"One by one" and the sacrament

Some of my  favorite verses in the Book of Mormon are 3 Nephi 11:14-15. Christ has just appeared to the people in the Americas and he tells them,

 "Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world. 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."

This scene is so powerful to me. Can you imagine a personal moment with the Savior? To feel of His hands, to feel of His love, to know for a certainty that He lives.  Christ spends a moment with each person in that crowd so that they may know for themselves that He is the Christ. I have always longed for that.

I shared that desire with a friend of mine and he gave me some beautiful insight. He told me that every Sunday we do have that opportunity. L Tom Perry said, "Partaking of the sacrament provides us with a sacred moment in a holy place." When we are baptized, we enter into a covenant where we promise to obey all of God's commandments, and all He asks. We take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, and strive to be like him. Every Sunday as we partake of the sacrament, (or communion) the bread and water, we renew our baptismal covenants. In the 26th chapter of Matthew we learn of this ordinance:

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

“And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;

“For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt. 26:26–28).

Taking the sacrament worthily and with purpose is that one on one time with the Savior each week. In a talk given by Don R. Clarke  he shares 5 principles that can improve our sacrament experience. I encourage all of you to read this talk (click on Don R. Clarke's name). He suggests the following:
1:Have a Feeling of Gratitude for the Atonement of Jesus Christ
"The first principle is to have a feeling of gratitude to Heavenly Father during the sacrament for the Atonement of His Son."
2:Remember That We Are Renewing Baptismal Covenants

"The sacramental prayers are a reminder of these covenants. When we partake of the sacrament, we renew our commitment to live up to these covenants. I believe it would be appropriate to memorize the sacramental prayers in our minds and in our hearts. This will help us focus on renewing our baptismal covenants. Whether we were 8 or 80 years old when we were baptized, I hope we will never forget that day and the covenants we made."

3:During the Sacrament We Can Feel Forgiven of Our Sins
President Boyd K. Packer said: “The sacrament renews the process of forgiveness. Every Sunday when the sacrament is served, that is a ceremony to renew the process of forgiveness. … Every Sunday you cleanse yourself so that, in due time, when you die your spirit will be clean.”⁸ Partaking of the sacrament worthily can help us feel like the people of King Benjamin, who “were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience.”⁹
4:We Can Receive Inspiration for Solutions to Our Problems
As we humbly come to sacrament meeting, we can be blessed to feel impressions for solutions to our daily problems. We must come prepared, be willing to listen, and not be distracted. In the scriptures we read, “But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.”¹⁰ We can know what we should do to solve our problems.
5:Partaking of the Sacrament Worthily Will Help Us Be Filled with the Holy Ghost
They had been promised that if they hungered and thirsted after righteousness, they would be filled with the Holy Ghost. The sacramental prayer also promises that if we live up to our covenants, we will always have His Spirit to be with us.¹²

I know that the Savior wants us to feel His presence in our lives. I know that by taking the sacrament with purpose every week we will feel that. I am grateful to a loving Savior who loved us enough to give us a way to share personal, spiritual experiences with Him weekly, through the sacrament.  I add my testimony to Elder Melvin J. Ballard who said, “I am a witness that there is a spirit attending the administration of the sacrament that warms the soul from head to foot; you feel the wounds of the spirit being healed, and the load being lifted. Comfort and happiness come to the soul that is worthy and truly desirous of partaking of this spiritual food.”

How I know God lives- Nature (part 1)

Many times I have been asked the question, "How do you really know that God lives? What evidence do you have?"

 I have spent a lot of time thinking about that, how do I really know for myself that I have a Father in Heaven? I'd like to share one reason today how I know God lives.

One evidence of our Heavenly Father's existence is this beautiful world we live in.  “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (Psalms 19:1) I can remember distinct impressions from the Holy Spirit as I watched the sun set over the Potomac River, feeling so small in comparison to the great cliffs of Lake Powell, and feeling inspired as I walked through green grass. Surely these grand details that fill our lives were created by our Heavenly Father.  An ancient prophet declared: “All things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth... and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator” ( Alma 30:44).

Elder Ballard has said, "To truly reverence the Creator, we must appreciate his creations. We need to plan to take time to observe the marvels of nature. Today, we can easily become surrounded by brick buildings and asphalt surfaces that shelter us from real life around us. Plan to share with your family the miracle of buds changing to fragrant blossoms. Take time to sit on a hillside and feel the tranquillity of the evening when the sun casts its last golden glow over the horizon. Take time to smell the roses."

