Are You Seeking to Become One with God?

My Come, Follow Me studies for this week took me to John in a lesson 14-17 in a lesson titled “Continue Ye in My Love.” The lesson was preceded by this counsel: “As you read the Savior’s teachings in John 14-17, the Holy Ghost will help you identify messages for you. Record the impressions you receive.” The lesson was introduced with this information: 

Today we call it the “Last Supper,” but we don’t know if Jesus’s disciples fully realized, when they gathered for the annual Passover feast, that this would be their last meal with their Master before His death. Jesus, however, “knew that his hour was come” (John 13:1). He would soon face the suffering of Gethsemane, the betrayal and denial of His closest friends, and an agonizing death on the cross. Yet even with all of this looming before Him, Jesus’s focus was not on Himself but on His disciples. What would they need to know in the days and years ahead? Jesus’s tender teachings in John 14-17 reveal how He feels about His disciples, then and now. Among the many comforting truths He shared was the reassurance that, in one sense, He will never leave us. “If ye keep my commandments,” He promised, “ye shall abide in my love” (John 15:10).

This lesson included several principles, but I have chosen to focus on only one. It is found in John 17:11, 21-23 “Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are perfectly united.” Let us look at the scripture itself.

11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

Jesus Christ prayed that His disciples would be one “even as,” meaning in the same way that He and the Father are one. What does it mean to be “one”? Are you one with your spouse – or with anyone else? Some of the ways that we can be one are (1) one in purpose, (2) one in faith, and (3) one in goals. Unity with Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father requires righteousness.

Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught the following:

“Righteousness and unity are profoundly significant. When people love God with all their hearts and righteously strive to become like Him, there is less strife and contention in society. There is more unity. I love a true account that exemplifies this” (October 2020 General Conference).

Should We Rend Our Clothes or Rend Our Hearts?

 My Come, Follow Me studies for this week took me to Hosea and Joel. The lesson for this week was titled “I Will Love Them Freely” and was about Israel’s covenant with the Lord. The lesson was introduced by the following information. 

Israel’s covenant with the Lord was meant to be so deep and meaningful that the Lord compared it to a marriage. The covenant, like a marriage, included eternal commitment, shared experiences, building a life together, exclusive loyalty, and most of all, wholehearted love. This kind of devotion came with high expectations—and tragic consequences for infidelity. Through the prophet Hosea, God described some of the consequences the Israelites faced for breaking their covenant. And yet His message was not “I will reject you forever for being unfaithful.” Instead it was “I will invite you back” (see Hosea 2:14-15). “I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness,” the Lord declared (Hosea 2:19). “I will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely” (Hosea 14:4). This is the same message He gives us today as we seek to live our covenants with love and devotion.

Joel shared a similar message: “Turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness” (Joel 2:13). “The Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel” (Joel 3:26). As you read Hosea and Joel, ponder your own relationship with the Lord. Think about how His faithfulness inspires you to be faithful to Him.

There are numerous principles contained in this scripture block, but I will discuss just one of them: “Devotion to God must be felt inwardly, not just expressed outwardly” (Hosea 6:4-7; Joel 2:12-13). The Lord had commanded His people to offer animal sacrifices. The people in Hosea’s day were obeying this commandment, but they were breaking more important commandments. Through His prophet Hosea, the Lord called to Israel to return and be healed (Hosea 6:1). Then He told them what they were doing wrong (Hosea 6:4-7).

4 O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.

5 Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.

6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

7 But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.

The Lord compared Israel to an adulterous, a wife who left her husband to seek other lovers. Bernhard W. Anderson explained fickle Israel in this way.

Israel’s fidelity, then, was that of a fickle woman. It lacked the steadfastness, the trustworthiness of true covenant love. In Hosea’s native language, Israel lacked hésed. This word is exceedingly difficult to render into English. (The Revised Standard Version usually translates it “steadfast love.”) It is a covenant word that refers to the faithfulness or loyal love that binds two parties together in covenant. When a person shows hésed to another, he is not motivated merely by legal obligation but by an inner loyalty which arises out of the relationship itself. Such covenant love has the quality of constancy, firmness, steadfastness. In Hosea’s vivid figure, Israel’s hésed was like a transient morning cloud, or like the morning dew that evaporates quickly (6:4). Hence Yahweh [Jehovah] scorned the existing forms of worship: “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God, rather than burnt offerings.” – Hosea 6:6

We probably should not press Hosea’s words to mean that he was opposed to formal worship. But clearly he was opposed to forms that were devoid of the spirit of true faithfulness to the God of the covenant. Jesus twice asked his hearers to go and reread Hosea 6:6 when he was accused of breaking the formal rules of orthodoxy (cf. Matt. 9:13 and 12:7). (Understanding the Old Testament, p. 248, as quoted in the Old Testament Student Manual.) 

The Savior used wording from Hosea 6:6 to instruct the people during His ministry. Notice the similarity of wording in Hosea 6:6 “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings” and Mathew 9:13. See Matthew 9:10-13 below.

10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.

11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?

12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

13 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.

Through His prophet Joel, the Lord gave a similar message to Israel: return to me and I will show you mercy. However, Joel tells them to present a broken heart rather than tearing their clothing to show their repentance. (See Joel 2:12-13.)

12 Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

The Lord requires us to have a broken heart and a contrite spirit. He does not care about our clothing. A person could tear their clothing in public and continue to be wicked in private. Even though a broken heart cannot be seen in public, the Lord can see the humble soul and will bless them.

Divine Role of Women

Our Father in Heaven has a plan that we might be happy. That plan has roles for His daughters as well as for His sons. Today I will write of the role of the daughters. "We have the female half to take care of, and if we don't do our part, no one else is going to do it for us. The half of our Father's plan that creates life, that nurtures souls, that promotes growth, that influences everything else was given to us. We can't delegate it. We can't pass it off to anyone. It's ours. We can refuse it, we can deny it, but it's still our part, and we're accountable for it. There will come a day when we will all remember what we knew before we were born. We will remember that we fought in a great conflict for this privilege. How do we meet this responsibility? We daily put our energies into the work that is uniquely ours to do" (Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president, Ensign, Feb. 2009, 67). The basic purpose for the Creation of the earth was to provide bodies for God's spirit children. Mothers and fathers are very important to the work of God as they rear and teach their children, but all men and all women have roles to perform. Heavenly Father intended that men and women progress together to fulfill His plan. Males and females have distinctive temperaments and capacities and each brings unique perspectives and experiences to the relationship. Women have been blessed with divine attributes of love, compassion, kindness, and charity. Whether we are married, widowed, or single, we are required to use these attributes to bless Heavenly Father's children. No matter what our personal circumstances are, we all have opportunities to help and nurture others. The following quote is one of my favorites about women and the good that we have the capacity to perform. "To be a righteous woman during the winding up scenes on this earth, before the second coming of our Savior, is an especially noble calling. The righteous woman's strength and influence today can be tenfold what it might be in more tranquil times" (President Spencer W. Kimball, "Privileges and Responsibilities of Sisters," Ensign, Nov. 1978, 103).