I had a great week leading up to Easter today. I enjoyed studying about the last week of our Savior and felt closer to Him as I did so.
I often feel the pull of the world and today, to know that through Christ’s resurrection I have life was a good feeling. Though I walk through the valley of death I know that He is my Lord and that He knows all my troubles and sorrows.
Though I fall short I know that through him I may conquer all my fears!
He is Risen and I know this to be true.
Jesus entered into Jerusalem today, he cleansed the temple and spent the night in Bethany 2 miles outside of the Holy City. Over the course of this week he showed his power, performed miracles, taught and finally suffered for all mankind in the Garden of Gethsemane and was crucified on Golgotha.
Each day this week spend some private time reading a few scriptures, pray and think about what Christ was doing. Wake up Easter Morning and thank the Father for sending his Son.
Here’s our ward newsletter. Page 4 has a daily reading schedule across the 4 gospels. Day three and four are combined.
BYU 208th March 2008 Newsletter
I am very excited to pause a little each day and remember my Savior like I promised I would when I was baptized.
Let me know how it goes for you!
King Arthur
Clean Hands and a Pure Heart
Elder David A. Bednar
“The purpose of our mortal journey is not merely to see the sights on earth or to expend our allotment of time on self-centered pursuits; rather, we are to ‘walk in newness of life’, to become sanctified by yielding our hearts unto God, and to obtain ‘the mind of Christ’.”
“…to have our hearts changed by the Holy Spirit…” is the ultimate purpose of the gospel and thus why Christ came to perform the atonement.
So often I get into the habit of thinking that Christ came merely to save me from my sins. That’s nice and good, but stopping there is so sad. The exciting part of the atonement to me is the transformation into something so amazing through Christ Jesus. “The infinite Atonement is for both the sinner and saint in each of us.”
“Repentance of our sins and seeking forgiveness are spiritually necessary, and we must always remember to do so. But remission of sin is not the only or even the ultimate purpose of the gospel. To have our hearts changed by the Holy Spirit…is the covenant responsibility we have accepted.”
I was richly edified as Elder Bednar emphasized the “becoming” aspect of the atonement and of this gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Brothers and sisters,” he said, “it is possible for us to have clean hands, but not have a pure heart.” He continues a little later, “Clean hands alone will not be enough when we stand before Him who is pure…”
So while I may stop doing bad, if I don’t then progress on and become good, I am missing out. That jump from removing sins of commission in our lives to limiting sins of omission is one of faith and of truly understanding the gospel.
That’s the whole purpose…to BECOME like God, so that when we see him again, we will be prepared, we will know him, because we are like him. And what a joyous day that will be if we have sought to repent and then to come unto Christ.
After All We Can Do
by Elder Claudio D. Zivic
I heard a friend ask this last week, “how long must I continue trying so hard?” and quickly thought, well, that’s easy to answer; we should do all that we can do for the WHOLE of our mortal lives. That’s what life is all about, learning!
I didn’t validate my friend’s feelings with that thought and it’s been so easy for me lately to toss out advice and miss how I’m not applying it at the same time.
Yesterday night however, after a friend of mine who was visiting from Logan UT talked to me about wanting to be better, I started to feel my passion for excellence come back. I do love that feeling. It’s exciting. It’s motivating and it’s necessary to push me forward in the cause of right. It’s the desire that the scriptures talk about and it’s the vital prerequisite for action and for accessing the full potential of the atonement of Jesus Christ.
Elder Zivic spoke of several gospel components that allow us to “be someone out of the ordinary.” My desire is to become just such a person. Who am I not to be?
I’d just like to end with a quote that I’ve always liked. It speaks of who we really are:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light , not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of god. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make and manifest the glory of god that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Authors Details: Marianne Williamson
“Our greatest fear” from her book ‘A return to love ‘
You were never meant to be ordinary!
Claim the Exceeding Great and Precious Promises
by Elder Spencer J. Condie
“And God remembered Rachel.” After being with my dear friend Rachel last week for the blessing of her lovely Thomas, I realized that my Father in Heaven DOES love his children. His love was evident in the blessing. His love was evident in Rachel’s eyes as she looked upon her son with other people. His love was evident in her careful attention to capturing everything that was going on this important day so that Thomas could one day look back and know how important it was to his mother.
The scriptures are laden with promises so powerful that one need only find a few and grasp onto them. Such a person would never cease to have hope in this life if these promises were always remembered… Hmm, kinda sounds like the rod of iron.
I appreciated this promise that Elder Condie brought out: The Holy Ghost can be our constant companion when we garnish our thoughts with virtue.
The Holy Ghost isn’t just a nice thing to have I’m learning, but rather, it’s a NECESSARY piece of Heavenly Father’s plan for me. Without the Holy Ghost, I cannot know truth with any depth of significance. It’s also with the Holy Ghost that I will become purified as Christ is purified and thus be ready to enter into his rest once my earthly toils are through.
Friends’ Thoughts: