Day 8 ~ The Word (John 1:1)

Greek philosophy is complicated to our modern minds. If you have ever sat through a philosophy class you might remember how confusing Heraclitus, Anaxagoras, Plato and Aristotle can be. But it was second nature to the people of Christ's time. The Gospel of John is sometimes accused of being too Greek for a Galilean Jew to have written. Skeptics sometimes fail to realize that the Jews were very knowledgeable of Hellenistic thought. And by the time John the Beloved wrote his testimony he had lived in the Greek world for more than half his life. The "I Am" statements in his gospel show that it was written by a Jewish hand. But John was writing to introduce Jesus Christ to a Greek world. In his testimony, John seized upon the idea of the Logos to introduce Christ. It was a brilliant missionary move, similar to Paul's use of the unknown God on Mar's Hill. He used concepts familiar to them to show who Jesus was.

Greeks wondered about the nature of truth and life, reality and perception, beginnings and purpose. So John opens with a very Greek concept - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men" (John 1:1-4). There verses would have seemed familiar to the Greek mind. Let's focus in on "the Word." The Greek word here is "Logos." The Logos in Greek philosophy is the single power dominating the universe, it controls all things. The Logos is thought and reason and not physical at all. We get our word "logic" from it. The Logos always existed - it could not have been created. Nothing could have existed before the Logos, and nothing exists without it.

There is another word in the Greek that is translated Word. It is the word Rhema (pronounced RAY-mah). Rhema is the word found in passages like Romans 10:17: "So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Rhema could also be translated "sayings." The rhema is the use of the logos. It is a confusing distinction in English, but let me try to explain it this way. My brother is a weightlifter. He is concerned about nutrition to maximize his fitness plan and to build muscle. So he eats a lot of protein. Now the protein itself - is like the logos. It is there, it is the building block that he needs to get stronger and put on mass. But that protein does nothing for him until he ingests it and his body uses it. Then his body can utilize it to make muscles tissue. The protein becomes like the rhema as it is utilized.

Every day we need to take in the word of God. We can't declare the word until we have studied it (D&C 11:21). The scriptures, the study of Christ, and gospel learning are our logos. And when that study takes on meaning by the power of the spirit it becomes rhema to us. Our task, like the weightlifter, is to take in the logos, and then let the spirit convert it into rhema. The spirit uses the logos we have taken in, and utilizes it to give us revelation, to form testimony, to answer prayer. It is this rhema which forms the only offensive weapon in the Whole Armor of God for "the sword of the Spirit ...is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:17).

The Holy Ghost is a revelator who draws upon the logos which we have already put into our minds. If we are honest we realize that most spiritual insights are not the discovery of brand new things, but seeing known things in brand new ways. The Spirit takes what we have and arranges it to reveal a fuller meaning and a deeper insight. Prophets often have visions to introduce new logos to their minds. Joseph Smith never considered that the church was not in fullness upon the earth. There was no logos for it. And He had a vision. But most of Joseph's revelations were given through the Spirit as he studied the word of God, and pondered it. Every priesthood holder who gives a blessing, every parent who prays for a child, every Bishop who directs a ward, all of us as we seek the Lord in revelation need to ingest the logos so that we might partake of the rhema. Then we will "have tasted the good word (rhema) of God" (Heb 6:5). Peter knew this when he responded to the Lord, "to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life" (John 6:68).

Day 7 ~ Prophet (Luke 24:19)

Jesus Christ was a great prophet. The people knew it. The Jewish leaders tried to denounce His reputation as a prophet because He was a Galilean, "Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet" (John 7:52). They were wrong by the way; Nahum and Micah were from Galilee, possibly Elijah as well. Today the Jews reject Jesus as a prophet for many different reasons including the belief that prophecy can only exist in Israel when the land is inhabited by a majority of the world's Jews. They claim that at the time of Ezra (circa 300 BCE), when the majority of the exiled Jews refused to move from Babylon to Israel, prophecy ended upon the death of the last prophets – Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. Jesus appeared on the scene approximately 350 years after "prophecy had ended." The closing pages of the Old Testament closed the book on the promise of any more prophecy coming from God.

