Of Huckleberry Finn and Heavenly Rest

You might recall that despite her best efforts, the Widow Douglas’ sister, Miss Watson, was unable to interest Huckleberry Finn in heaven. In fact, you might say that because of her best efforts she inoculated Huck against any interest in heaven. To Miss Watson, and surely the Widow Douglas, too—who doubtless were old enough to have experienced their share of the troubles and turmoil of life—their image of heaven seemed very attractive. “She said all a body would have to do there was to go around all day long with a harp and sing, forever and ever.” Huckleberry Finn’s judgment on this depiction of heaven was, “So I didn’t think much of it. . . . I asked her if she reckoned Tom Sawyer would go there, and she said not by a considerable sight. I was glad about that, because I wanted him and me to be together.” (Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, chapter 1)

For Miss Watson, heaven was a haven of rest, while for Huck it offered far too much rest. Both were right and wrong together. For the real heaven offers “every good thing” (Moroni 7:20), full of rest and activity, and you do not have to die first to find them.

The Apostle Paul, writing to the Philippians, spoke of “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding” as a promise to be awarded in this life (Philippians 4:7). Shipwrecked, beaten, persecuted, and jailed, ever traveling about in his missionary service, where was the peace, where was the rest in Paul’s life?

The prophets have ever promised rest and peace to the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. What are those gifts, though, and when are they given? Rest assured that the peace and rest of Christ do not approach what Huckleberry feared and reach far beyond what Miss Watson could imagine.

The peace and rest of heaven are not some kind of holy lethargy. The modern prophet, Brigham Young, said this about our eternal existence, what he considered life in its fullest meaning:

Life is an accumulation of every property and principle that is calculated to enrich, to ennoble, to enlarge, and to increase, in every particular, the dominion of individual man. . . . It is to pursue that course wherein we shall never, never lose what we shall obtain, but continue to collect, to gather together, to increase, to spread abroad, and extend to an endless duration. Those persons who strive to gain eternal life, gain that which will produce the increase their hearts will be satisfied with. Nothing less than the privilege of increasing eternally, in every sense of the word, can satisfy the immortal spirit. (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, p.349. 350)

There is no peace and rest in that if you mean a peace and rest that are akin to sleep. But if you are looking for a peace and rest that are full of life and that fill and satisfy the soul, then you are looking for the peace and rest promised by the prophets of Christ in all ages.

This enduring peace and genuine rest come from living a life of integrity, in which all of the parts of one’s life are working together, where there is no war going on in the mind and spirit. The man whose life is an unending series of moral dilemmas, or whose daily walk seems continually out of step, who frequently is torn between one path or another, knows agony and frustration and is familiar with nagging anxiety, living his own personal and daily portion of hell. The ancient Christian disciple, James, declared, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:8) Coming to Christ puts all of that internal warfare to rest. Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount, “if therefore thine eye be single to the glory of God, thy whole body shall be full of light.” (Matthew 6:22 [JST]) Then the Savior warned, “No man can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24).

We have to make our decision, to follow Christ or not. Until we do—with full purpose of heart— we will know no meaningful peace and find no lasting rest. Indeed, a man will remain an enemy to God until he turns his heart singly to the Lord, “and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love” (Mosiah 3:19).

When we do that and only when we do that do we begin to live, to be fully alive, to enjoy all that life has for us. As Christ declared, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) Those who have obtained that abundant life were referred to by the ancient American prophet, Mormon, as “the peaceable followers of Christ . . . that have obtained a sufficient hope by which they can enter into the rest of the Lord, from this time henceforth until ye shall rest with him in heaven.” (Moroni 7:3) That is a promise to surpass the joys of any Miss Watson and satisfy the aspirations of the Huck Finn in us all.

Of the Power of Change and the Power of Christ

Change is in the air. It is autumn, the leaves have begun their brief flash of color before gliding to the ground to be swept away.

Fall is also the season when politicians promise change. The mood predominating among the electorate this year seems to be disillusionment with Change. They want change from Change—that is, from Change that makes things worse and reinforces what is bad in Washington. At least for now, voters are showing a strong preference for candidates who do not fit the usual political mold, who reject solutions imposed from Washington. Such moments do not come very often, and like the autumn they seem to pass too quickly.

Yet with all of this discussion of the change apparent in nature and the political world, it seems strange to find those who doubt the ability of people to change. Properly understood, the plan of God for His children is all about change.

