"Living in Thanksgiving Daily"

 This is the talk that I gave in church on Sunday, November 22, 2020. 

Good afternoon, to those I can see in person, as well as to the many people participating by Zoom. I’m grateful for your attendance. By way of introduction, as announced, I’m Krista Rich. My husband, Joseph, and I have been in the ward since July, and our baby boy, James, was born in August. We're excited to be here for 5 years while Joseph gets his PhD in biomedical engineering at Duke. I graduated in 2019 with my master’s from BYU in teaching ESL.

 

This week, we celebrate Thanksgiving. So I wasn’t surprised to find out that my topic for this talk would be “living in thanksgiving daily.” But imagine my good luck when President Nelson, the prophet, centered his special video message on Friday around gratitude. I will refer to his remarks throughout my talk and encourage you to watch or re-watch the message on your own.

 

President Nelson, as a man of science and a man of faith, testified of the healing power of gratitude. He listed some specific things we may thank God for—our lives, our mind, our bodies; art, literature, music; repentance; families, friends; the opportunity to cherish and serve one another; even our trials in life; and many more.

 

When I received the invitation to speak a couple of weeks ago, I set a reminder in my phone to go off at noon every day to “live in thanksgiving daily.” Each day when my timer went off, I said a small prayer of gratitude. I thanked God for many of the things that President Nelson mentioned in his message, and I also thanked Him for many other blessings in my life.

 

My husband is a great example of gratitude. This last week, independent of my preparing for this talk, he told me he wanted to be more grateful toward me. He asked for my help. So I secretly put a reminder in his phone to go off every day at noon. The reminder says, “Why are you grateful for Krista today?” I did not put an end date on this reminder.

 

Gratitude—both to God and to others around us—is not only a wonderful way to become more like Christ, it’s also a commandment. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Doctrine & Covenants 46:32 says, “And ye must give thanks unto God in the Spirit for whatsoever blessing ye are blessed with.”

 

I testify that we are blessed when we feel and express gratitude. After all, as we learn in the Doctrine & Covenants, “When we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated” (D&C 130:21). Thus, when we obey the commandment of gratitude, our Father in Heaven blesses us more in return. However, I would suggest that taking our actions one step further will take the healing power of gratitude one step further. As human beings, we are more likely to remember things when we write them down.

 

Three months into our marriage (we've been married for about two and a half years), Joseph and I started a nightly tradition of writing on our posters. Each night, I write 1 thing that I love about Joseph or that I am grateful to him for, and he does the same about me. Some entries are practical—“Joseph fixed our wheel fender”— some are celebratory—“I am so proud of Joseph for graduating!”—some are painfully honest—“Joseph loves me even when I’m stubborn”—some are humorous—“Joseph kills the spiders”—and some just say it all—“I am grateful for all our moments.”

 

Since we began this tradition, together, we have filled both sides of a number of pieces of colored cardstock. Several weeks ago, I was feeling a bit annoyed with Joseph; as might be expected, I don’t even remember why now, though I’m sure it had more to do with my pride than with anything he actually did. I saw my current poster—this one, yellow—sitting on my nightstand and picked it up, still annoyed. But on that yellow piece of paper, there were three months’ worth of little things that I loved and appreciated about Joseph. It didn’t take long for the healing power of gratitude to take over, and my heart softened. I experienced what President Nelson described as “a fast-acting and long-lasting spiritual prescription” that “soothe[d my] feelings.”

 

In his message, President Nelson also extended the challenge to use social media as our own personal gratitude journals for the next 7 days. Although I’ve been largely inactive on social media over the last few weeks, I chose to accept his challenge. Each day, we’re invited to post about someone or something that we are grateful for. I love President Nelson’s invitation to “see if you feel happier and more at peace” after this week of gratitude.

 

I have a testimony, based on my own experience, that writing down our blessings does indeed bring happiness and peace—not only in the moment we are writing, but in later moments when we revisit these records.

