Easter - He is Risen!!!

I guess Easter hasn't been that exciting of a time for me in my life.  I always remember waking up in the morning, searching around the house for fake Easter eggs filled with candy and a basket filled with candy.  We'd go to Church, come back, and either have our own family dinner or go to a large family gathering at my Grandparent's.  Either way I guess the real meaning of my we celebrate Easter has never really sunk into me.  I've always known it was about Jesus Christ, but not until I've been out serving a mission for nearly 20 months have I come to know who He really is.  As I've come to know the Master more, Easter has started to take on a new meaning for me.  Not just a time of festivities and fun, but something much more than that.

I guess the only way I can really describe the events of Jesus Christ's Crucifixion and Resurrection  is from one of the most famous talks modern day Apostles have ever given.  Elder Bruce R. Mckonkiee gave this talk during the April 1985 General Conference.  It was his last and final testimony before he passed away about Jesus Christ.  I quote an exerpt from his talk.  "We do not know, we cannot tell, no mortal mind can conceive the full import of what Christ did in Gethsemane.  We know he sweat great gouts of blood from every pore as he drained the dregs of that bitter cup his Father had given him. We know he suffered, both body and spirit, more than it is possible for man to suffer, except it be unto death. We know that in some way, incomprehensible to us, his suffering satisfied the demands of justice, ransomed penitent souls from the pains and penalties of sin, and made mercy available to those who believe in his holy name.  We know that he lay prostrate upon the ground as the pains and agonies of an infinite burden caused him to tremble and would that he might not drink the bitter cup.  As near as we can judge, these infinite agonies—this suffering beyond compare—continued for some three or four hours. 

After this—his body then wrenched and drained of strength—he confronted Judas and the other incarnate devils, some from the very Sanhedrin itself; and he was led away with a rope around his neck, as a common criminal, to be judged by the arch-criminals who as Jews sat in Aaron’s seat and who as Romans wielded Caesar’s power. They took him to Annas, to Caiaphas, to Pilate, to Herod, and back to Pilate. He was accused, cursed, and smitten. Their foul saliva ran down his face as vicious blows further weakened his pain-engulfed body. With reeds of wrath they rained blows upon his back. Blood ran down his face as a crown of thorns pierced his trembling brow. But above it all he was scourged, scourged with forty stripes save one, scourged with a multithonged whip into whose leather strands sharp bones and cutting metals were woven. Many died from scourging alone, but he rose from the sufferings of the scourge that he might die an ignominious death upon the cruel cross of Calvary. 

Then he carried his own cross until he collapsed from the weight and pain and mounting agony of it all. Finally, on a hill called Calvary—again, it was outside Jerusalem’s walls—while helpless disciples looked on and felt the agonies of near death in their own bodies, the Roman soldiers laid him upon the cross. With great mallets they drove spikes of iron through his feet and hands and wrists. Truly he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. Then the cross was raised that all might see and gape and curse and deride. This they did, with evil venom, for three hours from 9:00  Then the heavens grew black. Darkness covered the land for the space of three hours, as it did among the Nephites. There was a mighty storm, as though the very God of Nature was in agony. And truly he was, for while he was hanging on the cross for another three hours, from noon to 3:00, all the infinite agonies and merciless pains of Gethsemane recurred. And, finally, when the atoning agonies had taken their toll—when the victory had been won, when the Son of God had fulfilled the will of his Father in all things—then he said, “It is finished”, and he voluntarily gave up the ghost.  As the peace and comfort of a merciful death freed him from the pains and sorrows of mortality, he entered the paradise of God. When he had made his soul an offering for sin, he was prepared to see his seed, according to the messianic word. After some thirty-eight or forty hours—three days as the Jews measured time—our Blessed Lord came to the Arimathaean’s tomb, where his partially embalmed body had been placed by Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea. 

