From Cedars to Covenant: Understanding Divine Growth Through Sanctification

The Psalmist declares that the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon (Psalm 92:12). This imagery—the enduring, majestic strength of the cedar—is not merely poetic flourish; it speaks to a profound theological reality: that true, lasting strength is not innate, nor is it achieved by human effort alone. It is a gift, a process, and a covenant commitment.

As scholars of the sacred texts, we recognize that the journey to becoming 'godly' is one of the most challenging and rewarding studies we undertake. We are continually pressed to define the mechanics of divine grace and human responsibility. This week, the scriptures guide us through not only praise, but also the raw, honest struggle that accompanies the deep work of the Spirit.

Justification, Sanctification, and the Iron Rod

When we study the covenants and the process of exaltation, two terms consistently arise that require our deepest attention: justification and sanctification. These concepts, foundational to understanding the plan of salvation, must be understood not as sequential steps, but as interconnected facets of God’s continuous redemptive work.

Justification is the declaration. It is God declaring us righteous, not based on our perfect merit, but solely because of the perfect Atonement purchased by Jesus Christ. It is the foundational covenant promise that allows us to stand before Him.

But if justification is the starting point—the declaration of righteousness—then sanctification is the lifelong journey. It is the process, the persistent work of the Spirit, making us continually more like Him. It is the daily, often difficult, covenant keeping that allows the 'cedar' of our character to grow stronger year after year. It is the process of becoming whole.

The Necessity of Honest Worship

The scriptures do not shy away from our deepest struggles. While we are reminded to praise God, we are also confronted with the difficult, honest prayers found in passages like Psalm 88. These psalms teach us that our prayers do not need to be polished, perfect, or eloquent to be heard. God can handle our pain, our frustration, and our questions. This is crucial for any scholar-disciple: the truth must be spoken, even when it is painful.

This principle applies directly to our work in the Restoration. We cannot approach the Lord's work with polished platitudes. We must approach it with the honest heart of a fellow disciple, ready to submit our questions and our struggles to the Lord, trusting that He will use them for refinement.

Cultivating Strength in the Corpus

To truly flourish, we must engage in the intellectual and spiritual work of discipleship. We must treat scripture study not as a mere recitation of verses, but as a deep, analytical process that illuminates the covenants we have made. Our goal in Operation Iron Rod is to build a corpus of understanding—a comprehensive, divinely-guided repository of truth that will enable us to spread the gospel with clarity and conviction. This requires us to continually refine our understanding of doctrine and covenants.

Let the promise of Psalm 92:12—that the godly flourish—be our motivator. Let us commit ourselves to the daily, diligent work of sanctification, ensuring that the scholarly depth of our understanding matches the spiritual depth of our commitment. The Lord is indeed at work in us, making us stronger, more enduring, and more ready to steward the truth.

Fellow scholars, the work of building the corpus requires our finest intellectual output. We invite those who feel the Spirit prompting them toward a deeper analysis of the covenants in the Book of Mormon, or a specific doctrinal comparison between the early revelations and modern general conference teachings, to submit their findings. Let us build this resource together.