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by Autumn Dickson

One of the books we study this week is called Lamentations, and there is a really good reason it is called Lamentations. Jeremiah was a prophet who had pleaded with the people to repent. He pleaded with King Zedekiah to listen, but Zedekiah refused. Jerusalem was surrounded and sieged. The fall of Judah was…awful. It was known as one of the worst sieges and disasters in ancient history. It was brutal even by the standards of the ancient Near East. There is evidence of the horror from biblical text as well as Babylonian records.

Some survivors described it as worse than what happened to Sodom. Some believe that the victims who died by the sword were more blessed than those who were left to rot away in the city that was under siege. There was no food or water. The dead were piled up in the streets, and there was no escape. Not to be irreverent, but cannibalism is even recorded. I share that with the sole purpose of highlighting the devastation.

You were stuck in a city that was dying, not sure if what awaited you outside the walls was any better than what you found within. When the walls were finally breached, there was prolific assault. People were taken from their homes and banished away. Only the most desperate poor were left within the city. The city and temple were burned. The trauma lasted for generations.

What a horrible time to be called as prophet. I can’t imagine being asked to plead with people to repent, learning to love them as I served them, and then having to bear witness of their fall. We read Jeremiah’s record, but Lamentations is also believed to be written by Jeremiah.

Lamentations is not strictly a history; it is a collection of Hebrew poetry. Hebrew poetry has a couple of defined characteristics that help us better understand what the poet is trying to express. The first couple chapters are called acrostics. Each verse goes in the order of the alphabet. So in English, this would look like the first letter starting with “A,” the second verse starting with “B,” and so on and so forth. This helped people remember the poems better.

Acrostics also had cultural significance. In the case of Lamentations, Jeremiah’s sorrow was so profound over watching Jerusalem fall that acrostics symbolized the complete and total devastation he was experiencing. You go through the entirety of the alphabet; you go through the entirety of desolation.

Chapter 3 is a triple acrostic. It goes through each letter three times.

Chapter 3 is also significant because of a phenomenon known as chiasmus. You say something in the beginning, your most important highlighted point is found in the middle, and then you repeat what you said in the beginning backwards. The pattern is: ABC – pinnacle – CBA. In English, you often find the point at the end of the story or poem. This is not the case in Hebrew poetry.

The entire book of Lamentations also utilizes chiasmus, and chapter 3 is the pinnacle. Then you have chapter 3 as an individual chapter; it also has a mini chiasmus within the big chiasmus that is Lamentations.

In other words, chapter 3 in Lamentations is a big deal. It is the pinnacle of Lamentations as a whole. It has its own chiasmus, and it is a triple acrostic. In other words, according to Hebrew poetry, Jeremiah has something important to say.

So what did Jeremiah say in this pinnacle of pinnacles? What do we find at the center of the chapter that is the center of the book?

What would be your center point if you were Jeremiah? What would you choose to record for future generations? What would you share?

Chapter 3 in Lamentations begins and ends with the pain and devastation that Jeremiah is experiencing over Jerusalem being destroyed. This is understandable. I’m sure Lamentations was part of how Jeremiah processed some of the trauma that was occurring before his own eyes, a trauma that he had tried to prevent. I wonder if Jeremiah ever felt like he had failed.

And yet, despite everything that Jeremiah must have been feeling, he didn’t put pain in the middle. I will share a couple of the verses at the center.

Lamentations 3:21-23

21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Against all odds, Jeremiah shares a message of hope and eternal persistence in reaching out to the House of Israel. The verses continue on for a little while before becoming somber again.

Jeremiah had listened to the Lord and been thrown into prison for it. He had been forewarned about what Jerusalem faced. He had glimmers of hope where Zedekiah sought him out, but never actually ended up listening to Jeremiah. Then, as declared by the Lord, Jeremiah had to watch what happened in Jerusalem.

What devastation are you facing? What are you putting at the center of your life? What are you focusing on? It is okay to see the devastation and work to process it. It is okay to be heartbroken and torn apart and mourn. Jeremiah did this on both sides. But what are you putting at the center of it all?

I testify that putting Christ and His promises at the center of everything will bring hope even in the darkest of times. Jeremiah was sent to the earth at a painful time, but the promise of the Messiah was a light. He believed it enough to sacrifice everything, and those cries of hope at the center of his grief and trauma are evidence of that belief. Christ is what enabled him to be okay in the end, and I testify that Christ can carry you through whatever devastation you are witnessing or carrying.

Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award.

