Tag: Healing

Deny Not the Gifts of God

~ Richard Rowley

Moroni testifies of the gifts of the Spirit and declares that they are always active among men and women as long as there is faith in Christ and an acceptance of the Holy Spirit.

“…I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God. And there are different ways that these gifts are administered; but it is the same God who worketh all in all; and they are given by the manifestations of the Spirit of God unto men, to profit them. For behold, to one is given by the Spirit of God, that he may teach the word of wisdom; and to another, that he may teach the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; and to another, exceedingly great faith; and to another, the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; and again, to another, that he may work mighty miracles; and again, to another, that he may prophesy concerning all things; and again, to another, the beholding of angels and ministering spirits; and again, to another, all kinds of tongues; and again, to another, the interpretation of languages and of divers kinds of tongues. And all these gifts come by the Spirit of Christ; and they come unto every man severally, according as he will. And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ. And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that all these gifts of which I have spoken, which are spiritual, never will be done away, even as long the world shall stand, only according to the unbelief of the children of men.” (Moroni 10:8-19)

Questions:

-Are these gifts only active in the true Church of Jesus Christ? Or, are they available to anyone who has faith in Christ?

These Signs Shall Follow Them That Believe

~ Richard Rowley

For those anxiously engaged in preaching the gospel (i.e. those who truly believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ as shown through their actions), Christ promises that miracles will accompany them.

“…Thus said Jesus Christ…Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; And he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned; And these signs shall follow them that believe—in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover; And whosoever shall believe in my name doubting nothing, unto him will I confirm all my words, even unto the ends of the earth.” (Mormon 9:22-25)

Questions:

-Have you witnessed miracles in your lifetime?

-Would you witness miracles with greater frequency if you drew closer to those who are actively preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Wo unto Him That Spurneth at the Doings of the Lord

~ Richard Rowley

Leading up to Christ’s Second Coming, those who reject Christ’s work of gathering Israel — which will be accomplished to a large degree through miraculous revelation, prophecy, gifts of the Spirit, tongues, healing, and the power of the Holy Ghost — will be overtaken by the momentum of a devilish culture that mocks the idea of God’s power and, through social reinforcement, perpetuates the condemnation of those in its clutches.

“And now I say unto you that when the Lord shall see fit, in his wisdom, that these sayings [from the Book of Mormon] shall come unto the Gentiles according to his word, then ye may know that the covenant which the Father hath made with the children of Israel, concerning their restoration to the lands of their inheritance, is already beginning to be fulfilled. And ye may know that the words of the Lord, which have been spoken by the holy prophets, shall all be fulfilled; and ye need not say that the Lord delays his coming unto the children of Israel. And when ye shall see these sayings coming forth among you, then ye need not any longer spurn at the doings of the Lord, for the sword of his justice is in his right hand; and behold, at that day, if ye shall spurn at his doings he will cause that it shall soon overtake you. Wo unto him that spurneth at the doings of the Lord; yea, wo unto him that shall deny the Christ and his works! Yea, wo unto him that shall deny the revelations of the Lord, and that shall say the Lord no longer worketh by revelation, or by prophecy, or by gifts, or by tongues, or by healings, or by the power of the Holy Ghost! Yea, and wo unto him that shall say at that day, to get gain, that there can be no miracle wrought by Jesus Christ; for he that doeth this shall become like unto the son of perdition, for whom there was no mercy, according to the word of Christ!” (3 Nephi 29:1-7)

Questions:

-Are there some who profess to believe in God but also proclaim that He is no longer working with mankind as a God of miracles?

-Will those who do not seek revelation, prophecy, the gifts of the Spirit, and the power of the Holy Ghost be able to avoid succumbing to the anti-Christ culture that is building up prior to the Savior’s return?

-How many are working with a theological understanding that the events leading up to the Second Coming of Christ will be closely tied to the physical and spiritual gathering of the house of Israel according to the ancient covenants God has made?

The Eye Hath Never Seen, Neither Hath the Ear Heard So Great and Marvelous Things

~ Richard Rowley

Jesus Christ visited a group of Lehi’s descendants in the Americas (shortly after His Resurrection). After teaching them and healing their sick, He asked them to bring their children to Him. He then knelt with the group who had congregated and prayed to the Father. Those who witnessed this event bore the following testimony:

“…[Jesus] prayed unto the Father, and the things which he prayed cannot be written, and the multitude did bear record who heard him. And after this manner do they bear record: The eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father; And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father.” (3 Nephi 17:15-17)

Questions:

-What would it have been like to hear and see the Savior’s prayer as described above?