  As I have seen these beautiful mountains, rivers, and sunsets the Holy Spirit has testified to of their divine origin. Something else that is evident to me is how close I feel to Heavenly Father when I am in His creations. I have had tender moments as I have kneeled to pray in a field of grass, and I received answers to the my prayers as I have hiked a mountain trail. The Spirit seems so present as I am in nature. This feeling has helped me to know that Joseph Smith is the prophet of the restoration because I too know that spiritual experiences can take place in a grove of trees. 

I know an attribute of our Heavenly Father is love. Isn't it a tender thought to think that Heavenly Father created a beautiful world so that we might find joy in our surroundings? He wants to be happy, to experience beauty, and to find joy in our Earthly home. 

I know that God lives. I know that the Earth, and all the creations are evidence of his existence. I too know that how I feel in nature, and in His creations is an evidence of His power and existence. As I see the beauty of a setting sun, the details of petals, and ponder the complexity of all of His creations, I feel His love and know He is near. 




"When thru the woods and forest glades I wander,

And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,

When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur

And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze,

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee,

How great thou art! How great thou art!"

"I don't feel ready to be baptized quite yet."

Maybe you've found yourself in the situation where you feel impressed to be baptized or the missionaries have invited you to do so, but you don't feel quite ready yet. Maybe you don't feel worthy enough, or you're not quite sure you really have the desire. Maybe you haven't received all the answers you're searching for, or maybe you feel you will have another opportunity to be baptized.

I feel that maybe I have found your response in one of my favorite scriptures. In Moroni chapter 10: 32

"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God."

 When does Christ tell us to come unto Him? Now. Does he say we need to wait until we feel like we know everything about all church doctrine? No. Does he ask that we become perfect people? No. He asks us to come unto Him now, so that he can help us and help perfect us. I promise you that the blessings of baptism will always out way your doubts. Elder Holland  describes perfectly what we must do in them midst of doubt. 

"I wish to encourage every one of you today regarding opposition that so often comes after enlightened decisions have been made, after moments of revelation and conviction have given us a peace and an assurance we thought we would never lose. In his letter to the Hebrews, the Apostle Paul was trying to encourage new members who had just joined the Church, who undoubtedly had had spiritual experiences and had received the pure light of testimony, only to discover that not only had their troubles not ended, but that some of them had only begun.

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. . . .
. . . If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. . . .
. . . We are not of them who draw back unto perdition. [Hebrews 10:35–36, 38–39; emphasis added]

In LDS talk that is to say, “Sure it is tough—before you join the Church, while you are trying to join, and after you have joined.” That is the way it has always been, Paul said, but don’t “draw back,” he warned. Don’t panic and retreat. Don’t lose your confidence. Don’t forget how you once felt. Don’t distrust the experience you had."  

Why is baptism worth it? What blessings are in store for you? Elder Robert D Hales, an apostle of the Lord said,

"The gift of the Holy Ghost, given to us when we are confirmed, gives us the ability to discern the difference between the giving ways of the kingdom of God and the taking practices of the world. The Holy Ghost gives us the strength and courage to conduct our lives in the ways of the kingdom of God and is the source of our testimony of the Father and the Son. As we obey the will of our Father in Heaven, this priceless gift of the Holy Ghost will be with us continually.

We will receive “a mighty change … in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.” We will keep our “covenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things … all the remainder of our days”" (Mosiah 5:2, 5).

We literally are given a member of the Godhead to lead and guide us. All of our sins are washed away. Every single one. We are allowed on the path to the Celestial Kingdom, the highest kingdom of Heaven where our Heavenly Father lives. We become members of Christ's church. And lastly, you will have the reassurance that you are doing what your Heavenly Father expects of you .



My baptism has shaped the course of my entire life. Has it been easy? No. But has it been worth it? Absolutely. I promise you that you will never regret making this covenant with our Heavenly Father. If you have felt your Heavenly Father's love as you have been taught about baptism, and if you have desires to follow Jesus Christ and become better. You are ready for baptism. "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him." The Savior is waiting for you and He will patiently  wait until you make your first step in the waters of baptism.

