Gethsemane

President Ezra Taft Benson

After Jesus offered His intercessory prayer as recorded in John 17:1-26, He with some of His apostles went to the Garden of Gethsemane.

What transpired in the garden that evening, said President Ezra Taft Benson, thirteenth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints, "was the greatest single act of love in recorded history."

In his book, Come unto Christ, President Benson wrote: "There [in Gethsemane] He suffered the pains of all men. . . .

"It was in Gethsemane that Jesus took on Himself the sins of the world, in Gethsemane that His pain was equivalent to the cumulative burden of all men, in Gethsemane that He descended below all things so that all could repent and come to Him. The mortal mind fails to fathom, the tongue cannot express, the pen of man cannot describe the breadth, the depth, the height of the suffering of our Lord—nor His infinite love for us." (From Come unto Christ, quoted in Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson.)

Speaking to a group of latter-day saints in San Diego, Calif., in December 1979, President Benson spoke further of the Atonement. "Because He [Jesus] was God—even the Son of God—He could carry the weight and burden of other men's sins on Himself. Isaiah prophesied our Savior's willingness to do this in these words: 'Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.' (Isa. 53:4-5.)

"That holy, unselfish act of voluntarily taking on Himself the sins of all other men is called the Atonement. How one could bear the sins for all is beyond the comprehension of mortal man. But this I know: He did take on Himself the sins of all and did so out of His infinite love for each of us. He said: 'For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; . . . Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink.' (D&C 19:16, 18.)

"In spite of that excruciating ordeal, He took the cup and drank. He suffered the pains of all men so we would not have to suffer. He endured the humiliation and insults of His persecutors without complaint or retaliation. He bore the flogging and then the ignominy of the brutal execution—the cross." (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson.)


Gethsemane

In golden youth when seems the earth

A Summer-land of singing mirth,

When souls are glad and hearts are light,

And not a shadow lurks in sight,

We do not know it, but there lies

Somewhere veiled under evening skies

A garden which we all must see--

The garden of Gethsemane.

With joyous steps we go our ways,

Love lends a halo to our days;

Light sorrows sail like clouds afar,

We laugh, and say how strong we are.

We hurry on; and hurrying, go

Close to the border-land of woe,

That waits for you, and waits for me--

Forever waits Gethsemane.

Down shadowy lanes, across strange streams,

Bridged over by our broken dreams;

Behind the misty caps of years,

Beyond the great salt fount of tears,

The garden lies. Strive as you may,

You cannot miss it in your way.

All paths that have been, or shall be,

Pass somewhere through Gethsemane.

All those who journey, soon or late,

Must pass within the garden's gate;

Must kneel alone in darkness there,

And battle with some fierce despair.

God pity those who can not say,

"Not mine but thine," who only pray,

"Let this cup pass," and cannot see

The purpose in Gethsemane.

The Savior Suffers in Gethsemane

Suffer the Little Children to Come Unto Me

Jesus invites little children to come unto him, and teaches how to gain eternal life. (2:40)

I Knew The Author

I recollect the story of a very voracious reader, a woman who had a study filled with books. Each night she came home and read from books in her library, and she always finished every book she read.

One night she came to a particularly interesting crossroads: She decided that she would read a book that she had been especially avoiding. Finally she picked the book up, sat down, and began to read. It was very dull and uninteresting, but she had made herself a promise that she would never read a book without finishing it. She continued, night after night, until days later she finally turned the back cover of the book, took it back, placed it on the shelf, and made this mental note to herself: "That was the dullest book I have ever read in my life."
Sometime later she was out with a gentleman friend, and after dinner they started talking. He asked if she had ever read such and such a book. The mental note came back, "That was the dullest book I have ever read in my life."

She said, "Yes; why?"

He said, "I wrote it."

Then they talked about the book. Finally, that evening about midnight when he dropped her off, she went into her study, pulled this same book off the shelf, and read through the long hours of the night. When the first streaks of sunlight shafted across the sky, she closed the back cover of the book, placed it back again in its place on the bookshelf, and made another mental note to herself:
"That was the most beautiful book I have ever read in my life." The difference was that she knew the author.

In the forty-fifth section of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord said:

Hearken, O ye people of my church, to whom the kingdom has been given; hearken ye and give ear to him who laid the foundation of the earth, who made the heavens and all the hosts thereof, and by whom all things were made which live, and move, and have a being.

And again I say, hearken unto my voice, lest death shall overtake you; in an hour when ye think not the summer shall be past, and the harvest ended, and your souls not saved.

Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him--

Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou was well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified;

Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life. [D&C 45:1­5]

We can know the author, and everlastingly so much is at stake whether or not we do know Him.

The Pure and Simple Doctrine of Christ

Recently I had the wonderful blessing of participating in a sealing session with my wife and some of my children. Because of extenuating circumstances, not all could be there, but I was grateful for those who could. The sealer commended us for being there together as a family and spoke of the safety families can find there. Speaking of my children who were then present he said, “I’m not so concerned about these, the second generation. I am more concerned about the third generation, their children, your grandchildren.” He said that he heard a statistic that suggested that a child will have his first exposure to pornography between the ages of six and ten. I groaned within myself as I thought about what would be needed to strengthen that vulnerable generation.

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said that many years ago, large packs of wolves roamed the countryside in Ukraine, making travel in that part of the world very dangerous. These wolf packs were fearless. They were not intimidated by people nor by any of the weapons available at that time. The only thing that seemed to frighten them was fire. Consequently, travelers who found themselves away from cities developed the common practice of building a large bonfire and keeping it burning through the night. As long as the fire burned brightly, the wolves stayed away. But if it were allowed to burn out and die, the wolves would move in for an attack. Travelers understood that building and maintaining a roaring bonfire was not just a matter of convenience or comfort; it was a matter of survival.

Elder Wirthlin said that wolf packs are not a threat to us today, but in a spiritual sense there are wolves of Satan that are potentially more dangerous. These wolves stalk us continually in the forms of evil, temptation and sin. These ravenous wolves roam the spiritual countryside preying upon those who may be young or weak in faith or feeble in their conviction. In his first epistle, Peter described our "adversary the devil, as a roaring lion [that] walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Pet. 5:8.) The Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith that "enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb." (D&C 122:6.)

In General Conference a couple of years ago, Elder Russell M. Ballard talked about fly fishing:

“The goal of the fly fisherman is to catch trout through skillful deception. The adept fisherman studies trout behavior, weather, the water current, and the types of insects trout eat and when those insects hatch. He will often craft by hand the lures he uses. He knows these artificial insects embedded with tiny hooks need to be a perfect deception because the trout will identify even the slightest flaw and reject the fly.

“The use of artificial lures to fool and catch a fish is an example of the way Lucifer often tempts, deceives, and tries to ensnare us.

“Like the fly fisherman who knows that trout are driven by hunger, Lucifer knows our “hunger,” or weaknesses, and tempts us with counterfeit lures which, if taken, can cause us to be yanked from the stream of life into his unmerciful influence. And unlike a fly fisherman who catches and releases the fish unharmed back into the water, Lucifer will not voluntarily let go. His goal is to make his victims as miserable as he is.”
Just a few days later, Elder Ballard received a letter from an 11 year old boy who wrote to share what he felt was the message behind Elder Ballard’s analogy;
“Fishermen reeling in the fish with an artificial lure symbolizes how Satan is “reeling” us in with addiction (the “artificial lure”). When the fisherman throws the fish onto the beach and the fish tries to “flop” back to the water, that “flopping” I think symbolizes how we struggle to get back to the safety of the “water” or the gospel, but we need help from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ to get away from those addictions.”

Give the Lord Equal Time

While serving as a mission president, Elder Ballard related the experience of a missionary who came to visit him and said;

“President, I am losing my testimony. I have some questions that no one will answer for me.

My bishop and stake president just told me to forget them, and they had no answers.”
This young elder was invited to write his questions down and then return in 10 days and he would be given all the answers he was seeking.

Elder Ballard went on to say, “As he was leaving my office, I was prompted to ask him, “Elder, how long has it been since you have read from the scriptures?”

“He acknowledged that it had been a long time.

“I said: “You have given me an assignment; it’s only fair that I give you one. You read at least one hour from the scriptures each day until you come back for your answers.”

“He agreed to do this.

“When he came back, I was ready. He said: “President, I don’t need the answers. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I know Joseph Smith is a prophet. I’m OK now.”

“I replied: “You will get your answers anyway. I worked hard on them!” All of this anti-Mormon stuff was what we were dealing with.

“After our discussion I asked him, “Elder, what have you learned from all of this?”

“And he gave me a very significant response: “I’ve learned to give the Lord equal time!”

Keep the Gospel of Jesus Christ Simple

There is a principle that will help us avoid Satan’s predatory wolves and the “counterfeit lures” that would yank us from the “stream of life into his unmerciful influence.”

