Easter

I just wanted to take a moment and reflect upon the importance of Easter. The photo aboveis from the Church's News Webpage: http://newsroom.lds.org/. The description reads: "The tomb where the body of Jesus Christ is believed to have been laid." I like this picture because it reminds me of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. When I think on the resurrection, I think on the atonement, His suffering and crucifixion. For all of us Jesus Christ died and for all of us He lives again!

I love the words to the hymn "I Know that My Redeemer Lives." They read:

I know that my Redeemer lives.

What comfort this sweet sentence gives!

He lives, he lives, who once was dead.

He lives, my ever-living Head.

He lives to bless me with his love.

He lives to plead for me above.

He lives my hungry soul to feed.

He lives to bless in time of need.

He lives to grant me rich supply.

He lives to guide me with his eye.

He lives to comfort me when faint.

He lives to hear my soul’s complaint.

He lives to silence all my fears.

He lives to wipe away my tears.

He lives to calm my troubled heart.

He lives all blessings to impart.

He lives, my kind, wise heav’nly Friend.

He lives and loves me to the end.

He lives, and while he lives, I’ll sing.

He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.

He lives and grants me daily breath.

He lives, and I shall conquer death.

He lives my mansion to prepare.

He lives to bring me safely there.

He lives! All glory to his name!

He lives, my Savior, still the same.

Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:

“I know that my Redeemer lives!”

He lives! All glory to his name!

He lives, my Savior, still the same.

Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:

“I know that my Redeemer lives!”

These lyrics are a sweet testimony to the divinity of Christ and what he has done and can do for us. What can we do for Him? Elder Holland, an Apostle of the Lord said "may we declare ourselves to be more fully disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, not in word only and not only in the flush of comfortable times but in deed and in courage and in faith, including when the path is lonely and when our cross is difficult to bear. This Easter week and always, may we stand by Jesus Christ “at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be in, even until death,” for surely that is how He stood by us when it was unto death and when He had to stand entirely and utterly alone" (General Conference, April 2009 http://lds.org/). I will strive to be faithful to my Savior and stand as a witness of him at all times, in all things and in all places. I testify that Jesus Christ lives! and that He atoned for me that I may be clean and return to live with Him. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Continuing Revelation

I would like to talk about continuing revelation and its importance in my life. First I would like to quote Elder Holland from the April 2008 conference: "Some Christians, in large measure because of their genuine love for the Bible, have declared that there can be no more authorized scripture beyond the Bible. In thus pronouncing the canon of revelation closed, our friends in some other faiths shut the door on divine expression that we in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hold dear: the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, and the ongoing guidance received by God’s anointed prophets and apostles. Imputing no ill will to those who take such a position, nevertheless we respectfully but resolutely reject such an unscriptural characterization of true Christianity" (http://lds.org). The Book of Mormon is a testimony that there is continuing revelation. It could not have come about without divine assistance. I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon; it has shaped my life like no other book has and I know that what is written is true. I know that through of the faith of a 14 year old boy, the Lord re-established his Church in these days. If the heavens were closed, this would not be possible. If the heavens were closed, there might as well be no god. Fortunately, the heavens are open and God speaks to man again as in the days of Adam!
God also speaks to us on an individual level, not just through His selected and inspired leaders. We have the wonderful gift of prayer which allows us to communicate with our Father in Heaven. My Heavenly Father has guided my life and for that I am infinitely grateful. " Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5; http://scriptures.lds.org) This is what I have striven to do all my life and there is no denying His loving hands gently steering me in the right direction.
I love the Lord Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon which truly testifies of Him along with the New and Old testaments. I pray that I may always try to be worthy of His love.

Friendship

This last weekend I went to my roommate's grandma's house and we had a roommate reunion sleepover. It was so much fun! We got to update each other about our lives and new developments but most importantly, we got to rekindle our friendships. I am so happy that I was able to spend that time with them - it is a memory that I am not likely to forget soon!

When we woke up in the morning we went on a hike to overlook the city. Our shoes got really muddy, we fell in snow that was deeper than we thought and the hike took a lot longer than originally expected. However, we entertained each other and had a grand old time! On the way up we made a friend - a little white cat who followed us since we reached the dirt trail. She (we called her sarah-emily - on behalf of two of our roommates who couldn't stay the night) was obviously domestic as she responded to our encouragements and petting and was clean. As we continued to walk farther and farther from her home, I half expected her to turn back. Sarah-emily stayed with us though, through the mud (although she whined at some of it haha) and allowed us to carry her through the snow. (this is a picture of my roommate, Kimmie, holding Sarah-emily).

