XII

HOW TO PRAY

"And it came to pass, that, as (Jesus) was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said unto Him, Lord teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

"And He said unto them, When ye pray, say,

The Lord's prayer.

"Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins: for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil."

This is the wonderfully simple prayer uttered by the Lord Himself—a prayer that has guided the faith of Christians since first it was spoken. You may have learned it as the disciple Matthew has recorded it. Matthew's version is just a little different from Luke's, which is here given. But Luke's version makes two or three points just a little clearer, perhaps, than does Matthew's; so, we shall use it for our text in this lesson.

Jesus had found God.

According to St. Luke, Jesus gave this prayer to His disciples in response to the request, "Lord, teach us to pray." You have observed, of course, that Jesus prayed often. He lived in close communion with the Father in heaven. He Himself had found God; and He knew that God will answer the prayer of the righteous. He knew, too, that only through the prayer of faith can a man come close to God, and obtain in full the blessings thatbelong to him as a son of God. Therefore, Jesus prayed often, and as no other man has prayed.

The prayers of the Jews.

But if you will study carefully the prayers of Jesus, and compare them with other prayers preserved in the records of the Jews, you will find His prayers quite different from those other prayers. The prayers used anciently—and still used—in the Jewish service are very beautiful, noble in their faith and devotion. But they were distinctly the prayers of a special people, inspired by the thought that this special people was also a chosen, a select people. The type prayer which Jesus gave, on the other hand, while individual is yet universal in its appeal, and in its application; it is concrete and practical, yet it is profoundly spiritual. Of course, it was not intended by Jesus that all men should repeat this prayer only and no other. He gave it merely as a type, a model. Certainly, then, if we wish to know how to frame our own prayers, it will be well to analyze this one.

First, then, you will observe that this prayer possesses the characteristics that distinguish most of Jesus's prayers.

The prayer of Jesus.

It is brief.

It is direct.

It is sincere.

It is unselfish.

It expresses a simple, unshakable confidence in the goodness of God.

Jesus addresses God as Father. So should man address God. Man should learn to think of God as the Father of our spirits, and go to Him with the same simple trust and confidence manifested by a little childwhen it runs with outstretched arms to its earthly father. Jesus felt and manifested that perfect unity between father and son.

The Lord's prayer analyzed.

"Hallowed be Thy name." In this phrase, Jesus taught that we should recognize the sanctity of the name of Jehovah, and at the same time that we should show our reverence and devotion. This is a personal, individual and profound emotion on the part of him who prays sincerely.

Then Jesus prayed, "Thy kingdom come." Perhaps you do not fully realize what this petition means when you repeat it in your prayers. What is the use of praying for the kingdom of God to come to earth if we do not help in its establishment? When we utter this petition, then, we virtually promise that we ourselves will do all in our power to help. Only then can God's will be done, "as in heaven, so in earth." And the doing of the will of God is, throughout the teachings of Jesus, the essential element in the establishment of God's reign.

These petitions, you will notice, are of universal interest. Now, Jesus asks for that which will meet and satisfy personal needs. "Give us day by day our daily bread." But even here, the petition is an expression of implicit confidence in God's power to provide, and in His unlimited love, rather than merely a request for some specific gift. Its meaning has been interpreted in these words: "Provide for us each day that which Thou, in Thy Fatherly care and wisdom, seeth is needful for us."

The fourth petition is also full of meaning. "Forgive us our sins; for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us." Jesus emphasized time and again in His ministry the necessity of forgiving others, if we would ourselves beforgiven. Only in a spirit of humility and sincere worship can we approach the throne of God.

The last petition has been often misunderstood. "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Certainly the words as they are here recorded do not clearly represent the meaning of Jesus. Yet, perhaps, even in the days of the apostles some people had failed to understand. For James wrote once, "Let no man, who is being tempted, say, 'my temptation is from God,' for God is not to be tempted Himself by evil and He tempts no man, but each man is tempted with evil when he is drawn away by his own lusts and enticed." The petition in the Lord's prayer is, therefore, a petition for strength to overcome. Its meaning is, "Deliver us from temptations which we can not withstand." Or, as our own Prophet has phrased it, "Leave us not in temptation, but deliver us from evil."

Teach us to pray.

These general points in the type prayer given by Jesus, it is well to remember. God is not to be reached by many words. It is the broken spirit and the contrite heart that call down the love of the Father. Neither will the hollow, selfish prayer please the Father of us all. But as we pray, finding our own words in which to express the desires of our hearts, let us remember the characteristics of the prayer that Jesus gave.