-Can you imagine the Savior praying for you as you read these verses?

If Thou Believest in the Redemption of Christ Thou Canst Be Healed

~ Richard Rowley

After realizing the extent of his guilt before God, (having helped incite violence against a prophet of God and other innocent people) a Nephite named Zeezrom is completely overwhelmed to the point where he becomes physically ill. As he lies sick in bed, wrestling with the horror of what he has done, he requests a visit from the prophet Alma. When Alma and his companion Amulek hear that Zeerom is in need, they come quickly…

“…and when [Zeezrom] saw them he stretched forth his hand, and besought them that they would heal him. And it came to pass that Alma said unto him, taking him by the hand: Believest thou in the power of Christ unto salvation? And he answered and said: Yea I believe all the words that thou hast taught. And Alma said: If thou believest in the redemption of Christ thou canst be healed. And then Alma cried unto the Lord, saying: O Lord our God, have mercy on this man, and heal him according to his faith which is in Christ. And when Alma had said these words, Zeezrom leaped upon his feet, and began to walk…” (Alma 15:5-11)

Questions:

-How many in the world need the kind of healing that Zeezrom received?

-Is it possible that Zeezrom could have found healing from Christ without Alma’s (or another of the Lord’s servant’s) guidance and help?

-How many, figuratively speaking, would leap out of their spiritual and mental doldrums if they were to believe in the redemption of Christ and receive His Holy Spirit?

-In what ways are physical and spiritual illness sometimes linked?

He Shall Suffer Temptations, Pain of Body, Hunger, Thirst and Fatigue, Even More Than Man Can Suffer, Except It Be unto Death

~ Richard Rowley

King Benjamin retells the words of an angel who visited him in the night in about 124 B.C. The angel foretells the most important life, and related events, that would ever take place on earth:

“…The time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power, the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, and the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases.” (Mosiah 3:5)

“And he shall cast out devils, or the evil spirits which dwell in the hearts of the children of men. And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and abominations of his people.” (Mosiah 3:6-7)

Questions:

-Do you believe Jesus Christ worked miracles during His lifetime as the angel speaking to King Benjamin testified He would?

-Was there any event more worthy of clear foretelling (in prophetic vision and angelic visitation) than the life and Atonement of Jesus Christ?

-Do you believe Christ suffered more than any human being has, or ever will, suffer (in order to work at the Atonement in each individual’s behalf)?

The Spirit of the Lord Will Not Always Strive with Man

~ Richard Rowley

Nephi sees (through a prophetic vision given to him from the Lord) that, after falling into deep wickedness, many of his people in the Americas would be destroyed at the time of Christ’s death and resurrection (around A.D. 33-34). After being visited by Christ in person, three generations would pass away in peace and righteousness before wickedness and destruction would again afflict his people. Nephi identifies the loss of the Spirit as the reason for his people’s fall.

“…The Son of Righteousness shall appear unto them; and he shall heal them, and they shall have peace with him, until three generations shall have passed away, and many of the fourth generation shall have passed away in righteousness. And when these things have passed away a speedy destruction cometh unto my people; for, notwithstanding the pains of my soul, I have seen it; wherefore, I know that it shall come to pass; and they sell themselves for naught; for, for the reward of their pride and their foolishness they shall reap destruction; for because they yield unto the devil and choose works of darkness rather than light, therefore they must go down to hell. For the Spirit of the Lord will not always strive with man. And when the Spirit ceaseth to strive with man then cometh speedy destruction…” (2 Nephi 26:9-11)

Questions:

-Why do individuals choose darkness rather than light? Why do whole societies, such as the Nephites did, fall into a general pattern of prideful behavior and sin?

-How and when do things get to the point where the Spirit completely withdraws from a distinct group of people?

-Is it possible for a group or society that hasn’t received the fullness of God’s law to reach such a state where they reap destruction based on their rejection of God’s Spirit?

-Is it ever too late to turn back to God as an individual (even within a society that is headed the opposite direction)?