The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Jeremiah 31–33; 36–39; Lamentations 1; 3 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

by Autumn Dickson

Jeremiah was the prophet at a time when the Jews were to be conquered by Babylon. He was called to be a prophet and cry repentance. He was to warn the Jews about what was coming, and he also gave messages of hope. The Jews would one day be restored to the land.

The Lord also gives Jeremiah a peculiar object lesson.

Babylon had already started to take over the land of the Jews and were making a siege against Jerusalem. Then this happens.

Jeremiah 32:6-7

6 And Jeremiah said, The word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

7 Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee, saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is thine to buy it.

Jeremiah has prophesied that Jerusalem would fall. He, more than anyone, knew that Jerusalem would not prevail. He, more than anyone, knew the land was worthless.

Let it also be known that Babylon had already taken over Anathoth. They had not yet conquered Jerusalem completely, but they had conquered Anathoth. Jeremiah’s uncle comes, and he’s like, “Jeremiah, buy this land that isn’t really mine anymore.”

And yet, the Lord tells Jeremiah to buy the land. Jeremiah does so. He pays 17 shekels for it. It is recorded and done with witnesses. Despite the fact that Jeremiah is in prison for prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem, he buys the worthless piece of land.

Perhaps the Lord sent Hanameel to Jeremiah because the Lord knew that Hanameel was going to need the 17 shekels. Perhaps it was because the Lord also wanted to teach a significant lesson.

Let’s talk about poignant details.

In Israelite tradition, all of the land belonged to God. It was divided up as inheritances to families, but it truly all belonged to God. When you ran up debts or needed money, you had to sell the land to your family first. If that didn’t work, you would lease that land to others but then the land would be restored to the family clan during the year of Jubilee. Bottom line: the land actually already belonged to God.

Because of wickedness, that land was taken over by the enemy.

And though the land prices had plummeted, silver stayed precious. Silver was the currency in Babylon as well. While everything else in the economy had gone nuts, silver retained its inherent value. There is archeological evidence of people hoarding silver during turbulent times. Silver stayed precious. The land was worth nothing.

But Jeremiah bought the worthless land with his precious silver.

This was meant to be a radical act of faith. It was supposed to be this object lesson that the Jews would return one day. Everything seemed hopeless, and for a time, things were hopeless. However, it would not remain that way. It’s an object lesson and it’s the traditional lesson that we pull from this story.

But I think it goes deeper than that.

Like the land, we already belong to God. We came from Him. We are His spirit children. We are here because He brought us here.

Because of sin, we found ourselves captured and conquered and separated from loved ones. We had our inheritance taken away from us. The enemy prevailed.

Our Brother, our family member, had that first “right of redemption.” Jesus Christ had the right to redeem and keep us in the family.

Despite the fact that we are largely worthless, He used His precious blood to pay for us. He bought us. Jeremiah paid for the land with 17 shekels. The number 17 means “overcoming the enemy” in the bible.

Christ has already paid the price, and the land is bought. Unfortunately, we are still a part of Babylon for a while until everything is restored. We don’t bring much value yet, but like this land, we were bought on the hope of redemption. Christ paid for us with deep hope that we would be restored to Him.

The scriptures are just really awesome, ya know?

The more I study these stories, the more I see Jesus Christ. There are many good principles that we pull from these stories. There are principles of wisdom and charity and forgiveness and mercy and justice and hope and so on and so forth. There are many principles that can lead us towards good lives.

But I keep finding Christ in these stories. He is everywhere. His victory is taught in all of the details of these stories. I love finding Him again and again and again.

Perhaps those who recorded the words in the bible did not fully understand what they were writing about, but I testify that the Lord did. He knew what He was doing when He asked Jeremiah to buy a worthless piece of land. He knew that we needed to learn good principles to help us build happy lives, but more importantly, He knew we needed to know what He did for us in order to find happiness and peace. I testify that He bought us, as worthless and conquered as we were. I testify that He bought us based on the simple hope that we would one day be restored to the family because of how much He loves us.

Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award.

The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Jeremiah 31–33; 36–39; Lamentations 1; 3 – Part 1 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

by Autumn Dickson

Why can’t we just repent on the other side? Why can’t we do what we want here and then change when we enter the spirit world? Do we believe in deathbed repentance?

There is a verse in Isaiah that sparked some of these thoughts today.

Jeremiah 17:1 The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars;

Judah’s sins are written with a diamond-pointed iron pen. Their hearts have been engraved with this sin. In other words, the sin is extremely entrenched in their nature.

First and foremost, it’s important to understand that Christ’s atonement can cover that entrenchment. The price of that sin is not the problem. Christ’s grace can cover it. He is willing to cover it; He wants to cover it. When we read this in Jeremiah, it’s not to make us believe that Christ is incapable of taking care of these things.