 

Additionally, President Nelson invited us to thank God in our daily prayers. He set a beautiful example in his own prayer of gratitude in the video.

 

Still, sometimes in our lives, we can’t help but notice when some blessings seem to be missing. Where does daily thanksgiving come into play in those instances? I’d like to share an analogy related to this.

 

Recently, I was working on a 520-piece puzzle. There was one piece that I noticed I hadn’t come across yet; I took particular notice of it because it was an edge piece with text on it, and it would have completed a section of the puzzle. But I wasn’t too concerned because I had maybe a quarter of the puzzle left to complete.

 

But before I knew it, I had put together 519 puzzle pieces. I was still missing that last piece. Through no fault of my own, it wasn’t there. It simply hadn’t been included in the box. Although the one piece didn’t much affect the way the puzzle looked, it certainly affected the way I looked at the puzzle. The fact that it was incomplete despite my efforts made the puzzle seem a little less beautiful.

 

This experience got me thinking. Those puzzle pieces are, in a way, like the blessings in our daily lives. Individually, each piece may not be significant, but they all work together to create something beautiful. How often do we spend so much time searching for the one proverbial piece that’s missing that we forget, underappreciate, or even disregard the 519 pieces?

 

There have been opportunities in my life that I have prayed for but not received. Often, in the midst of these times, I questioned why I couldn’t have my way. Often, I didn’t find out why until much later. And always, the reason was that Heavenly Father had something better planned for me.

 

Though not scripture, the chorus of a song I like comes to mind: “Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers. Remember when you’re talking to the Man upstairs that just because He doesn’t answer doesn’t mean He don’t care ‘cause some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.”

 

I won’t pretend that it’s easy to be grateful for the blessings we so desire and don’t receive right away. It may be especially hard when you once had the very blessing you crave, but it was, for one reason or another, taken away. But I affirm that when we take a step back and are willing to wait a little longer for the missing piece, it’ll be easier to appreciate the beautiful blessings that are before us right here, right now.

 

I invite you to think of some of the blessings that impact your daily life as I list some of my own. You’ll notice that, while I’ll list them in no particular order, some are seemingly large blessings, while some are seemingly simple.

 

First, I am grateful for the gift of repentance. Daily, I make mistakes. Daily, I repent.

 

Second, I am grateful for my home. It protects our family from the outside elements and provides a safe and inviting place for me.

 

I am grateful for my parents who raised me, my brothers who (I have no doubt) will always have my back, my in-laws who helped shape my husband into the man I know and love.

 

I’m grateful for water. Yes—water. It quenches my thirst, it cleanses my body, and it makes for a relaxing natural soundtrack on a rainy day.

 

I’m grateful for good books, the Internet, Christmas music (yes, I said it). I’m grateful for the bed I sleep on, the couch I sit on, and the table I eat at.

 

I’m grateful for the friends I’ve had over the years, for my past language students, for the gift of tithing.

 

I’m grateful for the tough lessons I've learned. I’m grateful I got cut from high school volleyball tryouts because it led me to tennis.

 

I’m grateful for the mail service, the trash and recycling service, and the turtles that live in the pond in our neighborhood.

 

I’m grateful for my baby’s ten little fingers that hold onto mine—and sometimes pull my hair. Hard. I’m grateful for his gummy smiles and his developing little voice.

 

I’m grateful for my angel husband. He truly is an angel to me. He is my knight in shining armor and my eternal companion.

 

I am grateful for my elder brother, Jesus Christ, who I know is my Redeemer, my Advocate with the Father, my Savior.

 

I am grateful for my Heavenly Father and my Heavenly Mother.

 

Jesus provided a way for 10 lepers to be healed of their disease. “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks… And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?” (Luke 17:11–19)

 

I never want a day to go by that I fail to thank my Heavenly Father for all that He blesses my life with. I hope I live my life in a way that I will never be among the nine after whom Jesus inquires. Rather, I hope to model my attitude after the one who returned.