It is brief.

It is direct.

It is sincere.

It is unselfish.

It expresses a simple, unshakable confidence in the providence of God.

Moreover, Jesus prayed often. So should we all. Only then may we hope to live in the presence of God.

"O Thou by whom we come to God,The Life, the Truth, the Way!The path of prayer Thyself hath trod;Lord, teach us how to pray."

Luke 11:1-4.

1. Repeat the Lord's prayer.

2. What prompted Jesus to utter this prayer?

3. What is the difference between the Lord's prayer, and the prayers of the Jews in general?

4. What are the characteristics of Jesus's prayers?

5. Analyze the Lord's prayer.

6. What do we learn to guide us in our own prayers?

RIVER JORDAN, PALESTINE

PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER

The Lord will answer.

Everyone who has prayed devoutly and sincerely has undoubtedly experienced at times the keenest kind of disappointment because he has not received an immediate answer to his prayer, Perhaps you have yourself prayed sometimes for something that you wanted badly. It was an insistent, an urgent desire. You felt that you could hardly wait even to utter the prayer. Yet, your prayer has remained apparently unanswered. At such times you may have found comfort in this beautiful Sunday School hymn:

"Unanswered yet? Tho' when you first presentedThis one petition at the Father's throne,It seemed you could not wait the time of asking,So urgent was your heart to make it known.Tho' years have passed since then, do not despair;The Lord will answer you, sometime, somewhere."

This is a beautiful hope, a sublime faith; and every one of us should cultivate such hope, such faith. Moreover, everyone of us should practice such persistency in prayer as is described by the poet in this hymn.

"The prayer your lips have pleadedIn agony of tears these many years?"

For very often, without question, our prayers fail to move the Father, because they are not urged upon Him, nor are they upheld by that hopeful trust which knows no wavering. Jesus emphasized two points in this connection that we should grapple to our hearts.

Pray often and persistently.

As we have already learned, Jesus condemned long.repetitious prayers. He despised also the hypocrite, and the hollow prayer of the hypocrite. But Jesus did not mean by such condemnation that we should not appear often before the persistently. Father, and press the case for which we are pleading. On the contrary, as you will readily see from the following parables, Jesus emphasized the importance of persistency in prayer.

The importunate friend.

"And (Jesus) said unto them. Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth."

The unrighteous judge.

"And (again) He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: and there was a widow in that city: and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for awhile: but afterward he said within himself. Though I fear not God, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bearlong with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily."

An urgent desire necessary.

These parables speak sufficiently for themselves. The lesson that Jesus wanted to impart is clear. It is important that we persist in the prayer that we want urgently to be fulfilled. However, it was not Jesus's purpose to teach His disciples merely to repeat constantly an urgent prayer. Merely repeating a prayer is really of no more worth than uttering a long prayer full of repetitions. Jesus taught that Father gives His best and choicest gifts only to those who desire them intensely. We keep on praying for those things that we truly want, because the desire for them is urgent, intense and insistent; and we keep on keeping on.

Implicit trust necessary.

But there is a second element that must necessarily enter into the right attitude in prayer to God. Not only should our prayers express our intense desires, and be spoken frequently, but they should be accompanied by a simple, childlike trust and confidence in God.

Seek first the kingdom of God.

"Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink," taught Jesus; "Nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature.

"And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not,neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, If God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? . . . .

"Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

Labor and confidence hand in hand.

Now, Jesus did not mean by this splendid teaching that we should not plan for the future; nor that we should not be industrious and spin and weave and harvest. His illustrations impress the thought that we should not allow ourselves to fret over the petty worries and anxieties of life. God knows our needs before we utter them. We should rely implicitly then upon His providence, knowing that if we serve Him and do our best, He will care for us as well as for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field.

The sin of worry.

