Choose This Day

so much to learn

Sometimes I find it overwhelming to realize how much there is to learn about the gospel and from the scriptures. There are so many scripture stories that I don't know completely or verses that don't make sense to me. There are even times where I sit down and try to put all my energy to piecing together a passage in Isaiah and I come out feeling like I lack the knowledge to REALLY say I understand the gospel. As I think about this I realize that while there are always new things that I can learn and more for me to understand, the gospel really is made up of simple truths. As I relearn some of these simple truths that is when I have a confirmation of my testimony. I am grateful for those moments. Today I had the experience of feeling a simple truth whispered to me. I learned (again) that Heavenly Father loves each of His children and he wants us all to partake of the blessings of baptism. I am glad that I was able to relearn this and understand how important it is to support those that are interested and exploring the possibility of baptism.

What greater witness can you have?

In Docterine and Covenants 6:22-23 it says:

22Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might ^aknow concerning the truth of these things.

23Did I not speak ^apeace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater ^bwitness can you have than from God?

I have thought of this scripture many times when I feel that I am getting stuck in the cycle of asking the same questions over and over again. Often times I have received an answer and I wonder if it was a REAL answer or just what I wanted to hear. I love this scripture that reminds us that peace coming to our minds is the greatest answer or Heavenly Father can give us. I am grateful for times I have felt peace and known something that Heavenly Father wanted me to know.

Easter

I have been wanting to start writing on this blog again for quite some time, but for some reason I felt a little overwhelmed as to when/how to start again. This morning I felt the Spirit strongly as I read about the Atonement on this beautiful Easter day. I decided that I would share the inspiration I had. When I logged on I saw that my sister had posted yesterday, telling me to write more. She is right...it has been too long. I still have a testimony and I still want to share, so with that, I am going to renew my efforts.

I began to read from different talks today about the Savior and the suffering he endured for us, beginning in Gethsemane. Elder Bruce R. McConkie said this of his suffering:

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.

He suffered for each of us individually in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knows each of us personally and knows what we need and how we can be led through trials and repentance. As Elder McConkie said, "in some way, incomprensible to us, his suffering satisfied the demands of justice." I know I will never completely comprehend what suffering he experienced, but I look at the strength that he had and who he was as a man and the life he lived. I see that even Christ, the son of God felt this was more than he could endure. He knew it must be done and I am sure He had spent much of his life preparing for this moment, yet when it came it felt like it was too much, even for Him. Henry B. Eyring said this:

The Savior showed us that humility. you have read of how He prayed in the garden while He was suffering a trial on our behalf beyond our ability to comprehend or to endure, or even for me to describe. you remember His prayer: “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”

He knew and trusted His Heavenly Father, the great elohim. He knew that His Father was all-powerful and infinitely kind. The Beloved Son asked for the power of deliverance to help Him in humble words like those of a little child.

The Father did not deliver the Son by removing the trial. For our sakes He did not do that, and He allowed the Savior to finish the mission He came to perform.

Then He was taken to be persecuted, whipped and hung on the cross for our sins, sadness, shame and sickness. He continued to suffer for each of us individually so that he could truly have empathy for us and understand and help each of us in the way we individually needed it. Today I thought about how he hung for all to see as a common criminal. I thought about how humiliating it must have been. His clothes were taken, he was mockingly adorned with a crown of thorns and hung as criminal. While he suffered many pains for each of us, he even suffered and knows the feeling of embarrassment and public humiliation. Then as he came to the end of his suffering in John 19:30 it says:

When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is^afinished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

I was touched by the word "finish." Both in the verse from John and the quote from President Eyring. Christ did not stop and his suffering did not end until it was finished. I am amazed, grateful and humbled by the thought that he did this until it was a complete and whole atonement. He did not stop until EVERYTHING had been atoned for. There was no part of the suffering that was left undone. He completed and experienced everything that He needed to in order for the atonement to be complete. There is not one sin or sadness or infirmity that I can feel and not turn to the Savior for help. I know that the Savior did this for me and all of God's children and I am grateful for this Easter Sunday and each Sunday when I take the sacrament that I can remember this.

Little Children.

In primary the children are working on their primary program parts. Most of the kids have worked with their parents and written their own parts. They talk about how they know that Jesus loves them and how they can feel the Spirit comfort them when they are scared. They talk about being examples to others and saying prayers. Today I really felt how important it is for children to know these things. Jesus DOES love them. I am very thankful for that love.

The gift

Today at church our speaker was discussing a talk by Russell M Nelson named ask, seek, knock and she gave this quote:

Even more amazing than modern technology is our opportunity to access information directly from heaven, without hardware, software, or monthly service fees. It is one of the most marvelous gifts the Lord has offered to mortals. It is His generous invitation to “ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”1

It is amazing how sometimes you will hear something that you have heard since you were 8 years old and then it speaks to you in a different way. Since childhood I have known that we are given the "gift" of the Holy Ghost after baptism. Today when she read this quote I was struck by the truly generous gift it is. I wondered about how different my life would be without the ability to ask my Heavenly Father for something or about a decision and to receive an answer to my prayers. It is nearly impossible to think of how I could live my life and make decisions without this gift. I have thought a lot about how much I use this gift. I am thankful for this gift and will try to remember this gratitude daily.

He will never forget us

A week ago I went on a trip with a bunch of girl friends and as we drove they talked a lot about their kids. They always noticed things their children would like or were wondering what they were doing. I saw the way each of them cared so much about their children and how their love and concern for their children was at the forefront of their being. Then I read this scripture:

15 For can a ^awoman forget her sucking child, that she should not have ^bcompassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may ^cforget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel.

16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the ^apalms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

I thought about how I couldn't image any of these girls forgetting their babies, but Christ ensures us that as deep as their love is for their children, His love is stronger. He will never forget us and will never abandon us. We are reminded that he had died for us and had His hands pierced for us. These will always be there as a reminder of what he has done for us and as sign of His love you and me.