Do it Now
Matthew 3:1-2
1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judæa,
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
We can benefit from having this mindset, too. We shouldn't have a goal to repent later or address our weaknesses sometime in the future. We don't know how much time we have. We should do it now. I love an addition to this chapter in the JST, which says, "for your sins ye have no cloak" (Matthew 3:34). That is how it will be in the end when we meet Jesus Christ and our Father. We won't have anything to cover our sins, mistakes, weaknesses, and so on. If we haven't done our spiritual work, we won't feel comfortable in Their presence. We'll have nothing to hide who we are inside - our true desires, intentions, and hearts. We want to stand before Them and not feel the need to cloak our true selves.
We want to be ready for the return of our Savior. Even if we don't see Him during our mortal lives, preparing ourselves to meet Him will bring many blessings. If we repent daily, as our prophet has encouraged us to do, we will be transformed. Such a transformation will make our reunion with Jesus Christ joyous no matter when it happens.
I think the time is getting closer. I love this quote from President Russell M. Nelson:
"My dear brothers and sisters, so many wonderful things are ahead. In coming days, we will see the greatest manifestations of the Savior’s power that the world has ever seen. Between now and the time He returns “with power and great glory,” He will bestow countless privileges, blessings, and miracles upon the faithful."
Good Fruit
Matthew 3:9-10
9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Lineage isn't enough to bring salvation. We can be among the Lord's trees, but if we don't bring forth good fruit, we aren't part of His family. Since last week, I've been studying the concept of being a member of God's household. It's fascinating and hopeful doctrine. It's clear that familial ties aren't enough for us to receive life with our Savior. We can't assume that our location, family, social status, wealth, or anything else will "save" us. We have to do our part to make and keep covenants and bear fruit that's pleasing to the Lord.
Luke 3:8 uses the term "fruits worthy of repentance." To me, that means that God knows when our actions are genuine and when they aren't. If we are truly repenting, our fruits will be worthy of Him and show our progress. We can't fake it until we make it, here. He will see right through us. And what's the point in pretending? We need that transformation that comes from taking the gospel seriously. Our fruit is no good if it's beautiful on the outside but rotten on the inside. Our repentance needs to be for the right reasons - not to be seen of others or praised, but to draw us closer to God.
We don't want to be like this:
Matthew 23:28
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Have we lived lives of service? Have we brought hope, joy, and love to those around us, or have we spread gossip and contention? Have we been active followers of Jesus Christ or only passive? Have we cared more about Him or the things of the world? There are so many insightful questions we can ask ourselves.
I think we should all ponder this question: What has been the fruit of my life so far? What will I change to make that fruit more sweet? What makes the fruit bitter and how do I let go of those things?
Images of Repentance
Luke 3:2-6
2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;
4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;
6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
Please take a moment and read the JST for these verses, as so much is added that's beautiful and impactful:
4 As it is written in the book of the prophet Esaias; and these are the words, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight.
5 For behold, and lo, he shall come, as it is written in the book of the prophets, to take away the sins of the world, and to bring salvation unto the heathen nations, to gather together those who are lost, who are of the sheepfold of Israel;
6 Yea, even the dispersed and afflicted; and also to prepare the way, and make possible the preaching of the gospel unto the Gentiles;
7 And to be a light unto all who sit in darkness, unto the uttermost parts of the earth; to bring to pass the resurrection from the dead, and to ascend up on high, to dwell on the right hand of the Father,
8 Until the fullness of time, and the law and the testimony shall be sealed, and the keys of the kingdom shall be delivered up again unto the Father;
9 To administer justice unto all; to come down in judgment upon all, and to convince all the ungodly of their ungodly deeds, which they have committed; and all this in the day that he shall come;
10 For it is a day of power; yea, every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth;
11 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
The Come, Follow Me manual asks, "What other images do you find in the accounts of John the Baptist’s ministry? ... What do these images teach about the doctrine and necessity of repentance?"
My first thought is that everything is going to be made right through the Savior. Justice will be administered, darkness will be brought to light, guilt will be made known, and judgment will come to all. Anything that is rough and crooked in our lives will be straightened out. It's inevitable, so wouldn't we prefer to be on the right side of things and try to make those changes ourselves? I think it will be much more pleasant for us, and end in more blessings, if we repent on our own instead of having justice and judgement administered to us. (Will we be active or acted upon?)
Personally, I don't want my judgement day to be focused on my ungodly deeds. I want it to be focused on the salvation of God and how much He has made of me through the Savior's Atonement. I definitely won't be perfect, but I want my desires and intentions to be in the right place.
The manual also asks, "What changes did John invite the people to make to prepare to receive Christ?" The changes are very specific - things like giving of clothing and meat, not exacting more than is appointed, avoiding violence and dishonesty, and being content with wages (Luke 3:7-14).
The next section of the JST in the appendix adds important context:
JST, Luke 3:19–20. Compare Luke 3:10–13
The poor are cared for from the treasury’s abundance. Publicans (tax collectors) should take no more than is appointed by law.
19 For it is well known unto you, Theophilus, that after the manner of the Jews, and according to the custom of their law in receiving money into the treasury, that out of the abundance which was received, was appointed unto the poor, every man his portion;
20 And after this manner did the publicans also, wherefore John said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.
To me, these changes are all about putting others first and being truly charitable. That's something that most of us have to work hard for. We shouldn't hoard excess when it could be used for the benefit of the poor. We can apply that individually in a lot of ways. We can be guilty of hoarding our time, talents, physical resources, etc. Give some thought to what your "abundance" might be and how you could use it to bless others.
“Free to choose.”—2 Nephi 2:27
Conclusion
Our ability to choose (agency) is a gift. Our ability to repent daily is a gift, too. We are able to choose our direction, to change our course, to transform who we are, and to make Him our priority (or not). We shouldn't shy away from repentance. When we procrastinate that journey, we also procrastinate major growth and blessings. When He created the Plan of Salvation, Heavenly Father anticipated our weaknesses and our need to change. He made it possible through our Savior and His Atonement. They don't expect us to be perfect right now, but we do need to repent consistently and allow ourselves to be transformed.
I came across a lovely quote today that I want to end with:
Daniel Becerra:
"A fundamental assumption of all moral discourse in the Book of Mormon is that God's creation of humankind did not end in Eden. Rather, God continually forms his disciples throughout the course of their lives. This is evident in the numerous statements in which Mormon speaks of spiritually maturing persons as becoming new creatures, as children of God, as being born again, as experiencing a mighty change of heart, and as receiving God's image in their countenance (e.g., Mosiah 27:25 - 26; Alma 5:14, 26, 49; 7:14). Such passages suggest that one hallmark of Christian discipleship is change: the persistent reorientation of the self toward God. The disciple, in other words, must master the art of becoming."
Bonnie Gwyn
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