Arise From the Dust And Be Men, Part 3

During a fireside in November 2000, Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley taught us how we can arise from the dust and be upstanding men and women of God. He taught that we should be grateful, smart, clean, true, humble, and prayerful (Ensign, Jan. 2001, Pres. Hinckley). He called them the "6 Bs". By living each of those qualities we will be able to live free of the filthy influences of the world. We can remain spotless and pure.

Has anyone else risen "from the dust" quite like the Savior did? He was born in the lowliest of circumstances in a dusty manger. He spent much of His time as a youth learning to work in His father's carpenter's shop. The Savior, once He started His ministry, spent most of His time walking the dusty roads of Israel and teaching wherever there was room or an audience. He was baptized in the Jordan River, which was a somewhat murky river. When confronted over the adulterous woman, He wrote in the dust with His finger. The Savior used dirt and mud to help open the eyes of the blind. The Savior washed the dirt from the feet of His disciples. He knelt in the dirt in the Garden of Gethsemane, sweating great drops of blood in Atonement for the sicknesses and sins of the world. He descended below all. He was then killed and laid in a tomb. On the third day, the Savior rose from the dust; coming back to life and bringing immortality to all who lived upon the earth.

The phoenix is symbolic of the Savior's resurrection and healing powers. Just as the phoenix, a bird of light, arises from the ashes anew, the Savior arose from the grave. The phoenix also can heal with a drop of its tears. The Savior shed many tears for those who were sick or in pain. His hands brought health and life back to others. The tears He shed and the great drops of blood that fell like sweat in the wine press of Gethsemane were part of His great healing Atonement. Just as the phoenix is a legend, there is another legend that is symbolic of the Savior's Atonement. The Holy Grail is a legendary chalice that caught some of the drops of the Savior's blood when He was upon the cross, as the story goes. Thereafter, anyone who drank from the Holy Grail would gain power over death and would be healed of all illnesses or infirmities.

Link to part 2 of this essay.