Rather, it teaches an important principle: we become what we repeatedly choose. The payment is not the problem; who we are is potentially a problem or a blessing depending on what you’re repeatedly choosing.

I’m going to use a dramatic example to show my point.

If you have spent the majority of your life in a violent gang before being introduced to the gospel of Jesus Christ, you can be washed and cleansed through the atonement of Jesus Christ. It is undeniably important to emphasize the fact that Christ can continually take care of our flaws and sins as we’re working through them. I testify to that. It’s a real thing. It is also true that overcoming your anger and violent tendencies doesn’t just happen overnight.

Even when you are sincerely sorry and feel horrible about your past mistakes, you will still be experiencing lingering effects of sin especially when they’ve been etched in your heart with a diamond-pointed iron pen. Wickedness never was happiness which means our salvation is limited due to our own naturally unhappy state of being.

Let’s explore the gang member example a bit further. You have faced a lot of violence in your life. You repent and change and get permission to be baptized and you’re washed clean. The next day, someone makes you mad and you immediately punch them in the face to cover your insecurity and hold on to social hierarchies.

Why didn’t the baptism get rid of your angry tendencies? Why didn’t it heal your insecurity? Christ can pay for your sins, but are you actually feeling saved when you’re continuously suffering from these horrible feelings?

There is a lot of modern Christian tradition that says yes. If you have accepted Christ, it doesn’t matter what you do. You’re saved. I would argue that Christ can put you in a beautiful kingdom, and you would still feel the effects of trauma you’ve experienced as well as trauma you’ve inflicted on others. Christ can forgive you immediately, but I have not known Him to completely erase the effects of sin at the drop of a hat. In my experience, Christ works with you to change your nature over time. He works with you to heal the sinful engravings on your heart, but He takes His time doing it.

Let’s use a slightly less dramatic example. Let’s say that I am super judgmental in my heart. I hold on to these feelings, and I don’t feel like it’s a big deal. When I die, I’ll just repent, and then it’ll all be good.

Obviously, I don’t know how the spirit world plays out, but this is what I picture. You pass away, and guess what? Those judgmental feelings follow you. You run into one of your old friends from high school on the other side, and immediately, you have a mean thought fill your mind about this old friend. Sure, you’ve said sorry, but are you happy? Are you actually experiencing salvation?

I would argue no.

Your misery follows you. People who are constantly critical of others aren’t happy. It takes time to practice schooling your thoughts to naturally be kind and loving and wholesome and wise. It takes a lot of time to consistently choose uplifting thoughts before those become your natural state of being.

Now, how do we apply this principle? I’ll tell you how we don’t apply it.

You’re not going to look in the mirror and agonize over your flaws. You’re not going to let Satan beat you up. You’re not going to beat yourself up. You are going to rejoice in the principles I just taught.

You are going to rejoice that Christ already took care of your debts. You’re going to rejoice that He is going to fight these battles right alongside you. You are going to rejoice that you are capable of change. Satan likes to put mean thoughts in your head. You are going to have flaws. BUT. Repeatedly choosing goodness will eventually overcome the natural man.

Do not be discouraged when this takes a while. Do not be discouraged for two reasons:

Reason one. You weren’t meant to overcome flaws immediately. There is a lot of growth that occurs in the interim between recognizing your sins, developing a desire to be rid of them, and actually overcoming them. There is growth in between those milestones that God doesn’t want to rob from us.

Reason two. You no longer have a debt to justice. Justice is not hanging over your head, prepared to drag you down to hell. Christ’s grace can cover a multitude of sins. If you’re working on it, He is working with you. You don’t have to completely overcome flaws in order to find the peace you’re searching for. Acknowledgment and trust in Christ are going to go a long way in helping you feel salvation in the meantime.

Rejoice because Christ is King. You can turn your life around. You can overcome persistent flaws. You can be at peace and feel saved in the meantime while you persistently choose good things. I testify that you can feel Christ’s presence without becoming perfect. You can feel salvation because of His atonement.

Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award.

The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Jeremiah 1–3; 7; 16–18; 20 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

by Autumn Dickson

In Isaiah 61, we find a mission statement for Jesus Christ. In those verses, Christ talks about the reason His Father sent Him here to the earth. There are many prophecies about Jesus Christ, but He chose this prophecy specifically when the time came for Him to announce His divine Sonship and mission during His mortal life.

Isaiah 61:1-2

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

There is one phrase in particular that I want to talk about: “to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” I did not understand what this specific phrase meant until this study.

The year is not a calendar 365 day year. Rather it is a word to describe a season of God’s grace, redemption, and favor. It is acceptable because it aligns with God’s merciful will for His children. Christ’s life was that season of grace.