I would like to connect this to the fact that we all need friends and we all need to be loved. I love my roommates and they provide a type of support that no one else can. For a time, this little kitty loved us, because we played with her. Jesus loves us all the time, but not because of anything we have merited. He only asks one simple thing of us, that we love eachother! "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." (John 13:34 http://scriptures.lds.org/)

Blessings and Happiness Comes From Keeping the Commandments

Dr. Martin Seligman, director of the University of Pennsylvania Positive Psychology Center, gave a lecture at BYU today about "well-being." http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/; http://byub.org/devotionals. He shared with us many, well-proven facts which show that well-being can be laerned and taught. In other words, we can learn how to be optimistic and happy. He talked about techniques such as discovering what your strengths are and then using them everyday. He mentioned metacognition, focusing on questions such as "what went well today?" "why?" He also talked about participating in meaningful activites like service and how the satisfaction gained from altruism differs from the happiness we feel while we watch a movie. All in all, his thoughts were very insightful.

I would like to add another dimension to this idea: God. Another aspect to life that adds deeper meaning and greater happiness is making God a part of everyday life. Specifically. I would like the blessings that come from keeping the commandments. A children's hymn, "Keep the Commandments" reads:

"Keep the commandments; keep the commandments!

In this there is safety; in this there is peace.

He will send blessings; He will send blessings,

words of a prophet: Keep the commandments.

In this there is safety and peace.

We are His children; we are His children,

and we must be tested to show we are true.

Hold to His promises; hold to His promises,

heeding the prophets: Keep the commandments.

In this there is safety and peace" http://www.lds.org/cm.

As a little child I was taught that I will be happy when I am obedient. This applies to my relationships with my parents, with school and with my Heavenly Father. Recently, I just got engaged to a wonderful man and we will be married in temple for all time and all eternity. I feel so blessed to have access to the wonderful privelege of being married in the House of the Lord and I know that, in part, it is because of my steadfastness in keeping His commandments that I am able to do this.

John 15:10 states: If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love http://scriptures.lds.org/. I have truly felt of his love as I have kept the commandments. I know that He has always loved me and always will, but when I am choosing the right, I am happy and am more sensitive to the Holy Spirit thus I greater feel of His love. When we keep the commandments, the Lord blesses us for it and we are happy. In addition to what Dr. Seligman taught, we can find deeper meaning and happiness in life through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

There is no end to the good we can do!

This last week I had a new roommate move in to my apartment. Before she moved in and before I had met her I wondered how we would all get along. Our roommate who moved out (because she got married) was amazing and was the one who glued us all together. Now that she was gone, our apartment made the conscious decision to put forth the effort to stay united and maintain the wonderful feeling we had in our little home. This meant reaching out to our new roommate and helping her feel like she belonged. It turns out that she is an amazing girl and getting to know her has been so much fun! I think that because we approached this situation with love and with an open mind, we were blessed and have had a smooth transistion.
When asked what the greatest commandment is, Jesus answered, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." but coming in second is: "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22: 37-40; http://scriptures.lds.org). I believe that this Christ-like love is the beginning of success to any relationship. From my own experience, I have seen that when I serve others, I begin to care for them. With new roommates, this is only a precurser of our friendship; with my family members, my love for them deepens; with strangers, I gain a greater understanding of their situation in life and can appreciate their decisions.
As a prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley stressed this point: " have wondered why there is so much hatred in the world. We are involved in terrible wars with lives lost and many crippling wounds. Coming closer to home, there is so much of jealousy, pride, arrogance, and carping criticism; fathers who rise in anger over small, inconsequential things and make wives weep and children fear. . .There is no end to the good we can do, to the influence we can have with others. Let us not dwell on the critical or the negative. Let us pray for strength; let us pray for capacity and desire to assist others. Let us radiate the light of the gospel at all times and all places, that the Spirit of the Redeemer may radiate from us" (Gordon B. Hinckley; The Need for Greater Kindness, May 2006; http://lds.org). From this we learn that today, more than ever, we need to be more sensitive to the needs of those around us, we need to be thoughtful, kind and loving and actively engaged in doing good because like President Hinckley said, "there is no end to the good we can do!"

