Doubt Not, Fear Not

With finals week approaching, I have been stressed to the max. D&C section 6 verse 28 says "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not." Reading this verse this past week provided me with the comfort and peace that I needed. I am so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who has a plan for me and for his son who knows my every heartache. HE knows how I am going to get through finals, HE knows what I need to be comforted, and HE knows how everything is going to work out. My testimony has grown so much over this semester as I have done a serious study of The Book of Mormon. I have come to truly know and believe in the power of The Book of Mormon. At the end of the Book of Mormon, Moroni talks about how merciful the Lord is. The Book of Mormon begins with Nephi, talking about the tender mercies of the Lord. The Book of Mormon is not just a record, it is an amazing tool that we have been given for us in our day today. It tells us of the love, patience, charity, and mercy that Heavenly Father has for us. I truly believe it is the most true and correct book on this earth and I am thankful for the chance I have had to study it in depth this semester.

Start Somewhere

Alma 32:27 says "But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment unto 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."This scripture reminded me of a quote from one of my favorite conference talks. In "He Will Place You on His Shoulders and Carry You Home" Dieter F Uchtdorf says, "Do not despair. If you cannot muster faith right now, begin with hope. If you cannot say you know God is there, you can hope that He is. You can desire to believe. That is enough to start. Then, acting on that hope, reach out to Heavenly Father. God will extend His love toward you, and His work of rescue and transformation will begin. Over time, you will recognize His hand in your life. You will feel His love. And the desire to walk in His light and follow His way will grow with every step of faith you take." I love this scripture and this quote. It shows of the desire that our Savior has for us to come unto to Him. We do not need to know everything, we do not need to be perfect. All that He asks is that we start with something. Start with a desire to believe and let it work in you until your desire grows into something larger. I think that this scripture is so powerful and comforting to me because it helps me understand that I do not need to be perfect. Sometimes I feel like I don't know enough about the gospel and that I need to know more before bearing my testimony or sharing a thought. This scripture assures me that the Lord doesn't expect me to know everything and this brings me peace and comfort.

Infinite and Intimate

3 Nephi has always been one of my favorite books in The Book of Mormon because of the focus on Christ. In this book Jesus Christ visits the Americas. It is so sacred and beautiful to read. 3 Nephi 11:15 states,"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." I love the phrase "one by one". It shows that Christ has time for each individual. Brother Griffin shared an amazing insight with our class while studying this verse. He bore his testimony that Christ is not only the infinite atoner, but also the intimate atoner. When we see Jesus Christ again everybody is going to get a one-on-one experience with Him. This scripture has given me so much comfort this past week and my testimony of the atonement has been strengthened. It is not just a broad, foreign concept that we hear about over the pulpit. The atonement is real and it is for each of us individually. This is such a beautiful verse and it has helped me to have a greater understanding of Gods love for each of us individually.

In His Strength I Can Do All Things

The scriptures Alma 26: 11-12 have been a huge blessing in my life this past week. "I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God. Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many might miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." Stumbling upon this scripture reminded me that I am nothing without God. I feel extremely blessed to be able to do so many things here at BYU but I could do none of it without my Heavenly Father. I am nothing without him. I am so thankful for the power that He gives me to be able to succeed. I know that the things I am accomplishing are because of His strength, not mine. Each and every day Heavenly Father helps me and gives me the tools I need and I am so thankful for Him and His perfect love.

A Perfect Knowledge

This week I wrote a paper for my Book of Mormon class about a question that had come to my mind. I searched many scriptures and websites and still wasn't able to come up with a clear answer. I honestly was a tiny bit frustrated about it. Later in class we studied Alma 32. Verse 21 states "And now as I said concerning faith—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." How perfect for me to stumble upon this verse during this time. We need to be ok with not having a perfect knowledge of things, for that is where faith comes in. Heavenly Father hasn't revealed everything to us yet, and He does so in our best interest. He loves us so much and I'm thankful for this simple reminder to trust Him.