 

Elder David Haight said, “It’s so easy in life for us to receive blessings, many of them almost uncounted, and have things happen in our lives that can help change our lives, improve our lives, and bring the Spirit into our lives. But we sometimes take them for granted. How grateful we should be for the blessings that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings into our hearts and souls… if we’re ever going to show gratitude properly to our Heavenly Father, we should do it with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength—because it was He who gave us life and breath.”

 

I testify that as we live in thanksgiving daily, our lives will be happier, we will feel greater peace, we will draw closer to God and Jesus Christ, and we will develop a keener eye for blessings we may have previously overlooked or taken for granted. I testify that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that He loves us and knows us individually.

 

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

"Do Ye Suppose" Alma 32

As we all know, the world has been taken off-guard by COVID-19 and the repercussions it has brought with it. Some of these consequences have been particularly upsetting--canceled graduations, delayed weddings, virtual classes, missed family events... There's been a lot.

One of the temporary changes that this pandemic has brought with it is the closure of churches and temples throughout the world. I look forward to the day when I can again sit with friends at church and worship God in His holy temples. For now, though, our worship looks different than it has in the past and different than it will in the future.

But when this all passes--and it will pass eventually--I don't want to just go back to normal. Not entirely. I hope this time changes me. I hope it changes my heart. I hope it changes the way I worship forever.

I was listening to the scriptures recently. In Alma 32, there is a story of a people who are cast out of their places of worship because of their poverty. They come to the prophet and ask what they're supposed to do now. How are they supposed to worship if they're not allowed to enter the synagogues?

The prophet, Alma, responds with this:

"...do ye suppose that ye cannot worship God save it be in your synagogues only? ... do ye suppose that ye must not worship God only once in a week? I say unto you, it is well that ye are cast out of your synagogues, that ye may be humble, and that ye may learn wisdom" (Alma 32:10-12, emphasis added).

This struck me. Currently, many of us feel as though we are "cast out of [our] synagogues"--not because of our poverty, but because of current events. We cannot enter chapel doors to partake of holy emblems in remembrance of Christ. We cannot sing hymns of praise with our ward members and friends. We cannot visit the temple to participate in ordinances and eternal covenants--for ourselves or for our ancestors. There is so much we cannot do.

But, oh, there is so much we can do.

As I was listening to Alma's words, I was propelled to liken the scriptures unto myself (1 Nephi 19:23-24). Like I do at times, the poor Zoramites (those who were cast out) recognized many things they couldn't do. Alma taught them about the things they could do.

I mentioned that I hope this virus changes the way I worship. I believe it already has, and not just because we temporarily hold a family sacrament service in our home. I've felt that my faith has been strengthened; my ability to feel the Spirit during the sacrament has increased. I hope it will continue to increase and expand in all areas of my life.

So we can't partake of the sacrament in a meetinghouse. But we can partake of the sacrament with our families. We can't sing hymns with other ward members. But we can keep a song in our hearts and homes, for "the song of the righteous is a prayer unto [God]" (Doctrine & Covenants 25:12). We can't visit the temple. But we can prepare ourselves and do family history work in preparation for the day the temples are open again.

It is a blessing to have places of worship outside of our homes. But it is also a blessing to make our homes a place of worship.

For the past several weeks, we've started with a prayer and a sacrament hymn. Then, Joseph has used the priesthood authority which he holds to set up, bless, pass, and take down the sacrament. He and I have been able to partake of the sacrament in this way. I can't fully describe the feeling that this has brought to me every week. But it has been such a special and sacred experience to see my husband, the father of my future (and soon-to-be!) children, my best friend and eternal companion, exercise priesthood power and authority to bless our lives in such a unique way. It has filled my soul with joy, my heart with love, and, on occasion, my eyes with tears.

The current situation is not easy, and it has brought a number of great disappointments. However, as we focus on the positives and potential that we've been blessed with, I believe our outlook will be more optimistic and more like God's. Our eyes will be more opened to see what He sees.

"Do ye suppose that ye cannot worship?"

No. Our worship can mean more than it ever has before, if we are humble enough to let it.

