This is the Christ Musical Fireside

This past Easter weekend the missionaries up here in the Kalispell zone put together a musical fireside about the life and resurrection of the Savior.

Click here to download the audio of the fireside.

Make sure you click the "download file" not the large blue button.

The spirit of that fireside truly was unique; I'd encourage everyone to give it a listen.

Finding Christ in the Old Testament: Noah

So, leaving off with Adam, we move through the Old Testament until we get to one of the most famous prophets, Noah. When we arrive at a description of Noah in Genesis chapter six, we find that he was "a just man and perfect in his generation" ( Genesis 6:9). however, the people who lived at the time of Noah were far from having "found grace in the eyes of the Lord" These people were extremely wicked and Noah was called to preach repentance to them. He warned them of the flood, but instead of heeding his prophetic words of deliverance, they mocked him. After being instructed to build an ark, only he and his family boarded the vessel of safety. He did "all that the Lord commanded him" to do, but only a very few believed on his words.

As the story goes, animals came and boarded the Ark, and a week later the floods came; 40 days and 40 nights it rained, and only Noah and his family survived. After the 40 days and nights had ended and the waters receded, he started anew, and he and his sons were commanded to "replenish the earth" (Genesis 9:1)

So, what does this have to do with Christ? In what ways did the life of Noah mirror that of the Saviors?

Well from the beginning of his description he was "perfect in his generation" just as the Savior was perfect. he preached to people who largely rejected him, yet still he kept all of God's commandments. He built a ark, or a means of saving humanity from death, but only he and his family were saved; the ark then is a symbol of Christ's death for us and when we accept him as our Savior through baptism and receiving the Holy Ghost we take upon ourselves his name, thereby entering into his family, so to speak. So just as those that followed Noah were saved by death, so too are they that follow Christ saved from death. He is our Savior,and we can learn so much about him by reading of him in the scriptures.

Finding Christ in the Old Testament: The life of Adam

When you open up the pages of the Bible, the first person we run into is of course the first person who ever lived, Adam! in the account of creation in he book of Genesis, we read:

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and fowls of the air...So, god crated man in his own image, in the image of God created he him" (Genesis 1:26-27).

So even here with the introduction of Adam we see an immediate similarity with Christ. They were both in the image of their Father.

As the story continues we read of Adam and Eve's experience in the garden of Eden and the fall that was subsequently put into effect through their actions there. Because they partook of the fruit, they became subject to death, making it possible for us to be born having that innocence wiped away from their eyes.

So like Christ, Adam took upon himself death that we might all live (1 Corinthians 15:21-22). They partook of "bitter fruit" in their respective gardens- the garden of Eden and Gethsemane-which made it possible for God's plan for the salvation of his children to move forward.

Also he is the first parent or Father of the human race, just as Christ is our Father in terms of our creation and salvation.

So Adam and Christ both:

     1. Were created in the Father's image
     2. Chose to leave God's presence to fulfill his plan of redemption
     3. Partook of bitterness in a garden
     4. Took upon himself death so that we may live
     5. Set up to be at the head, or the father of mankind

So really Adam's story is partly Christ's story, as is all the Old Testament characters.

Finding Christ in the Old Testament

If you're like me, you've never spent much time in the Old Testament. If at all, the volume only seemed to contain a nice collection of somewhat interesting stories that happened a really long time ago to people in an ancient and distant land. When reading the scriptures, I almost never even cracked the pages of the Old Testament, until I learned about the message just beneath its surface.

Shortly after the death of Christ, his apostles were traveling down the famous road to Emmaus. Dejected after witnessing the gruesome death of their Lord, the apostles felt abandoned and without hope. How could Christ die before he was to redeem Israel? They were confused and troubled. Everything they had put their faith in turned out quite differently than they thought.

Then the voice of Christ pierced their doubt, and he illuminated their understanding. "What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?" (Luke 24: 14-21). To their response the Savior spoke, "O fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself" (Luke 24: 25-27).

So, if the apostles had understood the meaning of the scriptures they wouldn't have been surprised by the events of his life, suffering, and death. The scriptures were all a foreshadowing of Christ, they just didn't see how.