It also holds allusions to a very specific ritual in the Law of Moses: the year of Jubilee. This was a radical social and economic practice that is detailed in Leviticus 25. Essentially, every 7th year was a Sabbath year where the land would rest and not be farmed, and debts and slaves were given relief. After 7 cycles of 7 years (the 50th year) on the 10th day of the 7th month, a ram’s horn would blow.

With that blow of the ram’s horn, some incredible things would happen. Any land that had been sold or leased or lost due to debt or poverty would revert back to the original family owners. The land belonged to God, not individuals. This prevented permanent loss of family inheritance and cycles of generational poverty. Individuals could not actually sell their land permanently because they believed the land belonged to God; they could only lease the land and the right to harvest the crops. The year of Jubilee would end all leases so when people were leasing out the land to cover financial hardship, they would agree on a price depending on how many harvests were left before the Jubilee.

Going along with the land debt reversion, Hebrew indentured servants (people who had to sell themselves in order to service to pay debts) were set free and returned to families and ancestral lands. You couldn’t lose your inheritance or yourself.

There was also a land reset. The land would rest for a second year (the normal 7th year cycle and then the 50th year); there was no sowing, reaping, or harvesting. This signalled deep trust in God’s provision. People ate what naturally grew from the fields, and there was a promise of bountiful harvest in the sixth year to cover the needs of the people.

First of all, what a cool concept. What incredible protections for His people. They could work hard and keep their dignity and take care of their debts, but they couldn’t permanently lose everything. That is definitely a year of Jubilee, an acceptable year of the Lord. Unfortunately, the people didn’t really follow this part of the Law of Moses. It was never regularly or successfully implemented in ancient Israel. However, Jubilee can be applied on the most important level whenever we desire. It can happen spiritually.

When we observe the mortal life and mission of Jesus Christ, we can see why the announcement of the beginning of the Lord’s ministry would also be called an acceptable year of the Lord.

Because of Jesus Christ, we do not have to permanently lose our ancestral inheritance for ourselves or for future family members. We are given new opportunities to live lives that are as rich as anyone else’s. Permanent loss was completely prevented even if there were seasons of hardship and servitude and repentance; you can’t permanently lose everything.

And because of the atonement of Jesus Christ, our families are protected as well. We see spiritual poverty amongst families all the time. The children suffer because of what their parents lost. In a world without Christ’s atonement, justice would still take everything from these children despite the fact that they were set up for failure. The atonement allows Christ to judge mercifully and circumstances into account rather than holding hard, fast lines of justice.

Indentured servants were freed. Not only could you not lose your inheritance, you didn’t have to lose yourself. You could be your own steward again. No one could keep racking up debts against and keep you indentured forever. Think about what that meant for a person who went through these celebrations of Jubilee. You walk away from that indentured servitude, hopefully grateful to God for setting up a society that prevented you from being a slave forever. Hopefully, you walked away with the understanding that God’s foresight and planning allowed for you to come home. Hopefully, you recognize His grace, rejoice in His goodness, and work to be a good steward. You look at your freedom compared with your servitude, and you choose to do something worthwhile with that freedom.

And then, of course, the land reset. We rejoice in the freedom offered to us. Every Jubilee year, the poor would theoretically (since it wasn’t really fully implemented) be given this deep sense of awe and gratitude at the Lord’s mercy. However, it’s not just the poor who rely on the Lord. Even the rich need the Lord, and the land reset would have given them an opportunity to learn that same lesson: their deep dependence on the mercy of the Lord. In a year of no sowing, reaping, or harvesting, they had to trust that the Lord would do exactly as He promised. He would provide for them.

I testify that the acceptable year of the Lord has come. Because of Christ’s mortal ministry, servants are freed, inheritances are restored, and none of us need be in permanent poverty. We have a deep dependence on the Lord regardless of whether we spend entire sabbatical Sabbath years allowing the land to rest. Recognizing that deep dependence is a blessing for us. It gives a safety net in a world that can take everything. I am so grateful for what Christ paid to bring about this Jubilee.

Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award.

The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Isaiah 58–66 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Jennifer Roach Lees holds a Master in Divinity as well as a Masters in Counseling Psychology. She is a licensed mental health therapist and lives in Utah. She was the 2023 recipient of the John Taylor Defender of the Faith award.

The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Isaiah 58–66 – Jennifer Roach Lees appeared first on FAIR.

by Autumn Dickson

In Isaiah 50, we find a profound message of Christ’s voluntary suffering. Not only does He suffer for us, but He does so completely willingly. There is a very careful message being given. The words are meticulously chosen so that we can understand the exact nature of what Christ truly did for us.