Trusted in

President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, David O. McKay said, "it is better to be trusted than to be loved" (http://ww.lds.org/). As I thought more on this statement, I came to realize that I agreed with it. There are many people that I love: God, my family and friends to name a few. However, I do not put my trust in all of them - in other words, I am more selective in those I trust than of those I love. Even among those I trust, there are still varying degrees. For instance, I would trust my father for providing sincere advice and I would trust my roommate with insight on a relationship issue. Ultimately, I put all of my trust in the Lord and I know that in return, He will direct me (Proverbs 3:5).

I think Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ also use discretion in whom they trust. They love everyone - to a degree that is incomprehensible to either you or me. But as history shows, they do not, nor can they, trust everyone at that same level. For example, Jesus Christ trusts Thomas S. Monson enough to allow him to lead His Church in the right direction, with some help along the way, of course. He trusted Paul enough to have called him to preach His gospel to His children. Also, He trusts me enough to visit and care for the women in my ward (whom He loves more than I ever can) that I am assigned to visit teach. Thus, as I go about my life and serve, in various capacities, in the Lord's kingdom, I must strive to remember that the Lord is putting his trust in me. I will do my best to serve them so that in a small way, they may feel the love that He has for them. After all, I am on the Lord's errand and He is trusting me to do my best.

This last weekend my family came in to town. It was so wonderful to see them and to just have a good time together. We did a lot of fun activities like skiing and snowboarding, playing games and eating dinner as a family - something I have missed since being out at college. On Saturday, we all went to Salt Lake City and did a few touristy things; we mostly stayed at Temple Square. It was great to walk around the temple, go to the visitor's center and the conference center and watch the Joseph Smith movie. These activities were especially poignant because I was with my family and was reminded of the eternal blessings I have due to the temple, and the gospel in general. That then caused me to reflect on circumstances that others find themselves in that are much less fortunate than mine.

In particular, I thought on the trials and persecutions felt by the early saints of the Church. The Joseph Smith movie depicted specific situations of many of these people - all of them making significant sacrifices for the sake of righteousness, of the gospel and of Christ. The sacrifice that Joseph Smith made is almost uncomprehensible. Sections 121 and 122 of the Doctrine and Covenants gives a good representation of how Joseph felt and what he was experiencing: "O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place? How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries?" In the following section, the Lord lists some things that might happen to Jospeh (and all of them eventually do): "If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among false brethren; if thou art in perils among robbers; if thou art in perils by land or by sea; If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations; if thine enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can’t you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you? and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb; And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good" (D&C 122:5-7, http://scriptures.lds.org/).

Jesus Christ promised Joseph Smith that all these things would be for his good. He also promised, in Mark chapter 10 that: There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life" (Mark 10:29-30). I am so grateful for my ancestors who made such sacrifices and stayed true to their God so that I, and for generations to come, may partake of the blessings of the gospel.

Love

As Valentine's Day approaches, many minds, including mine, turn to love. It can be a wonderful time when we consciously think about our loved ones and things we can do to make eachother happy and to celebrate that love. There are different types of love, the most significant of which is charity, the pure love of Christ (Moroni 7:47, http://scriptures.lds.org/). This love, and those who have it are characterized by these qualities, listed in Moroni 7:45: "suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." As we cultivate these qualities, we become more like Jesus Christ and become his disciples, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:34-35).

This last weekend one family showed this kind of love to me. I knew this family from back home but they happened to move out to Utah just as I was moving out to come to school at Brigham Young University. They invited me up to spend the day with them just to have fun and give me a respite from the stressful college life. I had so much fun with them as we made our own pizzas, went swimming, bowling and watching movies during the car ride. They sacrificed their time, setting aside an entire saturday and driving more than 5 hours to convenience me! They also sent me home with a trunk full of groceries and other things that I need. This family really showed me that they cared for me through these acts of kindness; they showed me the kind of love that my mother would if she could and for that I am so grateful! The sacrifices that this family made for me demonstrated the Christlike love they have in their hearts and have been a great example that has expanded my persepctive on life. Their discipleship is not determined on convenience, nor is it out of duty or a desire for recognition and reward but it is through their charity that they have touched me. I have gained a greater understanding of the meaning service and what it means to "have love one to another" as Jesus Christ truly taught.
In this season of love, let us also remember the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ and reach out to others that they may feel this love as strongly as we do. I know that He does love us, and it pleases Him when we strive to serve others because then they may feel more deeply of his love, just as my mother appreciates the charity of the family who served me. "Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my bretheren, ye have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:40, http://scriptures.lds.org).

