My dear brothers and sisters, aloha! It is my pleasure this morning to share with you two stories of miracles—miracles of the sort each of us needs from time to time in our lives. I’m going to ask you to help me with these stories. I will provide some narrative, you will provide some music. The words of the hymns we will sing will be displayed for you on the screen.
The summer of 1831 was a time of great promise for a young printer by the name of William Phelps. He had just arrived with his family in Kirtland, Ohio. Brother Phelps was born in 1792 in New Jersey. In the spring of 1830, he read an announcement indicating that the Book of Mormon was about to be released from the press. His interest in this book later led him to purchase a copy from Parley Pratt. It was the reading of this book that prompted him to move to Kirtland where he sought audience with the prophet and inquired as to his duty. On June 14, Joseph received a revelation from the Lord, recorded in Section 55 of the Doctrine and Covenants.
“Behold, thus saith the Lord unto you, my servant William . . . thou art called and chosen; and after thou hast been baptized by water, which if you do with an eye single to my glory, you shall have a remission of your sins and a reception of the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands; and then thou shalt be ordained by the hand of my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., to be an elder unto this church, to preach repentance and remission of sins by way of baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. And on whomsoever you shall lay your hands, if they are contrite before me, you shall have power to give the Holy Spirit.” (D&C 55:1-3)
The revelation also directed Brother Phelps to be ordained an Elder and to travel to Missouri to assist Oliver Cowdery with printing and writing books for children.
Brother Phelps had many significant opportunities to serve and his name is mentioned in four additional sections of the Doctrine and Covenants. One of the things for which he is best remembered is the fact that he composed or adapted the lyrics of fifteen of the hymns of our church, including the ones we will sing today. He helped print the 1835 copy of the Doctrine and Covenants, and he printed the first hymnal for the Church that same year.
One of the high points for the early saints came in March of 1836 with the dedication of the first temple of this dispensation in Kirtland. From the pen of Brother Phelps came the beloved words sung at the dedication service.
[Congregation sings: The Spirit of God, verse 1 with chorus]
Nearly two thousand years previous, hope shined brightly for another young man. He found great comfort and joy sitting at the feet of his new master. He had yielded to the invitation to set aside his fishing nets and follow the prophet from Nazareth. With his fellow Galileans, he walked the dusty trails. He visited the sick and sinful. He watched as miracle after miracle was wrought by Him who professed that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. The influence of the divine, through the office of the Holy Ghost, worked upon his soul. When Jesus inquired of the apostles regarding their beliefs, he blurted out with conviction and power, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16) And then, came the most sacred moment of all, when Peter ascended the mount with James and John to see the Lord transfigured in His glory and hear the voice of the Father himself proclaiming, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” (Matthew 17:5)
For William Phelps and the apostle Peter, these were days to be cherished. The future seemed bright and filled with testimony of the sacred promises from God himself. Certainly, it was a time of rejoicing.
[Congregation sings: Now Let Us Rejoice, verse 1]
The time of rejoicing, however, was soon followed by a time of great trial. It was only thirty months after the glorious visitations from the Savior and other heavenly beings that Joseph Smith found himself imprisoned in the tiny jail at Liberty, Missouri. There he remained through the Christmas season of 1838, through the winter, and well into 1839. The pain and sorrow he suffered were expressed vehemently in letters to the saints. Many who stood beside him in the beginning of this dispensation and even shared in heavenly manifestations had apostatized and been excommunicated for one reason or another. Some of these dissenters testified against him during hearings in Richmond and facilitated his imprisonment.
Among these traitors was William Phelps.
The prophet felt alone and betrayed. Some of his communications displayed the anger and frustration that any of us would have surely also felt. He cried out from the depths of his soul:
“O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place? How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries?” (D&C 121:1-2)
Things also turned very dark for the young apostle Peter as he sadly witnessed the events that culminated in the arrest, trial, and execution of his beloved Savior. It was Peter’s bleakest hour. Only the evening before, he had boldly declared: “Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended” (Matthew 26:35). Jesus knew the man’s great potential, but he also knew his weakness. He replied firmly to Peter: “Verily, I say unto thee, that this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.” Peter was appalled. How could this be? Was he not one of the first disciples to be called? Did he not straightway leave his net and follow the Lord on the first invitation (Matthew 4:20)? Was he not there when Jesus taught in Capernaum and “… many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him, [when] Jesus [said] unto the twelve, Will ye also go away” (John 6:66-67)? Was it not Peter who answered “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:68-69). Surely Peter would not be offended. And he protested again: “Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee” (Matthew 26:35).
But we know the story. The fear of men and the frailties of the moment prevailed. Peter indeed denied the Lord, not once, but three times. “And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter . . . [and] Peter went out and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:61-62).
I think he might have wondered if all was lost. He had begun with such great potential. He had followed the Savior everywhere, embraced his teachings, and testified of him. He was there on the Mount of Transfiguration and heard the voice of God the Father declaring the divinity of Christ. He saw Moses and Elias as translated beings conferring keys related to the Priesthood. Yet in spite of all of this, he had denied his Lord and Master. And even now, Jesus had been condemned to the cross. What was to become of him? Was this the end of that which had begun with so much promise?
