Walking in the footsteps of Jesus

A long time ago in a place far, far away I was asked to participate in a young woman’s program called ’Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus’. I had heard of this activity and it was always spoken of in reverence and awe. The idea was that the leaders would get 10 or so people and give them an assignment to portray a person who had crossed paths with the Savior whale he was on this earth. Those assigned would then portray that person acting as if, in fact they, themselves had met and talked with Christ. For example the blind man that was healed outside the gate, or the woman at the well. I was asked to portray Nephi from 3^rd Nephi one of the twelve that was called in the Book of Mormon to be his Disciples.

No script was provided but rather we were instructed to prayerfully search the scriptures and come up with a 5 min testimony for our assigned person, (Nephi) then give that testimony in the first person.

I am a welder not a thespian! These young ladies were counting on an awesome spiritual experience. Well I’m just me that’s all and that’s all I can give them. I did however want to give them the best I could. So I began early, not like usual putting it off till the hours before and throwing something together. I had heard these young ladies bear their testimonies after the last time and they had all been lifted up by this experience and I didn’t want to be the cause of it falling short this time. So I started reading that part of the Book of Mormon over and over until I about had this meeting of Nephi and the Savior memorized. Still feeling like I needed more “prepping” I read ‘Tennis shoes and the feathered Serpent’ well at least the parts about the coming of Christ to the Americas.

I prayerfully began to write my 5 min presentation all the while wanting, and hoping that on the night of the activity, Nephi would (somehow) be there to testify first hand in his own words, that he had indeed talked with Christ. I even made it a subject of all of my prayers. I did come up with a good testimony taken from the scriptures and I personally had received a testimony of Nephi’s experiences with Christ but still wanted the girls to really feel Nephi’s own, real, true testimony.

The day came and I was fasting, so sure that “I” would get in the way of this awesome message that Nephi would want these girls to know. I got there early and changed into my “Nephi Clothes”. My younger brother had served his mission in the Philippines and had brought home a really cool boar tooth necklace and a manly robe/moo-moo thing that looked appropriate. Finishing it off with some Doc Marten sandals, the outfit looked pretty good I must say. I hoped that Nephi was not too upset that they had picked a pleasantly plump welder to play his part. They put me in a room with 10 or 15 chairs set up in a semi circle facing me. I then knelt down in the corner and asked that this room might be blessed and sanctified so that the spirit could dwell there that evening, and testify to all comers of the truthfulness of Nephi’s testimony. Then added one last time my final plea that Nephi himself might be there and somehow do this for me. I just didn’t want to mess this up, for the girls or Nephi. I felt peace and received a promise that if anyone hearing my voice that night would pray about it and ask Father, they would in fact receive the same witness I had received as to the truthfulness of these things I quickly added that same promise to the end of my prepared testimony.

I felt I had done all in my power to be ready. “Will I remember what I had written? Is this what Nephi would want to say if he were here? Will the spirit testify to these people of the truth?” (O Ye of little faith) I kept saying over and over in my mind. You see as I had prepared for this night, I had come to know and now bear my testimony of the fact that, Nephi of 3^rd Nephi had seen and spoke with the Savior, had felt the nail prints in his hands and thrust his hand into the Saviors side and that he was then and is now a witness of the Savior Jesus the Christ. I wanted everyone that could hear my voice to know the same, and I did not want to diminish that or take away from that message in the least degree.

 Soon the first group arrived. I was so nervous. I poured my heart out in prayer right up to the very instant I opened my mouth to speak. Instantly as I spoke, warmth, love, peace, confidence and power flooded over me as I bore testimony of the Savior. Tears flowed as I recounted the testimony I had prepared from the scriptures. I thought for a second “Is this testimony I am giving, ok with Nephi?” a thought echoed back “Where did you get the words for this testimony?”

“From the pages of the Book of Mormon.” I responded “Who do you think wrote those words?”

Thinking for a half second I sheepishly said “Nephi?” “That is right. These words you are giving are in fact his very testimony and ’yes’ he is pleased.”

Now of course to all of you that makes sense, but to me I guess, I had never really made the connection until then, that real people with real lives and real experiences had taken their turns writing this book and those words were in fact his. That it wasn’t just a story book. I mean I knew, but in my childlike mind I didn’t KNOW, if that makes any sense.

As the night went on I basked in the glow of the spirit, completely comfortable and confident. Until about the 7^th or 8^th group came in and sat down. As I began I did not feel the spirit there as a matter of fact, I felt it leave. I was struggling to find the words that had flowed so freely all night, I was now very nervous and started to sweat. I began praying in my panic, “Why have you left me? What did I do? I must have done something wrong, please forgive me. Please come back I need you and cannot do this without you!”

My attention was brought to two young ladies sitting at the end of the row and I knew that the spirit had to leave when they came in. As I spoke I pleaded with the lord to let the spirit come back. He could not. I guess it’s kind of like light and darkness; they both can’t be in the same place at the same time.

Now I would just like to say that I did not know these young ladies and can’t remember anything about them, nor did I care what these young ladies had done, or whether it was big or small. They did not look “bad” or out of place, just same-ol normal beautiful young woman in the Church of Jesus Christ. I felt nothing but love and concern for them and the rest of the group.  I just knew that one of these groups of about 10 young ladies were being deprived the same spiritual experience as the rest of the groups. They couldn’t feel the same witness as everyone else. I wanted them to hastily repent and return to the light.

After the night was over I talked to one of the other presenters and asked if she had noticed any differences in the groups. She said that there was one group that she didn’t feel the spirit. This made me think of how the adversary whispers in our ears that “No one will know.” Or “It doesn't hurt anyone else so what does it matter.” Along with a million other lies he uses to persuade us. But from this experience we can see that the things we do in secret do affect others and in fact, can’t remain hidden. That thought also brought me to the awareness the opposite is true as well. When we are doing what we should and have the light of Christ with us, others benefit in this same way.

After this night was over, and from then on whenever we look up a scripture or quote a verse in 3^rd Nephi I always say “That’s my Nephi”. You see I have come to know him personally through this experience and he now feels like an old friend that I have spent afternoons with or sat with and shared dinner or maybe a story or two. My heart is warmed every time I read his words and I feel again that same burning of the truthfulness of his words that I was so blessed to share in for a brief second.

This very joy that comes to me at the very mention of his name also strangely condemns me as I read the words of other prophets. Now I know the secret, well ok it’s no secret. We can and should come to know each and every author of scripture in the same way and depth that I have been so fortunate to do with “My Nephi”. Can you imagine if we would take the time to get to know, to study their words and learn for ourselves their testimonies?

Wouldn’t that just be grand!!!  J

Talk is Cheap.

There was a time in my life when the responsibilities of this world overwhelmed me and I no longer felt that I could stand and fight. My oldest son was about 9, our family had just moved to Cheyenne WY, and a company I was a partner in had close its doors leaving me with a 1/3^rd share of the company’s debt. During that time I went to the Lord and asked for help with everything I had on my plate. I could not cover everything that needed to be covered and despite all I could do I could see no way out. My mother had always told me that ‘the Lord helps those that help themselves’, and that is how I had always expected it to work. But this was different. I couldn’t plan, think, talk or work my way out of this. No matter how you added it up I came up short by a long way every time. Thus I could not “help myself” in my eyes. This would require a miracle. My mother also had told me about turning things over to the Lord. So I thought I’d give that a try. In my mind I couldn’t “really” see how God who is over all things in the great expanse of time and matter had time for me - but I went on anyway. I asked for Him to help me where I couldn’t help myself. As time went by I saw that things would “fall into place” or just plain happen that couldn’t be explained away. Time and time again it was an irrefutable answer in a miraculous way to (what must have been to Him) my little insignificant problems and little insignificant prayers. It was in fact a direct “miracle” answer to my prayer. This blew me away!!! Who knew that Father would hear and answer my prayers in such a direct and amazing way? Not amazing like flooding the earth, but amazing like all I did was ask? And who am I that he should know me? Or care enough about me to help me where I could not help myself? And to do it with no fanfare, just simply be there for me, for us. I felt as though I was humbled to the dust. Amazed that he would even know me… care for me… That he would act for me… That he would save me.