Welcome 2014

I am not really sure where 2013 has gone, but it's come and gone so quickly. So, naturally I have been thinking about what I've learned this year, how I've grown, and the many things I still need to work on. In one of my favorite talks given by Elder Uchtdorf  he suggests three ways that we can live without regrets, these suggestions are applicable to us as we start this new year.  The first is to spend time with those we love. There is nothing more meaningful than relationships with those we love. "Isn’t it true that we often get so busy? And, sad to say, we even wear our busyness as a badge of honor, as though being busy, by itself, was an accomplishment or sign of a superior life. Is it? I think of our Lord and Exemplar, Jesus Christ, and His short life among the people of Galilee and Jerusalem. I have tried to imagine Him bustling between meetings or multitasking to get a list of urgent things accomplished. I can’t see it. Instead I see the compassionate and caring Son of God purposefully living each day. When He interacted with those around Him, they felt important and loved. He knew the infinite value of the people He met. He blessed them, ministered to them. He lifted them up, healed them. He gave them the precious gift of His time. Let us resolve to cherish those we love by spending meaningful time with them, doing things together, and cultivating treasured memories."

The second, live up to our potential.  "Our Heavenly Father sees our real potential. He knows things about us that we do not know ourselves. He prompts us during our lifetime to fulfill the measure of our creation, to live a good life, and to return to His presence.Why, then, do we devote so much of our time and energy to things that are so fleeting, so inconsequential, and so superficial? Do we refuse to see the folly in the pursuit of the trivial and transient?" We will be happier when we live as He would. "Declaring our testimony of the gospel is good, but being a living example of the restored gospel is better. Wishing to be more faithful to our covenants is good; actually being faithful to sacred covenants—including living a virtuous life, paying our tithes and offerings, keeping the Word of Wisdom, and serving those in need—is much better. Announcing that we will dedicate more time for family prayer, scripture study, and wholesome family activities is good; but actually doing all these things steadily will bring heavenly blessings to our lives."

And the last, be happy.  "So often we get caught up in the illusion that there is something just beyond our reach that would bring us happiness: a better family situation, a better financial situation, or the end of a challenging trial. The older we get, the more we look back and realize that external circumstances don’t really matter or determine our happiness. Sometimes in life we become so focused on the finish line that we fail to find joy in the journey. Doesn’t it seem foolish to spoil sweet and joyful experiences because we are constantly anticipating the moment when they will end?"  There is something to be grateful for in every day, even the hard ones. There is good in every day, but it takes effort for us sometimes to find it.

Let us resolve that in 2014 we will spend more time with those who matter, try every day to reach our potential, and to enjoy the journey! I know that the Savior will help us we try to better ourselves and strive to live as He did. "It is my testimony that many of the deepest regrets of tomorrow can be prevented by following the Savior today. If we have sinned or made mistakes—if we have made choices that we now regret—there is the precious gift of Christ’s Atonement, through which we can be forgiven. We cannot go back in time and change the past, but we can repent. The Savior can wipe away our tears of regret and remove the burden of our sins. His Atonement allows us to leave the past behind and move forward with clean hands, a pure heart, and a determination to do better and especially to become better. We must begin to walk that eternal path today; we cannot take for granted one single day. I pray that we will not wait until we are ready to die before we truly learn to live."

A gift to the Savior

My mind, like many of yours, has probably been on this Christmas season. This week I was thinking about some of my favorite family Christmas traditions, one of which is each Christmas Eve my parents give me and my siblings the gift of new pajamas. After my mom attempts to take a million photos, and is left with maybe 3 where all of our eyes are open (see picture for proof), we read in the Scriptures about Christ's birth. This gift from my parents has helped me understand another gift my Heavenly Parents have given me, the Gift of a Savior. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of peace."

President Eyring said this of Him, "This little child, born in a stable and cradled in a manger, was a gift from our loving Heavenly Father. He was the promised Redeemer of the world, the Savior of mankind, the Son of the living God. He was with His Father before He came to earth in mortality, the Creator of the earth upon which we stand." Each and everyone of us has been given the gift of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, our personal Savior. "O remember, remember, [..] that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world. (Helaman 5:9)

This morning I was reading in The Book of Mormon, and a particular verse really stood out to me. It says, "I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants. (Mosiah 2:21)"

There is literally no way that we will ever be able to pay Jesus Christ back for paying the price for our sins. Brad Wilcox, a former member of the Sunday School General Board, describes it likes this, "He paid our debt in full. He didn’t pay it all except for a few coins. He paid it all. It is finished.We will all be resurrected. We will all go back to God’s presence. What is left to be determined by our obedience is what kind of body we plan on being resurrected with and how comfortable we plan to be in God’s presence and how long we plan to stay there. Christ asks us to show faith in Him, repent, make and keep covenants, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. By complying, we are not paying the demands of justice—not even the smallest part. Instead, we are showing appreciation for what Jesus Christ did by using it to live a life like His. Justice requires immediate perfection or a punishment when we fall short. Because Jesus took that punishment, He can offer us the chance for ultimate perfection (see Matthew 5:48, 3 Nephi 12:48) and help us reach that goal. He can forgive what justice never could, and He can turn to us now with His own set of requirements (see 3 Nephi 28:35).

