Some Thoughts on John

Artist: Simon Dewey

“Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.” John 20:19

It struck me as I read this recently how the early disciples must have been feeling.
Let’s consider their experiences with Him during these three years. They had just spent three years with Christ, seeing Him do all kinds of miracles. He healed lepers, gave sight to the blind, cast out devils, raised the dead;(curses from God, incurable things) things that they might have considered impossible until they met Him. All of a sudden, this man, who could disappear from the midst of an angry crowd that wanted to stone Him (John 8:59), lets Himself be taken, beaten by Jews and Romans, and then crucified as a common criminal.
Let us consider their upbringing. They were born and raised in the tradition of the Jews. Thus, their whole lives they had been taught of a Messiah was one who would come and overthrow the Roman Empire. He would be a Captain, a mighty man of war, the Lord of Hosts who would fight the battles of the Jews and emerge victorious. (See BD Messiah) Though it had become more clear to them that His role might have been different, they likely still had that in their minds. And though He spoke of His own death, few, if any, probably completely understood it. (Consider the account of the disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:13-21)

What had happened? How could all of these things come crashing down so suddenly? Hadn’t He just been received in Jerusalem with waving palm fronds, people throwing their cloaks at His feet? Where was the hope that He would be recognized as the King He was? It had been so real just days ago. And now, here they were, gathered still in faith, yet surrounded by fear and uncertainty.
Temporal: What will happen to our families?
Physical: What will happen to us? The Jews hated them and probably had some very creative ways planned to show it (Stoning of Stephen as an example).
Emotional: Their Friend, the best Man they had ever known, the epitome of Goodness, had just been killed in front of them. That alone is enough to weigh down a man’s soul.
Spiritual: Was He the Messiah? What does all of this mean now? What was the purpose of all He taught? What had He said about rising again? I don’t even remember….


Christ understood all of this, so when He stood and said, “Peace be unto you”, He really meant it. His very presence, plus this declaration, was the answer to all the questions and uncertainties they had been feeling. This was, for them and for us, a moment of deliverance. This moment was what changed Peter, John, and the other disciples. They went from hiding “for fear of the Jews”, (John 20:19) to openly healing a man lame from birth, teaching in the Temple, boldly testifying of Christ before the Sanhedrin, and refusing to be silenced by their threats (Acts 3; 4:21,29-30). For them, His resurrection meant hope where hope was dead, light where pitch black darkness had reigned, understanding took the place of confusion, and love cast out fear.  They understood more that He had come to overthrow not the Roman Empire, but something much larger (death, uncertainty, fear).

This makes me think about the impact of the Resurrection in my life. In a predominantly Christian nation many of us just accept that Christ was resurrected, and that is about it. But in church we discussed why it is important to remember that this is literally an act of God. (THE act of God)
What kind of change can be made in my life from allowing the Resurrection of the Savior to truly impact me. What uncertainties and doubts could it remove, as it did for these early disciples.
It’s still something I am trying to wrestle with and grasp. But I feel and believe now that the Resurrection offers more than just a promise that we will live again. I believe it may offer a promise that we may live.

Faith in Their Prayers

A Blessing upon this Land

           Recently I came across a verse of scripture that has made me ponder: What blessings have I received because of the prayers and faith of others?  And how can I have greater faith in my own prayers?

Prayers of Our Fathers

In Section 10 of the Doctrine and Covenants, there is a verse that says, “And thus they [prophets from the Book of Mormon] did leave a blessing upon this land in their prayers, that whosoever should believe in this gospel in this land might have eternal life” (verse 50). What an amazing statement! We are experiencing blessings left on this land by prophets and other faithful Saints who lived thousands of years ago.

This verse caused me to think of the prophet Enos’ prayer. In addition to praying for forgiveness, Enos prayed for the salvation of his people. He prayed that if the Nephites were destroyed, somehow a record would be preserved that would help the Lamanites come to know God (see Enos 1:13). The Lord told Enos, “I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith… Thy fathers have also required of me this thing, and it shall be done unto them according to their faith; for their faith was like unto thine” (Enos 1:12, 18). As we know, the Nephites were destroyed, and we have the Book of Mormon today as a fulfillment of God’s promise to Enos.

God promised another prophet, Abraham, much earlier that He would save his people as well. God’s covenant to Abraham is recorded in Genesis: “..[I]n blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and they seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 22:17-18).  He saw the beginning of this promise fulfilled in his sons Isaac and Ishmael, but died with a still relatively small posterity. This led me to a verse in Hebrews: “These [Abraham, Sarah and their posterity] all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them” (Hebrews 11:13). These men were confident that the Lord would answer their prayers as promised.

So, what blessings could I leave through my prayers? And how can I increase my faith to be more like the faith of Enos and Abraham? Two things have come to my mind. First, the Savior teaches in John 7:17, “If any man will do his will [meaning God’s], he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.”  One way to increase faith in God and his teachings is to follow them.

A second scripture is from Enos’ story. He tells of a time when he was hunting in the woods. “[T]he words which [he] has often heard [his] father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into [his] heart. And [his] soul hungered: and [he] kneeled down before [his] Maker, and [he] cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication” (Enos 1:3-4). What strikes me about this is that he remembered the words that his father had taught: the words of the scriptures. This helped to increase his desire to come unto Christ. Thus, gaining knowledge of God through study is also an essential way to build our faith in Christ.

A Story

            It was something that I still feel I should have been able to let go of.  It was the dumbest thing: I couldn’t get over a guy. I knew that he wasn’t the one for me, but I couldn’t just walk away. I was anxious and upset, confused and heartbroken, and to be honest, scared. After anxious days and restless nights, sleep finally came through a heaven-sent discovery. Each night, I would kneel beside my bed and pour out my heart to my Father in prayer. I felt that God understood how hard this was for me. He was patient with me. He loved me despite my inability to let go. Each night, I was able to sleep knowing that tomorrow was a new day. I could be better; and God still loved me! When I would wake up, the first thing I would do was study the scriptures. Each morning, like the night before, I would be filled with the peace of God’s reassurance and guidance. This pattern continued for months until finally, with time and a change of scene, I was able to move on.

I know that God lives. I know that He cares about me. He wants to help us, even when we come to Him with that same dumb thing that we should have been able to get over already. Through His help, these experiences can become holy. If we let them, they can sanctify us.

            When people ask me how I know that God hears and answers our prayers, I think back to this experience. At my lowest point, I know He heard me. I have faith in the power of prayer. I have faith that my prayers reach heaven, and are heard by the God of the whole earth. I haven’t yet reached the type of faith that Enos and Abraham had. I don’t know what it is like to see the promises made by God fulfilled to my people. But I know that, like Enos and Abraham, God heard my prayers.

In Remembrance                               

            “Believe in God; believe that He is” (Mosiah 4:9). Believe that through your faith, God can bless the lives of many: those alive now, and those yet to be born.

            This holiday weekend, as we remember those who have made it possible for us to live in a free land, let us also remember those whose prayers have left a blessing upon this land. Let us consider how we may do the same, through strengthening our faith in God, and in our prayers.

Welcome! About This Blog

This blog was inspired by letters that I would write to and receive from missionaries, both during my own missionary service and after I had returned home. The purpose of this blog is to provide insights that have helped me in my journey of faith, in the hopes they will help others in turn. Please feel free to share your own insights, questions or comments. Hope you enjoy!