During this time of my life I was so grateful for all that he had done for me that I would pray on my knees by our couch in the early morning before anyone else was awake, before I would go to work. Sometimes I would be carried away in my gratitude for so long I would be late for work. One morning as the morning sun started to shine through the window and warm the house, I knelt to pray. In my soul singing praises and glorifying my Father as loudly (in my heart) as I could, it was as if the birds were chirping and the earth was singing with me, I was completely enraptured in my thanksgiving when a thought slammed into my head stopping my train of thoughts, forming words and those words were rolling in my mind as a loud thunderous echo, “Talk is Cheap!” I heard these words over and over, that thought stopped me mid sentence could not finish my prayer. It instantly burned in my soul and impacted every part of me. I felt that I had been scolded or reprimanded. I pushed up from the spot where I had been kneeling, and stood looking up. I pointed my finger heavenward feeling insulted. I was embarrassed and angry and said out loud with grit teeth “Are you saying that I? Me? Brent Case? is “All talk”.” I guess looking back I half expected an answer right there. It dawned on me that I already knew the answer. I had been called out. I lowered my finger, slowly gathered my things, and went to work without another word.

This bothered me so badly I did not return to prayer for over a week while I tried to figure this out. There was a kind of turmoil or wrestling match in my head that just kept boiling, and I couldn’t find rest. I would just review the still pounding impression “Talk is Cheap” over and over. At first it made me mad, and then it made me sad. The kind of sad that’s like a dark and rainy day, not a cold rain, just saturating wet and relentlessly falling on you wherever you go. With all of my soul I really was thankful and I wanted Him to not just know it, but to never doubt it. I was so sad that I hadn't shown Him how thankful I was.

What dose “Talk is Cheap.” mean? To me is means for example that anyone can say they are your friend but then turn right around and stab you in the back. You can say you’re a good cook but how does your food taste? I say I love you or respect you but how do I treat you? Actions are an outward expression of our inner commitment to how we really feel. Our true feelings are shown everyday by the way we act and they are always stronger than any words that come out of our mouth. My wife says “When someone shows you who they are, believe them.”

“Well” I’d tell myself “if talk is cheap he must want or need something else from me. What could my Heavenly Father, the creator of “everything” need from me? What can I, an Idaho farm boy, offer the God of everything? Everything I am everything I have He has given me. I became painfully aware that even the very breath I breathed was a gift from my loving Father.” It is true; I cannot even draw my own breath unless he gives me the power to do so. I would ask myself over and over, “Do I have anything He would want? Can I give anything he needs?” My mind churned day and night and there was no rest from these unyielding thoughts.

“What if I did something extra, like something really nice, something I wouldn’t normally do?” Would that surprise him? Then would he see that through my actions I am grateful? No! He knows I can’t surprise him. He knows everything. Even if I did, he would just bless me even more and in my head my ‘score card’ would show an even bigger deficit with me falling further and further behind. Brent 1/ God 1000000 How can I catch up? Can I ever get ahead? If I could, then he would know I was thankful.”

“It would have to be something he wouldn’t expect me to do. Something I haven’t done before, like what?” I would think.

He knows me too well; he knows my thoughts before I even think them. I’d guess I can never surprise him.

 That was my idea you see to surprise him with a gift of kindness or act of service to someone in need. But then I realized “I can’t do something for him that he can’t already do for himself.” So what then? What do you give to God? He has everything he needs.

I erred in my thoughts you see. Everything I could think of came from a place of pride within myself. I wanted to do… I wanted to fix it… I wanted to tell him how I would do it. “I” “I” “I”

Finally beaten by my lack of understanding and creativity and my inability to solve yet another problem on my own. The problem of how to repay my Heavenly Father, who had done so much for me and me unable to offer him anything in return. He had always come to my aide so readily, and so willing to help me, support and love me.

I was beaten, completely aware of everything I was lacking, and my inability to give back even the smallest token of thanks to the One I owed so much to. I finally a week or so later returned to that same spot by the couch in the early morning light to kneel in prayer, completely beaten and embarrassed by the fact that I couldn’t come up with anything to give Him in return. Now with tears in my eyes I begin my prayer. “Father I have nothing to give. But I am so thankful for thee and all thou hast done. I have tried to think of what I could give thee, or what I could do for thee and have again fallen short, and I come before you completely lacking. If thou would ask for something, I would give it.” I felt the warmth of his love start to fill me, like a warm breeze down the back of my cold neck. The kind of breeze that warms you up after standing out in the cold for so long. Slowly the thought filled my mind “If you would just come to my house to worship once a week, to be with me and my people, to learn of me and learn of my gospel. Then I would know that you are thankful” I felt his love for me filling me to full and then to overflowing, almost more than I could bare, but only in a good way, like you couldn’t feel one more ounce of love or you’d burst or like you have already burst and its ok.