Born of God

Mosiah 27:25 is one of my favorite scriptures in the whole Book of Mormon. It says "And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters." It is required by ALL men to be born again, born of God. I think that being born of God means truly dedicating our lives to the Lord, doing the things that He would have us do instead of what the world would have. We must be changed from our carnal and fallen state. This requires a change of heart, repentance, and a lot of effort. It will require sacrifice to be born again. The repentance process is not always easy, but it is so worth it. I am thankful for the opportunity that the Lord gives us to be born again. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said "God doesn't care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go." This is a truth that I am most grateful for. Our Heavenly Father wants us to be born again, and He will help us to get there.

HE Was Wounded For OUR Transgressions

I've always had a hard time understanding all of the teachings of Isaiah, but I love the way he paints a picture with his words. Mosiah 14:4-5 says "Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." In class this week we emphasized the words HE and OUR. This is one of my very favorite scriptures, and it becomes more meaningful when you read it like this. HE was wounded for OUR transgressions, HE was bruised for OUR iniquities. The earth has seen no greater act of love than the atonement of Jesus Christ. I am being healed because He was wounded for me. This week I have struggled with a few things. In a moment of weakness I sometimes think that I can solve all of my problems on my own. I get too proud to ask for help from my Savior. That's not what the atonement is for. The atonement covers every aspect of our lives. He was wounded for my transgressions, He wants to help me. I know that by calling upon the Lord for help I will be able to feel of His love for me and He will give me the strength that I need.

Turn To The Lord

I was provided with a source of comfort this week as I read Mosiah 7. Verse 33 says "But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, He will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage." This has been the toughest week since I started college. I was frustrated, discouraged, and upset. After coming across this verse, I was able to pray to my Heavenly Father and He gave me the strength that I needed. I am so thankful for the scriptures and the insight that they give to us. I know if we put our trust in the Savior He will deliver us from whatever we are going through. It is not always easy and often takes a leap of faith. Sometimes we think we have it all figured out, but God is the supreme craftsman. He knows what is best for us and He wants us to turn to Him. I feel so blessed to have someone to rely on when I feel I am at my lowest. I hope that I will be able to turn to the Lord with a full purpose of heart throughout my entire life.

Keep My Commandments

After listening to the prophet and apostles speak in General Conference, I felt very inspired as I studied my scriptures this week. Jarom 1:9 reads "And thus they were prepared to meet the Lamanites, but they did not prosper against us. But the word of the Lord was verified, which he spake unto our fathers, saying that: Inasmuch as ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land." Although I have heard the phrase"Inasmuch as ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land" before, it really hit me as I read this week. D. Todd Christofferson shared a thought in conference that has stuck with me. He taught that although God loves all of his children and rains down blessings to each of us, He can only give us the blessings that love and law and justice and mercy permit. Gods greater blessings are conditioned on obedience. We are not entitled to expect blessings unworthily. I loved this thought and it has inspired me to truly keep the commandments and live the gospel to the fullest. Although temptation may seem appealing in the moment, I know that we will be blessed for keeping the commandments.

After All We Can Do

2 Nephi 25:23 reads "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 we can do." We talked about the grace of God this week in class. Our teacher had us look for scriptures on grace in the topical guide under the word deserve, but deserve was not in the topical guide. We talked about being deserving to go to heaven. Does anyone deserve it? No, we don't deserve to go to heaven without Gods grace. We need to rely alone on the merits of Christ, for the grace of the God is what saves us. It is amazing that it is already there, we just need to accept it. Jesus Christ has already atoned for our sins, now we just need to repent and come unto him. No matter what we do in this life, we are all imperfect beings. After all we can do, we still have faults. Nobody would be able to make it into heaven without the grace of God. How lucky are we to have such a merciful God? The commandments are an extension of His grace. By following the commandments, we are showing our appreciation to the Lord. This was a sweet reminder to me this week. I love the gospel and I love studying the scriptures and applying them to my life. Each week I am finding a greater love for my Heavenly Father and his son, Jesus Christ. God is so good.