Blessings That Come from Sacrifice

This is a talk that I gave in sacrament meeting on August 11, 2019. I usually don't write out my talks word-for-word, but I did this time. Joseph also spoke, and there were about 250 in the congregation! My mind wasn't nervous, but my body seemed to think that I should be; I had those nervous feelings in my stomach, which just plain wasn't fair because it kept tricking my mind into thinking I was nervous!

Anyway, here it is :)

The Gospel Principles manual defines sacrifice as “giving to the Lord whatever He requires of our time, our earthly possessions, and our energies to further His work.” To me, creating an eternal family is the thing most worthy of sacrifice.

When I think of sacrifice, I always think of my dad. My dad hadn’t even heard of the Church before meeting my mom. At the time they met, my mom was a hardworking single mother of two little boys, and my dad was a nice, cigarette-smoking, alcohol- and coffee-drinking Harley Davidson rider. But he didn’t fail to notice his pretty neighbor taking her two- and four-year-old sons to church every Sunday, a sacrifice of her own.

My parents married and had three more children. My dad took the missionary lessons, and for years, he had known that the Church was true. The only thing holding him back from making the covenants he knew to be right was his struggles with the Word of Wisdom—particularly his smoking addiction.

After a long and difficult fight, my dad was finally free of the addiction which had bound him for years. When I was six years old, I sang “I Am a Child of God” at his baptism. When I was seven years old, my family was sealed in the Chicago, IL Temple. My little brother was born into the covenant less than a month later. When I was eight years old, my dad baptized and confirmed me a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was there for me when I went through the Mesa Temple almost exactly two years ago, and he was a witness when Joseph and I were sealed in the Provo City Center Temple on May 3, 2018. He has given me numerous priesthood blessings throughout my growing-up years and in my adult life.

None of these blessings would have been possible without sacrifice. Smoking, in particular, had been an important part of his life—a physical need that his body craved. But he gave it up for something even more important: eternal family.

Another example of sacrifice from my dad was his treatment of my mom’s two sons, my oldest brothers. He adopted them, raised them, and loved them just as any good father loves a son. He went from living the life of a single twenty-something-year-old to being the father of two little boys.

Of course, I couldn’t speak of sons and sacrifice without mentioning our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son. A primary song poignantly illustrates sacrifice from three people. As I read the lyrics, listen and see if you can identify the people who sacrifice:

How could the Father tell the world of love and tenderness?

He sent his Son, a newborn babe, with peace and holiness.

How could the Father show the world the pathway we should go?

He sent his Son to walk with men on earth, that we may know.

How could the Father tell the world of sacrifice, of death?

He sent his Son to die for us and rise with living breath.

What does the Father ask of us? What do the scriptures say?

Have faith, have hope, live like his Son, help others on their way.

What does he ask? Live like his Son.

To me, the three people to sacrifice in this song are Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and each of us individually.

First, Heavenly Father. In order for many, if not all, of His children to return to live with Him, He sent His Son to this Earth, where He knew, as recorded in Isaiah 53, His Son would be

“despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;… stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted… wounded for our transgressions… bruised for our iniquities… oppressed… taken from prison and from judgment… [and] cut off out of the land of the living.”

Do you think that Jesus Christ’s health and well-being were important to Heavenly Father? Of course. But “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Heavenly Father sacrificed something important for something even more important: eternal family.

The second to sacrifice in this song is the Savior Himself. I’ve already described much of His sacrifice. Jesus Christ was born, lived, died, and was resurrected for us. He atoned for us, “which suffering,” He said Himself, “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…”

Was comfort of spirit and body important to Jesus Christ? Surely it was. But He sacrificed that for something more important: eternal family. “Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men” (D&C 19:18–19).

Finally, the primary song asks, “What does the Father ask of us?” Each of us, individually, is the final person to sacrifice in this song. I invite you to initiate an attitude of righteous sacrifice in your own life. Perhaps begin by considering the following questions:

What is important to me? What is more important to me? How can I show the Lord what is most important to me?

Perhaps the answers are obvious. In my dad’s case, the promise of eternal family easily beat out smoking and drinking as the most important thing in his life. But the answers aren’t always so clear. President Oaks has said,

“More common are those choices between one action or another. These include choices between good or evil, but more frequently they are choices between two goods.”

Whether sacrifice in your life means giving up an addiction, changing your work habits, putting your education on hold, pursuing your education, paying a full tithe, going out of your comfort zone to share the gospel, or simply choosing between two goods, I promise that Heavenly Father will see and know and recognize your sacrifice. He will give you the strength you need to overcome the pain and discomfort that inevitably accompanies sacrifice. When we give up something important for something more important, Heavenly Father will reward us more than we can imagine.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Names of Christ: Good Shepherd

Well, it's been quite a while since I've made a Names of Christ post. If you'd like, please go back a few posts to find the introduction to this series, which explains more about it and contains links to several resources that I used in my research.

Today, I started to worry about the future. My husband and I are faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and we have testimonies of the truthfulness of the doctrines contained therein. But I started to worry about the "What ifs" of the future. What if someday, my testimony weakens? What if I completely lose it? What if I start going through the motions just to avoid hurting other people? What if Joseph does?

You get the picture. So I got down on my knees and told Heavenly Father what I was thinking. And then I thought about this Names of Christ series. I decided to take that as my answer to comfort me in this moment! I'm hoping that as I research a name of Christ, who is the ultimate comforter, I'll be able to feel reassured and at peace.

Today, I've decided to learn more about the reference "good shepherd." To the best of my knowledge, there are several verbatim scriptural references to the "good shepherd":

New Testament

John 10:11 & 14

Book of Mormon

Alma 5:38-39, 41, 57, & 60

Helaman 7:18

Pearl of Great Price

Doctrine and Covenants 50:44

(Please note that this list does not include references to the "shepherd," but the "good shepherd.")

In case you just breezed past the list and ignored the hyperlinks, here is one of those nine verses that stuck out to me:

"Wherefore, I am in your midst, and I am the good shepherd, and the stone of Israel. He that buildeth upon this rock shall never fall" (D&C 50:44).

Soo, I'm like 15 minutes into this search, and right there is an answer to my worries. If I build my faith, my testimony, my actions, my LIFE upon the good shepherd, I will not falter. That's something that I need to remember when I'm overthinking the future and underestimating myself. If I center my life on Christ, I will not fall.

Now, back to the analysis...

What does good mean?

According to the LDS Resource edition of Word Cruncher, the original Greek word καλός (kalós) means "properly beautiful, but chiefly (figuratively) good (literally or morally), i.e., valuable or virtuous (for appearance or use, and thus distinguished from ἀγαθός, which is properly intrinsic)."

Let's break that down.

καλός (which has been, in this case*, translated into English good) seems to have a few core meanings:

(1) beautiful
(2) chiefly (figuratively speaking)
(3) good (literally or morally speaking)
(4) valuable
(5) virtuous

*Bonus fun fact: The same word is translated in other places in the King James Bible as better, fair, good, goodly, honest, meet, well, and worthy.

What I take from this first part of the phrase is that Christ, the good shepherd, is much more than what we traditionally think of as good. Exercise is good, right? Vegetables are good. Reading uplifting books is good. But Christ? Christ is the ULTIMATE good.

Check out that second word in the list: chiefly. I really like this one because when we apply it to the reference good shepherd, it seems to imply that there well may be other shepherds, but Christ is the chief shepherd; He is the shepherd of all shepherds. Many sects refer to their congregational leader as a pastor, which shares similar origins to the word shepherd. According to the OED, "The use of the word for ‘shepherd’ for a leader in the Christian church derives from the use of shepherding imagery in the bible." Also, think about the similarities between the words pastor and pasture. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there are prophets, apostles, bishops, and many other leaders whom I think of as shepherds of a sort. Still, however, Christ is the chief shepherd.