Undue anxiety may be called almost a sin. It preys upon the peace of mind and happiness of untold thousands of men and women. The most learned and efficient men in the world have devoted much of their time to the study of worry; but no one of them has found a cure for it. Many books have, however, been written advising this or that course of life to overcome the evil, and all these books possess value. But it is to be noted that the cause of worry in any man isusually something over which man has no control. Neither worry, nor any other thing that man may do, can change the nature of things. We are forced therefore to admit that the only cure for worry known to man is that presented by Jesus. His cure consists of a childlike faith and trust in the goodness of God—a trust so simple and strong that anxious care can find no place in the mind. It consists of such a confidence in the providence of God as Abraham displayed when he was commanded to offer his dearly beloved son Isaac on the altar of sacrifice. Abraham wavered not; he worried not; and God provided the sacrifice that was meet. Of course, it requires courage, patience, and persistent effort to cultivate so supreme a degree of faith. Yet, one who has it not can hardly say with truth that he has learned fully to know God. Indeed, such sublime faith alone marks the truly converted and nobly devoted soul; whereas the lack of such faith reveals a lack of fulness of trust in God—almost a disloyalty to God. One cannot in this world attain to real peace and happiness without implicit faith in God. Without it, one can not keep on keeping on in fervent prayer to God.

God knows best.

Finally, it must be remembered that another phase of this childlike trust may affect the answer to our prayers. If they remain unanswered, it may be because it is best for us so. No other man has ever suffered as did Jesus in Gethsemane. No other man has ever prayed as Jesus did there. Yet, recall the spirit of that prayer. "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass fromme: nevertheless not as I will but as Thou wilt." This is the true spirit of faith-inspired prayer.

Thy will be done.

Such petitions Jesus would have us utter. He would have us pray constantly for those things that we desire intensely. He would have us repose implicit childlike trust in the Heavenly Father. He would have each one of us feel always, "Nevertheless not my will, but Thine, be done." And in this spirit He would have us always keep on keeping on.

Luke 11:5-8. Matt. 6:25-30.

Luke 18:1-8. Matt. 6:33-34.

1. What should be the feeling of one whose prayer is not immediately answered?

2. What is the lesson conveyed in the Sunday School hymn "Unanswered Yet?"

3. Why are our prayers often unanswered?

4. What is the difference between long repetitious prayers and frequent prayers?

5. What is the meaning of the parable of the importunate friend?

6. What is the lesson of the parable of the unrighteous judge?

7. Why is childlike trust and confidence in God necessary in prayer?

8. What did Jesus mean by teaching "Take no thought for your life?"

9. How can anxiety or worry be called almost a sin?

10. What lesson do we derive from the attitude of Jesus in the wonderful prayer in Gethsemane?

LORD HELP ME. Plockhorst

"LORD HELP ME." Plockhorst

THE POWER OF FAITH

Confidence vs. Faith

It is, of course, evident to you now that the two essentials of acceptable prayer are implicit reliance on the wisdom and the goodness of God, and the spirit of forgiveness. The first is the only attitude that can be rightly assumed toward God; and the second is the attitude that we should all assume toward our fellowmen. There is certainly no use in praying to God if we do not trust Him; and as certainly, God will not forgive us and answer our prayers, if we are unwilling to forgive our fellowmen and help them. But this attitude of unwavering trust in God is really more than merely an essential of prayer. It is a principle of power in both the spiritual and the temporal life of man. In this lesson we shall consider the power of faith—the invincible power of childlike confidence.

The incident of the fig tree.

It is recorded that Jesus cursed one morning a certain fig tree that it should no more bear fruit. The next morning, as Jesus and the disciples passed by from Bethany to Jerusalem, they saw that the fig tree was dried up from the roots. "And Peter, calling to remembrance, saith unto (Jesus), Master, behold, the fig tree which Thou cursedst is withered away!

"And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you. That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Forgiveness accompanies prayer.

"Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses."

Like the other sayings of Jesus, this one, too, is full of meaning and interest. But as with the other sayings, too, the meaning of this one is easy to find. If we try to remember what we have learned in the preceding lessons, we shall be able easily to understand this one.

Reason for concrete examples.

Many people have stumbled because of this forceful saying of Jesus. How can a man by the exercise alone of faith remove mountains? But such people have failed to understand Jesus's method of teaching. Whenever He could, Jesus emphasized His doctrine with concrete example. Because Jesus did not teach abstractly, even little children may understand Him. And the people whom He taught during His earthly life, were almost like little children. He had to make everything very clear to them. So, now, He wanted to impress them with the unlimited power of faith. He used, therefore, the vigorous and startling figure of moving a mountain into the sea: or as St. Luke has worded it, "If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree (mulberry tree), Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you."

The interpretation.

You will remember, however, that nowhere did Jesus ever teach His disciples to pray for material things, except to supply their daily needs. Neither did He ever teach them to ask for things impossible or impracticable for God to give. It is to be understood, then, that Jesus did not intend to encourage men to try to move mountains by the mere exercise of faith. He intended a larger, a spiritual meaning. Faith is so powerful a principle, that, through the exercise of it, one may remove obstacles to sublime spiritual blessings, as difficult to be moved as a mountain. By such a striking figure did Jesus impress upon His disciples that nothing is impossible to faith.

