yourself in places and in tasks that invite the promptings of the Holy Ghost.  Feeling the influence of the Holy Ghost... cleanses us through the Atonement of Jesus Christ."  (Eyring, "Gifts of the Spirit for Hard Times," 4)

                                          ---                                  

...relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith.

How long and often I have relied upon my own merits, rather than those of Christ.  It is obvious that self reliance failed me.  I was 55 years old before I made this realization.  I had read this verse on repeated occasions over the years and still was trying to rely upon myself and my own power.  I can't imagine how I missed it.  As I was emerging from the bondage of addiction I read a book called He Did Deliver Me From Bondage by Colleen Harrison.  The book examined the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous in the light of The Book of Mormon.  I skipped the chapter on the Second Step:  Come to believe Jesus Christ can restore you to complete spiritual health.  I already believed that.  Later, when the 12 Steps seemed to have failed me, I went back and read that chapter.  In it Colleen described how she had, when reading the AA Big Book, skipped the chapter on step two as well.  It is entitled, to the agnostic.  I read both chapters and came to admit that I was indeed an agnostic.  I did not believe that the merits of Christ could save me.  I had been, therefore, attempting to save myself, having accepted no other recourse.  In fact there is no other recourse than to accept His merciful Atonement.  There is no other way.  He is the way!

Now quite often when I mention this to other members of the Church, I get resistance.  They take my claim to reliance upon the merits and mercy of Christ to mean that I no longer have to keep the commandments or serve in the church.  This is nonsense.  I still try with all my heart to keep His commandments because I love Him.  I know that the better I do that the happier I'll be; the more like Him I'll be.  I just understand that no matter how well I keep the commandments, it is not that effort that saves me.  Only Christ can do that.  Which takes me back to the first quote from verse four.  Keeping the commandments more perfectly involves the companionship of the Holy Ghost.  He will tell me all things that I should do.  Those, most personal and specific commandments, given of a daily, hourly, minute by minute basis are part of the process by which the Spirit works upon us and cleanses us.  The better I do that the more progress I make to emulating my Savior. I couldn't even begin such a process without the influence and meaning, the depth and scope, of His atoning sacrifice.

Moroni - Chapter 5

I grew up in the Church, thinking God expected me to be perfect.  I would go to Sacrament Meeting every week and examine myself for perfection.  If I considered myself not perfect I would refrain from partaking.  Now, my idea of perfection was pretty shallow.  Perfection meant not swearing, drinking coffee tea or alcohol, and not using tobacco.  Perfection meant paying a full tithe and keeping the Sabbath day holy.  And it mean not telling lies and not having sex out of wedlock.  That was about it.  Even that narrow view of perfection living kept me from partaking of the emblems of the Atonement many a Sunday.

How did it go right over my head that the very fact that the Sacrament was presented to me on a weekly basis for my entirely life meant that I would need to renew my Baptismal covenant for, yes, my entire life.  The Sacrament is the strongest indicator of all that we are not perfect and that we are not expected to attain perfection in our lifetimes.  It is also a prime indicator that we will not attain to perfection on our own.  We require the companionship of the Holy Ghost to gain access to the Atonement and only through continued repentance and repeated renewal of our covenants is that accomplished.

So, who is worthy to partake of the Sacrament?  I believe it is he who desires to keep the commandments, but fails and needs a way, through repentance, to carry on and continue to try.  The person who is unworthy to partake, is he who would have God rescind the commandments so he can live as he pleases.  He and those who've, by church action, have been denied the privilege.

Moroni - Chapter 4

It is comforting that the words of the Sacrament Prayer over the bread say, "that they are willing," not "that they do."  Clearly we don't - yet we may be willing; that is to take upon us the name of Christ, to always remember Him and to keep His commandments.  If we actually did we wouldn't need the Sacrament.  If we had to refrain from partaking of the Sacrament until we were perfect we would defeat the purpose.  The Sacrament prepares us, weekly, to receive the Holy Ghost, by whose constant companionship (implying we follow the Spirit's promptings and instruction) we can be made perfect, over time.  I presently am not able to be perfect, but I can say I am willing to be, with the help of the Atonement, repentance, and the Sanctification of the Holy Ghost.

Moroni - Chapter 3

I was hitch hiking back during my college days and was given a ride by a prominent TV evangelist.  I asked him about his calling to the ministry and he told me this story:

He'd been out camping and got lost in the woods.  It became dark and stumbling though the woods, he tripped and fell.  He put out his arms to catch himself but his arms never made contact with the ground, only his stomach and chest.  He'd fallen at the edge of a precipice and  had very nearly gone over.  I asked him what that had to do with his call to the ministry.  He was appalled at my question, like it was obvious that he'd been "tripped of Jesus."  Apparently he thought the Lord had tripped him in order to save his life and had interpreted that to mean he'd been called to deliver God's word.

The Lord may very well have tripped my friend to save his life.  But this chapter makes it plain that God calls his servants by a much less ambiguous means.  How grateful I am that the Priesthood is upon the earth and appropriately vested in worthy servants of the God.

Moroni - Chapter 2

I wonder if we underestimate what a privilege it is to have the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  I certainly have.  I remember reading the account in the Old Testament of Noah walking with God.  As I did so the Spirit whispered, so are you.  "What?" I thought.  It was then, finally then, for this wasn't so long ago, that I realized that the Holy Ghost is a member of the Godhead.  A God.  One with the Father and the Son.  It was then that I realized that I had been promised His constant companionship; not just when I'm in the Temple or at church, not just now and then, but constantly.  I have spent my days since that realization trying to notice that blessing.  Each morning when I head out on my morning walk, which ordinarily takes an hour, I say to myself, "Via con Dios."  I then spend that hour, having already knelt in prayer, communing with God.  The practice sets the tone for the day, as I attempt to look across the crowded room of my busy life and keep an eye on my blessed companion through all the confusion.

Moroni - Chapter 1

It appears that at the end of The Book of Mormon, the distinction between Nephite and Lamanite may have less to do with blood lines and more to do with choices.  If that is true Nephi might not be bereft of of descendants in America today.  In fact the likelihood seems far greater than I expected.

Even prophetic Moroni was not shown the future as pertains to his own life.  Here he had supposed he'd be dead before an opportunity arose to write more.  I for one am thankful that I have no certain knowledge about what tomorrow might bring.  That lack of information is a far bigger blessing than it is a hindrance.  I remember reading my grandmother's journal.  One day I read of a family reunion during which my grandfather and his siblings had gathered from far and wide.  They had the most wonderful time.  Had they known that one of them would die the next day, their time together would have been one of mourning, rather than celebration.  There would be time enough to mourn.  Tomorrow.

Additionally, I think there is a special virtue in hope.  If we knew our own ends hope would be destroyed.  So would surprise!  What fun would life be without surprise?