A few years ago, as I studied the Book of Mormon, I read 2 Nephi 1:15 which says, “But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.” [1] I love this scripture and the image that it invokes and so I decided to investigate what the word “encircle” means and what it means in terms of the gospel. The word itself is simple to define; encircle is “to make a circle around or surround.” [2] In the scriptures, the word “encircle” is found 19 times: 18 times in the Book of Mormon and 1 time in the Doctrine and Covenants. [3] I want you to imagine being encircled and what it means to you. Keeping that image in your mind, lets discuss a few scriptures.
Encircled in Chains
In the scriptures, encircled does not always mean in the arms of our Savior’s love. Alma the Younger spoke about the people in Zarahemla and said, “Behold, they were in the midst of darkness . . . yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell, and an everlasting destruction did await them.” [4] Later, Alma teaches Zeezrom about the ways of the adversary when he said, “That he might bring you into subjection unto him, that he might encircle you about with his chains, that he might chain you down to everlasting destruction, according to the power of his captivity.” [5] Zeezrom saw the destruction that his words and teachings had done and “he began to be encircled about by the pains of hell.” [6] Alma described to his son Helaman his conversion. Alma said that he cried out, “O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.” [7]
These few scriptures do not bring an image of peace and comfort when we think about being encircled. Maybe your image is like Alma’s or Zeezrom’s being encircled in the chains of darkness or death. At some point in time we may all have felt, or will feel, that we are encircled about in chains. These chains may be chains of sin or chains of sorrow. These chains will feel heavy and feel like we cannot shake them off and remove them. But Alma tells us that we can! He said, “And again I ask, were . . . the chains of hell which encircled them about, were they loosed? I say unto you, Yea, they were loosed, and their souls did expand, and they did sing redeeming love. And I say unto you that they are saved.” [8] If you feel encircled in chains of darkness, I invite you to seek our Savior and repent. If needed, I invite you to meet with your bishop and work with him to shake off the chains of sin and sorrow. Remember, President Russell M. Nelson taught, “The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of repentance. Because of the Savior’s Atonement, His gospel provides an invitation to keep changing, growing, and becoming more pure. It is a gospel of hope, of healing, and of progress.” [9]
Through our Savior’s Atonement we can break the chains of evil that are encircling us. I know that through His Atonement we can each be redeemed from Satan’s grasp. We can repent and not be encircled in the chains of sin and sorrow. In Alma 26:15 we read this promise: “Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he [our Savior Jesus Christ] has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love.” [10]
Encircled in Peace and Love
When I think about being encircled, I think of being wrapped up in a warm blanket. I have many blankets in my home that have been lovingly made and given to me. I have blankets from friends, blankets from my sister and sister-in-law, blankets from my mom, and blankets from my grandma. My grandma made this blanket when I was very young, and I used it all growing up. When I learned that my grandma passed away on Thanksgiving morning of 2010, I sat down on my couch and wrapped myself in this blanket. As I did so and cried, I felt my grandma’s love, support, kind words, and her great testimony encircle me.
In contrast to the scriptures we reviewed about being encircled in darkness, scriptures that bring peace and joy and warmth are 3 Nephi 17:23–24. The resurrected Savior is visiting the people on this continent and He has gathered all the children to Him. Our Savior said, “Behold your little ones. And as they looked to behold they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them.” I hope you can imagine yourself being warmly encircled with light and peace as these children were at this time.
Have you felt our Savior warmly encircle you eternally in His love? I would like to make two suggestions of how we can more fully feel our Savior encircling us in His arms of love and peace.
Helping Myself to Be Encircled in Peace and Love
I suggest we begin by ensuring that we are individually encircled. In a world of sin and darkness, it is very easy to allow ourselves to be encircled in darkness and sin instead of being encircled in light and peace and love. So, I hope that each of you have felt our Savior encircling you with His everlasting love and peace. If not, the question may be, “Why not?” Why have I, as an individual, not felt His encircling arms? I would like to suggest two things that we can each do that would help us individually feel and recognize our Savior’s encircling arms surround us with peace and love.
First, look around your home, your apartment, your bedroom. What movies, books, music do you see? Do these things invite the Spirit into your home? If not, then change them. I invite you to make some changes to your physical surroundings by choosing better entertainment and better associations. This same suggestion also applies to your social media and how you spend time on your phone or other devices. If what you are doing or looking at on social media is not inviting the Spirit and encircling you in our Savior’s light, then make a change today.