Speaking of all that, what does shepherd mean?

Well, the original Greek word is ποιμήν (poimḗn). I used the Oxford English Dictionary to find out a little more about the word shepherd. The first definition is "A man who guards, tends, and herds a flock of sheep (grazing at large); usually one so employed for hire; or one of a pastoral people who herds (his own) sheep, goats, etc."

In reference to Christ, I would say that the last sentence is the most telling. Christ, after all, does not just watch over and protect us simply as an employee. We can choose to be the Lord's own sheep, and when we do, we are in His care. He does it because He loves us. He does it because we are His!

If I were to sum up what I've learned from this research, I would say, "Jesus Christ is the good shepherd; He is our principle caretaker because He loves us."

I hope you were able to gain something from this post. If nothing else, please know that Jesus Christ is your Savior, and He loves you. Because of Him, you can receive remission of our sins and return to live with our Heavenly Father after this life. I am grateful for His watchful eye.

Names of Christ: Jesus

Today is Christmas, and I thought it was a perfect occasion to research the name most know best--Jesus.

Our Savior is called Jesus many times in the scriptures, but here are a few examples:

"And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS" (Luke 1:31). 

"Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ" (Ether 3:14). 

"According to the words of the prophets, and also the word of the angel of God, his name shall be Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (2 Nephi 25:19).

I found a pretty cool article that talks about the name Jesus Christ. But I really like using the LDS Resource version of WordCruncher so I can get deep into the research on my own. So here's what I learned from my own study:

The English version Jesus is translated from the Greek form of the name, Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoús). The Greek translation comes from the Hebrew form, יְהוֹשׁוּעַ (yėhôshûa‘). Interestingly, this word comes from two different places: יהוה‎  (yhvh) and ישׁע‎  (ysh‘).

The first part, יהוה‎  (yhvh), means "(the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God." According to WordCruncher:

"Traditional scholars say it means: the one who is; the existing, ever-living. Many recent scholars say it means: the one bringing into being, lifegiver; giver of existence, creator (e.g., he who creates)."

I think that's awesome. In addition to creating our world and everything we know, Jesus created universes beyond our knowledge.

The other part of יְהוֹשׁוּעַ (yėhôshûa‘) comes from ישׁע‎  (ysh‘), which carries the meaning of "properly to be open, wide or free, i.e. (by implication) to be safe; causatively to free or succor." I love this! Drawing from the first half of that definition, Jesus keeps us safe. He gives us a sense of safety and security that we can find nowhere else. His Spirit can provide us with a feeling of safety even in the darkest and most dangerous times of our lives.

Pulling from the second half of that definition, Christ is able to succor (aid or assist) us when we are hopeless and helpless--or even when we're not! Furthermore, He is the reason we are free.

"And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh" (Mosiah 5:8, italics added). 

"Wherefore, hear my voice and follow me, and you shall be a free people (D&C 38:22, italics added).

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32, italics added).

Can I just share an awesome connection that I made when I read John 8:32 this time around? We've all heard the phrase "the truth shall make you free" a thousand times. We've heard it in church, at home, and on TV shows about crime and justice (am I right?). But what might the truth mean in this context?

Consider this verse, which comes a few chapters later: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6).

Mind. Blown.

I think that one valid interpretation of John 8:32 is that the truth we read about in this verse is in fact Jesus Christ, who Himself declares that He is the truth! This is further supported by the etymology I outlined earlier, which informs us that the name Jesus comes in part from a Hebrew word that means "causatively to free."

This can be summed up in part by this pseudo-equation (my math-loving husband would be so proud of me):

ישׁע‎  (ysh‘) = to free

יהוה‎  (yhvh) + ישׁע‎  (ysh‘) = Hebrew יְהוֹשׁוּעַ (yėhôshûa‘)

= Greek Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoús)

= English Jesus

= "I am... the truth"

Therefore, "The truth [Jesus] shall make you free."

Maybe it was totally unnecessary to go through all of that in the form of an equation, but I had fun doing it, and I think it provides a nice little summary of what I've discussed in this article.