Jesus's own interpretation.

That this was what Jesus wanted to impart, is apparent from His own application of the concrete illustration. "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Or, as the statement is worded in a modern translation, "Believe that you shall receive all things for which you pray and ask and you shall have them." And this invincible power of faith in prayer is supported by the words of Jesus to the Prophet, Joseph Smith. "All victory and glory is brought to pass unto you through your diligence, faithfulness, and prayers of faith."

Examples of the power of faith.

In the story of the ministry of Jesus, there are many examples of the necessity of cultivating unlimited faith. Do you remember what happened when Jesus walked to the boat one evening on the sea of Galilee? Most of the disciples became afraid when they saw Him, and criedout, "It is a spirit." But when they became assured that it was really Jesus, Peter said, "Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water."

"And (Jesus) said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"

At another time, we are told, "there came to (Jesus) a certain man, kneeling down to Him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to Thy disciples and they could not cure him.

"Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

"Then came the disciples to Jesus apart and said. Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them. Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain. Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."

Such examples as these might be cited indefinitely. These are enough, however, to show how profoundly Jesus impressed upon the minds of His disciples the necessity of cultivating the gift of unfalteringfaith—faith, the one great principle of power, without which, as the learned Paul later said, it is impossible to please God.

[Sidenote: The dispensation of the fulness of times, the wonderful example.]

But perhaps the greatest wonder that has ever been accomplished, in all the history of the world, through the invincible power of unhesitating faith, is that which we ourselves experience every day of our lives. Continuing the doctrine he had learned from Jesus, "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ," wrote thus to the scattered twelve tribes: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering." When he was perturbed in spirit, not knowing whither to go to find God, Joseph Smith heard these words, and pondered them. He had implicit faith in God. He did not waver. He prayed earnestly. In response to his simple, faith-provoked prayer, God revealed Himself to Joseph Smith, and through him, established the Church of Christ anew.

Are not the things that have been accomplished through faith, wonderful? Must it not be a joy, a comfort, to possess the gift of unlimited faith? Like the apostles of old, we feel to pray, "Lord, increase our faith."

Luke 17:5, 6. Doc. and Cov. 103:36.

Mark 11:21-26. Matt. 14:24-31.

Matt. 21:21, 22. Matt. 17:14-21.

James 1:5, 6.

1. What principle did Jesus teach in the incident of the fig tree?

2. What is faith?

3. Why must forgiveness accompany prayer?

4. Why did Jesus use concrete examples in His teaching?

5. What did Jesus mean by saying that mountains might be removed by faith?

6. What did the Prophet Joseph Smith teach concerning the power of faith?

7. Recite some examples of the power of faith.

8. Show how the establishing of the dispensation of the fulness of times is one of the most wonderful examples of the power of faith.

RAISING THE DEAD, Hofmann

THE HANDMAID OF FAITH

The case of Mr. Baldwin.

Nearly a hundred years ago was built in America the first locomotive engine of American design. Everybody knows nowadays what a locomotive is. Nearly every boy and girl in the world has seen one; many boys, particularly, can tell you how the locomotive engine operates; and more than one boy can even operate the locomotive himself. But it was not so one hundred years ago. The locomotive was a rare machine. And all the locomotives that people saw then in America had been made in England. But in 1831, the officers of the Germantown and Norristown Railway commissioned a young mechanical engineer, named Matthias Baldwin, to build for them a locomotive engine. The Germantown and Norristown Railway operated a horse-power line six miles long.

The Cambden and Amboy Railroad Company had only recently imported a locomotive from England. When Mr. Baldwin received his commission, he went immediately to Cambden, where were the parts of the English engine not yet assembled. There he "carefully observed the various parts of the machine, made a few measurements and at last crept under the ponderous boiler. Here he remained in absorbed study for nearly half an hour. As he emerged from his retreat, his face was glowing with enthusiasm, and he exclaimed 'I can do it.'"

Words added to faith.

So far so good. Mr. Baldwin was inspired by a sublime faith in his power to build a locomotive engine. But had he stopped there, he would never have become the builder of the first American locomotive. Mr. Baldwin set determinedly and industriously to work to accomplish the task he had faith he could do. He met countless difficulties; his trials and disappointments were many, and often discouraging. But he kept bravely, manfully on. He did much of the work with his own hands, and personally trained the workmen who assisted him. At length, after six months of unremitting industry and painstaking labor, "Old Ironsides," the first American locomotive was completed. Matthias Baldwin had vindicated his enthusiastic exclamation born of faith, "I can do it."

