Christ Strengthens

Christ strengthens us.

In the book of Mormon within the Book of Mormon, we read of a sad situation which takes place in chapter two. Numerous wars are taking place and the Nephites are one of the groups of people fighting.

"And it came to pass that when they had fled we did pursue them with our armies; and did meet them again, and did beat them; nevertheless the strength of the Lord was not with us; yea we were left to ourselves, that the Spirit of the Lord did not abide in us; therefore we had become weak like unto our brethren." (verse 26)

I am saddened when I read of these situations. I am also led to reflect on my own life and ask, "How often do I attempt to rely on my own strength instead of turning to the Lord and pleading for His strength.

I definitely want to do better in this area of my life. I know that "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4:13)

I have personally felt in my life the Savior's strength helping me and carrying me through the times that I could not stand on my own. I am so grateful for His unending love for me and His willingness to strengthen me so that I may endure all that I have been called upon to endure.

"The Savior's loving warmth and healing touch life us and give us strength to endure." (New Era, March 1990)

I invite you to turn to the Savior, seek for, and rely on His strength.

Christ Gives

The Savior gives us so much. In fact, everything we have was given to us by Him.

In the Book of Mormon in the book of 4th Nephi, it describes the Nephites and Lamanites, how each group of people was united with the other. It also described them using a phrase that I really loved:

"They were all made free, partakers of the heavenly gift." (4th Nephi 1:3)

Partakers of the heavenly gift. The scripture doesn't gift any direction information about this "gift" that is spoken of.

For me, I feel that the gift could be many different things. However, it makes me think back to the tree of life in Lehi's dream written of in 1st Nephi which represented the love of God. And on that tree, was a fruit that "was most sweet, above all that was most sweet . . . the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness" (1 Nephi 8:11). This fruit represents the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

As I think about the scripture in 4th Nephi that says they were "partakers of the heavenly gift", I like to think that they were partakers of the love of God, of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. They knew what Christ offered and what He was giving them, and they graciously accepted.

This is a valuable lesson that each of us can apply in our own lives. Christ truly gives, and He gives freely and frequently. He offers unconditional love and forgiveness, no matter how many mistakes we have made. But I know it is up to us to invite Him into our lives, and to accept the gift of His miraculous and infinite Atonement. It is there, always ready and always waiting, for Christ to give it over to us to aid us and provide us with strength.

We desperately need Christ, and we desperately need His Atonement in our lives. This is why this beautiful gift is always there.

I invite you to graciously accept what the Savior has given you, and be a partaker of this heavenly gift.

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Christ Changes Us

I know that Christ Himself does not change . . . but He certainly changes us.

I know that through the gift of His Atonement, we have the ability to change, to become better. Do you truly realize what a beautiful and incredible and amazing gift that is?? It is a gift that we should not take for granted.

I love the account given in the Book of Mormon of the Savior and His apostles in 3rd Nephi. The following verses come from chapter 28:

38 Therefore, that they might not taste of death there was a change wrought upon their bodies, that they might not suffer pain nor sorrow save it were for the sins of the world.

39 Now this change was not equal  to that which shall take place at the last day; but there was a change wrought upon them, insomuch that Satan could have no power over them, that he could not tempt them; and they were sanctified in the flesh, that they were holy, and that the powers of the earth could not hold them.

40 And in this state they were to remain until the judgement day of Christ; and at that day they were to receive a greater change, and to be received into the kingdom of the Father to go no more out, but to dwell with God eternally in the heavens.

These verses depict the experience of three of His disciples who wished to remain on the earth until He comes again.

These three Nephites had a change--a mighty change wrought upon them so they would not taste of death.

Now, we won't experience a change like this that will keep us on this earth until the Savior comes like they did, but we definitely have the capability to change.

In other ways, often smaller ways.

I heard a quote once (apologies that I do not have it word-for-word) that said, in this life, sometimes big changes are necessary. But, most often it is the smaller changes, the little course corrections that you need to make in your life in order to live the gospel more fully and practice being more like the Savior.

Small changes. Little course corrections. Sometimes that is all it takes.

Every single day is an opportunity to change. A chance to begin again.