I love this.  We can not pay back the debt to our Savior Jesus Christ, but we can show him appreciation. There is no better time to give this gift of appreciation than this holiday season. We know that the Christmas season is full of gift giving, and who better to give a gift to than our older brother Jesus Christ. For there truly "is no gift greater than the gift of salvation." My invitation to each of you who reads this is to think of "a present" that you can give the Savior this year. President Eyring has suggested the following gifts, "We can, out of faith in Him, give a broken heart and a contrite spirit. We can repent and make sacred covenants with Him. You can give Him the gift of doing for others what He would do for them."



There is a beautiful song sung by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir about giving to the Savior, the song suggests this:

"What shall we give to the babe in the manger,

What shall we offer the child in the stall?
Incense and spices and gold we've a-plenty-
Are these the gifts for the king of us all?
What shall we give to the boy in the temple,
What shall we offer the man by the sea?
Palms at his feet and hosannas uprising;
Are these for him who will carry the tree?
What shall we give to the lamb who was offered,
Rising the third day and shedding his love?
Tears for his mercy we'll weep at the manger,
Bathing the infant come down from above."

Our Father in Heaven loves us. He loves us so much that  He sent His son (John 3:16) Jesus Christ to give us the gift of ever lasting life. "And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God." (Doctrine and Covenants 14:7)  Surely there is no greater gift. Let us give a gift to the Savior this Christmas Season so that we might come close to Him, for in Him we will find true and everlasting peace.

"O Remember, Remember."

 

So often in the scriptures we are reminded to remember. "O remember, remember, my sons, the words" of the prophets, "remember the Lord, thy God".  We are told this because we so often, and easily forget the hand of the Lord when a new trial comes. This Thanksgiving season I hope that we can all commit to remembering the Lord everyday, and not just during this Holiday season. I would like to share a few things that help me stay grateful all year round.

Reading the Scriptures Daily: In Psalms 77 it says, "I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old." We are told to remember the Lord in the present, and in the past. Heavenly Father has given us many tools so that we might feel his love, and feel remembered by Him. Elder L. Tom Perry said, "I guess one of the greatest mysteries of mortality is why mankind fails to learn from history." Heavenly Father has no doubt put obvious patterns of behavior in the scriptures for our benefit and learning, to help us avoid the same problems in our own lives. Through the scriptures we can find trials similar to ours and learn how others have over come their challenges. The scriptures remind us that Heavenly Father loves us, and we are reminded through them all the blessings he's given us. 

Keep a gratitude journal: President Henry B. Eyring, a member of the 12 apostles, shared the following experience: "I wrote down a few lines every day for years. I never missed a day no matter how tired I was or how early I would have to start the next day. Before I would write, I would ponder this question: “Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to touch us or our children or our family today?” As I kept at it, something began to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to remember had allowed God to show me what He had done.More than gratitude began to grow in my heart. Testimony grew. I became ever more certain that our Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. I felt more gratitude for the softening and refining that come because of the Atonement of the Savior Jesus Christ. And I grew more confident that the Holy Ghost can bring all things to our remembrance—even things we did not notice or pay attention to when they happened."

Give only thanks: Once a month say a prayer and only give thanks to Heavenly Father. You will come to find that you have so much more to be grateful for than you realize. Even in times when you are desperately seeking a blessing, there will always be something to be grateful for.


Keep perspective: President Eyring said, "The challenge to remember has always been the hardest for those who are blessed abundantly. Those who are faithful to God are protected and prospered. That comes as the result of serving God and keeping His commandments. But with those blessings comes the temptation to forget their source. It is easy to begin to feel the blessings were granted not by a loving God on whom we depend but by our own powers." Even when we feel like we are in control of our lives, and aren't needing for something, we must remember ALL comes from our Heavenly Father. 

Our Heavenly Father has given us so much to be grateful for, even the greatest gift of all, eternal life."If thou wilt do good, yea, and hold out faithful to the end, thou shalt be saved in the kingdom of God, which is the greatest of all the gifts of God; for there is no gift greater than the gift of salvation."

