The Epistle of Christ

10 February 2007

Dear Friends,

I have not attempted this for a while because my dashboard for the program that manages these blogs had a rupture or a meltdown and I could not get it to work for more than a month. But today it is working again and I am anxious to share some feelings about 2nd Corinthians and grateful to have a way to do it.

First, some general news. Covenant has given verbal agreement to the publication of my book, Nowhere Else To Go. I talked to Kathy Jenkins on Tuesday of this week and she indicated that in a meeting on January 29th they decided that they wanted to do this book.

Kathy indicated that their intent is to publish it as a hard-back, larger-sized gift book with paintings of Christ throughout, and to focus on the help Christ is able and willing to give.

Since that was my intent from the beginning, I was greatly pleased, although I did not say that in my conversation with Covenant. I had not dared to hope for the artwork, although I had envisioned, in my more imaginative moments, a book filled with paintings that would help to teach the goodness of God. As of this moment I am delighted, and hopeful that it will all work out, even though there is nothing yet in writing.

Yesterday Josh celebrated his 33rd birthday. Several of his friends and some of his family suprised him at his home to help with the festivities. It is hard to imagine that a man of my youth and inexperience could have a child as old as Josh (or, for that matter, his four older siblings), but it is evidently true.


Speaking of which, Tiffany turned 18 on January 30. She is my baby, for heavens sake! Lydia and I began singing "Sunrise, Sunset" from Fiddler on the Roof while we in the car that day. I remember when she grabbed my finger the day she was born. I remember her learning to read when she was 4. Grandma Lola--blind Grandma Lola--taught her. I remember seeing her before she was born! And now she is 18.

Yesterday we attended the World-wide Training Broadcast which focused on the family. It was for Church members 18 and over. My baby Tiffany went with us!

I am not old. I am archaic! I think I need an archaeologist more than a doctor when I do not feel well. I have enough liver spots to replicate the map of Indonesia, and less hair than a sack of lugnuts, except in my ears and nose.

Today we had stake conference and Elder Pace of the Seventy was here to reorganize our Stake Presidency. He shared some personal experiences and insights into the reorganization of the First Presidency, and shared some of Elder Uchtdorf's feelings (they had adjacent offices in the Administration Building till last week). In his talk he made this comment, which I think was a superb summary of the meeting last night: "It doesn't matter what is happening at 47 East South Temple if it is not happening here." By "here" he meant in the homes and wards and stakes of the Church.

I am teaching the 2nd half of the Book of Mormon and the 2nd half of the New Testament this semester. The back of the NT is perhaps the most difficult of the scripture courses for me, because I have taught it less than any of the others and because Paul often puzzles me. But teaching 2nd Corinthians on Thursday evening was a rich experience. My lesson title was this: "13 QUALITIES OF TRUE CHRISTIANS FROM 2ND CORINTHIANS." I did not finish all 13, but I rarely finish all I have prepared. I did, however, find something in 2 Corinthians 3 that touched me and enriched me. I noticed it in my preparations and felt the power of it in my teachings. Here are verses 2 and 3 of 2 Corinthians 3:

"Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart."

My point was that true Christians are letters from Christ to the world. We are the epistles of Christ. Paul wrote letters--a lot of them. Captain Moroni wrote letters. Peter and James and John wrote letters. The First Presidency writes letters. But so far as we know, Christ never did. Except that . . . he did! We are his letters! Not written with paper and ink but with the Spirit of the living God, in the "fleshy tables of the heart."

I have about 50 students in my Thursday evening class in the New Testament. I asked them how many of Heavenly Father's children would "read" them in the coming week.

It is frightening, but nevertheless true, that we might be the first religious text some people will ever "read." And if we do not interact with them with love and the Spirit and righteousness, we may be the only religious text they will ever read. The thought of how many social interactions fifty young s could have in a single week is mind-boggling! But in every interaction they (and we) must be the epistles of prophets and seers and revelators ("Ye are our epistles) and we are also "manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ."

I wonder how many times the Lord has sent me as a message to those walking in darkness. Have they sensed and "tasted" the light (see Alma 32:35) radiating from what the Lord has written in my heart?

Saints in early Kirtland struggling to learn and understand the processes and purposes of revelation in the newly restored Church were sometimes confused by by false spiritual experiences (see D&C 28, 42, 50). One manifestation of this dilemma is referred to in the literature as "letters from heaven." An interesting account tells of a man called Black Pete who was so intent on chasing an angel with a letter that he ran off an embankment and plummeted though the trees into a river far below. mHe survived but I assume his ardor was somewhat dampened by the experience.

Letters from heaven? It would be silly if not for these verses. But Paul tells us we are precisely that. We are or should be letters from God to his children . . . the epistles of Christ with the stamp of his image in our countenance (Alma 5:14,19) and his words written in our hearts.

May it ever be so.

Ted