Jesus was a prophet in the truest sense for the "testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Rev 19:10). Certainly Jesus left no doubt as to whom He was. In fact, He was hounded to the day of His death because of the testimony He bore of Himself. Perhaps what people mistakenly look for when they think of a prophet is actually the calling of a Seer. A Seer must draw upon God's omniscience to accurately know things to come. Jehovah proved He could foretell the future. Thousands of prophecies from the Old Testament have been fulfilled; sometimes dramatically. At times they reveal that God has a sense of irony and humor.

Around 587 BCE, Babylon was banging on Jerusalem's gates, and Nebuchadnezzar was threatening to destroy everything in his path. The Lord told Jeremiah that "the broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken...it shall be desolate forever" (Jeremiah 51:58, 62). Herodotus, a Greek historian, recorded that the walls of Babylon were two hundred feet tall with towers extending to three hundred feet. Their width was one hundred and eighty seven feet at the base and they encircled an area of one hundred ninety six square miles. The prophecy of the utter destruction and desolation of those walls was laughable. In the 4^th century AD, Flavius Claudius Julianus (Julian the Apostate), nephew of Constantine, grew tired of Christianity's intolerance toward any views but their own. So when he came to power Julian stripped them of their powers, privileges, and rights. His chief aim as emperor was the eradication of Christianity. In a campaign against the Persian army near the remains of Babylon, Julian became so enraged by the way the Persians were able to use the walls as refuge that he ordered the walls destroyed. How ironic that Julian, the antagonist of scripture, was the fulfillment of God's word.

Saddam Hussein started a project to restore Babylon and had the paving stones inscribed with the motto "This was built by Saddam Hussein, son of Nebuchadnezzar, to glorify Iraq". The project stalled with the beginning of the Gulf War. Later Saddam attempted to build himself a palace in Babylon but the Iraq war finished that dream forever. A small tourist town exists today on a small piece of what was ancient Babylon but most of it remains a ruin and used as a hunting preserve. "And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall ...never be inhabited...But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures, and owls shall dwell there…" (Isaiah 13:19-21)

Was Jesus as great a prophet as the Old Testament prophets? One of the fun stories of the New Testament is when the disciples came asking about the tribute tax. Jesus told them to go and cast a hook into the sea, "take up the fish, that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money; that take and give unto them for me and thee" (Matt 17:26). Christ also foretold his own death and resurrection. He even gave his death as a sign unto them: "Destroy this temple [physical body], and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19). This was fulfilled.

In Matthew 24:1-2, Jesus said that the Temple would be destroyed. In 70 AD, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and killed an estimated 1.1 million Jews. During the destruction, fire was set to the Temple. The gold-leaf ornamentation on the Temple ceiling began to melt. The melting gold flowed down the walls and settled into crevices within the stones. The Romans pried apart the stones to remove the gold. This fulfilled Jesus' prophecy that not one stone would be left standing on another. In Luke 21:24 Jesus said that "Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" On June 7, 1967, the Jewish people took control of Jerusalem as foretold by Jesus. Jerusalem is no longer trampled underfoot by Gentiles.

Jesus (Jehovah) is a great prophet and his "words shall not pass away" (Luke 21:33).

Day 6 ~ Abba, Father (Romans 8:14)

When we are baptized we come into a family – we take upon us the family name: the name of Christ. As children of Christ we are to do the works of Christ. This is what families do. When we take upon us Christ's name, then we have to be sure that we represent Him rightly. There is an ancient story about a Greek boy who joined the armies of Alexander the Great. The boy in seeing his first battle became very afraid and turned and ran from the battlefield. The penalty for cowardice in Alexander's army, just as with most armies throughout history, was death. However, the boy's age caused his commanders to have pity on him, so an appeal was made to the great conqueror himself. Alexander looked at the boy for a moment then asked him, "What is your name, boy?" "My name is Alexander," the boy replied. The Conqueror scowled at this response. "What is your name?" He asked again. "Alexander, sir," came the reply. "Your name is Alexander?" roared the King. "Yes, it is Alexander, sir," the boy cowered. Alexander the Great in his great command voice said, "Soldier, I pardon you because of your age. But I order to either change your conduct or change your name." There are few things as precious as a good name. We need to bring honor and not shame to His holy name. It is our name, too.