[Congregation sings: Redeemer of Israel, verse 3]
I imagine that Peter watched from a distance as the Master was flogged, mocked, and abused in every way. With blood trickling down his face from the cruel crown of thorns, and stumbling under the weight of the instrument of his own death, Jesus was led to Golgotha, the place of a skull. The night before had been spent in agony beyond that which we are able to comprehend. Throughout that night, he willingly suffered spiritually, physically, and emotionally to the point that he sweat great drops of blood. No one in all of human history had suffered more and deserved it less. Now he was lifted up upon a wooden cross, to which he had been hung by nails through his hands, wrists, and feet. The apostle John records…
“After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge . . . and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:28-30).
[Congregation sings: O God, The Eternal Father, verses 2, 4]
For me, those are three of the most comforting words ever recorded in scripture: “It is finished.” That pronouncement brought not only an end to the Savior's suffering, it soon brought an end to Peter’s tears, for on“…the first day of the week, very early in the morning, [Peter and John] came unto the sepulcher . . . and they found the stone rolled away . . . And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments . . . and . . . they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen” (Luke 24:1-6). “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week . . . came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord” (John 20:19-20).
Imagine Peter’s feelings now. Just three days before, it seemed that all was lost. But now, there was hope. As he gazed upon the risen Lord, as he touched the tokens in his hands, he came to know that the promise of the resurrection was true, that with sincere repentance there would be forgiveness, that the covenants of the Father were to be fulfilled. Now the scriptures made sense. Now, he understood. Now there was time. Peter went forth to take advantage of that time with a bright hope and with enthusiasm.
It was not long after that when Jesus asked Peter not once, but three times, “Do you love me?” And with conviction the apostle answered “Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.” Then the reply, “feed my sheep” (John 21:16). And feed them, he did. Peter became a great leader. He became a great missionary. He taught with power and with the Holy Ghost. He healed the sick. He opened the door for the Gospel to be preached to all nations. And eighteen hundred years later, he returned, a resurrected being himself, with two companions, to restore to earth the Melchizedek Priesthood. His potential had been reached. And though there was a time of weakness, that time was now finished. Because of the hope of the atonement and the resurrection, weakness was replaced with strength, pride with humility, turmoil with peace, and sorrow with joy.
In like fashion, the blessing of the atonement came to Joseph Smith as he suffered in the dank dungeon of Liberty Jail. Once again, the veil became thin, and a voice from heaven spoke to this valiant, yet suffering servant. It was the voice of Him who spoke to Moses in the wilderness, where the bush burned and the ground was too sacred for shoe or sandal. It was the voice of the Holy One of Israel, the Lord of Heaven and Earth. It was the voice that spoke through the pains of Gethsemane “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done . . .” (Luke 22:42). It was the voice of Him that beckoned to us on more than one occasion, “how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings . . .” (3 Nephi 10:6). It was the voice of mercy from the cross, “Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do . . .” (Luke 23:34). It was the voice that spoke through tears of happiness as He gazed upon the repentant Nephites, “and now behold, my joy is full . . .” (3 Nephi 17:20). He who had healed the sick, raised the dead unto life, and given sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf, now spoke words of comfort to his servant, Joseph, even words of comfort to us all:
“…Peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high…” (D&C 121:7-8).
Not long after this revelation was received, the incarceration in Liberty Jail came to an end. It was finished. Joseph moved with the Saints to Nauvoo, and enjoyed a few years of peace before the fateful day of June 27, 1844. Most of those who had apostatized from the Church in Missouri remained distant from the saints and some contributed to the horror of Carthage. One brother, however, felt the influence of the Holy Spirit, prompting him to repentance, sore repentance. Through prayer and answers in a remarkable dream, he was motivated to take the necessary steps. Hoping humbly, even desperately, for just a little mercy, William W. Phelps wrote to the prophet from Dayton, Ohio. It was the 29th of June 1840:
“Brother Joseph: I am alive, and with the help of God, I mean to still live. I am as the prodigal son, though I never doubt or disbelieve the fulness of the Gospel… I have seen the folly of my way, and I tremble at the gulf I have passed . . . I know my situation, you know it, and God knows it, and I want to be saved if my friends will help me . . . I ask forgiveness in the name of Jesus Christ of all the Saints . . . I will make all the satisfaction on every point that God or Saints can require. Amen. W. W. Phelps (HC 4:141-142).
William Phelps was in a dark place. More than anything, he wanted the darkness to end. Like Peter, he longed for a second chance. He wanted the terrible choice of the past to be finished.
