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.