(You see up till now I had stayed a comfortable distance from church, only going about twice a month. That was enough for me to say I was going but not enough to get and hold a calling or assignment or to feel obligated to participate.  I felt like church was for hypocrites. You know sinners just like me but feeling like they were better just because they would show up to church once a week and act like they weren’t the same as me. You see in my mind I was different because I knew I was a sinner and didn’t feel like I was trying to be anything I wasn’t. But to me, “in my mind” somehow the way I did it and the way they did it was different. I was real and they were somehow fake. So I told the Lord in my prayer that I was sure He didn’t want me to go there and hang out with those hypocrites. The feeling came again “If you would just come to my house to worship once a week, to be with me and my people, to learn of me and learn of my gospel. Then I would know that you are thankful” Well okay? If that’s what you want, then that’s what I’ll give.

I committed that I would go every Sunday so that He would know I was thankful, so every week in the beginning of the time following this. I would walk up to the doors of the chapel, look heavenward and in my mind say “do you see how thankful I am? I’m going to church. That is how thankful I am!” He would always answer with a “Thank you” and I would have a warm feeling. (I am always grateful for my Father’s love and patience with me as I learn, even when I am prideful.) A funny thing happened as I went week after week. I started to see my fellow worshipers in a different light. I saw they really were for the most part just like me. Just people trying their hardest to make it through life, falling often but willing to get up and try again, very aware of their own shortcomings. As time went on I even like being there, and loved to give service by participating in church duties. I like to show up help and be a part of what was planned. I was learning that “when we are in the service of our fellow men we are in the service of our God. And sure enough, the more I did the more I was blessed. I learned if we are willing to just “show up” Father is willing to use us. To serve in the church the main requirement is just showing up, He will enable us to do the rest. I also learned that one of the blessings that came from this experience was that from time to time there would arise strife in the congregation or ward. This did not seem to affect me; I didn’t care if someone was a trouble maker, a gossiper, a back biter, a crook or just hard to get along with. That’s not why I was there, I was there simply to tell my Father “thank you” and everything else became irrelevant. 

When we go to Father in prayer I have found out that it is best not to go with a list of things we are willing to do for Him but rather to go with a blank piece of paper and allow Him to fill it in. He has already told us what he expects from us. Doctrine and Covenants 59: 8 Thou shalt offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

After His Resurrection, Jesus Christ declared to the people in the New World:

“Your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of [them]. …

“And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart … , him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost” (3 Nephi 9:19–20). The Savior’s perfect submission to the Eternal Father is the very essence of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Christ’s example teaches us that a broken heart is an eternal attribute of godliness. When our hearts are broken, we are completely open to the Spirit of God and recognize our dependence on Him for all that we have and all that we are. The sacrifice so entailed is a sacrifice of pride in all its forms. Like malleable clay in the hands of a skilled potter, the brokenhearted can be molded and shaped in the hands of the Master.

A great talk to listen to is here(click)

Prayer

Just some personal notes,

In my Sunday school class a long time ago the topic of discussion moved to prayers and answers to those prayers. A man about 38 raise his hand and said something like “you can talk all you want about answers to prayers but I have been praying my whole life and have never received an answer.” this troubled me deeply.

Prayer is one of the greatest blessings we have while we are here on earth. Through prayer we can communicate with our Heavenly Father and seek his guidance daily. We are all children of God. He loves us and knows our needs, and He wants us to communicate with Him through prayer. We should pray to Him and no one else. The Lord Jesus Christ commanded, 3 Nephi 18:19 "Ye must always pray unto the Father in my name". As we make a habit of approaching God in prayer, we will come to know Him and draw ever nearer to Him. Our desires will become more like His. So that should be our goal, to have our desires in line with his. We then will be able to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that He is ready to give if we will but ask in faith.

Always give thanks to Heavenly Father. We should "live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon [us]" (Alma 34:38). As we take time to remember our blessings, we will recognize how much our Heavenly Father has done for us. We should express our thanks to Him.