Now it was the observance of the principle that enabled Matthias Baldwin to make good, which Jesus urged upon the multitudes assembled to hear Him teach during His ministry on the earth. "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord," declared Jesus, "shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."

The principle of works.

This teaching is so simple that anyone may understand it. And it is true everywhere in life, in every kind of calling. Would you not think Mr. Baldwin foolish, if after exclaiming "I can do it" he had remained inactive and had not tried to build "Old Ironsides?" Can you imagine that a carpenter might ever enjoy the fame of master-builder if he never practiced the trade he had learned? Do you think it would be possible for a sinking shipto send out the signal of distress, if the operator on the ship did not put into practice the laws governing wireless telegraphy? In other words, knowing how to build a locomotive will never construct one; knowing how to build a house will never erect even the smallest structure; knowing how to operate the telegraphic instrument will never send a message. It is only by actually putting into operation the principles underlying these activities, and working in obedience to them, that one can accomplish the desired end. And if this is true of material, earthly things, how much more ought it to be true of spiritual, heavenly things. Without faith it is impossible to please God. But faith is of no avail without works. Works constitute the handmaid of faith, and one is not without the other in the Lord. "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."

A parable.

"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them," taught Jesus, "I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."

The works of Jesus.

Jesus manifested great power during His earthly ministry. He healed the sick; He made the lame to walk and the blind to see; He rebuked evil and cast outdevils; He raised the dead to life again; and He spoke with authority as no other man has ever spoken, either before or since His time. Without question every boy and girl would like to be able to do the things that Jesus did. Every boy and girl in the Church of Jesus Christ believes in Jesus—knows indeed, that He is the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world. Why, then, should not everyone long to emulate Him. But notice what Jesus declared: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father. If ye love me keep my commandments. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."

The works of man.

It is not impossible, then, for man to possess the power to do the works that Jesus did. Indeed, man may do even greater works than those Jesus performed. But to gain the power so to do, one must not only believe in Jesus, one must also keep His commandments. In short, one must add works to faith. Mere belief will save no man, just as mere confidence in one's own ability will never build a locomotive. But when our works make practical our faith, and prove it really true and worth while, then we may claim a realization—a fulfillment—of all that is promised through our diligence.

Conclusion.

Now, it is no more difficult to prepare a mansion in the kingdom of our Father, than it is to build a locomotive. Should not every boy and girl, after having learned Christ's teaching, exclaim as Baldwin did, "I can do it?" Then go to undauntedly and do it.

Matt. 7:21. James 2:26.

Matt. 7:24-27. John 14:12, 15, 21.

1. What element of character did Baldwin display in the building of the first American locomotive?

2. What principle of life and action made it possible for him to accomplish his work?

3. What did he have to add to this principle in order to make good?

4. Why will not everyone who crieth "Lord, Lord," be admitted into the kingdom of heaven?

5. Explain the Lord's parable of the wise and the foolish man.

6. Under what conditions may we be enabled to do works as great as those Jesus did?

7. What is the duty of every member of the Church?

THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE

THE MEANING OF REPENTANCE

The irreverence and ruthlessness of Pilate.

Some time before the close of the ministry of Jesus, there occurred at Jerusalem two unfortunate incidents, both of which served to give Jesus an opportunity to preach one of the fundamental doctrines of the Gospel. Pilate, the Roman governor had undertaken to construct some great conduits to supply Jerusalem with a better and a larger supply of sweet water. The venture was apparently both difficult and costly; and he derived no support from the people, whom he hated, and who hated him and all pagan rule in return.