One of the blessings of having Christ as our Father is that we know His great love because we have examined His life. We also know of Heavenly Father's great love for us through the example of Jesus. We know that as children we need not have fear to come into their presence. The scriptures tell us that we should come boldly unto the throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16) not fearing for "perfect love cast(s) out fear" (1 John 4:18). A child does not fear a parent. At least, they shouldn't. A child approaches with full confidence the father's chair, a child comes up and tugs upon mother's apron, as they boldly and in full expectation come and seek audience and communion with a parent. We expect them to - and we lovingly give them what they seek. As children of God we should also come in a childlike way "submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, (and) willing to submit" (Mosiah 3:19) but in full expectation that He will receive as His own.

Sometimes, my daughter, Malyn, used to come and crawl up on my lap and tell me some little fact from her day, as she might reach out and twirl my hair. We would share a small moment before she got back down and went about her little busy life. She had that reassuring moment of love and closeness with me and her cup was refilled, her self-esteem renewed, and her sense of belonging and identity confirmed. She didn't realize what was going on - it had no deep meaning to her - she just came and spoke with daddy. But just the same it was another brick in the foundation of her self - for "Little drops of water, little grains of sand, make the mighty ocean and the pleasant land." She looked into my eyes and saw that I loved her. This is how a child develops who they are as they interact with their parents. Is it not the same with us and God? Paul says that by the spirit we can cry Abba (Galatians 4:6). Abba is an Aramaic word meaning not father but "daddy." Whether it be with Heavenly Father in prayer or with Christ in diligent discipleship, we go and commune with daddy. We walk with them in paths of righteousness. It is the closeness of the child with a parent. These are the spiritual foundations of what we are to become. 1 John 3:2 says that we are the children "of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him."

It is vital to us that we may see as we are seen and know as we are known. The world can never give us any real sense of who we are. The world's sense of what constitutes good self-worth and a good self-esteem is a house of cards at best. It is reflective glory in things that can fade and die and rust. It is much more important that we go and crawl up on Father's lap and spend time together with Him. Then we shall begin to find out who we are. True eternal self-esteem can only be found in the mirror of God's eyes upon us. We will begin to know ourselves when we see what we are in His eyes. We rightly teach our children to sing - I am a child of God. This is who we are.

Day 5 ~ The Way (John 14:6)

Giuseppe de Venuto struggled to stay awake until he reached the fresh air. He looked back into the blackness of the tunnel. He knew what had happened. He ran as fast as he could through the early March night. He made his way through the darkness over the train tracks. He crossed trestles and ran through blacker tunnels. He arrived at the Balvano Train Station two and half hours later, scrapped and bruised, he had crawled some of the way. He immediately drew the attention of the Station Master as he entered the room. Giuseppe pointed back up the tracks from which he came. "They're all dead," he exclaimed. Then he collapsed.

There have been some spectacular train accidents. Derailments, collisions, explosions, bombings; rail history is fodder for Hollywood special effects. But one of the worst train disasters in history was less than explosive. It happened without jarring impact. It was completely bloodless. 500 people simply went to sleep.

On the night of March 2, 1944, Freight Train 8017 left Salerno, Italy. It was World War II and the train traveled without lights through the winter night to avoid the attention of enemy bombers. A cold wind was bringing freezing rain, but that didn't stop 650 people from jumping aboard the 47-car non-passenger train. 100 of these rode on flatcars in the frigid night. Many were black market opportunists. They bartered with servicemen for cigarettes, candy, and gum, and then they exchanged these commodities for farm products. To reach the farmers they stole rides on freight trains which were forbidden to carry passengers. But hundreds of people rode these trains every day, another fact that went unnoticed, officially. The excessive weight of the passengers caused the two-locomotive train to creep slowly along its way.