In the beginning, Christ rebukes Israel and declares that He never sold them out. He has only ever been loyal to them. He demands that they show Him the proof that He supposedly left them. He then goes on to talk about His majesty and power. His hand is not shortened. He can redeem and deliver. He can dry up the sea and rivers. He clothes the heavens.

He is God.

After declaring how powerful He is, He declares the following.

Isaiah 50:6-7

6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

7 For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

Here, the Lord says He gives his back to the smiters. He gave His cheeks to those who pulled out the hair. He didn’t turn away from shame or spitting. This is significant placement. The Lord is literally telling us, “I am so incredibly powerful, but I gave myself over to this humiliation and torture. I gave it, and only I could give it because I am so powerful. It could not be taken from me.”

In verse 7, the Lord knows He is not alone or confused; He knows exactly what has been asked of Him. This phrase also clues us in: “I set my face like a flint.” In other words He is saying, “I’m not a victim. They attack me, but I am not a victim. I have power, and I am resolute. I insist on doing this.”

This is the very definition of voluntary suffering.

For all intents and purposes, He basically walked into the hands of the Jewish temple authorities and put the cuffs on by Himself. He whipped Himself. He put the crown of thorns on His own head. Everyone was so weak and powerless against Him that it was as if He nailed Himself to the cross.

I do not say this to excuse the guilty parties; I merely point out the fact that Christ’s suffering and death were voluntary.

Think about what that means for a moment in terms of Judas. Judas betrayed Him, but Christ wasn’t tortured and killed because of Judas. Imagine for a moment, what is truly going on in Christ’s heart. I can’t be sure because His mind is not my own, but I wonder if some of His thoughts included, “Why are you doing this Judas? I am choosing to suffer and die on behalf of the world. This is not because you actually held any power. But despite my own insistence on suffering on behalf of the children of God, it hurts that you would betray me. I loved you. You were my friend. You betrayed me.”

Judas had no true power to hurt Jesus other than the emotional damage he caused by his betrayal.

Now we’re going to change course here, and it may feel abrupt but stick with me. In Christian traditions, Isaiah 50 is a prophecy about Jesus Christ. This makes sense, and this is how we study this chapter. However, in Jewish tradition, it is believed to be a prophecy about the Israelites. The Israelites are the servants of the Lord who have access to His power but fall under oppression anyway. Because Isaiah’s words often have dual meanings, we can explore both traditions. This prophecy is about Christ, and yet, can it also be about us as a type of Christ?

There are three parts of this sacrifice that I want to talk about in relation to our following Christ’s example: willingness, love, and salvation.

The first aspect is willingness. Are we willing to suffer on behalf of another person? Are we willing to let go of our selfishness? I think there are many forms this can take. If the world looked at the relationship between the Savior and any of us individually, they would describe the relationship as toxic. Christ would be encouraged to cut us off, to not put up with that kind of disloyalty anymore.

But what if the world were a bit more patient with each other? Obviously there are appropriate times to step away from a toxic relationship. Christ would temporarily step away from Israel when they refused Him. Christ encouraged Nephi to leave his brothers. However, I think that line has been brought over too far in our modern society. The world has refused to tolerate flaws and mistakes in the name of fairness and self care. We mock and belittle instead of reaching out with love to try and reach someone who is capable of changing. I think the willingness to suffer a bit in the name of helping somebody change has greatly diminished. Sometimes that suffering comes in the form of patience when you have your own stuff to worry about. Sometimes that suffering comes in the form of continuing forgiveness while the other person figures things out. Christ was willing to suffer for us despite our not deserving it. Are we willing to follow Him and offer others the same grace even at the expense of ourselves?

The second one is love. This one is actually critical because suffering at the expense of another person is not about developing a martyr complex. Sometimes love looks like turning the other cheek, letting go of demanded progress, or continually forgiving. Sometimes love looks like pointing out things that are not right. Love can help determine how to react in any given situation, and it can also prevent and heal bitterness. When we think we’re constantly sacrificing ourselves, it can lead to resentment. I have found that love, not martyrdom, is the answer to that resentment. True love that you feel in your bones, not just acting like you love someone. Love is key.

The last one is salvation. The definition of salvation can mean different things. It can be expanded or narrowed down. Traditionally, we think of salvation as Christ offering us grace and living with Him again. I tend to expand that definition. Salvation is all of the joy that Christ offers.

Christ is the only One who earned salvation, and yet, would salvation be salvation without His family? If He had refused to suffer on our behalf, would He have gotten lonely and missed us?

When we choose to be selfless and truly loving (not just going through loving motions), we are offering others salvation and we are also offering that salvation to ourselves. Not in the sense that we can pay for our own salvation but in the sense that we find an enlightened life full of the things that Christ wants for us. This way of life, following Christ’s example, helps us receive the joy and peace that Christ has always tried to offer us.

I testify that Christ was willing to suffer. I testify that His willingness to suffer saved us and brought Him joy in the sense that He got His loved ones back. I testify that He is all-powerful, not a victim. I testify that following His example can help to save others by offering them the grace of Christ, and I also testify that following His example can bring us joy.

Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award.

The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Isaiah 50–57 – Part 1 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

by Autumn Dickson

In the last post for this week, we talked about the Lord calling out idols for being useless. He challenges them to prophesy or explain past things as He does. He invites Israel to come and judge with Him. He tells them to come and see whether these manmade idols have any worth, to discern for themselves that the Lord is the only God.

He does that in Isaiah 43 again, but there is a little addition that I want to cover.

Isaiah 43:9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.

So the Lord is telling the nations to gather together and his people to assemble and observe. He then asks the nations, “Which of you can declare the future or show us the past? Bring your witnesses.” Then He adds this:

Isaiah 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

So in the previous chapter, the Lord is like, “Israel come and judge and see if these idols are worth anything.” They are the observers, the jury. In this chapter, He is calling upon Israel as His witness to stand before the world and testify. They are no longer the jury, listening and observing and trying to discern truth. They have been called to be witnesses and share the truth.

I love the transition from jury to witness. I think observing the differences between jury duty and the call to be a witness can help us understand our responsibilities.

As part of the jury, you are largely silent. You’re listening and observing. You’re showing up to see, paying close attention, observing patterns, and seeking the truth, but no one is asking for your opinion immediately. The Lord asks you to be the jury first. Have you done this part? Did you show up to see? Did you come with impartiality? Did you take your role seriously or are you caught up in other responsibilities? Do we understand the gravity of what we’ve been asked to observe?

Being a part of the jury is an essential first step, but it’s not the end. You’re not just here on earth to observe. You’re here to become. I’m going to repeat that because it comes into play later. You’re here to become.

If you have fulfilled your role as jury, do you feel prepared to step into your new role as witness?

There are two definitions of “witness.”

The first definition is, “a person who sees an event.”

As a witness in a court room, it’s your job to tell the truth about what you’ve observed. Do you know what you’re talking about? Do you present yourself well? Can they feel the truthfulness of your words?

When you really think about a scenario in the courtroom, the jury is trying to discover the truth of the matter. In this case, they’re trying to determine whether God truly is the only God. When you share your testimony, they’re not just collecting information. People will be listening to your testimony, but what they are truly judging is your credibility. They are making judgment calls about who you are.

Which actually leads me to the second definition of “witness.”

The second definition (a definition I didn’t originally think of) is more interesting to me. A witness is also “evidence, proof.” A witness is not just someone who gives evidence; a witness can be the evidence. Standing as a witness means talking about our observations of Jesus Christ, but standing as a witness also means being the evidence or proof of Jesus Christ. There are a few interesting ideas surrounding this idea of being the evidence. Let’s talk about two of them.

Idea one: What does it look like to be evidence of Jesus Christ?

Honestly, I think it looks like being filled with joy. We live our lives in a certain way. We are a peculiar people, but more importantly, we feel confident in His promises and that brings joy and peace. That means on some days, I’m waking up and praying and feeling joyful for all I’ve been given. On other days, I wake up and lean on Him for comfort in the dark times. It doesn’t mean persistent, fake happiness. It means a fulfilling, hopeful, peaceful life.

It also means a life of integrity. People can trust you. You’re consistent in doing good and loving others.

And honestly, this is really where I found my own “evidence” of Christ: in becoming the evidence. I have collected plenty of spiritual experiences throughout my life. I had heard little whispers of the spirit, and I used to cling to those to try and prove my testimony. Unfortunately, I still found myself with doubts. That changed significantly when I became the evidence instead of trying to collect it. I have this relationship with Him that is very real. He has changed my life for the better.

Idea two: Becoming the witness (evidence) came from sharing my witness.

I found my relationship with Christ by sharing what I did know. I knew of Him before. I had experiences with Him. I had beliefs and misconceptions and internalizations surrounding Him. But choosing to invest time and energy into sharing what I knew about Him invited Him into my life, and now He’s my Friend. It turned me into a more active participant in our relationships and therefore, strengthened our relationship.

He is already the active party in your relationship. He is fully committed regardless of what you’re currently choosing. If you want to reap the benefits, you simply have to engage.