Receiving Answers to Prayer

The Savior taught, (Matthew 7:7–8)"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened". To the Nephites in (3 Nephi 18:20) He said, "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you".
Heavenly Father hears our prayers. He may not always answer as we expect, but He does answer—in His own time and according to His will. Because He knows what is best for us,

Answers to prayer come in many ways.

One answer to a faithful prayer is illustrated through the experience of Oliver Cowdery, an early elder of the Church, when he attempted to help with translating the Book of Mormon. He was told to "study it out in [his] mind" and, if his translation were right, it would be confirmed with a burning in his bosom; if wrong, a "stupor of thought" would come (D&C 9:8-9). When prayers are answered, one experiences peace of mind and assurance that God has heard, even though the answer may be no. The Savior's submissiveness as he prayed in Gethsemane shows us a good example when he said: "Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done" (Luke 22:42).

Answers often come in different ways to all of us like; through the still, small voice of the Holy Ghost; this may come as feelings, impressions or sudden inspirations. They may come in the circumstances of our lives or through the kind acts of those around us. Often God gives us the power to help answer our own prayers. We can ask the lord for help in understanding how he talks to us, so that we can become more acquainted with it.
 I did this once when following the challenge of my steak president. I prayed for help in understanding how he talks to me. I found that after I would pray for something and then that situation would play out that I would get a “run down” form the spirit telling “do you remember when you had that feeling not to go, but you did and it didn’t turnout good for you? Well that was me talking to you, helping you. I continued to pray for his help in knowing how he spoke to me and through many of these experiences I started to see how the spirit would talk to me and help me if I would listen, and better yet how to tell the promptings from my own thoughts and feelings.

Sometimes the answer will be yes; sometimes, no; sometimes, wait; sometimes, not yet; and sometimes he will let us work it out ourselves. We need to listen and remember how the Holy Ghost talks to us so we can more readily heed its promptings. Heavenly Father knows what is best for us, and he will give us “good things” or the things that will help us the most, because he loves us. He will answer our sincere prayers. And we can partake of those answers if we are prepared and listening.
As we continue to draw near to our Heavenly Father through prayer, we will recognize more readily His merciful and wise answers to our pleadings. We will find that He is our "refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1). Sometimes we do not realize that Heavenly Father has answered our prayers, but later we see that he has given us an answer.

So how can we know how and what to pray for?

Alma 7:23 "I would that ye should be humble,…asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive"

Seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost so we will know what to include in our prayers. The Holy Ghost can teach us to pray and guide us in the things we say (He can help us pray "according to the will of God"

3^rd Nephi 19:24 And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus prayed unto the Father, he came unto his disciples, and behold, they did still continue, without ceasing, to pray unto him; and they did not multiply many words, for it was given unto them what they should pray, and they were filled with desire. So we can see from this scripture that if we pray with the help of the Holy Ghost we will know what to pray for and how to pray.

D&C 46:30 He that asketh in the Spirit asketh according to the will of God; wherefore it is done even as he asketh.

  Language of prayer

o    President Spencer W. Kimball commented, "In all our prayers, it is well to use the pronouns thee, thou, thy, and thine instead of you, your, and yours inasmuch as they have come to indicate respect" (p. 201). Unnecessary repetition of God's name is avoided,

    The Church uses set prayers only in temple ordinances, in the two Sacrament prayers, and in the baptismal prayer. "By revelation the Lord has given the Church…set prayers for use in our sacred ordinances…. [These] relate to the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, his crucifixion, and his burial and resurrection. All of the ordinances in which we use these prayers place us under solemn covenants of obedience to God" (Kimball et al., p. 56). In all other instances, Latter-day Saints express themselves in their own words.

o    

·         Preparation for prayer

o    A tranquil time and place allow quiet contemplation on the specific requests one may make. Joseph Smith went to a nearby grove to pray for an answer to his question, and received his glorious vision. Job was told, "Prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him" (Job 11:13). Alma ₂ listed the qualities of a heart prepared for prayer: "I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering…being diligent in keeping the commandments of God…. And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works" (Alma 7:23-24). Moroni ₂ stressed the need for "a sincere heart,…real intent,…[and] faith in Christ" (Moro. 10:4).