Train 8017 crept through the Appenine Mountains passing through several tunnels. The cover brought temporary relief to the freezing hitchhikers on top of the train. 8017 passed the station at Balvano around 12:50 A.M. on March 3^rd and chugged uphill toward the next station at Bella-Muro only five miles away. Two hours later it still had not reach Bella-Muro. The Bella-Muro Stationmaster was worried but decided not to walk the tracks until morning. At 5:10 A.M. he received a call from Balvano. Giuseppe de Venuto had just passed out on the Balvano station floor.

Investigators arrived to find an eerie sight. Train 8017 had crept into the mile long tunnel named the Galleria delle Armi. Halfway through the tunnel, the drivewheels of the two locomotives began to slip. The train lost traction and stopped. As the train strained to move in the darkness, the tunnels trapped the carbon monoxide produced by the locomotives burning their low-grade coal, causing 526 people to die of carbon monoxide poisoning. The passengers just went to sleep as they sat in the darkness. Analysts surveyed the locomotives. They found that the leading locomotive was unbraked, its controls set in reverse. The second locomotive was also unbraked, but its throttle was positioned "full ahead." The two locomotives had pulled against each other, each engineer having fatally different ideas about what to do. The train was going in two different ways!

Proverbs teaches "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death"(14:12). Alternatively, "the way of righteousness [is] life" (12:28). Jesus has showed us the way. He is the way back to the Father. He is the way to forgiveness for sins. He is the way that leads to eternal life. There is no other way. And yet there are many who pull against Him. They strain and struggle to go their own way and do their own thing, even as they claim to be yoked with him. They weigh themselves down with unnecessary and often, unlawful burdens and then complain that they cannot make any headway on the journey. A wise sister in the gospel once said, Living the gospel is easy, it is half living it that is hard. Half living the gospel is like doing a spiritual cha-cha, for any two steps you take in any direction you come dancing back two steps and you wind up never going anyplace. Half living the gospel is like having your controls set in different directions as you spin your wheels in the dark. We must press forward with Christ or we may never get to where we are supposed to be going. And we will never see what's coming.

Day 4 ~ Living Water (John 7:38)

It was an extremely hot day. A late spring day in South Carolina can be quite warm. I was miserable, sweaty, and tired. There was no shady spot on the roof we were shingling. My hair was wet and matted from the sun's rays. The tar paper was warming my shoes to the point that my toes felt like they were too close to the fire on a scout camp-out. It was too hot to sit without burning the posterior. My thighs were worn out from trying to squat down and hammer and it was a backbreaker to continually stay bent over and do it. It was one of those afternoons where minutes seem like hours. And it was still a long way off to quitting time. My prospects for relief were not looking good. To top it off the water container we had was empty - and I was really thirsty. Parched. Did I say I was miserable?

Suddenly I saw it. The hose was just laying there by the bushes. And O, sweet joy of life! There was water coming out of it; just a small stream. I guess they forgot to turn it off all the way. Maybe it was watering the flowers. Who cared? It looked cool and refreshing and clear and ... well, it was water. I went down the ladder and walked to the hose. Ummm, water. I picked up the hose and put it up to my mouth. God is good, isn't he? I took a long healthy sip. Gag! Sputter! Blech! WHAT IN THE WORLD??? I dropped the hose immediately and spit out all the water I could - it had to be contaminated. This stuff was horrible. What was it? My brother called down to me, "Is it cold?" "Does it look like its cold from my body language?" I snapped back at him. Coincidently he later became an investigator with the South Carolina State Police. I guess some people's powers of observation blossom late.

Out of the house a gentleman came. He came a few steps over to where I was still spitting out the vile liquid. But I noticed he didn't come too close. By the way, what was he doing home? I thought he was at work. If I had known he was home I would have just knocked and asked to fill up the WATER CONTAINER ON THE ROOF!!! Anyway, he said, "Uh um, it probably won't hurt you any, but that's the drainage from the air conditioning unit. And you might not want to drink that." You know, I may not want to skydive without a parachute; I may not want to do dental work without anesthesia. But I know, definitely and without a doubt I did not want to drink that water. BUT, for the record, I am glad that it wasn't the sump pump draining, or I'd still be chewing altoids.