Then, in a way incomprehensible to us, he took up that body which had not yet seen corruption and arose in that glorious immortality which made him like his resurrected Father. He then received all power in heaven and on earth, obtained eternal exaltation, appeared unto Mary Magdalene and many others, and ascended into heaven, there to sit down on the right hand of God the Father Almighty and to reign forever in eternal glory. His rising from death on the third day crowned the Atonement. Again, in some way incomprehensible to us, the effects of his resurrection pass upon all men so that all shall rise from the grave.  Now, the atonement of Christ is the most basic and fundamental doctrine of the gospel, and it is the least understood of all our revealed truths. Many of us have a superficial knowledge and rely upon the Lord and his goodness to see us through the trials and perils of life. But if we are to have faith like Enoch and Elijah we must believe what they believed, know what they knew, and live as they lived. May I invite you to join with me in gaining a sound and sure knowledge of the Atonement. We must cast aside the philosophies of men and the wisdom of the wise and hearken to that Spirit which is given to us to guide us into all truth. We must search the scriptures, accepting them as the mind and will and voice of the Lord and the very power of God unto salvation. 

Bruce R. Mcconkie

As we read, ponder, and pray, there will come into our minds a view of the three gardens of God—the Garden of Eden, the Garden of Gethsemane, and the Garden of the Empty Tomb where Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene. And now, as pertaining to this perfect atonement, wrought by the shedding of the blood of God—I testify that it took place in Gethsemane and at Golgotha, and as pertaining to Jesus Christ, I testify that he is the Son of the Living God and was crucified for the sins of the world. He is our Lord, our God, and our King. This I know of myself independent of any other person. I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears. But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way. God grant that all of us may walk in the light as God our Father is in the light so that, according to the promises, the blood of Jesus Christ his Son will cleanse us from all sin. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen."

This Easter time, let us reflect on the amazing power of the Atonement and the immense sacrifice Jesus Christ has made on our behalf.  I love Him dearly and strive to be like Him each day.  I know I'm not perfect, I make mistakes just like everyone else.  But this much I do know.  I know He Lives, He is Risen, He is the Christ, He is my King, He is my Friend.

Humility - A Spiritual Strength

Jesus Christ in Garden of Gethsemane

I stumbled upon this Christlike attribute this morning while I was reading from the Book of Mormon.  I was touched by the verse in Alma 37:33 which reads "Preach unto them repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ; teach them to humble themselves and to be meek and lowly in heart;"  I began to ponder the meaning of humility and what it all entails.  I ended up studying humility for almost an hour, and it has forever changed my life.  Let me show you how powerful humility really is.

Jesus Christ washing Apostle's Feet

Humility

In Preach My Gospel Page 120-121, we find an awesome definition of humility.  "Humility is willingness to submit to the will of the Lord and to give the Lord the honor for what is accomplished. It includes gratitude for His blessings and acknowledgment of your constant need for His divine help. Humility is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of spiritual strength. When you humbly trust Him and acknowledge His power and mercy, you can have the assurance that His commandments are for your good. You are confident that you can do whatever the Lord requires of you if you rely on Him. You are also willing to trust His chosen servants and follow their counsel. Humility will help you as you strive to be obedient, to work hard, and serve selflessly."

So humility requires us to accept God's will, give Him the honor, rely on His help, obey the commandments, and follow His chosen servants.  I also love how it says humility is a Spiritual Strength, not a weakness.  In Ether 12:27, the Lord says "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."  The Lord gives us weakness so we will humble ourselves and rely upon His help and His grace.  Through His grace and Atonement, He can help us make those weak things about ourselves become strong.  We have to be humble and willing though in order for Him to help us.

Pride

However, as in all things, there is an opposite to humility.  That would be pride.  Preach my Gospel defines pride as "The opposite of humility is pride, which is condemned in the scriptures. To be prideful means to put greater trust in oneself than in God or in His servants. It also means to put the things of the world above the things of God. Prideful people take honor to themselves rather than giving God the glory. Pride is competitive; those who are prideful seek to have more and presume they are better than other people. Pride usually results in feelings of anger and hatred, and it is a great stumbling block."

