Visit this post on my site: Sacred Circles: Encircled About in the Arms of His Love

In the Book of Mormon, we encounter a group of devoted Nephite missionaries. Through their dedicated sacrifice, unwavering faith, and loving service, these missionaries helped many Lamanites develop a profound belief in Jesus Christ. Ammon¹ used powerful imagery to describe the change the repentant Lamanites experienced: “They were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, [God] has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love.”²

Ammon’s friend Alma used similar imagery to describe his sins: “As I was thus…harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ…. As my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: 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.”³

Alma recognized the everlasting chains of death and darkness surrounding him; he then remembered his father’s teachings of Jesus Christ and reached out to God in repentance. In return, fully surrounding and filling light and joy replaced the darkness: “Now, behold…I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more. And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!”⁴

A common word in these experiences described by Ammon and Alma is encircled. Circles are shapes without beginning or end — their shape is everlasting. These men taught the contrast between an everlasting circle formed by chains of darkness, destruction, and death and an everlasting circle of light, salvation, and life. Satan desires to bind us in everlasting misery and death. He offers the circle of destruction and despair. Our Father offers a sacred circle of matchless love and safety. He offers everlasting life and joy because He is merciful and loving. Our Father invites all His children to come as we are and to become much more than we were. This becoming more than we were comes through faith in Christ and repentance.

President Nelson invited us to “experience the strengthening power of daily repentance.”⁵ We can think of daily repentance as a form of a sacred circle. When we sin, we turn or circle away from God and face darkness. Repentance involves turning away from darkness back to God into the marvelous light of Christ. As we repent each day, we choose which circle we want to surround us – one of fear and darkness or one of peace and light. Just as God saved the Lamanites and Alma from an encircling darkness, as we repent, He saves us and encircles us with the matchless bounty of His love.

We might not always feel God’s surrounding matchless love, but God covenanted with those of us who have been baptized and confirmed members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that we can always have His Spirit to be with us. His encompassing Spirit comes as we turn to Him in repentance. Most of the time, the encircling presence of God comes in a still, small way that is usually subtle, but powerful. God’s power does not depend on our recognizing His presence. One of the challenges of life is learning to see Him and recognize His surrounding marvelous light. Many factors, including some outside our control – the noise of the world, mental or physical health challenges, school, work, general busy-ness – can be distractions and make it harder to see God’s light. We can counteract this, as Elder Stevenson taught, by: standing in holy places, standing with holy people, testifying of holy truths, and taking time to listen to the Holy Spirit.⁶

As we do those acts of holiness, God will give us peace, power, and protection. He will surround and fill us with marvelous light and joy through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.⁷

Another symbolic sacred circle in the gospel is much broader in scope than the personal encircling protection offered by God as we repent. Nephi stated, “the course of the Lord is one eternal round”⁸. This eternal round is a circle formed through covenants⁹. Covenants bind us to our Father and Jesus Christ. They securely anchor us to Them, keeping us attached to Their firm foundation.

Jesus said, “strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life.”¹⁰ From Nephi we learn more about this key covenant-focused doctrine of Christ: “For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.”¹¹ Our sins are remitted through the fiery cleansing of the Spirit. This is a peaceful, joyful cleaning rather than a painful one. Forgiveness removes pain and weight, providing healing and light.

Nephi continued: “And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life…. And now,… I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay…. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.”¹²

The narrow gate is formed by the ordinances and covenants of baptism and confirmation. After that covenant gate is a narrow path leading to eternal life. This path is formed through additional covenants, most of which are entered into in temples. There is benefit to viewing this covenant path as a circle. We lived with God before we were born. Our Father’s desire for us is to return to Him. We will grow and learn along the way, but God wants us to end up where we started, living in His presence¹³. Our lives should be circular as we return to God, bound to Him through covenants¹⁴.

This does not mean God wants us to run around in circles throughout life. In the popular show called Bluey, there is an episode where the sisters Bluey and Bingo have different flavors of ice cream. They want to share with each other, but to make it fair they decide to lick one another’s ice cream at the same time. Rather than being successful, they end up spinning around and around in circles. When they finally come to a stop, their ice creams are completely melted! Both were trying to share with each other, but their spinning in circles got them nowhere. That fruitless (or ice creamless), if well-intentioned, spinning is not what our Father and Jesus Christ want for us; the Lord’s eternal round for us is a narrow path back to His loving arms.

This leads to the final sacred circle, which is the one formed by an embrace. Embrace comes from Latin words meaning “in arms”. In an embrace we are surrounded by someone’s arms. The circle of an embrace involves closeness and touch. An embrace can provide comfort and a measure of healing.

In the focal point of the Book of Mormon, the resurrected Savior Jesus Christ appeared to people gathered at a temple. Jesus invited all there to see and touch Him. All saw, felt, and knew He was the resurrected Lord¹⁵. While not recorded, I also like to think Jesus offered an embrace to those in particular need – offering the comforting sacred circle of His arms.

Later, after teaching, Jesus saw the rapturous faith of those listening and was filled with compassion¹⁶. He asked, “Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are…afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy…. And it came to pass that when he had thus spoken, all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted…and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him.”¹⁷

Following these miraculous healings, Jesus called all the children to Him. As he viewed the precious children, He was filled with such joy that He wept¹⁸. He touched and maybe even embraced each child, offering a blessing. All there “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.”¹⁹ A sacred circle surrounded the children by fire and ministering angels.