The principle is this: Keep the Gospel of Jesus Christ simple.

Paul the Apostle had the same concern in his day when he said, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent [the devil] beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).

The Doctrine of Christ

The “simplicity that is in Christ” is what will protect you from Satan’s subtle lures. The “simplicity that is in Christ” is what will bring love, unity, peace and happiness into your homes and into your lives. It is the “simplicity that is in Christ” that opens the gate that leads us back into the presence of our Father in Heaven as families.The “simplicity that is in Christ” is the doctrine of Christ and if you are to safely navigate this mortal experience you will need to know something about it, you will need to understand it because you will be called upon to defend it.

So, what is the doctrine of Christ?

Among the many wonderful blessings of the Book of Mormon is its presentation of the doctrine in purity and simplicity. That is what gives that book is extraordinary power to change men’s hearts. As if her were speaking directly to us, the Lord thorough his prophet said, “And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen” (2 Ne. 31:21, emphasis added.)

And so that we will be sure to understand, the Lord repeats himself:
“And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.

“And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God.

“And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father; and whoso believeth in me believeth in the Father also; and unto him will the Father bear record of me, for he will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost” (3 Ne. 11:32–35).

And then again:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.

“And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them.

“Therefore, go forth unto this people, and declare the words which I have spoken, unto the ends of the earth” (3 Ne. 11:39–41).

The doctrine is simple enough that even a child can comprehend it, as well they must.

Doctrine Through Prophets and Apostles

As latter-day saints we are among all people most blessed. In a world that has lost its spiritual moorings, we have a spiritual anchor in the messages and guidance that come through the Lord’s prophets and apostles.

In April 2012 General Conference, Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said,

“In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “we believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God” (Articles of Faith 1:9). This is to say that while there is much we do not yet know, the truths and doctrine we have received have come and will continue to come by divine revelation. In some faith traditions, theologians claim equal teaching authority with the ecclesiastical hierarchy, and doctrinal matters may become a contest of opinions between them. Some rely on the ecumenical councils of the Middle Ages and their creeds. Others place primary emphasis on the reasoning of post-apostolic theologians or on biblical hermeneutics [science of interpreting texts] and exegesis [analysis of texts]. We value scholarship that enhances understanding, but in the Church today, just as anciently, establishing the doctrine of Christ or correcting doctrinal deviations is a matter of divine revelation to those the Lord endows with apostolic authority.”

He then quoted from a 1954 General Conference address by President J. Reuben Clark, then First Counselor in the First Presidency, who spoke of how doctrine is promulgated through the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, he said:

“[We] should [bear] in mind that some of the General Authorities have had assigned to them a special calling; they possess a special gift; they are sustained as prophets, seers, and revelators, which gives them a special spiritual endowment in connection with their teaching of the people. They have the right, the power, and authority to declare the mind and will of God to his people, subject to the over-all power and authority of the President of the Church. Others of the General Authorities are not given this special spiritual endowment and authority covering their teaching; they have a resulting limitation, and the resulting limitation upon their power and authority in teaching applies to every other officer and member of the Church, for none of them is spiritually endowed as a prophet, seer, and revelator. Furthermore, as just indicated, the President of the Church has a further and special spiritual endowment in this respect, for he is the Prophet, Seer, and Revelator for the whole Church.”

Let’s consider, then, in simple form the doctrine of Christ.

Doctrinal Principle 1: Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

The first doctrinal principle is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Having faith in Christ includes having a firm belief that He is the Only Begotten Son of God and the Savior and Redeemer of the world. [Our doctrine teaches] that we can return to live with our Heavenly Father only by relying on His Son’s grace and mercy. When we have faith in Christ, we accept and apply His Atonement and His teachings. We trust Him and what He says. We know that He has the power to keep His promises. Heavenly Father blesses those who have faith to obey His Son. . . .

We believe in Christ, and we believe that He wants us to keep all His commandments. We want to show our faith by obeying Him. . . .
. . . Through our faith in Jesus Christ, He can heal us, both physically and spiritually.

Consider now your own faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as I ask you a few questions:

Are you happy with the direction of your life and the depth of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ?
Do you love God with all of your heart, soul, strength, and mind, as the Lord taught the lawyer in Luke 10? (See verse 27.)
Are you doing the simple things in your everyday life?
Are you saying your prayers every morning and every night?
Are you reading every day from the holy scriptures?
Are you using appropriate language?
Are you being honest?
Are you living the Word of Wisdom?
Are you being kind and thoughtful of the needs of those around you?
Are you following the counsel of the Brethren emphasized in this past conference to avoid completely any kind of pornography?
Are you living worthy of a temple recommend?
Are you actively participating in your Sunday meetings, especially sacrament meeting—partaking of the sacrament worthily and renewing your covenants with the Lord?
Are you returned missionaries maintaining the dignity of a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ in your dress and in your personal demeanor?