Second, as you look around your home, what pictures do you see? I hope that most of your pictures are pictures of your family, friends, the temple, and our Savior. In February 1995, President Howard W. Hunter invited each of us to “keep a picture of a temple in your home that your children may see it.” [11] In my home I have strived to have a picture of the temple and our Savior in each room, and this has helped me stay focused on our Savior and feel encircled with His light and love. After relating a story of seeing the Logan Temple across the Cache Valley, Elder Gary E. Stevenson stated: “You are never lost when you can see the temple. The temple will provide direction for you and your family in a world filled with chaos. It is an eternal guidepost which will help you from getting lost in the ‘mist of darkness.’” [12] We are blessed to have a temple close by that we can see from almost everywhere in the valley. I find great peace and joy as I travel to work each morning and see the temple sitting on the hill. I invite you to surround yourself with pictures of the temple and our Savior so that you will never be lost and can resist being encircled in the chains of darkness. In last week’s devotional address, Sister LuWana Roberts reminded us that the temple creates a feeling of happiness. I would invite you to attend the temple as often as possible to feel great happiness and our Savior’s love encircling you. Even walking on the sacred and dedicated temple grounds will help you be encircled and feel His love and strength.
Helping Others to Be Encircled in Peace and Love
Now that we have discussed what we can do to help ourselves personally, I want to consider how you and I can help encircle others in our Savior’s light and safety. The story of Ammon defending King Lamoni’s flock of sheep is an example of encircling others with safety. Many of us know this story as a story of courage and exciting fighting. But a few years ago, as I was serving as Young Women president, these scriptures meant something very different to me. The Lamanites have come and scattered the sheep and Ammon and the king’s servants have gathered them back together. When the Lamanites come back, Ammon says to the servants, “Encircle the flocks round about that they flee not; and I go and contend with these men who do scatter our flocks.” [13] I do not know much about sheep, but I do know that it does not take much to scare them so that they will scatter. But here Ammon entrusted the servants to encircle the sheep and protect them and keep them calm while he contended with the enemy. We can do the same thing for our loved ones, our friends, our neighbors, and anyone else that needs ministering. For me, I saw this as an important part of my calling. With my great presidency and advisors, we strived to encircle our beautiful young women with light and hope and love and keep them safe from the darkness in the world. I believe that as we encircle others about with light and safety, our Savior will contend with our enemies to keep us safe and protected, and we will be encircled in our Savior’s love.
I was called to be the stake Relief Society president as I was beginning my doctorate dissertation. I remember sitting in the stake president’s office asking the stake presidency if they were sure—probably not the first thing that should be said to your stake president. At the time, I erroneously believed that I couldn’t do this because I was single, I worked full time, I was too busy with my dissertation, and I was too young because I was in my 30s. Since that time, I have gained a firm testimony of what President Thomas S. Monson promised us: “When we are on the Lord’s errand, we are entitled to the Lord’s help. Remember that whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies.” [14] I know now that those things do not disqualify us to serve. The Savior will encircle us with His love and strength and help us to serve to the best of our abilities. It took the stake presidency about 30 minutes to convince me that this was the right calling for me, for the sisters in the stake, and it was a calling from the Lord. I still walked away feeling encircled with fear and wondering how I was going to fulfill such a sacred assignment. Later that day in Sunday School class we read the Lord’s words: “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.” [15] I was blessed with an amazing presidency, great friends, and a caring family who were my angels to bear me up. Since that time, I have served in other presidencies and in each of them, I have found great strength in my friends and loved ones as they encircled me and helped to bear my burdens. Each of us can be an earthly angel and encircle those in need and bear them up as they face their own trials and tribulation.
Think about the people in your life and the ones you are asked to serve and minister. How can you encircle them in our Savior’s light and replace encircling darkness? Maybe it will be inviting them to a wholesome activity outdoors. Maybe it will be helping them to shut off media and walk away from viewing things that are dragging them down. Maybe it will be giving them a hug and literally encircling them in love. I invite you to pray to Heavenly Father to guide you in how you can encircle someone with His light and His love. And then act on those promptings!
Going Forward Encircled in Our Savior’s Arms
Now that we have discussed how to help ourselves and others be encircled in our Savior’s arms of love, where do we go from here? I hope that you have received some inspiration of how you can help yourself and others feel encircled in our Savior’s love. Besides what we have discussed, there is more that we need to do. In the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord tells Oliver Cowdery to “be faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God, and I will encircle thee in the arms of my love.” [16] Here we learn what is required to always be encircled in the arms of our Savior’s love—we must be faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God. As we are reminded each Sunday in the sacrament prayers, we are to keep His commandments, remember Him always, and take His name upon us, and then we will receive His Spirit. We have also been taught that the Holy Ghost is called the Comforter. That word is very descriptive of being encircled about warmly with the Spirit and our Savior’s love as we strive to be obedient.