Well, I'll probably end my post here. I've really enjoyed being able to research names of Christ during this Christmas season. I think I'll actually keep this going and try to research a name of Christ every week until... who knows when. I've learned a lot from doing it, and I hope you've learned something, too.

Before I sign off, I want to share a brief testimony of our Savior. Jesus Christ is our Lord, our Maker, and our King. Because of Him, we have hope. We can be with our families forever, and we can receive "all that [the] Father hath" (D&C 84:38). I am thankful for the Christ Child that was born so many years ago on the rough plains of Bethlehem. The King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Savior of the world, the Prince of Peace, was born in the humblest circumstances. He lived and died for us. I am eternally indebted to Him, and I am eternally grateful to Him.

Names of Christ: The Carpenter and Carpenter's Son

Today, I'm focusing on two references to Christ: the carpenter (Mark 6:3) and the carpenter's son (Matthew 13:55).

I consulted several dictionaries, including the Greek-English Parallel Bible that I love so much, and they all said essentially the same thing: A carpenter is someone who builds and mends things made of wood.

That was no surprise. I mean, I've known what a carpenter is for a long time. But a couple of the entries/translations used another word that adds an extra layer of meaning to this occupation: artificer. An artificer is "a skilled craftsman or inventor" (Google), "a skilled craftsman" (Cambridge Dictionary), or "a person who is skillful or clever in devising ways of making things; inventor" (dictionary.com).

The Oxford English Dictionary offers another, more specific definition for artificer: "God or a god, considered as the creator of the universe."

With that background, we can talk about the symbolism that I think is behind this reference to the Lord.

(1) On a practical and not-really-all-that-symbolic note, I really believe that Jesus chose to labor with His own hands to make a living. He has commanded us to work and be productive (e.g., Doctrine and Covenants 42:42, 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12), and He serves as our example in all things (John 13:15). Even though He is the Son of God and probably could have chosen to sit down and let others serve Him all day, He values hard work. He earned His livelihood.

(2) A carpenter builds. This brings us back to that special word artificer. I think it's significant that this word has been used to refer to the Lord, the Creator of the universe. Christ's occupation of building things on Earth seems to be a temporal representation of His grander spiritual calling of Maker.

(3) A carpenter repairs. What more fitting occupation for the One who repairs like no one else can? I mean, I have no doubt Jesus was skilled with woodwork. But think of how skilled He is when it comes to us, his brothers and sisters! He can take broken hearts, broken minds, and broken spirits and mend them until they are broken no more. He can wash away our sins and infirmities so that "though [our] sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18).

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland gave a talk entitled "Broken Things to Mend." (If you have time, I cannot recommend this talk enough. He speaks frankly and lovingly about the mental and emotional challenges of this life and, more important, how we can overcome them.) In his address, he quotes a poem (click here to hear this excerpt from his talk):

In Nazareth, the narrow road,

That tires the feet and steals the breath,

Passes the place where once abode

The Carpenter of Nazareth.

And up and down the dusty way

The village folk would often wend;

And on the bench, beside Him, lay

Their broken things for Him to mend.

The maiden with the doll she broke,

The woman with the broken chair,

The man with broken plough, or yoke,

Said, “Can you mend it, Carpenter?”

And each received the thing he sought,

In yoke, or plough, or chair, or doll;

The broken thing which each had brought

Returned again a perfect whole.

So, up the hill the long years through,

With heavy step and wistful eye,

The burdened souls their way pursue,

Uttering each the plaintive cry:

“O Carpenter of Nazareth,

This heart, that’s broken past repair,

This life, that’s shattered nigh to death,

Oh, can You mend them, Carpenter?”

And by His kind and ready hand,

His own sweet life is woven through

Our broken lives, until they stand

A New Creation—“all things new.”

“The shattered [substance] of [the] heart,

Desire, ambition, hope, and faith,

Mould Thou into the perfect part,

O, Carpenter of Nazareth!”

