Extending Mercy towards All

Turns out that Jonah's decision to initially avoid going to Nineveh had little to do with being scared of teaching the people there, but instead, "it seems to have been resentment against the Lord for giving the hated enemy a chance to repent." (Old Testament Institute Manual). Wow! This was a new principle in the book of Jonah that I had never thought about: Are we okay with God extending mercy towards our enemies?  Elder Holland gave a masterful talk on this principle entitled The Laborers in the Vineyard. He said "Brothers and sisters, there are going to be times in our lives when someone else gets an unexpected blessing or receives some special recognition. May I plead with us not to be hurt—and certainly not to feel envious—when good fortune comes to another person? We are not diminished when someone else is added upon...God really is both just and merciful, giving to all who stand with Him “all that he hath,”² as the scripture says.”

The perfect balance that God strikes between  justice and mercy is something that I'm still trying to more fully understand and better implement as part of my personal character. It is hard. I can relate to Jonah in this story as my personality tends to lean towards applying the principle of justice in most situations. For example, when I've told my children over and over not to... (i.e. climb on back of the couch) because they are going to fall and get hurt and they ignore my warnings and proceed to fall and get hurt, this "justice-leaning-mother" shows little mercy and and says "I told you that was going to happen." (Fortunately I'm married to a merciful husband who comforts said child in their distress). But God's reaction to Jonah's attitude toward the repentant Ninevites is obviously disappointment (Jonah 4:10-11). And I think He feels the same about us when we refuse to extend mercy and compassion to those who are repentant and willing to change, whether or not we think they deserve His mercy. The Lord will forgive whom ever He wants to forgive, but He requires us to forgive all men (D&C 64:10).

Brotherly Covenant

In the first two chapters of the Book of Amos, Amos is prophesying to several different cities about future punishments that are coming because of their transgressions. Each city is rebuked for a specific offense they have committed against God, but it turns out that there is a common thread to each of these transgressions-they all have to do with how people (probably the poor and needy) were being treated in their respective cities (see the table in Old Testament Student Manual). The rebuke that stood out most to me was in Amos 1:9 where it says "[they] remembered not the brotherly covenant." (italics added)

I've spent some time this week thinking about what this "brotherly covenant" means. It’s the only place this phrase shows up in all of our canon of scripture. A quick search in the topical guide under the words "brotherhood and brotherly" gives some deeper context to the phrase. The word brotherly is often connected to words like love, compassion, kindness and mercy. The scripture Mosiah 18:8 is also referenced which is part of our baptismal covenant to be "willing to bear one another's burden."

So what I'm beginning to understand is that the brotherly covenant is a commitment we make to Jesus Christ that we will take care of others. And, based on the writings of Amos, its a covenant that God takes very seriously. That if we don't treat others with kindness and take care of the poor and needy then there are severe punishments in store for us.

Sister Sharon Eubank spoke recently during General Conference and said the following: "The Church of Jesus Christ is under divine mandate to care for the poor.² It is one of the pillars of the work of salvation and exaltation...As baptized members of the Church, we are under covenant to care for those in need."(I Pray He'll Use Us). I was grateful that the book of Amos provided me with a reminder of my covenantal responsibility to care for and treat others as Jesus Christ would do.

Strengthening a Covenant Relationship

I don't ever remember studying the book of Hosea before this week, but I enjoyed contemplating the different facets of the marriage metaphor that he teaches us. I loved the introductory paragraph from the Come, Follow Me manual that explains what to expect when reading the book of Hosea. It states "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."  One of the thought provoking questions in the manual is "ponder your own relationship with the Lord...how can we be faithful to our covenants with Him? As I thought about this question, I was reminded of a Liahona article I read some time ago that really helped me think of more concrete ways that I can strengthen my relationship with Him. The article listed the following ten items that might help deepen our connection with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