These are powerful, yet tender experiences. They demonstrate the character of Christ and our Father – personal, encircling, deep, purifying, and healing love. I hope you understand and feel this love, even when it comes in what seem like smaller, subtle ways. Our Savior’s love for us is close and personal. Jesus did not just bless, cleanse, and heal those in the Book of Mormon from afar. He could have healed them where they were. Instead, He called the sick and afflicted to come unto Him. King Benjamin, the Christ-like, compassionate ruler, asked, “Are we not all beggars?”²⁰ Are we not all sick or afflicted in some manner? The Savior invites each of us to come unto Him to receive the blessing of personal healing. While this might not be a physical healing, the Savior offers all of us healing through the Atonement. It is my hope and prayer that each of us here will gain knowledge through personal experiences with God, and that each will receive healing in this life through His power manifest in the Comforter.

We might not have Jesus physically with us now, but all can receive a witness that He is the Christ through the power of the Spirit. All can receive sanctifying healing through His Atoning power in our lives through the Comforter. When you feel the Spirit, you are encircled by the marvelous light of God; you are in God’s warm and healing embrace. God’s embrace comforts but He also lifts us up to be better than we were.

We each need healing throughout this life. We also all receive the promise of future healing in a Heavenly setting. As John the Revelator taught, there will be a time when those who live with God will receive the healing touch of a tender hand: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain.”²¹

That is one of the most loving, caring, and beautiful promises in the scriptures – God will wipe all tears away from the eyes of those who are with Him. This is our Father’s and Savior’s love for us! There is no hurt They cannot heal, there is no wrong They cannot right, and there is no sorrow They cannot remove as we return to Them in faithful, hopeful repentance.

I hope all here receive the gentle wiping of tears today and hope for the future day when God, with a gentle touch and a warm, loving embrace, will personally and tenderly wipe all your tears away.

Primary children sing:

A long time ago in a beautiful place,
Children were gathered ’round Jesus.
He blessed and taught as they felt of His love.
Each saw the tears on His face.
The love that He felt for His little ones
I know He feels for me.
I did not touch Him or sit on His knee,
Yet, Jesus is real to me.

Now I am here in a beautiful place,
Learning the teachings of Jesus.
Parents and teachers will help guide the way,
Lighting my path ev’ry day.
Wrapped in the arms of my Savior’s love,
I feel His gentle touch.
Living each day, I will follow His way,
Home to my Father above.

I know He lives!
I will follow faithfully.
My heart I give to Him.
I know that my Savior loves me.²²

It is my witness that Jesus loves you. Jesus Christ offers protection, power, and peace through sacred circles. He offers the encircling protection of angels. He offers the binding, encircling, protective power of covenants. He invites you to return back where you started, living in the presence of our Eternal Father. The Savior invites you to be encircled about in the arms of the matchless bounty of His love. There is no greater safety or comfort than in that promised Heavenly embrace. Of this I testify in the sacred, encircling, comforting, and loving name of Jesus Christ, amen.

1. Ammon, reflecting on the miraculous conversions, expressed immense joy over the divine power he saw manifest among the Lamanites. Ammon testified: “My joy is carried away…for [God] has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things, and he is a merciful Being, even unto salvation, to those who will repent and believe on his name.”
2. Alma 26:15
3. Alma 36:17-18
4. Alma 36:19-20
5. Russell M. Nelson, April 2019
6. Stevenson, Oct. 2023
7. This symbolism of surrounding darkness being dispelled by encircling light is similar to an experience Elisha had with the armies of Syria. Elisha visited a small city called Dothan, which was likely situated not far from Nazareth. The king of Syria, hearing that Elisha was in Dothan, “sent…a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. And when [Elisha’s] servant…was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And [Elisha’s] servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And [Elisha] answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” (2 Kings 6:17-20) The city was compassed, or circled, about in darkness by the enemy army. This army threatened destruction. Elisha’s servant feared, but he could not see what Elisha saw. Elisha saw they were encircled by a larger heavenly army. Elisha, his servant, and the people in Dothan were saved by the miraculous power of God. 

An experience the brothers Nephi and Lehi had can serve as an example of the protection God offers as we turn to Him. Nephi and Lehi were in prison because they taught about Jesus Christ. A group of men came into the prison to kill the brothers. They stopped and feared when they saw that “Nephi and Lehi were encircled about as if by fire.” Nephi and Lehi also saw that the fire protected them and took courage. We are not likely to clearly see such a dramatic heavenly protection like this in our lives, but we all receive important sacred experiences as we turn to God in repentance.
8. 1 Nephi 10:19
9. The truths of God can also be encompassed into a circle. The tool of the V-shaped compass is used to draw perfect circles. It’s not a coincidence that temple-related symbolism includes the compass. Circles are also an interesting shape because of the principle of isoperimetric inequality (see footnote 14).
10. Matt. 7:14
11. 2 Nephi 31:17-20
12. ibid.
13. There we can not only live with Him, but also live like He does as joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).
14. Circles are basic shapes that have several interesting properties. One is that they are perfectly symmetrical. Any line you draw through the center point of a circle creates two identical halves. Another has the technical term isoperimetric inequality. What this means is that if you have a constant line length and turn it into a closed perimeter, a circle is the shape that encloses the largest area.
15.  3 Nephi 11:13-17
16. 3 Nephi 17:5-6
17. 3 Nephi 17:7,9
18. 3 Nephi 17:20-21
19. 3 Nephi 17:24
20. Mosiah 4:19
21. Revelation 21:3-4
22. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/music/songs/i-know-that-my-savior-loves-me?lang=eng

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