Bad water. Everybody hates bad water. And especially loathsome is water which misrepresents itself as refreshing or warming, but it isn't. It's a promise not kept. It's a purpose unserved. It's disappointing. Jesus hates bad water. He said so. To the Laodiceans he declared, "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth" (Revelation 3:15-16) Laodicea was a model city. Built in the Lycos River valley it had location, location, location. It was a center of finance, manufacturing, medicine, and fashion. It had a great view of the mountains where the city of Heiropolis, with its white cliffs, had famous health spas. People would come from all over the world to bath in its healing hot water springs. Also, to the east of Laodicea is the huge snow-capped Mount Cadmus. At the foot was situated the city of Colossae. Colossae was famous for its cool, refreshing, running springs coming down from Cadmus. It was the Evian of its day. Colossae and Heiropolis were well-known and visited because of the usefulness of their waters.

Somehow the brain trusts at the Laodicean City Planning Council got the bright idea to bring the water from the mountains to Laodicea via aqueduct. The water was filed with copper and it clogged the pipes and carried the stream unfiltered to the city. The result was a brackish, mineral filled concoction. Laodicea had the distinction of having the dirtiest and foulest water supply in Asia Minor. Not only that, but the water was tepid – neither hot nor cold. It was nearly useless.

When Jesus says be cold or hot, I don't think He is saying be for me or against me, just don't be apathetic. I think He is saying, be useful for something. Be refreshing like the water of Colossae or be healing like Heiropolis. The Gospel fills us with life-giving Living Water and we are to share it.

Before you look up pensively and say, "You know what? Technically, I don't think Living Water is a title for Christ." You're right, it's not really a title for Christ, but it is a concept that is closely associated with Him, and I like it. And this is my devotional, so I'm using it. Christ is the Fountain of Living Waters (Jer. 2:13) and we are to let it bubble over into the lives of others.

Day 3 ~ The Door (John 10:9)

Radio and TV talk show host Glenn Beck tells of an award banquet for the Cross Country Team when his oldest daughter, Mary, was in high school. Mary was the team captain. The team was just coming off the most successful season in school history. As Glenn stood and looked at the posted results of all the meets, he could see his daughter's name was listed in last place in every single race. Not only had Mary come in last, but she was often ten minutes or more behind the last name.

"My daughter was born with cerebral palsy. And when she was born, there was no hope. She could never feed herself, etc. But the doctor looked at me and said, 'But you never know. A baby's brain is an amazing thing.' My daughter is right-side affected – she has trouble using her arm, she has trouble using her leg, her whole right side. And she's dead last, dead last. Last night at the awards ceremony, she won an award that she wins every year. That is for sportsmanship. She is the most encouraging person I have ever met. When I look at the people that have pivoted my life, at the top of that list is my daughter, Mary. I have learned so much from her. And so have her teammates. She is constantly telling people, 'You can do it. You can do it. Run, run, run – you can beat that time!' She is the most optimistic person I have ever met – and she finishes in last place every time.

"Last night, because she's the captain of her team...she got up. She talked about what a wonderful experience it was for her to run. What an unbelievable experience it was for her to be on this team even though she finished dead last, ten minutes after everybody else had finally come in. She pushed herself. She said, 'When I hurt, when I would fall, I would pick myself up, and I would continue to run, and I would finish. I remember the first time that I ran, the coach looked at me in a way that said that he didn't even know if I could finish. And when I ran for that first time, I didn't even know if I could finish. But I did, and I finish every time.' She was talking to her teammates, but she was really talking to me and everyone else in the room. She said, 'If knowing me would teach anybody anything, it should teach that never, ever give up. Never stop believing that you can do what you set your mind to. You can accomplish whatever it is that you want to accomplish.' "

Every great belief system seems to recognize this truth. We are capable of unimaginable and incredible feats if we put our all into it. We nod our heads when we hear it. But so few individuals actually live life as if they believe that it applies to them as well. Here are the facts. Heavenly Father has given us the chance to become whatever type of person we want to be. We can't always choose what happens to us but we can choose who we are through any trial or hardship. We wanted to be like Him and His Son. We wanted eternal life. And He has given us that very opportunity. It is the greatest gift imaginable. We are free to choose who we are. The potential is staggering. In the words of Walt Kelly's Pogo, "Gentlemen, I fear we are surrounded by insurmountable opportunities."

