So this is cheating a little bit because these are not notes from leadership meetings, but something I used as a talk or two and now have written it down. The reason I haven't had access to my training notes until last night, when I pulled apart the closet in the library and found them under bably items, old clothes and food storage! All gooe things. So anyway, here is today's post. Don't worry, I will soon lose some steam and not lumber you with a post every day!

Abundant Life

A topic rarely addressed is the church is the abundance with which the Savior blesses us – or the Savior’s desire to abundantly bless us. In reality, we are small thinkers when it comes to the abundant life the Savior has in mind for us. The scriptures are full of examples. Three of my favorite ones are real life parables – that is, instead of using a story parable to teach us, He uses real life circumstances to teach this principle.

#1. John Chapter 2

1 And the ^athird day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:

2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.

3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

4 Jesus saith unto her, ^aWoman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the ^apurifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.

7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.

8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.

9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,

10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

We have all heard this story and we know it is the first public, recorded miracle of Jesus. Put yourself in that setting. This wedding feast had been going on long enough for all the 7-up and sherbet punch to have been consumed. The wine also. They run out and for some reason Mary goes to Jesus and asks tells him about the problem. Tells him in such a way that he knows she wants him to fix it. He demurs, but ineffectively – because she’s his mother and she worries about stuff like this. So, rather than debate she simply turns to the servants and tells them to do whatever he tells them to do. The water is provided and it is turned into wine. Voila, first miracle.

But let’s look a little closer. He tells the servants to fill six stone waterpots. These pots hold 2-3 firkins of water. A firkin is about 9 gallons. So each pot holds somewhere between 18-27 gallons. So let’s say, just to be conservative, they average 20 gallons apiece. The six pots, therefore, would provide 120 gallons of wine! So here we are at the back of the celebration and 120 gallons (or a hundred, or a hundred and fifty, doesn’t matter) of high quality wine is provided. Far more and far better quality than needed or expected. Jesus had provided not just more, but an abundance – possibly multiples of what was necessary.

#2 Luke Chapter 5

4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a ^adraught.

5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have ^atoiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net ^abrake.

7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:

10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt ^acatch men.

11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they ^aforsook all, and ^bfollowed him.

So the disciples had been fishing all day to no avail. They were professionals who made their living this way, so a bad day of fishing was also a bad day at work. As night came on, Jesus bade them let down their nets. They were not excited or hopeful about doing so. However, they were willing, if not hopeful. Again, put yourself there in the boat. What if you brought up 20-30 fish after being skunked all day? That would be pretty exciting. But again, the Lord wanted them to know of the abundance of gifts awaiting them if they were to follow him. So when they tried to bring up their nets, the catch was so heavy they could barely bring it up. Then the nets began to break and they called another boat over and together they brought in the abundant catch, filling both boats to overflowing and threatening to sink them both. Peter understood immediately this was the Master and pled his own unworthiness.

Again, the blessings in obedience were answered with abundance.

#3 Matthew Chapter 14

15 ¶ And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves ^avictuals.

16 But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.

17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.

18 He said, Bring them hither to me.

19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and ^abrake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they ^atook up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.

21 And they that had eaten were about ^afive thousand men, beside women and children.

Again, not just a little bit for each person, but they all ate their fill and there was yet more left over; twelve basketsful. The symbolism here, I think, is that when we think we have all the blessings and are full, there is yet more in store, even an abundance. Indeed, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9. See also D&C 76:10)

In Section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the revelation on the degrees of glory is introduced by the Lord, stating his willingness to desire to bless us. A small part of that ten verse introduction is as follows:

5 For thus saith the Lord—I, the Lord, am ^amerciful and gracious unto those who ^bfear me, and delight to honor those who ^cserve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end.

6 Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their ^aglory.

I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more ABUNDANTLY.

---John 10:10