The Greatest Gift We Have Ever Received

Can you think of a time that someone did something nice for you? As I have reflected back on the week, I can think of several acts of kindness that were performed in my behalf. Receiving a priesthood blessing, getting a package in the mail, and having somebody smile at me in the library. I am so thankful for these acts of kindness! Although these gifts were all so great, there is an even greater gift that we have been given. The greatest gift of all is the atonement of Jesus Christ. The atonement is a topic that means so much to me and I loved studying it further in class this week. As we study the atonement, we learn about the pain and suffering that Christ went through. Jesus lived a perfect life so until the atonement he had never experienced guilt, shame, regret, sorrow, pain, fear, depression, or frustration. Can you imagine what it would feel like to have never felt any of those feelings before, and all of a sudden have them thrust upon you at once? He wasn't just feeling those things for one person, but for the whole world. No human could have suffered as he did, Jesus was the only one who could perform the task. Without him, we would have died and been cast out of Gods presence. Isn't it amazing that somebody would do that for each of us? He bled from every pore for the mistakes that we have made. He never got to feel any of the "guilty pleasure" that comes from sinning, but only the sorrow, the grief, the regret. Somebody loves you so much that He would suffer pain unimaginable to any of us for YOU. For your sins, your sorrows, and your transgressions. To be able to feel what you are feeling when you think nobody else understands. That is truly the greatest gift in the history of the world. 2 Nephi 9:19 says "O the greatness of the mercy of our God, the Holy One of Israel! For he delivereth his saints from that awful monster the devil, and death, and hell, and that lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment." Jesus went into the depths of hell, he went below each of us so that he could raise us all up.  This is the most comforting principle to me. We can live with our Heavenly Father again someday because of the atonement. Jesus Christ went through all of the pain and paid the price of our sins. We just need to repent and return to him. I am so thankful for the atonement and all that it has done for me. It has changed my life in ways that I never knew it could. I have been able to come unto Christ because of it, and that has brought me peace and happiness. I love this gospel,I love my Savior, and I am so thankful for the atonement.

He Hath Filled Me With His Love

In my reading this week, I came across a passage in 2 Nephi. After Lehi dies, Nephi is reflecting upon his own life. He feels sorrow because of his iniquities and short comings. While he is thinking about his past sins, he says "Nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted. My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep. He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh." I think this passage is amazing. So often I feel inadequate, unworthy, and upset by the things that I am tempted with. There are times when I think I have made too many mistakes, or committed sins too serious to be forgiven of. This chapter is such a beautiful reminder of the love that Heavenly Father has for us. He is not waiting to love us until we are perfect, He loves us NOW. He loves us with our mistakes, our sins, our challenges, and our short comings. He loves us as the imperfect beings that we are, and He wants to help us progress. Heavenly Father hears our cries and wants nothing more than to give us strength to help us through our trials. Later in the chapter Nephi says, "If the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?.... Awake my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of Soul." Nephi is reminding us to be of good cheer. Heavenly Father does not want us to be upset because we are not perfect, nobody is. He wants us to rejoice and to be happy. I love this message and I am thankful for this beautiful reminder from Nephi. I love being part of a gospel that is focused on happiness, and I am so thankful for the peace that it brings to my life.

Hold Fast to the Iron Rod

1 Nephi 8:30 "But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree."
As I read this scripture, I realized that the people weren’t just holding onto the iron rod, they were pressing forward. It can often seem easy to just go through the motions of things, such as saying a memorized prayer or skimming over the scriptures. It is not simply enough just to hold on. We have to actively hold fast to the iron rod to stay on the straight and narrow. This is such a reminder to me, as I sometimes get lazy. Satan can so easily work at us if we are not actively pressing forward. Our testimonies are either growing or diminishing, they do not just stand still. This scripture really inspired me to keep pressing forward with faith and I invite you all to do the same.

The Tender Mercies of the Lord

This week I have been reading in the first book of Nephi. 1 Nephi 1:20 says “But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance”. This scripture means so much to me, and I love the principle that it teaches. It shows me that the Savior loves all of us, and wants to bless us each in different ways. This scripture has truly brought me peace and comfort throughout different times of my life. Although starting college this week has felt overwhelming, this scripture was a beautiful reminder that the Lord loves me and has blessed me in so many ways. After reading it, I began to look for different tender mercies that the Savior has given to me. Although I know that I don’t recognize all of them, it was amazing to look around and see all that the Lord has done for me. I realized that often times when I feel that I cannot keep going any longer, the Lord gives me a tender mercy as a reminder of his love for me. I am so grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord and it is my hope that I can come to recognize them more and more each day.