Blessings of Humility

There are so many blessings in being humble.  As you are humble you can become teachable.  Just like little children are humble and are teachable, so we must be as well in learning from our Father in Heaven.  The Savior says in Matthew 18:3 "And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."  The Savior also states in Doctrine and Covenants 67:10 "that inasmuch as you strip yourselves from jealousies and fears, and humble yourselves before me, for ye are not sufficiently humble, the veil shall be rent and you shall see me and know that I am - not with the carnal neither the natural mind, but with the spiritual."  The greatest example of humility is that of our Savior Jesus Christ.  While in the Garden of Gethsemane, with the weight of the world's sins and pains upon his shoulders, he cried out to His Father, asking if there was another way.  But in a supreme act of humility, He humbly states, "nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."  He was able to do it, He completed the Atonement.  He has shown us the way, and we can be healed physically and spiritually.  All we have to do is humble our selves sufficiently and we can access a power greater than ourselves.  He knows and loves each one of us.  Of this I so testify :)

The Mediator

 

 I remember watching this movie in Sunday School when I was a kid.    Somehow it's always stuck with me and has left a lasting impression in my life.  It helps me really understand how necessary the Atonement of our Lord and Savior really is.  It helps me really understand how much He love us.  he wasn't required to pay the debt for us, He wasn't forced to do anything.  Everything He did was all voluntary, because He Loves us!!  

How wonderful it is that we have been given such a marvelous opportunity to be forgiven of all our mistakes.  Although there is more to the Atonement then this simple parable, it's real.  Our Savior lives and loves each and everyone of us.  His Sacrifice enables us to be cleansed from our sins and all the guilt and shame that accompanies them.  Because of Him, we can return to live again with our Father in Heaven.  We still have to do our part, but as the Mediator said "It will be possible."  I know this to be true.  I love my Savior and I know that He loves me and died for me so that I can return to live with Him and my Heavenly Father some day.

"For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all that we can do." - 2nd Nephi 25:23

Faith + Effort = Sucess!!

This equation is something that my dad taught me ever since I was a kid.  I remember distinctly him teaching a lesson on this to me and a group of friends in church one day.  But as I've been growing up and starting my own life I've really learned how true this equation is in any aspect of our life, including our spirituality.

The scriptures, including the Book of Mormon, tell us stories of individuals who often times encounter problems and need help solving them.  One such example in the Book of Mormon is one of my favorite and I love sharing it.

The Brother of Jared (Ether 2 & 3)

So just a quick back story.  The story of the Brother of Jared starts when they are building the tower of Babel.  The Lord confounds the languages but the Brother of Jared, his family, his brother and his family, gathered themselves together and plead with the Lord to not confound their language and they could still understand each other.  The Lord answered their prayers and He lead them through the wilderness to the sea so they could journey to the promised land.  They were commanded to build ships which they did.  However there were some problems with the design of the ships that were apparent after their completions.  So the Brother of Jared went up and prayed to the Lord for guidance on how to fix these problems.  Here are the 3 problems they faced (Ether 2:19)

1. Can't breath
2. Can't steer
3. Can't see

So the Lord gives him some guidance as to how to fix these problems. 

First one He says "Behold, thou shalt make a hole in the top, and also in the bottom; and when thou shalt suffer for air thou shalt unstop the hole and receive air.  And if it be so that the water come in upon thee, behold, ye shall stop the hole, that ye may not perish in the flood." (Ether 2:20)

The second problem He says "Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea; for the winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and also the rains and the floods have I sent forth.  And behold, I prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come." (Ether 2:24-25

But the third problem the Lord says "What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?" (Ether 2:23)

So the Brother of Jared has to solve a problem, which is to provide light in his ships without using fire or windows (Ether 2:23-24).  How is he going to find success in solving this problem?  He applies Faith + Effort = Success.