So stand up from being the jury and choose to be a witness. It will change you into the evidence of Christ, and it is the most satisfying experience.

I testify of Christ. I testify that my life has become evidence of who He is. Look at how He has changed me. Where I was miserable and distraught before, I am now full of gratitude and joy. Where I was uncertain and scared, I am now full of hope for the future. It is a joyous experience. It has filled my life with light and given me purpose and confidence.

Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award.

The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Isaiah 40–49 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

by Autumn Dickson

Have you ever felt quiet confidence in the Lord? What did that look like? What were you doing in your life that you felt that way? Do you still feel it?

Isaiah 30 warns Israel that they will be scattered for rejecting the prophets and trusting in Egypt. The children of Israel want the prophets to “prophecy not” and to “speak unto us smooth things.” They want the seers to “see not,” and they want prophets to “prophesy deceits.”

They want lies from the prophets so they can hold on to their wickedness a bit longer without any annoyances or interruptions. They prefer their temporary wickedness to hard truths that will ultimately benefit them. They’d rather roll over in the mud where they will rot rather than getting up and getting cleaned off.

And the Lord is distraught over it.

Isaiah 30:15 For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.

Ye would not. You refused the returning, rest, quietness, and confidence.

Have you ever refused the happy ending He wanted to give? Have you ever refused to put stock in the happy ending that He promised to give? Perhaps you were too afraid to put weight on it, but ironically, it just robbed you of more positive feelings.

Did you ever think about choosing faith and confidence before He sends the answer or fixes the problem?

It is a powerful thing to choose faith beforehand. It is a powerful thing to voluntarily shove your fear away, dig deep, and stand still, waiting for the Lord’s arm to be revealed. It is a powerful thing to say, “The Lord has not personally assured me yet, but I’m assuring me because I believe in the Lord.”

It was powerful when David laid everything on the line to go and fight Goliath despite the fact that he didn’t pray about it beforehand. It was powerful when the widow of Zarephath made a little cake for Elijah before she received any kind of confirmation that she would get unending supplies of food for the duration of the famine. It was powerful when Nephi walked into Jerusalem to get the plates without knowing what the plan was. It was powerful to watch Hezekiah hold still inside Jerusalem before he knew an angel would show up and destroy the Assyrian army.

Choosing faith without knowing the plan is powerful. Some of the biggest miracles in the scriptures came when people showed faith before the Lord showed up directly.

And many of these miracles are loud and impressive and we love to read about them. But there are also quiet miracles that come when we’ve chosen to put our trust in God. It is the miracle of return, rest, quietness, and confidence. These feelings really are miracles in a day and age when peace shall be taken from the earth. It is miraculous when we feel calm and content when all evidence points to the contrary. That is true power. It is powerful when Satan can’t touch our peace because it is firmly planted in the Lord where it is safe. It is powerful when opposition and uncertainty can’t break it because the trust has already been chosen.

One of my oft-repeated, favorite stories is when my daughter showed her faith in my husband.

I am rather convinced that Conner can fix anything. Apparently, my children have adopted the same attitude. I was standing in our kitchen one day, very pregnant, and I turned to Conner and said, “I think my water may have just broken.” From the other room, Evelyn yelled, “It’s okay, mom! Dad can fix it!”

Evelyn obviously didn’t know what had just broken, but it didn’t matter to her. She believed her dad could fix it.

Imagine the power that could come if we had that faith in the Lord. If anything bad happens, our immediate, knee-jerk reaction is, “It’s okay. Father can fix that.” When we reach the point where our knee-jerk reaction is that Heavenly Father can fix anything, we find what the Lord is trying to offer: returning, rest, quietness, and confidence.

He has offered those gifts. He has fixed things and proved Himself. He continually tries to convince us to trust these promises, but only we can make the decision whether to choose the faith ahead of time.

So what are you facing right now? What is eating at you? What keeps you up at night? What holds up a huge portion of your mental energy? Write it down at the top of a piece of paper and underline it.

Then, underneath it, write down every adjacent promise to that problem. Write down everything He has covenanted to deliver to you. Write down all of His characteristics that are relevant. Have you had any similar problems before? What happened? How did He help take care of them?

Sometimes finding returning, rest, quietness, and confidence doesn’t come from clinging desperately until your muscles ache and the problem blows over and you feel like you can breathe again. Returning, rest, quietness, and confidence can come in the middle of the storm when you choose to believe in the end of the storm. Sure, you’ll still feel the blowing but your heart and mind are at rest.