One day a serious accident happened. Connected with Pilate's undertaking, apparently, was a large tower on the top of Ophel, opposite Siloam. This tower fell, without warning, and buried in the ruins eighteen men who had been working on it. Of course, the people held the accident to be the judgment of God upon the men who had helped in the sacrilegious labor. Then Pilate fell short of funds. To defray the expenses of the enterprise, the irreverent Pilate resorted to the temple, and ruthlessly appropriated a part of the treasures of the temple. These treasures amounted to vast sums derived from the temple dues voluntarily paid by Jews all over the world. Naturally, the people became enraged, and rose in rebellious demonstration against the governor. Incited by their priests and rabbis, the mob stormed Pilate's residence, and demanded that the work on the water system be abandoned. They railed against him, the Romangovernor, and hinted at sedition. Pilate became in his turn indignant. He sent a large number of soldiers, dressed in plain clothes and armed only with heavy clubs, who surrounded the mob, and beat them so remorselessly that great numbers of them were killed. The soldiers pressed the mob to the very temple, then entered the holy precincts of the temple itself, and there slew many of the poor pilgrims who were killing their own sacrifices. Their blood was mingled with the blood of the beasts they were preparing for sacrifice, and thus, according to the law, the House of God was polluted. The news of this outrage spread throughout Palestine. The country was filled with indignation. In Galilee, the feeling was particularly strong, for the men who had been slain were Galileans.

The necessity of repentance.

Jesus was journeying at this time in the province of Perea, expounding His teachings to great multitudes that followed Him. When news of the disasters in Jerusalem reached them, these multitudes were stirred by the wildest kind of excitement. They were particularly indignant at the murders in the temple. As for the eighteen men buried under the tower, and the Galileans slain in the tumult, the people accepted their death, in characteristic Jewish fashion, as the judgment of God for sins committed. But the pollution of the temple could not be overlooked. So there grew up a strong feeling for a national uprising to avenge the unprecedented evil.

But Jesus did not approve of their sentiment; neither did He believe that those who had suffered in these two calamities were especially sinful. He seized theopportunity, therefore to preach to the multitude the necessity of repentance on the part of everyone, and to correct the notion that a calamity of any kind is necessarily the judgment of God. "There were present at that season," writes the historian Luke, "some that told Him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

The barren fig tree.

"He spake also this parable: a certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down: why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto Him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, . . . . and if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that Thou shalt cut it down."

Repentance a fundamental doctrine.

As always, Jesus presented very clearly the doctrine He wished the people to learn to understand. For nearly three years. He had Himself ministered to His people. Yet, He could find no fruits of repentance. In the long-suffering of God, the people would be spared yet a little while. But their end was inevitable. Unless they shouldrepent, they should all perish, even as did the Galileans, and the eighteen men buried under the tower at Siloam. And this doctrine of repentance was fundamental in the ministry of Jesus. First, John had come, crying in the wilderness of Judea, "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Then Jesus Himself had gone to Galilee, after John had been put into prison, and had preached, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." And when He sent out the twelve apostles two and two. He instructed them to preach everywhere that men should repent.

Jesus's exclamation against the wicked.

That the people did not observe the word of Jesus is, however, very evident from the way in which He upbraided them, and pointed out to them that the lot of the wrongdoers who repented would in the end be better than that of the selfrighteous who repented not. "But whereunto shall I liken this generation?" exclaimed Jesus one day. "It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, he hath a devil. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. . . . Then began He to upbraid the cities wherein most of His mighty works were done, because they repented not. Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would haverepented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee."

Repentance a universal principle.

It is evident, then, that in the teaching of Jesus, repentance from evil is absolutely necessary if one would enjoy the blessings of the Lord. This is so self-evident a truth that it should not be necessary to state it. In all the affairs of life—in business, in politics, in the industries, in science, in art, in war, in what not—repentance is a fundamental principle of true success. In our daily work we are accustomed to calling our wrongdoings mistakes; but we have to correct those mistakes before we can achieve the end for which we are working. Sometimes the mistakes we make are of such a nature that we cannot correct them. Then we have to begin over again, and have to try to avoid those serious mistakes; but the memory of those mistakes remains with us forever, and the waste, or loss, or suffering, caused by them can never be made right. In the great world war now raging, many costly mistakes have been made. Officers and men have often been forced to repent; and many men, because they have violated their orders, have lost their lives. For them, repentance in this life has been made impossible. So it will be also with those who persist in evil. The daywill come when they will be taken away suddenly. Then the opportunity to repent in this life will be lost. Jesus would have us repent here and now, and devote ourselves to works of righteousness that we may gain eternal life.

Things of which to repent.

But of what would Jesus have us repent? The learned apostle, Paul, who, it seems, understood perfectly the spirit of Christ's teachings, which to wrote certain instructions to the Ephesians which reveal exactly what kind of men Jesus would have us be. Malice, dishonesty, immorality in thought or word or deed—these things unfit a man for an inheritance in the kingdom of God. Paul expresses the doctrine, in part as follows:

"This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling, have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath:Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice; and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

The service principle of the Gospel.