As you consider your personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, is there anything in your life now that isn’t what it ought to be? If there is anything in your heart that is inconsistent with one who has real faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, then let me tell you how to fix it.

Doctrinal Principle 2: Repentance

Repentance is the second doctrinal principle of the gospel.
Our faith in Christ and our love for Him lead us to repent, or to change our thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that are not in harmony with His will. . . . When we repent, we feel godly sorrow, then we stop doing things that are wrong and [increase our efforts to do] things that are right. . . .

Sincere repentance brings several results. We feel God’s forgiveness and His peace in our lives. Our guilt and sorrow are swept away.

Sincere repentance is an escape from the sins we commit. Make no mistake; all of us are targets of Satan and his minions. He has laid out on the table every lure, every deceitful practice that he has to cause you and me to falter and drift from our covenants to the Lord.

Doctrinal Principle 3: Baptism

The third doctrinal principle of the gospel is baptism. This principle most all of you within the sound of my voice have participated in. Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins is the first covenant that we make between ourselves and the Lord Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. Baptism is an ordinance; it is “a sacred ceremony or rite that shows that we have entered into a covenant with God,” and God has always required His children to make covenants. A covenant is a binding and solemn agreement between God and man. God promises to bless us, and we promise to obey Him. . . . Keeping covenants brings blessings in this life and exaltation in the life to come.

Remember, Christ set the example for us and was baptized. Each Sunday you and I have the privilege of partaking of the sacrament, which “helps us remain worthy to have the Spirit with us always. It is a weekly reminder of our covenants”

Doctrinal Principle 4: The Gift of the Holy Ghost

The fourth doctrinal principle is the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Jesus taught that we must be baptized of water and also of the Spirit. Baptism by water must be followed by baptism of the Spirit or it is incomplete. Only when we receive baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost can we receive a remission of our sins and become completely spiritually reborn. . . .

. . . The Holy Ghost testifies of Christ and helps us recognize the truth. He provides spiritual strength and helps us do what is right. He [gives us peace and] comforts us during times of trial or sorrow. He warns us of spiritual or physical danger. . . . Through the power of the Holy Ghost we can feel God’s love and direction for us. This gift is a foretaste of eternal joy and a promise of eternal life.

Doctrinal Principle 5: Endure to the End

And finally, the fifth doctrinal principle: we must endure to the end.
Once we have entered the strait and narrow path by our faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, and the ordinances of baptism and [receiving the Holy Ghost], we must exert every effort to stay on the path.

Elder Ballard once shared the story of a stake patriarch, who was in his nineties, who stood in fast and testimony meeting and said something he would never forget:

“I pray every night that God will see me safely dead with my testimony burning brightly.”
After the meeting Elder Ballard approached him and asked, “Patriarch, of all the people I know, certainly you don’t need to worry about that anymore!”

“He took hold of the lapels of my coat, jerked me up so that our faces were close together, looked me in the eyes, and said these words: “My boy”—I was married and had two children! “My boy, no one is secure until the very end.”

I like this poem; it applies to all of us. It is entitled “The Oak Tree” by Johnny Ray Ryder Jr.

A mighty wind blew night and day.
It stole the oak tree’s leaves away,
Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark
Until the oak was tired and stark.
But still the oak tree held its ground
While other trees fell all around.
The weary wind gave up and spoke,
“How can you still be standing, Oak?”
The oak tree said, “I know that you
Can break each branch of mine in two,
Carry every leaf away,
Shake my limbs, and make me sway.
But I have roots stretched in the earth,
Growing stronger since my birth.
You’ll never touch them, for you see,
They are the deepest part of me.
Until today, I wasn’t sure
Of just how much I could endure.
But now I’ve found, with thanks to you,
I’m stronger than I ever knew.”

May we be like the strong oak tree. Come to know how strong you are. Push your faith and trust in God and Christ down deep into gospel soil. Always be aware of the artificial flies being presented to us by the counterfeit fisher of men, Lucifer.

I pray that the doctrine of faith in Christ, repentance, making and renewing and keeping covenants, and being directed by the Spirit will become a pattern of living.

Jesus Christ Ushered in the Restoration