Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world, is rumored, (as well as his Church – D&C 20:1), to come forth in the early spring (April 6) in Bethlehem, Israel. A pivotal moment began. Joseph Smith saw a ‘pillar of light’ early in the spring of 1820 in Palmyra, New York (Joseph Smith History 1:14-16, Pearl of Great Price (PGP)). A pivotal moment began again. In 1978 on an Easter Sunday morning, in front of the White Lily Baptist Church in Pittsburgh, Pa., a pivotal moment came upon me personally as I wrestled to belief that, is there a God? As I could not deny the existence of God, I humbled myself into accepting the fact that there must be one. This instinctively meant that I must change and serve God. This was the beginning of my relationship with God. For little did I realize then that as a man honestly ‘comes unto Christ’, the Lord will meet you halfway. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened unto you….” (Matthew 7:7 King James Version (KJV), emphasis added)
For not long after started my quest for God, did I go out of the black projects where I lived, to go visit my white friends that I got to know in the next neighborhood. As I neared the door and was about to knock, some force just completely froze me that I could not move. Everything became completely black, except for the light that gathered around two young men in suits as I peered through the door window. A mild, tender voice uttered out of the darkness and spoke in a manner as if we were already having a conversation, and said, “This is it.” Although the voice was mild, the voice shook through like close-by sub-woofers at a rock concert. I knew these two men were angels from God.
When I was invited in and gave my pleasantries to my friends, they introduced me to the two young angels. Elder Pratt and Elder Jones. They reminded me of the number ‘10’. Elder Jones was tall and skinny. Elder Pratt was rotund. I had this insatiable desire to learn from them, after all, if you had the chance to talk to angels, wouldn’t you? “Well Dane, we’d like to teach you, but we’ve been counseled not to. (Because of the black not being able to hold the Priesthood issue)” My heart sank. Two weeks later, Sister missionaries took the place of the Elders and they had no problem teaching me. I ate the discussions up like candy. I knew this is God’s church and he was having me learn of him. But the next step was to go to church. I was terrified to enter that building of all white people. I felt like Donald Trump entering a liberal rally.
I stepped inside, and after the first handshake. I knew I would be fine. I knew God had answered my unspoken prayer. After the sacrament meeting, everyone split up and I got to go to something called the Priesthood meeting. There we got split up again to meet with the youth. The teacher (in discussing Scouts) asked me if I was ever a Brownie. While the class laughed and I gave a forced grin. I was shaken by the experience I had while he was talking. Although a part of me wanted to point out to him that his toupee is not on straight (shame on me), another part of me marveled at the ‘glow’ around him and around the others as well. I realized, years later, that God was not done speaking with me. I was having a revelation that this glow or mantle was the Priesthood of God and it was critical, that of all things on Earth I need to do, I better obtain that power or I would eternally regret it. I wasn’t long after that it was announced that Blacks could hold the Priesthood. While tears of joy and relief hit the Saints. Quiet reassurance covered my soul – for I knew the Lord had made a way for me to come to him. Although I may fall short from time to time, I press forward to be a disciple of Christ.
Now you may wonder what a part of my conversion story has to do with what I
learned this week, which was eternal marriage. Well, when I started reading Pres. Benson’s message, “What I Hope You Would Teach Your Children about the Temple”, my conversion story came flooding back into my mind with a new perspective on the Priesthood. I now see it as a way to come to know God, especially when I read this part, “Moses taught this order of priesthood to his people and “sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God” (Benson 1986) I strongly feel that we cannot have an eternal marriage unless we first ‘marry’ ourselves to God. For “Endless and Eternal is my name. (Moses 7:35 PGP) “…Blessed are they who are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb…” (Revelations 19:9 KJV) Elder Bednar said, “The Lord Jesus Christ is the focal point in a covenant marriage relationship. Please notice how the Savior is positioned at the apex of this triangle, with a woman at the base of one corner and a man at the base of the other corner. Now consider what happens in the relationship between the man and the woman as they individually and steadily “come unto Christ” and strive to be “perfected in him”. Because of and through Redeemer, the man and woman come closer together.” (2006)
I have learned from hard experience that this is the case. You cannot just do the ordinance and consider yourself safe. Putting the Lord in your Eternal marriage by living the commandments is the only to go. It transcends race, culture, circumstance or environment. It is as clear as black and white to me.
References
Bednar, D. A. June 2006. Marriage is Essential to His Eternal Plan. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, principle 3.
Benson, E. T. April 1986. What I Hope You Would Teach Your Children about the Temple. Liahona, 1.
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