"Make TODAY the beginning of a change in your [life]." (Harold B. Lee)

"Christ doesn't just make up the difference.  He makes all the difference. He requires us to repent, but not as part of paying justice--only as part of helping us change." (Brad Wilcox)

"As you strive to come to Him, you will gain the power to relieve life's burdens, whether physical or spiritual, and experience a positive inner change that will help you be happier." (Elder Eduardo Gavarret)

I testify this is true. I have found that as I take little steps to help me become more like the Savior, He has a greater presence in my life. I know His Atonement is real and through it we are able to be healed, comforted, strengthened, and changed. 

Take Christ's name upon you and allow His Atonement to change you.

Christ Weeps

3 Nephi 17:20-22

20 And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.

21 And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.

22 And when he had done this he wept again;

Christ weeps. He cries for us. He cries with us.

Marion D. Hanks, formerly a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles relates a story that illustrates this beautifully:

"Thus the promise is that in times of sorrow and affliction, if we endure and remain faithful and put our trust in him and are courageous, the Lord will visit us in our afflictions, strengthen us to carry our burdens and support us in our trials. He’ll be with us to the end of our days, lift us at the last day to greater opportunities for service, and exalt us at last with him and reunited loved ones, and he will consecrate our afflictions to our gain.

One of the experiences that has reached the deep center of my soul in recent years was to hear a choice bishop share with others in a meeting the tender feelings of his heart concerning the loss of his wife to cancer, an experience many other husbands and wives and families well understand.

Twenty years earlier he had watched his mother pass through severe suffering before she died, and he had carried with him through the years a sense of resentment for the anguish she had endured. With his wife’s ordeal, however, harsh as it was for her and in a measure for her family, his anger sublimated into a closer spiritual relationship with the Lord, and he was able more gracefully to share her burden.

Shortly before she died, his wife asked him to give her a blessing for relief from the intense pain. They both wept as he laid his hands on her head and talked with the Lord, 'and,' he said, 'I felt the spiritual presence of our Father in Heaven. I had the strongest sensation that someone else was there weeping with us!' Near the end, severely physically debilitated, she said, 'Never have I been more whole!'

They had felt the strong sensation that He was there, 'weeping with us.' Of course; why not? Jesus wept at the grave of Lazarus; he wept over Jerusalem’s portending afflictions; and he wept when he came to the American continent and knelt with his people, and especially when 'he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.'"

I truly believe that our Savior Jesus Christ weeps with us. In moments of complete heartache and heartbreak, in the deepest and darkest moments of despair, He is there. He weeps when we weep. It is only through His perfect Atonement He is able to have perfect empathy for us as we endure every trial, every adversity, every pain. He has faced each one before, and through His Atonement He knows exactly how to comfort us and help us bear those burdens. 

I know that I have a Savior who weeps. I know He has wept with me in the moments I have wept and felt completely broken.

Our Savior weeps. He weeps for us, and He weeps with us.

A Mission of Healing

I am veering from my current theme of "Come Unto Christ", but please bear with me.

February 23rd marked 18 months since my brain surgery.

Oh my goodness has time flown!

My Dad reminded me, "Hey, that's how long your mission will be!"

It got me thinking.

Wow, that's so true! A part of me wants to say, "What? It's ONLY been 18 months?!" And then at the same time I think, "Oh my goodness, it's been a whole 18 months?!" Lots of mixed emotions here.

But you know what? It really has been a unique kind of mission for me, this past year and a half.

A mission of healing.

I had never thought that a mission like this exists.

But it does.

And that is a description of the journey I have been on the past eighteen months.

A mission of healing.

A mission of recovery.

A mission of revival.

A mission of growth.

A mission of learning.

A mission of beauty.

A mission of miracles.

It has been an incredible journey that I will never forget.

And I'm so grateful that it isn't over yet.

I still have miles to go and lots and lots to learn.

But the person I am now has come leaps and bounds from where I was those short eighteen months ago.

How grateful I am for it.

How grateful I am for my Savior.

And my Father in Heaven.

How infinitely grateful I am for this miracle I have witnessed in my own life.

Who would have thought that in eighteen months I could go from this:

To this:

No setbacks. No side effects. Healthy. Healed. Whole. 

