Look Unto Abraham

This week in our Come, Follow Me lesson we read this: “Because of the covenant God made with him, Abraham has been called ‘the father of the faithful’ (Doctrine and Covenants 138:41) and ‘the Friend of God’ (James 2:23). Millions today honor him as their direct ancestor, and others have been adopted into his family through conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet Abraham himself came from a troubled family—his father, who had abandoned the true worship of God, tried to have Abraham sacrificed to false gods. In spite of this, Abraham’s desire was ‘to be a greater follower of righteousness’ (Abraham 1:2), and the account of his life shows that God honored his desire. Abraham’s life stands as a testimony that no matter what a person’s family history has been, the future can be filled with hope.” This highlights some of the  themes of the life of Abraham: he made covenants with God, he sought to be a follower of righteousness, and he was delivered by the Lord. The prophet Isaiah invited us in these words, “Look unto Abraham your father” (Isaiah 51:1). I believe we can do this as we likewise focus on the covenants and deliverance and righteousness exhibited so powerfully in the life of Abraham. He is the example par excellence of these themes and nearly all prophets since his time have looked back to him for inspiration.

                We see these three themes associated with the life of Abraham especially in the Book of Mormon. Nephi near the beginning of his record wrote this: “For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved” (1 Nephi 6:4). We look to Abraham and to his God so that we too may be saved through covenants and the pursuit of righteousness in our own lives. Nephi also wrote, “And he loveth those who will have him to be their God. Behold, he loved our fathers, and he covenanted with them, yea, even Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and he remembered the covenants which he had made” (1 Nephi 17:40). If we will like Abraham “have him to be [our] God” and make covenants with Him, He will remember and deliver us. The Lord said as well through Nephi, “I will show unto them that fight against my word and against my people, who are of the house of Israel, that I am God, and that I covenanted with Abraham that I would remember his seed forever” (2 Nephi 29:14). Abraham made covenants with Jehovah and was remembered and delivered by Him. I love the encouragement of King Limhi who said to his people, “Therefore, lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your trust in God, in that God who was the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob” (Mosiah 7:19). We trust in the God of Abraham to deliver us, just as he delivered Abraham from the wicked priest of Elkenah: “And as they lifted up their hands upon me, that they might offer me up and take away my life, behold, I lifted up my voice unto the Lord my God, and the Lord hearkened and heard, and he filled me with the vision of the Almighty, and the angel of his presence stood by me, and immediately unloosed my bands” (Abraham 1:15).

                To be delivered like Abraham, though, we must seek after righteousness and obedience like he did who sought “to be a greater follower of righteousness” (Abraham 1:2). Jacob taught, “Behold, they believed in Christ and worshiped the Father in his name, and also we worship the Father in his name. And for this intent we keep the law of Moses, it pointing our souls to him; and for this cause it is sanctified unto us for righteousness, even as it was accounted unto Abraham in the wilderness to be obedient unto the commands of God in offering up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son” (Jacob 4:5). Abraham was obedient to the Lord, and because of his righteousness he was redeemed by the Lord and made pure. Alma alluded to this when he said, “And may the Lord bless you, and keep your garments spotless, that ye may at last be brought to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the holy prophets who have been ever since the world began, having your garments spotless even as their garments are spotless, in the kingdom of heaven to go no more out” (Alma 7:25). Abraham’s garments were ultimately made spotless because of his righteousness and faith in Jehovah. Abraham “saw of [Christ’s] coming, and was filled with gladness and did rejoice” in his redemption through the Savior (Helaman 8:17). Through his righteousness and obedience the Lord delivered and saved and redeemed him, so that he sits “at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven… to go no more out.” And the “gate of heaven is open” to us if we will “believe on the name of Jesus Christ” and like Abraham make covenants and follow after righteousness. Then we will be led “across that everlasting gulf of misery” and delivered from death and sin and ultimately “land [our] souls” in heaven with Abraham and “all the holy fathers” (Helaman 3:28-30). As we look to our father Abraham and focus our lives on covenants and following after righteousness, we too will be able to rejoice in our deliverance through Jesus Christ and be brought to dwell with them in the kingdom of God.