The only person that really shapes who you are is you. You make the call. You make the decisions. You make the good, you make the bad. Life is nothing but a series of choices, and you can choose to be anything you want to be. The world may beat upon you, circumstance may be painful, and situations may go awry, but you can never be forced to be someone you do not consent to be. To be sure, some bad decisions will be made. But here is the beauty of God's gift. It comes with a twin. The Atonement of Jesus Christ provides us a chance to change direction when we miss the mark. To start anew when we find out that what we chose wasn't so good after all. The Atonement allows us to go places that we would have been banished from and to achieve goals which we would have already failed. Jesus does this for us. He gives us the chance to try again. Christ said, "Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it" (Rev 3:8).

To be sure God uses our choices and our agency to bring about His purposes. Opposition and choice make the universe move. God uses both the good and the bad. It is like a battery. Touch only positive and nothing happens. Touch only the negative and still nothing. But touch both and your hair will stand up. You will have no choice but to become dynamic. Agency is the power source which makes the universe go, and the Atonement is the oil that keeps it from grinding to a halt. Who you are is your choice. Choose well.

Day 2 ~ Lord of Hosts (Psalms 24:10)

In the spring of 1519, Hernando Cortez landed with his army on the eastern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula with a tiny fleet of 11 ships. He proceeded inland to the capital city of the Aztec Empire. The Aztec emperor, Montezuma, initially welcomed Cortez, whom many Aztecs thought was a god. Cortez took advantage and imprisoned Montezuma, and by 1521 the Aztecs were conquered. It remains as one of history's most impressive victories. But the hardships of the New World caused some of the Spaniard soldiers to grumble. "Let's return to Spain. Let's go back," they murmured. So Hernando Cortez did an extraordinary thing. He burned the ships. They had no way to return to the life that they knew before the mission. They could go on with Cortez or they could rebel against him. They could not return to neutrality. That course was no longer open to them. The ships were burned.

For years I had read the scriptures and seen one of Christ's names as the "Lord of Sabaoth." I assumed that it was simply a variant spelling on the word "Sabbath." Of course, I thought, Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath, those wacky King James translators just couldn't keep their spellings straight. Boy, was I wrong! Sabaoth is a Hebrew word most often translated as "Hosts." Lord of Sabaoth means Lord of Hosts. Who knew? Somebody should tell me these things.

In the Bible, the Hebrew for "host" is Tsaba and used more than 486 times having something to do with warfare, armies or fighting. In general, "tsaba" can describe a multitude of men (army), angels (good & bad) or stars. Lord of Hosts is used more than fifty times in the Book of Mormon, a dozen references in the Doctrine and Covenants. Exodus 15:3 says The LORD (Jehovah) [is] a man of war: the LORD [is] his name. Sometimes we are uncomfortable with the Lord being associated with war. In some cases we have even downplayed our more militant hymns in favor of the more peaceful "love" ones. I suppose there is nothing wrong with that - as long as we remember that we are still in open warfare with a foe who gathered his forces and declared his hostile intent before the world began. A war which will not end until Jehovah, a man of war, the Lord of Hosts, descends with a shout, riding a white horse and puts all His enemies under His feet.

He is a most impressive Captain. He fights for His people. He has won every battle He has gone out to fight. His robes are already stained in the blood from the victories He has attained over sin and death. He will yet reign victorious over this earth and all the works of His hands. He inspires His people and His army in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds, though we often cannot see, and many times do not even recall, that those who are for us outnumber those who are against us. Great leaders inspire great deeds.

In 480 B.C., Xerxes, King of Persia invaded Greece with more than 250,000 men. He landed at Thermopylae. A Greek army of 1400 was all there was to meet the Persian invader. The Spartan king, Leonidas, seeing the helplessness of 1400 against 250,000 sent all but his 300 men to Athens to forewarn and prepare for the oncoming invader. For three days the Spartans held a pass in the mountains against every onslaught the Persians could throw against them. So confident were the Spartans in their leader and their cause that when they were informed that the arrows from the bows of the Persian army flew so numerously that they blotted out the sun, they responded "So much the better, we shall fight in the shade."