As we seek to be worthy to be encircled in our Savior’s arms of love, we also need to remember that He always wants to encircle us. Sister Bonnie D. Parkin, former General Relief Society President, said, “Do we frequently reject the Lord’s love that He pours out upon us in much more abundance than we are willing to receive? Do we think we have to be perfect in order to deserve His love? When we allow ourselves to feel ‘encircled about eternally in the arms of his love,’ we feel safe, and we realize that we don’t need to be immediately perfect. We must acknowledge that perfection is a process. This is a gospel of eternal progress, and we must remember to appreciate the journey. Eternal means ‘without beginning or end,’ so the encircling of His love is there for us every day. Remember, it’s constant—even when we don’t recognize it . . . President Gordon B. Hinckley urges us to ‘love the Lord [our] God, and love His Son, and be ever grateful for Their love for us. Whenever other love fades, there will be that shining, transcendent, everlasting love of God for each of us and the love of His Son, who gave His life’ for us.” [17] I hope you will always know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love you and are encircling you in Their eternal love and light.
Thank you for sharing your experiences of feeling encircled in our Savior’s love. As I read your discussion posts, I was uplifted and strengthened by your spirit and testimony. I would like to share a few insights of how others strive to be encircled in our Savior’s love:
One student shared a spiritual experience at temple square after spending time praying and fasting. He said he felt as if he received a hug from the Lord. Another student shared how she was struggling with questions about the gospel. As she searched resources from the Church website one night her room was filled with the Spirit, and she was encircled in our Savior’s love. A third student shared a frightening experience in hiking. As she sung “I am a Child of God” she immediately was filled with our Heavenly Father’s love for her, and she arrived back at her car safely. I hope that you will spend time reading the devotional discussion board to find other ways you can be encircled in our Savior’s arms of love and peace.
My Testimony
In the Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen, Denmark, the original Christus statue is on display. The Christus shows our Savior looking down with His arms open and inviting. It is said that when the Christus was being created that the creator was struggling with how to portray the arms of our Savior and even considered having the arms folded. During this time, he was working with a clay model of the Christus and had the arms of our Savior above His head. He went to bed that night and the clay arms slumped into the position that we now know. When the creator saw the position of the arms, he left them and finished the Christus statue. [18] I testify that the scriptures teach us of the divine attributes of our Savior and Heavenly Father. Thus, when the scriptures state They will encircle us with eternal love, the only way the Christus would be correct is to have our Savior’s arms outstretched and inviting, because folded or held above the head would not allow Him to encircle us in His loving arms. I see the Christus as our Savior inviting all of us to come unto Him and be encircled in His loving arms of peace and safety.
My testimony is that if you are feeling encircled about with chains from Satan that you can break those chains by turning to our Savior Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. It is only through our Savior’s Atonement that we can break free from Satan and be encircled about in our Savior’s arms of safety and love. I know that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know each one of us and know of our trials and desires. I know that They love each one of us unconditionally and are waiting to help us break free from Satan and return to Them. Our Savior is constantly encircling us in His arms of love and safety and peace and hope. He invites us to help others to feel His encircling love. I hope and pray that we will shake off the chains of sin and sorrow and recognize our Savior encircling us eternally in the arms of His love. I bear this testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] 2 Nephi 1:15.
[2] “Encircle,” Merriam-Webster Dictionary, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encircle.
[3] According to the Gospel App.
[4] Alma 5:7.
[5] Alma 12:6.
[6] Alma 14:6.
[7] Alma 36:18.
[8] Alma 5:9.
[9] Russell M. Nelson, “Welcome Message,” Ensign, May 2021.
[10] Alma 26:15.
[11] Howard W. Hunter, “First Presidency Message,” Ensign, Feb 1995.
[12] Gary E. Stevenson, “Sacred Homes, Sacred Temples,” Ensign, May 2009.
[13]Alma 17:33.
[14] “Whom the Lord Calls He Qualifies,” Ensign, Jul 2013.
[15] Doctrine and Covenants 84:88.
[16] Doctrine and Covenants 6:20.
[17] Bonnie D. Parkin, “Eternally Encircled in His Love,” Ensign, November 2006.
[18] Matthew O. Richardson, “Five Things You Never Knew About the Christus Statue,” LDS Living, Aug 24, 2021, https://www.ldsliving.com/5-Things-You-Never-Knew-About-the-Christus-Statue/s/78222.