I love this poem. It is so beautiful. Truly, the Carpenter can mend our broken hearts and lives.

(4) Finally, I think it is so significant that Christ is referred to as the carpenter's son (Matthew 13:55). Maybe it was common for sons to take up the trade of their fathers in those days--in fact, it probably was. But I think this reference speaks beyond traditions of the day. I believe that Christ taking up Joseph's trade symbolizes our Savior taking up His Heavenly Father's trade. Consider this scripture found in John 5:

17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. (emphasis added)

The Savior then goes on to list a few examples of things that He has seen the Father do and, therefore, has done Himself. Christ followed the example of His father on Earth, just as He follows the example of His Father in Heaven.

I have a testimony of Jesus Christ, the Carpenter and Carpenter's Son. He works, builds, repairs, and does the work of the Father faithfully. I am grateful I have the opportunity to know Him better through the scriptures, until I can meet Him at that great day.

                               

Names of Christ: The Great I Am

Last week, I researched the name Prince of Peace. Today, I'm researching the name I Am in the scriptures. This is a name that has confused me because I'm an English language enthusiast, so it always confused me that (1) the Lord would refer to Himself with a verb and (2) the verb doesn't even conjugate according to tense like all verbs do!

Like Prince of Peace, this name is found in just a few verses in the scriptures:

1 Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, the Great I Am, whose arm of mercy hath atoned for your sins... (Doctrine & Covenants 29:1, emphasis added)

56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. (John 8:56-59, emphasis added)

14 And God* said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. (Exodus 3:14-15, emphasis added)

*To clarify, I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We believe that the Old Testament God or Jehovah is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We believe that Jesus Christ is the literal Son of God and, therefore, a separate and distinct individual from God our Heavenly Father. However, they are completely united in purpose and mission, so they are often referred to by the same name in the scriptures (e.g., God, the Lord, the God of Abraham, etc.). For more info, please ask me or visit this link.

Now, that last scripture (Exodus 3:14-15) was quite revealing to me. To address my second point of confusion that I mentioned earlier, the Lord doesn't conjugate I Am because there's no need to; the verb tense is eternal and therefore constantly present. Christ isn't "the Great I Was" or "the Great I Will Be" or "the Great I Would Be." From eternities past through eternities future, He is! We are frequently reminded in the scriptures that the Lord does not change:

9 For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing?
19 And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles. (Mormon 9:9, 19; see also 3 Nephi 24:6, Doctrine & Covenants 76:4)

 As I mentioned, God and Christ are fully united. If God does not change, I would suggest that Christ also does not change. They are both "the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in [Them] there is no variableness neither shadow of changing."

Now to address my first point of confusion: Why does Jesus refer to Himself with a verb? In order to find some insight, I had to do a little digging in the Parallel Bible in Word Cruncher. In doing so, I found out that there are a couple of different ways to say "am" in Hebrew, the original language of the Old Testament. I've organized two of them here.

Hebrew conjugation	English meaning	Example
אֲנִי‎  (’ănî)	pronoun I	And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord (Exodus 6:2)
היה‎  (hyh)	to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)	And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. (Exodus 3:14)

We see that there is actually a special term set aside for when the Lord reveals Himself as "I AM." In fact (granted, I'm no expert in Hebrew), it seems as though am gets lumped together with the pronoun I in non-nominal situations--sort of how I can get lumped together with the verb in some languages such as Spanish (e.g., Hablo rather than Yo hablo).

If we look at the English meaning for היה‎  (hyh), we see the note that it is always emphatic (if you're interested in learning what copula and auxiliary mean in terms of language, I'm happy to lend you my gigantic grammar book). The Lord is giving special emphasis to His existence, or His being. By using the word choice that He did, He is placing special attention on the fact the HE IS!

To summarize what I've learned about the name I Am:
(1) Jesus Christ wants to place special emphasis on the fact that He exists, and that He is.
(2) Christ is constant, unchanging, and unfailing. He is "the Great I Am," not "the Great I Was/Will Be/Would Be."