We are enlisted in the Lord's army. We can go on with the Lord of Hosts or we can turn against Him. Shall we not put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6) and be valiant and true in the face of the enemy even though his arrows blot out the sun? Yet, our Captain will prevail. He rallies us to Him. Neutrality is not an option. The ships are burned.

Day 1 ~ Christ (Doctrine & Covenants 18:33)

Every Christmas it happens. Some people become absolutely livid. They say that the secular progressives are trying to take God out of everything. No, not "God", they correct themselves, the SPs want to remove the "Christian God." The argument goes that the movement to remove God won't quit until He is eradicated from public life entirely - then the goal is to make Him illegal in private life. There is some truth in this. But that movement is still a very small percentage of the population, they just make a loud noise. I think there is more harm in letting it bother you to the point that you take offense and let it ruin your Christmas.

I was at work and became part of a conversation where somebody let this very thing happen to them. A colleague was insulted when she had gone shopping and there on the store front was a sign declaring a "Xmas Sale." Why! They were trying to X Christ out of Christmas. How bad was it when they wouldn't even write the name Christ anymore? Jesus Christ had been replaced with an X. Or so she thought. I don't know what the store's intentions were but my work colleague was forgetting a few facts. Christ is not a name but a title, and comes from the Greek Christos. Christos is a literal translation of the Hebrew word Messiah. Both words mean "anointed." I'm sure she may have known that or had heard it before. But what she may not have been aware of is that the X in Greek is the first letter in the word Christos and was used by the early Christians as a symbol for Christ. X represents the Greek letter chi, with a hard ch. The X is a simple enough symbol that the learned and unlearned could easily identify it and just as easily portray it. It was accessible to all. I like that. Christ is accessible to all. Certainly being able to recognize and act in His holy name is a blessing. It is the way of salvation.

When Joseph was struggling over what to do with Mary, his espoused, the Angel Gabriel appeared to him and told him to take Mary to wife. And to take the child as his own - in other words, full adoption and would make the child heir to Joseph's birthright. Gabriel also told Joseph to name the child - Jesus. The name means "Jehovah saves" or "Jehovah is salvation." Jesus' name is a testimony. There is salvation in none other.

In the Pre-existent Council, the Father presented His plan to all of His children, then He asked, "Whom shall I send?" It was an important decision, because the One sent had to live a sinless life. He had to perfectly conform to the Father's righteousness. He would be the only one who would be saved in the Father's name alone. This One had to completely get the choices placed before Him and decide without mistake to be like the Father. The Father's perfect Holiness could not allow imperfection to return in His name. The Father knew he would send Jesus, the First-born, to be His Only-begotten Son in the flesh. He would make the Father's plan to save His children possible.

Jesus was born into mortality and he walked in perfection all the days of His life. Jesus knew His salvation was by the Father. In the Gospel of John alone, Christ says over a hundred times that He was sent by the Father, did nothing but what the Father commanded Him, that he did all those works in the name of the Father and that He sought to glorify the Father in all He did. And it was in the Father's name He was resurrected, received His perfect glory and was given heirship to all the Father possesses.

Christ has "assumed the name and the power of his Father, and through that name and by that power he has extended the promise of salvation to all who would take upon themselves his (the Son's) name as he had taken upon himself the name of the Father. Such is the system of salvation" (Robert L. Millet and Joseph Fielding McConkie, In His Holy Name, p 7). Just as Jesus could be saved by no other name than that of His Father's, there is no other name given by which we can be saved except through the holy name of Christ. We should seek to do the works of Christ, do them in His name and thus glorify Him and the Father who sent Him.

"Take upon you the name of Christ, and speak the truth in soberness. And as many as repent and are baptized in my name, which is Jesus Christ, and endure to the end, the same shall be saved.

"Behold, Jesus Christ is the name which is given of the Father, and there is none other name given whereby man can be saved;

"Wherefore, all men must take upon them the name which is given of the Father, for in that name shall they be called at the last day; wherefore, if they know not the name by which they are called, they cannot have place in the kingdom of my Father." (D&C 18:21-25)