What a blessing!

What a miracle.

I have come to a knowledge of so many wonderful things through this "mission of healing".

One thing is that I know more now than I did then Whose hands my life really is in.

As Al Fox Carraway puts it for all of us,

Forget not.

Your life is not your own.

Your life is His.

You belong to Him.

It's His hands you are in.

I know this now with every fiber of my being.

How beautiful it is to know that He is there and that He is the One in control.

I know that we are loved by the God of Heaven and Earth and He will never forsake us.

I know that He is our Savior and He is there.

Always.

And I know that miracles happen and they happen today.

I also know we each have a plan laid out for us.

Each of us are on our our own missions, each one unique from the last.

If it's a mission of healing, a mission of strength, a mission of learning.

Embrace it.

It is your mission and it's your mission for a reason.

Believe in it.

Believe in you.

He believes in you.

And never forget it.

Christ Loves One by One

"And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come." {3 Nephi 11:15; emphasis added}

" . . . and they were in number about two thousand and five hundred souls . . . " {3 Nephi 17:25}

I find it absolutely incredible that at the time of Christ's coming to the Nephites, He made time for each and every one of them. They came to Him one by one. 

"Certainly, there is a very profound and tender personal message here. Jesus Christ ministers to, and loves us all, one by one . . . I have a testimony in my heart, brothers and sisters, that God, our Heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ know and love us individually. I'm not sure I fully understand how, I just know and have experienced that They do. I urge all of us in our own ministries, to our families and to our fellowman, to embrace the Savior's warm invitation to come unto Him, one by one, and be perfected in Him." {Elder Ronald A. Rasband}

I wish to echo the words of this apostle of the Lord. I personally know that we have a Savior who knows us and loves us one by one. He takes the time to comfort us, strengthen us, and heal us individually, one by one. I know this is true because I have felt it in my own life.

I have felt His enabling power to strengthen me to help me do the seemingly impossible.
I have felt His healing power healing me physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
I have felt His love for me in times that I felt so unloved.
I have felt His comfort in times of utter despair.
I have felt His strength carrying me through moments I felt I could not take one more step.

He knows you better than you know yourself.
He loves loves you personally, individually, and unconditionally.
He is your Savior, and He died for you.

I know He knows and loves each and every one of us, one by one.

I stand amazed that Heaven knows me

He heals, one by one

Loves one by one

When the crowded world around you doesn't know your name

He knows us, one by one

The way He loves you is one by one.

Christ Gathers

This characteristic of Christ is one that is a little bit more unique, one that we don't think of often.

Christ gathers us.

"O ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart." (3 Nephi 10:6)

"The Savior has always been the protector of those who would accept his protection . . . There seems to be no end to the Savior's desire to lead us to safety. And there is constancy in the way He shows us the path. He calls by more than one means so that it will reach those willing to accept it. And those means always include sending the message by the mouths of His prophets whenever people have qualified to have the prophets of God among them. Those authorized servants are always charged with warning the people, telling them to way to safety." (Henry B. Eyring)

Just as these words of God describe, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ gathers us. He is anxious to lead us to safety. He is our Protector. I love thinking of Him in these terms. He is truly our Older Brother and He is constantly watching out for us. Being the oldest, I have never experienced having an older brother brother within my immediate family. But it brings me great comfort knowing that I really do have an Older Brother. He is my Savior, Jesus Christ, He is always watching over and protecting me.

And He always will be.

Christ Calls

The Lord calls each and every one of us.

3 Nephi 5:13 states,

"Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life."

As I thought about this verse, I was reminded of missionary work. Not only missionary work, but this can also apply to callings we receive within the church.

The Lord calls us, even every day, to stand as a witness of Him.

To stand as His witness, to be His hands while on this earth.

It is easy to feel inadequate when faced with a calling from the Lord. But I testify that:

"God doesn't call the qualified; He qualifies the called."

The Lord calls us to so many varying capacities. Some He calls to serve in distant lands and far off places. Others, He calls to serve right where they are.

Whatever your calling may be from Him, I invite all of us to hearken to His voice.

When the Lord calls, I hope that we say:

"I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord; I'll be what you want me to be."