This is the true spirit of the Gospel of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Those who would hold membership in His Church, and receive the blessing of His love and redeeming sacrifice, must have faith in Him, then they must add to their faith works. And the first bit of work to be done is to repent of all evil—repent "after a godly manner," as Paul says, which will lead to salvation. Thus repentance becomes the second fundamental principle of the Gospel. And "by this," said Jesus to the great American prophet, "ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins. Behold, he will confess them and forsake them."

Luke 13:1-9. Mark 6:7, 8.

Matt. 5:1-2. Matt. 11:16-24.

Mark 1:14, 15. Eph. 4:17-32.

Doc. and Cov. 58:43.

1. How did the Jews explain suffering of any kind, and calamity?

2. What did Jesus say about the death of the men under the tower, and of the Galileans?

3. Interpret the parable of the barren fig tree.

4. What did both John and Jesus say to the people?

5. What do we learn from Jesus's exclamation against the cities where His greatest works had been done?

6. How is repentance a fundamental principle in our daily work?

7. Of what does Jesus want people to repent?

8. How is repentance the second principle of the Gospel?

9. Of what does true repentance consist?

BAPTISM OF JESUS, Weberg

BAPTISM BY IMMERSION

The first principles and ordinances.

When the Prophet Joseph Smith was asked to make a statement of the principal doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he prepared what we know now as the Articles of Faith. The Articles of Faith are very plain, and touch the fundamental tenets of the Church. The third article of faith states that "we believe that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel;" and the fourth article declares that, "we believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, repentance; third, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost." Those who profess faith in Jesus must forsake the way of evil, and learn to take delight in the law of the Lord. This, we have learned, constitutes the requirement of the first two principles of the Gospel.

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of theungodly,Nor standeth in the way of sinners,Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.But his delight is in the law of the Lord;And in His law doth he meditate day and night.And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,That bringeth forth his fruit in his season;His leaf also shall not wither;And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.The ungodly are not so;But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous;But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,That bringeth forth his fruit in his season;His leaf also shall not wither;And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.The ungodly are not so;But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous;But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Baptism essential to salvation.

It is not enough, however, that the man who professes faith in Jesus, shall merely forsake the way of the ungodly. Jesus fulfilled in His coming the law of carnal commandments—a law which Paul asserts was but a sort of schoolmaster to train the people and prepare them for the coming of Jesus—and established through His ministry "the more perfect law" of the Gospel, the power of God unto salvation. And that law requires that those who believe in Jesus, and repent of their evil doings, shall further take upon them His name in the ordinance of baptism. One night, there came to Jesus a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. "Rabbi," said Nicodemus, recognizing in Jesus a power greater than his own, "We know that Thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus was puzzled; for he thought, of course, only of a physical rebirth, and could not understand how such a remarkable thing could happen. So he asked, "How can a man be born when he is old?" Then Jesus answered, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." This Jesus said, of course, of the ordinance of baptism and of the Holy Ghost. Not only, then, must one believe and repent, but one must also be baptized in water in fulfillment of the requirement of the law. Without such a renewal of the spiritual life, a man may not even see the kingdom of God.

Humility and obedience the psychology of baptism.

There are some people who pretend not to see any value in the ordinance of baptism. How can baptism make one any better, they ask, or have any effect on one's subsequent life? These people do not understand the true nature of the ordinance. There was once a Syrian captain named Naaman who became afflicted with the loathsome and infectious disease of leprosy. At the suggestion of an Israelitish captive, Naaman sought out the Prophet Elisha in the land of Israel, that the affliction might be rebuked. Elisha did not even come forth to see Naaman, but sent a messenger to him with this word: "Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee and thou shalt be clean." Then Naaman became angry, because he did not understand the principle of obedience. Why should he wash in Jordan? Were not the waters of the rivers of Damascus better than the water of Jordan? But his servants prevailed upon him, saying, "If the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldst thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean." Here was sound reasoning, Naaman listened; he went down to the Jordan and dipped himself seven times; he came forth with his flesh as clean as that of a little child, and was healed. What was it that healed Naaman? Was it the water of Jordan, with curative powers greater than those of the rivers of Damascus? Certainly not. Naaman bowed his haughty and powerful will to that of God. He humbled himself; he was humiliated. He learned the lesson of obedience, which is better than sacrifice. And the Lord God has chosen the ordinance of baptism as the means whereby men may show their humility,their complete acceptance of the mission of Jesus, their sincere repentance, and whereby further they may become initiated into the Church of Jesus Christ. Here the Lord makes use of a wonderful psychology, and baptism literally washes away sin.