I pray that we will be able to follow the counsel of President Monson by developing an attitude of gratitude all year round. "Let us follow Him. Let us emulate His example. Let us obey His word. By so doing, we give to Him the divine gift of gratitude."

Seek things of real worth

Heavenly Father speaks to us in so many different ways. We know that we can feel the Spirit, and God's love through the scriptures, prayer, church attendance, and through the living prophets words at General Conference.  In addition, our loving Heavenly Father has given us other avenues to feel His presence in our lives.  Have you ever been hiking in the mountains, enjoying a day at the lake, looking at a piece of art and felt moved by the Spirit or felt God's love? This has happened to me multiple times in my life and noticing the Spirit, or recognizing that those feelings come from God, has increased my faith that God lives, he is aware of us, and loves us.
 One of my favorite scriptures in the Book of Mormon is in Moroni 7 which reads,

"Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God [...] that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God."

Elder Neal A. Maxwell  of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:  

“We … live in a world that is too prone to the tasteless and we need to provide an opportunity to cultivate a taste for the finest music. And likewise, we’re in a world that’s so attuned to the now. We need to permit people to be more attuned to the best music of all the ages.”

I completely agree with the words of Elder Maxwell. Our Heavenly Father has given us so many beautiful, good, things of worth to enjoy like nature, art, music, and different cultures to enjoy and help cultivate and refine us. And from the scripture in Moroni we learn that all good things come from God. So then why do we waste our time with things that have no worth? John H. Vandenberg commented that, 

"The sad part of humanity seems to be the utter lack of desire, in the lives of many, to really do something about enlarging the vistas of their existence. A distinguished doctor made the observation that “for the great majority of people, the good life is identical with trivial entertainment, cheap music, superficial writing, and an unending stream of visual trash."  (Dr. E. A. Gutkind, Quote—the Weekly Digest, vol. 51, no. 4, quote 32.)

The world is filled with too many beautiful pieces of art, wholesome literature, and refined music to waste our time with things of no real worth. About a year and a half ago I was sitting in an Art History class and my professor projected  Michelangelo's Pieta and I was so overcome by the Spirit. Understanding the whole process of creating and sculpting this work of art moved me and noticing the details of this sculpture strengthened my love and appreciation for the Savior. I know he died for our sins, and lives again to help us on our journey back home to Him and our Father in Heaven.

Elder Douglas L. Callister said this, 

"If we could part the veil and observe our heavenly home, we would be impressed with the cultivated minds and hearts of those who so happily live there. I imagine that our heavenly parents are exquisitely refined. In this great gospel of emulation, one of the purposes of our earthly probation is to become like them in every conceivable way so that we may be comfortable in the presence of heavenly parentage and, in the language of Enos, see their faces “with pleasure” (Enos 1:27). President Brigham Young  said, 'We are trying to be the image of those who live in heaven; we are trying to pattern after them, to look like them, to walk and talk like them.'

Waterlilies by Monet

I love this mental image of our Heavenly Parents defined as "exquistitely refined." Christ said,  "We are to become ^"perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect." (3 Nephi 12:48)
So lets start appreciating things of real worth now, and strive to become like our Father in Heaven. Not only will this give added meaning to this life, but also the next. Like Elder Douglas Callister says, "There are those who speak of stirring ideas, compelling books, and inspiring doctrine; these are the few who make their mark in this world. The subjects discussed in heaven are not trifling or mundane; they are sublime beyond our most extended imagination. We will feel at home there if we are rehearsed on this earth in conversing about the refined and noble, clothing our expressions in well-measured words.

We can drawer nearer to Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ through all the good things They have provided us on this beautiful Earth. I am grateful Heavenly Father has given us so much to enjoy, and so much to help us prepare for our journey back to Him. Our souls will be touched as we draw nearer to things of real worth.  "Your Father in Heaven has sent you away from His presence to have experiences you would not have had in your heavenly home—all in preparation for the conferral of a kingdom. He doesn’t want you to lose your vision. You are children of an exalted being. You are foreordained to preside as kings and queens. You will live in a home and environment of infinite refinement and beauty, as reflected in the language, literature, music, art, and order of heaven.  I close with the words of President Young: “Let us … show to the world that we have talent and taste, and prove to the heavens that our minds are set on beauty and true excellence, so that we can become worthy to enjoy the society of angels.” (Our Refined Heavenly Home)