Through the Merits, and Mercy and Grace

These last few weeks I have been overwhelmed with blessings. These tender mercies of the Lord fill my life with such happiness and I don't know how there is any way I could deserve this. Then I realized that I don't - but that it is a gift of God. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, "Obviously the unconditional blessings of the Atonement are unearned, but the conditional ones are not fully merited either. By living faithfully and keeping the commandments of God, one can receive additional privileges; but they are still given freely, not technically earned" (http://jesuschrist.lds.org).

Mark 14 gives Peter's account of Jesus' suffering in the garden of Gethsemane. He said that he "began to be sore amazed and to be very heavy" (Mark 14:33). In looking closer at the words "amazed" and "heavy" I gained new insight into the Atonement. Alternate Greek meanings for amazed include: amazed, awestruck, astonished. Even Jesus Christ was taken aback by the intensity of the "pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children" (2 Nephi 9:21). Other meanings for the Greek word "heavy" are depressed, dejected, in anguish (see footnote, Mark 14:33 https://lds.org). Isaiah prophesied: "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows . . . he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities . . . he was oppressed, and he was afflicted" (Isaiah 53:4-7). I chose this picture of Jesus Christ in Gethsemane, by James C. Christensen because it caused me to look again and to ponder on what the Atonement cost and rethink what it means to me. For all of my wrongs, weaknesses and sorrows, I am able to be forgiven, healed and comforted through the great power of the Atonement. Jesus Christ is the source of my happiness and my salvation!
"To the thoughtful woman and man, it is "a matter of surpassing wonder" that the voluntary and merciful sacrifice of a single being could satisfy the infinite and eternal demands of justice, atone for every human transgression and misdeed, and thereby sweep all humankind into the encompassing arms of His merciful embrace. But so it is" (Holland, http://jesuschrist.lds.org). As there have been in the past, I know that there will be hard times to come even though, right now, my life is steady. But because of His Atonement, I will ultimately be able to overcome these difficulties. I can turn to Him in times of scarcity and times plenty and He will always be there. I testify that He lives and that through Him we can each obtain eternal life through His merits, mercy and His grace.

Faith to be Forgiven, Faith to be Healed

Faith in Jesus Christ is the first step to everything; to happiness, comfort, forgiveness and healing. Most often, in referring to faith, we think of things we are unsure of yet still hope for. Diane Woolf, widowed at 36 with a fifth child on the way said, "Faith has to be sufficient when we do not know why. We must simply remember 'that he loveth his children' (1 Nephi 11:17 http://www.scriptures.lds.org) and that we cannot--right now-- know the meaning of all things" (Ensign, Jan 2009; http://www.lds.org).
A paralytic of Jesus' time also learned the power of faith. He had the faith to be forgiven and the faith to be healed. "When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee...I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house" (Mark 2:5, 11 http://www.scriptures.lds.org).
What does it take to have the faith that Sister Woolf and the paralytic had? And how can it change our lives?
According to the Book of Mormon prophet, Alma, "faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true" (Alma 32:21; http://www.scriptures.lds.org). Perfection is not a prerequisite to faith; neither is knowledge and understanding. On the contrary, faith in Jesus Christ is the medium through which we strive for perfection and begin to understand. Alma expounds on how we can strengthen our faith: "if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words" (Alma 32:27 http://www.scriptures.lds.org).
Therefore, even if we can only muster a desire to believe, it will be enough to begin the process. I am grateful for Sister Woolf's testimony, "Everything in life can shift, change, or leave, but our Heavenly Father, our Savior Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost never change. They are the one great constant to lead us along" (Ensign, Jan 2009; http://www.lds.org). I add my testimony to hers: faith in Jesus Christ starts out like a little seed but as we give it a place in our hearts and nourish it, it will "begin to swell within your breasts" and we may have the faith to be forgiven and to be healed.