Ronald Lee Guthrie
Brother Guthrie was among the
members of the Church that I met when we first moved to Binghamton nearly 20
years ago. I took an instant liking to
him, as anybody should because what is there to not like about Brother Guthrie?
You may
have seen us on occasion as we greeted each other either in the foyer or at the
doors to the chapel. We nearly always
exchanged salutes. I called him general
or admiral or captain and he would often respond by saying, “Greetings, Oh
Mighty One.” As you might guess, we had
fun with each other. I don’t really know
how those exchanges with each other began; I just know that my tongue-in-cheek salute
to him was always heart-felt. I admire
and hold a deep respect for Brother Guthrie.
Change of Heart
I visited
with Brother Guthrie not more than a week before he passed away. We spent an hour and-a-half talking about
things that old bishops talk about.
Though we never discussed names of people we had worked with during our
callings as bishop, we discussed the highs and lows of that calling. You had to have been a bishop at one time or
another in your life to be able to have the kind of discussion that we
had. And while we both shared accounts
of disappointment we also shared accounts of the joy that we experienced as we
watched the healing power of The Atonement take effect in the lives of members
of the Church. As we discussed those
success stories, still maintaining our commitments to keep confidential the
identity of people who had mighty changes of heart, as well as those who had
not, Brother Guthrie was quick to point out that it was always the Spirit of the
Lord and the healing balm of The Atonement of the Savior that made the
difference in the lives of others. And
while there were silent moments when we considered those who had not
experienced the sweet taste of forgiveness that can come only through The
Atonement of Jesus Christ, there were smiles as he reflected upon those who had
made that mighty change of heart that Alma talked about in the Book of Mormon (Alma
5: 12, 26).
We don’t
see the phrase change of heart very
often in the scriptures. In fact, that
exact phrase appears only twice, first in Alma and then in Helaman. Though that specific phrase is used only twice
in The Book of Mormon it is implied several times throughout other
scriptures. Still, I think we all know
what it means to have a change of heart.
We casually talk about having a change of heart when we begin holding
onto a particular opinion or stance on an issue. Then after contemplating our position we change
our minds or in other words we experience a change of heart. That change frequently takes place as a
result of serious contemplation of facts and probable outcomes. More often than not when we think of probable
outcomes our focus is on the feelings of others and impact our actions may have
on them and the true, long-term
benefit to ourselves.
This change
of heart described in The Book of Mormon is similar to the change we experience
in some of the more weighty matters we face in our lives. This change takes place as a result of asking
the most important questions in life, namely about our relationship with
God. It comes as a result of truly
understanding where we come from and what it is that we need to do to return to
the presence of God. These are the
things that the prophets have taught and testified of throughout all generations
of time. These are the things that
matter throughout all eternity. These
truly are the most weighty matters of life.
The Plan
And so we
go back to the beginning. Actually, we
go back to a point before time and before that phrase in Genesis, “In the
beginning….” (Genesis 1: 1). It is before
Genesis where we began our journey that leads to our existence on earth and
moves forward to immortality, never to end.
It is before the beginning where we committed ourselves to progress to a
future life that we wanted to share with Heavenly Father forever. It is what the Savior committed to Heavenly
Father when He said that it was His glory to bring to pass the immortality and
eternal life of man (Moses 1: 39).
While we
lived in that pre-mortal existence with Heavenly Father we participated in a
council that determined our destiny on earth.
Either we would be forced to obey God’s will or we would be allowed to
exercise agency in determining whether or not we would be obedient to the will
of the Father. The fact is that this act
of choosing which plan we wanted was an act of agency. We chose the Savior’s plan, which would allow
us to exercise our agency on earth that now determines our worthiness to return
to the presence of God (Abraham 3: 27).
Consequently, there was a war in Heaven (Rev.12: 7) and as the Apostle
John said that Satan, “which deceiveth the whole world…was cast out into the
earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Rev. 12: 9).
The dilemma
with agency is that we are subject to temptation and sin. This was the case with Adam and Eve when they
ate of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden and introduced death into the
world. However, it also opened the door for Heavenly Father’s spirit children
to come to earth to gain these temporal bodies and to prove ourselves worthy to
return to the presence of God (2 Nephi 2: 19-25). Like Adam and Eve, we are subject to pain and
sorrow, temptation and sin.
Pain and Suffering
As I
contemplated my remarks for Brother Guthrie’s service today the thought kept
coming to mind that he had some fairly serious health problems in the later
years of his life. As I thought about
this I remembered the oft repeated question by those who question why God, who
is supposed to be a kind and loving God, allows pain and suffering. If God is so loving, they ask, why do little
children suffer and die? Why does He
allow violence in the world? Why does he
allow wars, slavery, cancer, and terrorism?
Why would he allow natural disasters to occur that result in
homelessness, exposure to harsh elements, hunger, and thirst? If there is a God, and if He is a loving God,
why doesn’t He step in and stop such evil from happening?
I would
like to suggest three interrelated reasons.
First of all, we signed onto this life in the pre-mortal existence. We chose to experience the influences of good
and evil with the promise on our lips that we would prove ourselves valiant
regardless of what the world threw at us.