 The Brother of Jared goes out and starts to put forth effort.  The scriptures say that he ""did molten out of a rock sixteen small stones; and they were white and clear, even as transparent glass; and he did carry them in his hands upon the top of the mount, and cried again unto the Lord."  I'm no expert on glass or metal work, but I do know that there is a lot of effort involved.  The Brother of Jared didn't just grab a couple rocks off the ground, he made them!!  He had to go and gather the materials, make a furnace and bellows, get everything hot enough, and work with all those materials to make very pure and beautiful stones.  He put forth a lot of effort.

Then he exercised his faith.  He then went up and asked the Lord if He could touch the stones with His finger to make them shine.  This was the solution the Brother of Jared developed to solve the problem.  Not only that, he put forth the effort to make it work.  Now he had enough faith to ask the Lord if He could help finish the job.  What courage and what faith he had to ask the Lord for this favor.  

Long story short, the Brother of Jared had his prayer answered.  The Lord touched the stones and they shined, giving light to the vessels.  Not only that, the Brother of Jared was able to see the finger of the Lord.  And because of that faith that developed in him he was able to see all of the Lord and was shown everything, because of his faith.  Wow, what an experience!

The Brother of Jared applied two simple things.  He had the faith and he exercised it, and then he put forth the effort that he was capable of.  Because of this, he was shown marvelous things and was blessed with success.  I know this simple equation to be true.  I see it all throughout the scriptures.  Not only that I've applied it in my own life.  I know that if we have the faith and do our part, the Lord will take care of the rest and we will be blessed with success.  That's how the Atonement works really.  If we have faith in Christ, do all that we can, then Christ takes care of the rest and we are blessed with remission of our sins and the opportunity to live with God again.  I know this to be true.  I know the gospel to be true.  I know that Jesus Christ lives and His Atonement is real.  I know this to be true and I hope this will be of some help to someone.  I love Him with all my heart!!

The Plan of Salvation 101



Jesus Christ Statue at Temple Square



The Plan of Salvation in a nutshell is God's plan for our lives.  It explains where we came from, why we are here, and where are we going.  It's so simple yet amazing.  It allows us to learn and gain the things we need to become like our Father in Heaven.  It gives us hope for the future and direction for what we have to do here in our lives.  And my thought about it all is that it actually makes sense. 

God's Purpose:  Our Father in Heaven's purpose  is "...to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." Moses 1:39.  In order to accomplish this, we needed to first gain physical bodies and then experience what it's like to make our own choices and learn from our experiences.

Pre-earth Life:  Before we came to this earth, all of us lived with our Father in Heaven as His spirit children.  He is literally the Father of our Spirits and loves us more than we can comprehend.  So because of His love His purpose for us comes into play.  A plan was made and we chose to accept it.  Jesus Christ is the center of that plan and without Him it wouldn't work.

Earth Life:  Once the plan was accepted Heavenly Father gave His son Jesus Christ to create the earth. Through Jesus Christ the earth was formed.  This provided us with a place where we could gain physical bodies and be tried and tested and gain the experience necessary to obtain eternal life (living forever in God's presence). 

Adam and Eve were the first of God's children to come to earth.  They were placed in the Garden of Eden, still in God's presence and in a state of innocence where they could know no joy because they knew not any opposition.  They were given the ability to choose called agency or free will.  They were given a commandment not to eat of the forbidden fruit or else they would have to leave the Garden and God's presence.  Satan tempted them thinking it would thwart the plan.  They used their agency and chose to partake of the fruit.  As a result they were cast off from God's presence and into the world which we live now.  Because of the Fall Adam and Eve were able to have children and provided us the way where we could gain bodies of our own.

Because of the Fall we are subject to physical and spiritual death.  Physical death comes as a result because our bodies get old and worn out and eventually die.  It's the separation of our spirits from our bodies.  Spiritual death is separation from God's presence due to sin.  We all suffer both of these conditions because our bodies die and we mess up along the way.  Without a mediator or help we are stuck and can't progress any further.