Also, in the Book of Mormon, one of the prophets Nephi states, "Behold my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him" (2 Nephi 11:4).

So if everything God has given to man are types of Christ, and the scriptures primary concern is to help us understand the life, character, and mission of our Savior, when we read in the scriptures, we should ask ourselves, "How does this typify, or help me understand better who my Savior is?"

When we ask this question the scriptures come alive with deepened meaning, which is why over the course of the next few weeks, I am going to point out a few of the "types of Christ" i have been able to understand since having my perspective enlarged. It wont be fully comprehensive, but hopefully some of the insights shared here will allow you in your own personal drive to better understand the Savior, to make even more discoveries of your own.

The Beauty of the Restoration

181 years ago today, the Church of Jesus Christ in it's fulness was restored to the Earth. This feature-length movie depicts the life of Joseph Smith, a man who helped this great work along.

There are alot of questions surrounding the life and work of Joseph Smith; Taken largely from a biography written about him along with other historical documents as primary references this video presents a moving and spirit-filled account of this man's prophetic call.

A contemporary of his declared, "In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fullness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth." He truly did a marvelous work, and made it possible for us to fully understand Christ's wonderful gospel.  

There are such wonderful blessings that have come about because God has again called a prophet in our day, and all we have to do is read the book of Mormon, pray to know of its truth, and god promises that He wont lead us astray.  

I know Joseph Smith truly was a prophet, and that the fullness the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored.

"For if they have faith in me...the will I make weak things become strong unto them."

Everyone struggles with weaknesses, and recently I've been struggling with some of my own. These shortcomings often times tempt me to slip into a defeated mindset, and give myself up to despair. I'm doing what I can; I want to do and be better; but I still fall short- often in the same ways time and time again.

So, I turned to a well known verse in the Book of Mormon which reads:

"And If men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if the humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."


The Lord knows of our weaknesses and if we turn to Christ, he will make up for our shortcomings; this video is a powerful example of Christ's ability to take us in our weaknesses, and strengthen us to be able to overcome them:

Our weaknesses can be "swallowed up in Christ" if we turn to him as our source of strength. Put your faith in him; put him to the test; and see just what kind of miracles he can work in your life.

God...What's taking so long?

This past week I've been thinking alot about answers to prayers, and how sometimes it feels like it takes forever for God to speak back.

The Savior said, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you," but when will it be opened up, when will it be given to me?



Shortly after the sermon on the mount, the Savior miraculously fed the 5000, and afterwards went off by himself into the Mountains to pray. The account of what happens next is found in Mark 6:46-51:

46 And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.

47 And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land.

48 And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.

49 But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:

  

50 For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.

  

51And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.

 Something interesting here is that he stood afar off from the ship, as the disciples were in the midst of the terrible storm. The wind was "contrary to them" and the were "toiling in rowing." They were doing their best to whether the storm they were in, and as they struggled Christ watched without yet intervening.

As it continues, "about he fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them."

The Jewish day was broken down into a twelve hours starting from about 6 a.m. and continuing to 6 p.m., whereas the night was broken down into a period of 4 three hour "watches" After the Savior departed into the mountains to pray, it was shortly after the first watch had begun. it wasn't until roughly 3 a.m. that he finally went and delivered his disciples from their storm.  

Why the wait? I'm sure the disciples were praying that the storm would be calmed, and that they wold be able to whether it, but it wasn't until tha fourth watch that they were rescued. 

I think the answer is found in a passage of modern day scripture which reads, "For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in the gift he is given, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift." 

If we know that God can only give good gifts, that if we ask him for bread he won't give us a stone, why doesn't he just immediately give them to us? it is because we have to be wiling to accept them. We have to have a place in our hearts for the gift that God knows we need. Because the disciples toiled in the wind that blew against them, they had a place for that gift.

So next time you wonder why it's taking so long to get an answer, remember: You may only be in the second or third watch, and God may be allowing you to develop a place in your heart for that answer. He wants us to rejoice in that which he gives us, so continue to pray, hope, and look for that gift so that when it comes, both you and the Lord can rejoice together.