The central message of Jesus Christ and of all of His prophets has been the need and possibility for people to change, to change their world by changing themselves, from the world of unhappiness and distraction, to a life of purpose, growth, and deep joy. All who have drawn close to the Savior have experienced change, have drawn upon His power to change, and the closer they drew to Him the more that they changed and became more like Him.

Consider the early Apostles who lived while the Savior walked the earth. Mere fishermen (Peter and John) were turned into inspired leaders whose testimonies have endured for two millennia. A tax collector (Matthew) was converted into a human benefactor. A persecuting zealot (Paul) turned into a powerful missionary. In earlier days, a slave (Joseph) became viceroy of Egypt, a fugitive from Pharaoh’s court (Moses) became the mighty lawgiver who led Israel from bondage, a shepherd (David) became King of Israel. The change in these whom history calls great was repeated among millions of their less well-known compatriots.

In our own times, an untaught boy (Joseph Smith) became a wise prophet and religious founder, a craftsman (Brigham Young) became the greatest colonizer of the West. Again, these are more prominent examples among millions of others similarly changed through the power of Christ, the more effectively changed the closer that they approached Him.

When I was in college a friend explained to me her disillusionment with her church, which in her view told its members to be good but somehow lacked the power to transform them. It lacked the power of Christ, who made change of life possible. As the ancient American prophet Mormon explained in a letter to his son, Moroni, through Jesus Christ our sins can be forgiven, our past can be overcome.

And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God. (Moroni 8:26)

There is power, the greatest power on earth, the power to change the greatest creations on earth, the children of God. There is the power to transform men and women and make them fit to live with the Father in His presence forever, “that ye may at last be brought to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the holy prophets who have been ever since the world began, having your garments spotless even as their garments are spotless, in the kingdom of heaven to go no more out.” (Alma 7:25) Thank God that power is on the earth.

Of Organized Religion and Living Apostles of Christ

Sign me up for organized religion, if God is the organizer. I have little interest in being part of the religions of men or observing the commandments of men, and I understand why others are put off by manmade religions. Equally, I find it hard to see why someone would not want to be part of a church that is run and organized by the Savior Jesus Christ, the Author of all good, the Source of all knowledge, the fountain of all love. What is there not to like? All that can be desired, all that really matters, all that is really joyful, is there.

The Apostle Paul described Christ’s church—its organization and purpose— in a letter to the saints in Ephesus:

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive . . . (Ephesians 4:11-14)

It is clear that Christ intended His church and all of its parts to continue until all of God’s children became like Christ. And it also seems clear that without this church and its various parts, the children of God would become vulnerable to the doctrines and teachings of men.

Fortunately, Christ’s church is on the earth again, with all of the component parts that made up His church anciently, built on the foundation of apostles and prophets, together with the other important offices, “Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20).

This past weekend, as they do twice each year, the apostles and prophets of the Church of Jesus Christ gathered in conference and spoke to all the world. Their words were a combination of the timeless and the timely, just as they were anciently. Test them and try them. They can be found at this website:

http://www.lds.org/general-conference?lang=eng

While the messages are spoken for all, as you listen carefully you will invariably hear messages spoken directly to you. For me, one of those messages was delivered by the Apostle Dieter F. Uchtdorf. He spoke of the sin of pride, reprising the words delivered more than a decade ago by the Lord’s prophet at that time, Ezra Taft Benson. He described the difference between two ways in which we use the word "pride." First, there is what we call pride, which is really rejoicing in the accomplishments and achievements of others, the pride we feel in our children, in our spouse, in our fellows, a pride that unites us. That is far different from the pride denounced by God throughout the ages, the pride that separates us from our fellowmen, the pride of comparison and hostility that has, in the words of Ezra Taft Benson, enmity at its roots.

The cure is humility. But the apostle did not mean the self-demeaning attitude that some mistake for humility. In his inspired words, “Humility is not thinking less of ourselves; it is thinking less about ourselves.” Working with, and among, and together with others, reaching out beyond ourselves, this true humility is a great antidote to the pride that would separate us, because it is built upon charity, the pure love of Christ.

This was a simple but powerful message, as were the many others presented. Whether on family and marriage, faith, deliverance from addictions, financial security, the power of gratitude, or the worth of the individual, the cures for the problems of society were offered through words inspired from heaven.

I could have received or enjoyed little of this left to my own devices. It was made available in an eternal abundance through the religion organized by Christ and offered to all of God’s children. And for that I am grateful.