Jesus Christ was chosen to be our Savior in pre-earth life.  He was the First Born of the Father and the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh.  Because of this He was able to suffer for our sins and shortcomings, died, and was resurrected.  Because of Him everybody will be resurrected, regardless of their righteousness.  He also provided a way for us to overcome spiritual death.  This requires effort on our part though.  In order to qualify for His saving grace, we must follow His teachings and obtain the necessary ordinances for salvation.  This is called The Gospel of Jesus Christ.  This is our purpose here on the earth now.  "...this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yeah, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labours." Alma 34:32.  If we follow His teachings and become more like Him, we will be cleansed from our sins and overcome spiritual death.

After this Life:  There will come a time for each of us when we will experience physical death, separation of our spirits from our bodies.  However Christ has overcome that barrier for each and everyone of us and when the times comes we will all be resurrected.  However before the resurrection occurs, our spirits need a place to reside till that time.  This is called the Spirit world.  There are two divisions of the Spirit world, Spirit Paradise and Spirit Prison (sometimes in the scriptures referred to as hell).  Those who were righteous in this life will live in a state of rest in paradise.  While those who were wicked or never had a chance to hear the gospel will be in a place called prison.  However those in paradise can and do teach those in prison so that everyone will have a chance to hear the gospel and have a fair chance to accept or reject this.  It is only a temporary place the Spirit world and it is not the end.

When the time comes we will all be resurrected, each and everyone one of us who has ever lived on the earth.  Once again, we can thank our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for this.  Once we are resurrected we will all be brought before the judgement seat.  There God will judge us and if we qualified for the Savior's grace He will be our advocate with the Father.  We will be judged according to our works in earth life and by the desires of our hearts.  God is fair and will judge fairly.

Three Kingdoms of Glory:  In God's house there are many mansions, each with it's different degrees of glories.  Our placement in part's of God's house are determined by the judgement.  He will judge us and place us where we most qualify for and are most comfortable with.  The first glory is the Celestial Kingdom, symbolized by the glory of the sun.  It is where God resides and where we experience the blessings of exaltation, progression, and eternal life.  The second glory is the Terrestrial Kingdom, symbolized by the glory of the moon.  It is a place where those who lived honorable lives but didn't accept the gospel will be placed.  And the third is the Telestial Kingdom, symbolized by the glory of the stars.  It is the place where those who were wicked and who did not repent of their sins will go. 

So what does this mean for me?:  Well it means a lot really.  This is God's plan for our lives and we are presented with a wonderful opportunity to become like Him.  Our life here on earth is but a minute in comparison with the vastness of eternity.  Because of this plan we know who we are, God's children.  We know what we must do in this life, and that is to look upon our Savior Jesus Christ.  He is the way, and through Him we can be cleansed from our sins and return back to the presence of our Father in Heaven. 

I know this plan is real.  It's a plan of happiness, a plan of mercy, and plan of love.  With it we can experience the greatest level of joy and happiness that a loving Father in Heaven wants us to have.  Please take some time to consider this and ask God if it is true.  With sincere study and pray, He will let you know what you can do to return and live again with Him.

Only Two Short Years

I had this thought come to my while me and my companion Elder Tiechert were driving from a dinner appointment. I looked down at my shirt and saw my name tag there and this thought came to me. I only get to where this for two years then I won't be allowed to put it back on. Only two short years will I be able to wear this tag and say that it is my full-time job to be the Lord's represenative here in New York. That gave thought gave me a whole different perspective of how I look at my mission ahead of me. Two years seems long but it won't seem that way after it's over. So a renewed sense of vigor and determination swept over me as I pondered on this thought. I said to myself that I will do all that I can to be worthy of this honor of being the Lord's missionary here in this area. I will put forth all that I can do help those that I serve and give all that I have to this effort so that when I return, I can say I have no regrets. I know that my Savior lives and He suffered for me in the Garden. I know the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I know that Thomas S. Monson is our prophet today and he holds all the keys to the kingdom here on earth from an unbroken line of authority down to Jesus Christ. I love this gosepl and know this church is true.