I don’t know if some of us failed to read the fine print, but we made a
decision to come to this earth and be allowed to make decisions that would
determine our destiny.
Secondly,
we know from our understanding of the scriptures that there must be opposition
in all things. The Book of Mormon
prophet Jacob said that “there is an opposition in all things (otherwise)
righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither
holiness nor misery” (2 Nephi 2:11).
Third, this
opposition that Jacob spoke of was a natural result of Adam and Eve partaking
of the forbidden fruit in the Garden in Eden.
Though commanded not to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of
good and evil, they understood that partaking of the fruit would make them wise
(Gen. 2: 16- 17; 3: 6). Wisdom comes by
experience and Adam and Eve understood this.
After partaking of the fruit they “knew that they were naked” (Gen 3:
7). Their nakedness was both literal and
figurative. Yes, they were without
clothing, but they were also open and exposed to the pains and afflictions of
this world. “Cursed is the ground for
thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also
and thistles shall it bring forth to thee..; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou
eat bread, till thou return unto the ground….” (Gen 3: 17 – 19). We were not promised a rose garden. Instead, we were given a garden that would
result in our bruised heels. But we do
not have to be alone in this garden we call life with all its choices between
good and evil, sickness and health, wellbeing and devastation. While the tempter may have power to bruise
our heels, we have the power through the Savior to crush his head (Gen. 3: 15).
The Atonement
We’ve all
made mistakes. We do things that we know
are wrong. The Apostle Paul said that we
“all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3: 23), wherein
lies the dilemma, for “no unclean thing can dwell with God” (1 Nephi 10: 21).
It was
never God’s plan that we be eternally separated from Him. The Plan of Salvation as proposed by the
Savior included an atonement, an intercession or payment for sin that we could
not possibly make on our own. It was to
be, and is, a free gift offered to all on condition of our faith in Jesus
Christ, repentance, and obedience to the laws and ordinances of His gospel
(Articles of Faith 3; Romans 5: 18).
Thus it was
that in the meridian of time the demands of justice
were made by the Prince of Peace as foretold by Isaiah (Isaiah 9: 6, 7). It was an act of mercy that did not rob justice (Alma 42: 25), and that could only
be carried out by one who was without sin. Jesus Christ satisfied the demands
of justice through the Atonement (2 Nephi 9: 26; Alma 42: 15). Only Christ had the “power given unto him from
the Father to redeem (us) from (our) sins” (Helaman 5: 11). Indeed, there was no other good enough to pay
the price of sin (LDS Hymns #294). As a
testament to this saving power Matthew recorded that “the graves were opened;
and many of the bodies of the saints which slept arose and came out of the
graves after (Christ’s) resurrection…and appeared unto many” (Matt. 27:
52-53). “There is a resurrection (and)
the grave hath no victory (as) the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ”
(Mosiah 16: 8).
In Christ
we have a righteous creditor. We are
indebted to Him for the price He paid to redeem us from the fall of Adam and
from our own sins and transgressions.
Not only that, but He offers to carry us in our deepest, darkest
hour. David in Psalms said, “Cast thy
burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee:” (Psalms 55:22), and Christ
Himself said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly
in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:29 - 30). To repay Him, He simply says, “Come, follow
me” (Luke 18: 22).
It’s About Agency
While our
lives and our futures are all about The Atonement, The Atonement is all about
agency. Well, really it is all about the
Savior, but He gives us our agency to choose.
“Choose you this day whom ye will serve” said Joshua in the Old
Testament (Joshua 24: 15). Father Lehi continued with that theme of agency when
he said, “And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the
children of men from the fall. And
because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever,
knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it
be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the
commandments which God hath given. Wherefore, men are free according to the
flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and
eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and
death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that
all men might be miserable like unto himself” (2 Nephi 2:26 - 27).
Conclusion
So, two
former bishops sat in his living room discussing the good, the bad, and the
sometimes ugly aspects of being a bishop.
At the end of it all it was abundantly clear to me which side of the
ledger he had chosen. I am not his
judge, but I would like to think that I’m a fairly good judge of character most
of the time. I do not know how much
changing he had to make with his heart at some point in his life, but I know
that his heart was where it belongs. Isn’t
it nice to know that the Lord doesn’t look on the outward appearance, but that
He ‘looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7)? There is no doubt in my mind that
last week Brother Guthrie was greeted with these words: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou
hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things:
enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matt. 25:21). And there is no doubt in my mind that he was
also greeted by his sweet wife, Carrie.
And
therefore, what about each one of us?
What choices are we making? Do we
pursue the things of the world, the things that bring us immediate
gratification? Are we literally
selfish? Or, do we pursue the will of
the Lord? Do we willingly obey that we
may have that eternal reward that we so valiantly fought for in our pre-mortal
existence? As decisions determine
destiny, so also do our choices carry consequences. May we take the time to assess our own
motives, actions, decisions, and choices, and make that mighty change of heart
that we all need to make in order to be in alignment with the will of the
Father, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
© 2015 Gregory B. Talley
Funeral Sermon Prepared for Ronald Lee Guthrie
For June 4, 2015, Undelivered
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