1. Communicate honestly, out loud, and with real intent through prayer.²

2. Be a good listener.³

3. Show Them appreciation.⁴

4. Make sacrifices for Them.⁵

5. Learn about Them.⁶

6. Spend quality time with Them.⁷

7. Serve together.⁸

8. Show Them trust and commitment.⁹

9. Admit when you’re wrong.¹⁰

10. Learn how They show you love.¹¹

"Strengthening my Relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ"

Pres. Nelson recently said "Once we make a covenant with God, we leave neutral ground forever. God will not abandon His relationship with those who have forged such a bond with Him. In fact, all those who have made a covenant with God have access to a special kind of love and mercy....we are bound together. Because of our covenant with God, He will never tire in His efforts to help us, and we will never exhaust His merciful patience with us. Each of us has a special place in God’s heart. He has high hopes for us." (The Everlasting Covenant). May we reciprocate towards Him the same kind of effort and patience that He shows towards us as we try to grow stronger and deeper in our relationship with Him.

Raising Zion Children in the midst of Babylon

While studying the book of Daniel this week, many of my study materials talked about looking for the parallels between ancient Babylon and our world today. My thoughts turned to Daniel and his friends and their unwavering faith while living in the wicked city of Babylon. The question I asked myself was "what had these young men been taught by their parents in order to spiritually survive in Babylon?" Even though there is no direct answer to this question, through their stories we can infer a lot about the values these boys were taught in order to stay strong in a culture that was very different than the homes they'd been raised in.

They knew their true identity (Daniel 1:7). Even though Babylon labeled them with new names, they stayed true to who they were. In a devotional given to the Young Adults in May 2022 Pres. Nelson said "I believe that if the Lord were speaking to you directly tonight, the first thing He would make sure you understand is your true identity.¹¹...the way you think about who you really are affects almost every decision you will ever make." (Choices for Eternity)

They knew their covenants (Daniel 1:8, 3:12, 18, 6:10-11). Refusing to eat certain foods and worship idols shows that these boys had been taught different standands than those living in Babylon and they were not going to lower their standards to try and fit in. Pres. Nelson recently said "The reward for keeping covenants with God is heavenly power—power that strengthens us to withstand our trials, temptations, and heartaches better. This power eases our way." (Overcome the World and Find Rest)

They knew the power of prayer (Daniel 2:16-19). When faced with the challenge of revealing and interpreting the king's dream, Daniel turns to God in prayer and invites his friends to pray with him. Pres. Nelson has said "If you are not also seeking the Lord through daily prayer and gospel study, you leave yourself vulnerable to philosophies that may be intriguing but are not true. Even Saints who are otherwise faithful can be derailed by the steady beat of Babylon’s band." (Make Time for the Lord)

They knew how to recognize Gods’ hand in their lives (Daniel 2:19-23, 28). When the king's secret is revealed to Daniel in a night vision, the first thing that he does is give thanks to God in heaven.  Pres. Eyring gave a talk in 2007 titled "O Remember Remember" where he shared an experience that strengthened his testimony regarding the importance of recognizing Gods hand in his life. He said "As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done...that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done. More than gratitude began to grow in my heart. Testimony grew...[I] urge you to find ways to recognize and remember God’s kindness. It will build our testimonies."

They knew how to have faith in God's will (Daniel 3:17-18, Daniel 6:23). When the four friends each faced the death penalty for not obeying their mortal king's request, they all relied on their faith that by obeying their Heavenly King they could be saved. Elder Maxwell once said "As one’s will is increasingly submissive to the will of God, he can receive inspiration and revelation so much needed to help meet the trials of life."(Swallowed up in the Will of the Father)

Pres. Boyd K. Packer spoke to the youth of the church 10 years ago and said "You are growing up in enemy territory... the adversary has infiltrated the world around you. He is in homes, entertainment, the media, language—everything around you." (How to Survive in Enemy Territory) We are living in modern day Babylon, surrounded by a culture that continues to move further and further away from the teachings of Jesus Christ. I'm grateful that the scriptures and our latter-day prophets and apostles give us guidance and direction in helping us know the best strategies on how we can confidently live in this world and still enjoy happiness and hope for better things to come.