The law of obedience in daily life.

Moreover, obedience and humility of the kind required by the ordinance of baptism is demanded also in the daily walk of life. A young man in a chemical obedience in laboratory attempted one day, by a process of electro-plating, to put a new covering of yellow gold over his watch case. He prepared very carefully the solution of gold-leaf in aqua regia; he built up an excellent voltaic battery; he made all the connections close and secure; and he cleaned carefully the old watchcase that the new gold might be deposited upon it evenly and smoothly. Then in the evening, when everything was in readiness, he suspended the case properly in the gold solution, closed the circuit, and went home, hoping to find his watch case in the morning with a beautiful new coating of yellow gold ready to polish. But when he entered the laboratory the next morning, and went to examine his electro-plating, he found to his horror that his watch case was as black as coal. What had happened? Everything was as he had left it the evening before. So far as he could tell there was no reason why his experiment should not have been successful. Then he resorted to his books again. After patient searching, in the volumes on his desk, he arose a wiser and a more careful man. He had overlooked one requirement of the law. In the process of electro-plating, he remembered now, the gold is deposited in its usual yellow form only when the gold solution is warm. When the electric current ispassed through a cold solution, the gold is deposited in an unusual black form. The young chemist had learned that obedience is better than sacrifice.

The example set by Jesus.

As always, Jesus Himself practiced the doctrine that He presented to His people. Jesus was baptized. Moreover, in His own baptism, Jesus taught both the necessity and the proper mode of baptism. John was baptizing in the river Jordan. Apparently, he selected places where the water was deep; for, later in the ministry of Jesus we read, that, John was baptizing in Aenon, near to Salim, "because there was much water there." When He was ready to begin His ministry, Jesus went to John to be baptized. But John forbade Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered Him. And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water." From this record, it is clear that Jesus recognized the ordinance of baptism as essential to salvation, and therefore set the example Himself. Then Jesus was baptized correctly; He went down into the water; He was immersed; He came up out of the water. For it is now an accepted fact that John baptized by immersion. In Stanley'sEastern Churchoccurs the following passage, which Dr. Geikie considers of such authority that he quotes it in his excellentLife and Words of Christ: "The mode of John's baptism has been and still is much discussed, but the practice of the Eastern Church, and the very meaning of the word, leave no sufficient grounds for questioning that the original form of baptism was complete immersion in the deep baptismalwater." This form of baptism it was certainly that the apostles themselves practiced, else there could be no meaning to the favorite figure of Paul, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection."

The purpose of baptism.

Do you ask what is the purpose of baptism? As has been already suggested baptism serves to wash away sin, and to initiate the repentant believer into the Church of Christ. John's baptism was for "the remission of sins." Peter, the chief apostle, called to the people on the day of Pentecost, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins." And it follows that since baptism is for remission of sins, those who have not reached the age of sinning have no need of baptism. There has grown up in the world a vicious habit of baptizing infants and little children. Such a practice is wrong. Jesus Himself said of little children, "Of such is the kingdom of heaven." Infants and little children have not learned to know the difference between good and evil. They cannot sin. Baptism should not be administered to them till they reach the age of discretion. "Little children need no repentance," wrote the Nephite prophet, "neither baptism. Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins."

The door of the sheepfold.

This then did Jesus teach: Baptism is essential; it is correctly performed by complete immersion in water; it is for the remission of sins; it should be administered only to those who have reached the age of accountability; only by obedience to the law can one enter the kingdom of God. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. . . . I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." Only through Jesus, you see, can one enter the sheepfold, and become a member of it. And the way to enter by Jesus was thus stated in His final commission to the eleven apostles, just before He ascended to heaven. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be dammed."

Psalm 1. Acts 2:38.

John 3:1-5. Moroni 8:8-14.

2 Kings 5:1-14. John 10:1-18.

Matt. 3:13-16. Matt. 28:19-20.

Rom. 6:3-5. Mark 16:15, 16.

1. What are the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel?

2. Show that baptism is required by the teaching of Jesus.

3. By what process does baptism wash away sin?

4. How does the law of obedience operate in the daily affairs of life?

5. How did Jesus show in His own acts that baptism is essential to salvation?

6. What is the proper mode of baptism?

7. What is the purpose of baptism?

8. To whom should baptism be administered?

9. Summarize the teachings of Jesus concerning baptism.

10. What is the teaching of our own Church concerning baptism?

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