I Am With You Alway

When the Savior commissioned His apostles to continue the work after His death and Resurrection, He said, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen" (Matt. 28:20). Surely that promise that He would be with them, even if they couldn't see Him physically, must have been a great comfort to the apostles as they went into their sometimes hostile world and sought to preach the gospel and establish the Church.  They would face persecution, prison, stoning, dissension, and many other difficulties as we read about in the book of Acts, and I wonder if they didn't often come back to this promise that the Lord was indeed with them.  Surely they felt His presence as they were about His work. 

In our day, this same promise has been renewed.  In fact, searching through the Doctrine and Covenants we see that the Lord has repeated over and over a promise to His Saints that He would be with them and in their midst.  The Lord gave these encouraging words to Joseph Smith, "Lift up your hearts and be glad, for I am in your midst, and am your advocate with the Father; and it is his good will to give you the kingdom" (D&C 29:5).  To John Whitmer He invited and promised, "And your whole labor shall be in Zion, with all your soul, from henceforth; yea, you shall ever open your mouth in my cause, not fearing what man can do, for I am with you. Amen" (D&C 30:11).  Thomas B Marsh was told, "Be faithful unto the end, and lo, I am with you." (D&C 31:13).  To Ezra Thayre and Northrop Sweet the Savior said, "Yea, open your mouths and spare not, and you shall be laden with sheaves upon your backs, for lo, I am with you" (D&C 33:9).  Orson Pratt was also promised that the Lord would be with him if he would open his mouth: "Wherefore, lift up your voice and spare not, for the Lord God hath spoken; therefore prophesy, and it shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost. And if you are faithful, behold, I am with you until I come" (D&C 34:10-11).  The Savior told Sidney Rigdon, Parley Pratt, and Leman Copley, "Behold, I will go before you and be your rearward; and I will be in your midst, and you shall not be confounded" (D&C 49:27).  In the next section the Lord said to the elders of His church, promising again to be with them: "Wherefore, I am in your midst, and I am the good shepherd, and the stone of Israel. He that buildeth upon this rock shall never fall: (D&C 50:44).  In another revelation to the elders of the Church He said, "And now, verily I say unto you, and what I say unto one I say unto all, be of good cheer, little children; for I am in your midst, and I have not forsaken you" (D&C 61:36).  In a revelation on the priesthood the Savior promised this to those who would preach His word: "And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up" (D&C 84:88).  Joseph and Sidney were told on another occasion, with language similar to that of the promise in Matthew, 

"Therefore, continue your journey and let your hearts rejoice; for behold, and lo, I am with you even unto the end" (D&C 100:12).  In the distressing period surrounding the problems in Missouri and the Zion's Camp march, the Lord promised again, "Therefore, be faithful; and behold, and lo, I am with you even unto the end. Even so. Amen" (D&C 105:41).  Lyman Sherman was promised in another section, "And behold, and lo, I am with you to bless you and deliver you forever. Amen" (D&C 108:8).  The Lord told Thomas B. Marsh, "Wherefore, whithersoever they shall send you, go ye, and I will be with you; and in whatsoever place ye shall proclaim my name an effectual door shall be opened unto you, that they may receive my word" (D&C 112:19).

               The Lord has promised over and over that He would be with us.  Perhaps one of our challenges is recognizing His help and sustaining hand in our lives when we can’t physically see Him.  In yet another verse in the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord said, "But behold, verily, verily, I say unto you that mine eyes are upon you. I am in your midst and ye cannot see me" (D&C 38:7).  This reminds me of the vision that Joseph had of the Twelve Apostles as he foresaw the great difficulties they would have as missionaries.  He said, “I saw the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb, who are now upon the earth, who hold the keys of this last ministry, in foreign lands, standing together in a circle, much fatigued, with their clothes tattered and feet swollen, with their eyes cast downward, and Jesus standing in their midst, and they did not behold Him. The Savior looked upon them and wept.”  They could not see Him and we do not see the Savior with us on a daily basis, but His promise is that He will indeed be there to strengthen the faithful in all their trials.