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.