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).
Monday, February 9, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
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.
"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.
Monday, January 26, 2009
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.
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.
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