[Congregation sings: Now Let Us Rejoice, verse 3]
On July 22, less than a month after William Phelps had written his letter of repentance, the prophet Joseph responded with the following:
“Dear Brother Phelps: I must say that it is with no ordinary feelings I endeavor to write a few lines to you in answer of yours... Believing your confession to be real, and your repentance genuine, I shall be happy once again to give you the right hand of fellowship, and rejoice over the returning prodigal. Your letter was read to the Saints last Sunday, and an expression of their feeling was taken, when it was unanimously resolved that W. W. Phelps should be received into full fellowship. ‘Come on, dear brother, since the war is past, for friends at first, are friends again at last.’ Yours as ever, Joseph Smith Jun.” (HC 4:162-164).
William W. Phelps joined the Saints in Nauvoo. He became an ordinance worker in the Nauvoo temple. He traveled west with the Saints in 1849. Shortly thereafter, he served a mission for the Church. In 1872, he passed away in Salt Lake City, an active high priest.
These two stories detail suffering and sorrow brought on by poor choices. Peter and William suffered for their own choices. For Joseph Smith, the suffering seemed terribly unfair because it was the result of the choices of others. In each case, the suffering had an end through the power and influence of God and through the atonement of Jesus Christ. Those three precious words: “It is finished” meant everything to Peter, William, and the prophet Joseph Smith.
And so it is for us. If we are suffering because of sin and bad choices, let us repent. Then let us trust in the Lord and put the past behind us. The Lord has extended an open invitation. “Behold,” said the Savior, “he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.” Note that He said that the repentant sinner is forgiven, not that he will be or may be, but that he is forgiven. Let us open our ears and our hearts to hear and feel the Savior’s tender reply, “It is finished.” Then let us move forward and allow it to be finished, not looking back, but looking forward with faith, hope, and confidence in God’s promises. This truly is the Gospel of second chances.
If we suffer from bitterness, disappointment, ailments, or hurt feelings, then let the atoning blood of the Savior bring a change in perspective and a healing of our hearts. Hear the words of the Savior as He bowed His head for the last time in mortality. Let it be finished.
We are assembled here together in the shadow of one other story of hope and healing. In 1836, a young lady by the name of Mary Fielding joined the Church in Toronto, Canada with her brother and sister. They moved to Kirtland in 1837 to join the Saints. Her life was one of continuous trial and lasting faith. She married the prophet’s brother, Hyrum, and raised his young children after his first wife died in childbirth. She survived heartache, persecution, terrible illness, and fear for her life and the lives of her children during the months of Liberty Jail and as she fled from Missouri to Nauvoo. She endured the shock of the vicious murder of her husband in Carthage Jail. She tolerated ridicule and hardship as she traveled west with the Saints to the valley of the Great Salt Lake, a trip that established a legacy of healing that would transcend and bless future generations. Even cattle were healed from the precipice of death by her faith in God and trust in the restored priesthood even though some who held that priesthood contributed to her difficulties. She did the best she could to raise a son she shared with Hyrum, but who experienced unspeakable horror at the tender age of five years old when his father left this mortal existence. It wasn’t many years after arriving in Salt Lake that she finally succumbed to prolonged illness. Mary was taken home to her dear husband and to the Savior who gave her hope. The sacrifices of her consecrated life were now finished.
Her son Joseph, still scarred from the death of his father, was now orphaned as a young teenager. His life needed healing as he battled the demons spawned by tragic circumstance. The healing came, but not quickly and not until he travelled thousands of miles away to this land where he served what would become the first of three missions to these islands. Part of the healing came through sincere dedication to the work of God. Part of it came from the humbling experience of loneliness, strange food and language, and intense physical hardship. Part of it came during an extended illness of his own when he was succored at the hands of a Hawaiian woman, Ma Manuhii, who brought again into his life the tenderness of a loving mother. Thus, this troubled lad through the refining effect of these trials and many others that would come during his life, through obedience, and through the power of the Atonement was transformed to eventually become a revered prophet of God.
The legacy of healing continued through him as he brought a great gift to a people likewise sacrificing to be faithful, but also troubled with great challenges. On June 1, 1915, the prophet Joseph F. Smith stood a short distance from here and declared that a temple would be built. The ground was dedicated immediately, and four years later, the first temple outside the United States was finished. A new chapter began, a second chance if you will, for a people who for more than sixty years had labored to build their faith and foundation in the restored Gospel. They too had sacrificed and worked to be obedient. They too had suffered persecution, even at the hands of some who should have considered themselves their brothers and sisters. Like the Saints in Kirtland and Missouri, they had endured the misery of conflict and apostasy among some of their own. But now with a temple, Laie, the place of gathering, had become a place of hope and of healing. I want you to know that that legacy continues, and it will change your life if you will let it.
I solemnly testify of the reality of Him who pronounced those sacred words, who declared to the prophet Joseph: “glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.” In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Now, Brothers and Sisters, the story of William W. Phelps has one more piece on which we will end. His gratitude for a second chance was expressed in one more hymn, which he penned after the prophet's mortal ministry was ended and his sacrifice finished at the hand of the mob. We will now sing it together in closing before the benediction.
[Congregation sings: Praise to the Man, verses 1 and 4 with chorus]