I testify that the Savior can fix it. I testify that you don’t have to hold on for dear life because He is holding on to you, and He is stronger than any storm. You just have to choose to trust in that strength and you will find the quiet. I testify that it is possible to choose faith when evidence points to the contrary.

Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award.

The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Isaiah 13–14; 22; 24–30; 35 – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Jennifer Roach Lees holds a Master in Divinity as well as a Masters in Counseling Psychology. She is a licensed mental health therapist and lives in Utah. She was the 2023 recipient of the John Taylor Defender of the Faith award.

The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Isaiah 13–14; 22; 24–30; 35 – Jennifer Roach Lees appeared first on FAIR.

by Autumn Dickson

The Lord, Himself, encourages us to study the words of Isaiah. Therein, we will find messages for our day and more specifically, for ourselves. Isaiah is full of hope for the righteous and warnings for the sinner. Both types of messages are filled with love for His children.

Here is one of the warnings for His children who have gone astray. This is the Lord’s voice we’re listening to.

Isaiah 1:6, 11, 13-14

6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

The children of Israel are wounded from sin, and their wounds aren’t healing because they aren’t repenting. The word “ointment” in this verse has references to the temple. Whatever apostate practices were occurring in the temple were ineffective in healing them. From the wording in the verse, it seems as though the ointment was applied. However, it did not mollify.

11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

The Lord is still receiving sacrifices, and He is full of them. He doesn’t love these kinds of things, and it’s not blessing the people either.

13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.

An oblation is a solemn offering. Incense was offered up twice a day in the temple to represent the prayers of the people reaching up to God. New moons, sabbaths, and assemblies were religious festivals that were celebrated.

It has reached the point where these things no longer please God. They simply make it worse.

I usually don’t share this many verses, but I wanted to point out a major theme throughout Isaiah. It is the idea of empty religious worship. It doesn’t please the Lord, and it doesn’t help you. It is vain. It is empty. It is worthless.

I want to draw your attention to one phrase: I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

Perhaps there are layers of meaning to this phrase, but there is one layer that stuck out to me. Christ doesn’t enjoy blood sacrifices. He doesn’t enjoy watching it. He doesn’t feast on it. It’s not doing anything for Him. When you make sacrifices, it doesn’t bless the Lord.

The only way that we can “bless” the Lord back is to give Him of ourselves. A more accurate phrasing is this: the only way we can please the Lord is to give ourselves to Him.

Think of it in this way. You live in a perfect home that’s always clean. It never gets dirty. Your child comes and sacrifices their time to vacuum the carpet. Even though you don’t need your house cleaned, you’re still teaching your child to vacuum because you want your child to grow to be good. So you watch your child vacuum like they’re supposed to. Unfortunately, then your child goes to the homes of other people and trashes them disrespectfully.

Would you be pleased with your child? Would you feel so happy over the fact that your never-dirty carpet got vacuumed?

No, you’d be mad at your kid.

The Lord doesn’t need our sacrifices. He doesn’t actually care much about the sacrifice itself. He doesn’t need us to do it. He’s got all of that covered. The only reason He gives us tasks at all is so that we change. So when we vacuum the carpet but don’t learn anything, He is not receiving any joy. He just wants a child who loves Him, loves others, and acts like a child of God.

The Israelites paraded their supposed righteousness around, celebrating festivals and giving sacrifices. But in the end, the Lord still didn’t have His children back. Watching them pretend to worship Him was a slap in the face because they would turn around and hurt the world around them. The Israelites would give the impression that the God of Israel delights in sacrifice, hypocrisy, and unloving societies. They shamed themselves, and misrepresented Him.

It is not enough to sacrifice. It is not enough to go through action of serving without an attitude of worship.

I have seen this in my own life as a mother. There have been times when I have loved being a mother, and there have been times when I have found myself in utter despair over my life choices. How much I was sacrificing was irrelevant to my happiness. What truly makes the difference between the times I’m miserable and the times I’m happy is when I choose to actually lose myself. I don’t know how that mechanism works, but it does.

When I’m caught up in myself and making sure I have enough, I’m miserable and exhausted. When I finally just let go and stop thinking about myself, I find this deep sense of fulfillment that changes everything.

So yes. Give the sacrifices. Obey His will. Celebrate the festivals, but let it change you. Otherwise, it is all for naught.

I testify that the Lord delights in us doing what’s right. He just wants us to be happy and choose goodness and see eternity for what it offers. All of the structure and commandments and offerings are simply meant to point us to Christ. They will not serve you if you can’t find Christ in them and change accordingly. I testify that repentance is such a gift. I testify that the Lord has set us up for success and then paid for our success.

Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award.

The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Isaiah 1–12 – Part 1 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.