As this Easter season was approaching I began thinking about my Savior. Since Easter is the last day of this month, I decided that I really wanted to have an Easter season this year instead of just an Easter Sunday.
So I started reading the New Testament. It is a glorious book. I have been marking the miracles Jesus performed and each night of March I plan to read one of them to the family. I noticed something that I had never paid attention to before. Christ healed so many people from all walks of life. Despite their differences, they all had one thing in common - they asked for the miracle. They came to Christ and asked him to heal them and take away their suffering. He didn't turn any of them away.
This insight has taught me an important lesson about the Savior's atonement. The immeasurable blessings are within my reach, but I need to ask. And if I ask, he won't fail me.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Covenants
D&C 25:13 Wherefore, lift up thy heart and rejoice, and cleave unto the covenants which thou hast made.
When I read that verse, I stopped. I had planned to read the rest of the study materials for this Sunday, but I couldn't go on. Cleave unto my covenants. I'm not quite sure what it means, but I know it's something I am supposed to ponder and do.
Maybe it means I should focus on the promises I have made and the promised blessings I will receive. Rather than looking for more knowledge or different blessings, I should live according to the covenants I have already made. If I strive to live up to my end of the deal, it will keep me busy the rest of my life. If I always have the Lord's spirit with me on this earth and have the promise of His blessings for me and my family for eternity, what more can I ask for?
(Next day's thoughts) There is safety and peace in cleaving to my covenants. If I am fulfilling my covenants, all of the warnings the Lord gives to his people won't apply to me. I won't need to worry about being left behind when the bridegroom comes. I won't have to worry that my seed will wither and die. I won't need to worry that I will be an unprofitable servant. If I am living up to my covenants, I will be where the Lord wants me to be.
When I read that verse, I stopped. I had planned to read the rest of the study materials for this Sunday, but I couldn't go on. Cleave unto my covenants. I'm not quite sure what it means, but I know it's something I am supposed to ponder and do.
Maybe it means I should focus on the promises I have made and the promised blessings I will receive. Rather than looking for more knowledge or different blessings, I should live according to the covenants I have already made. If I strive to live up to my end of the deal, it will keep me busy the rest of my life. If I always have the Lord's spirit with me on this earth and have the promise of His blessings for me and my family for eternity, what more can I ask for?
(Next day's thoughts) There is safety and peace in cleaving to my covenants. If I am fulfilling my covenants, all of the warnings the Lord gives to his people won't apply to me. I won't need to worry about being left behind when the bridegroom comes. I won't have to worry that my seed will wither and die. I won't need to worry that I will be an unprofitable servant. If I am living up to my covenants, I will be where the Lord wants me to be.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Outward Appearances
Lately I have been working on losing weight. I haven't been very successful. I have been careful to not eat too much and I have been exercising. Still, not much difference in my appearance. But I can feel the difference. My body is capable of more.
I also have been working on spiritual growth. I show up on time to church every Sunday with my kids. I usually have pretty good answers to the questions in Sunday school and Relief Society. I think I appear to be doing pretty well. But is it indicative of actual growth? I think I am making progress, but the change isn't visible to anyone else.
In Matthew 23, Christ condemns the Pharisees for appearing clean on the outside, but being filthy inside. I get a bit frustrated sometimes because the inside and the outside don't match. I don't look quite the way I want to. And sometimes I think others have too high of an opinion about me. I don't always feel very spiritually competent. But according to my Savior, I shouldn't be paying much attention to those outward appearances. I should be focused on cleansing the inner vessel. No matter what my appearance to others, others I need to continually work on improving myself. That way, the version of myself that I see and that my Heavenly Father sees will be beautiful.
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of aextortion and bexcess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, acleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto awhited bsepulchres, which indeed appear cbeautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all duncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear arighteous unto men, but within ye are full of bhypocrisy and iniquity.
I also have been working on spiritual growth. I show up on time to church every Sunday with my kids. I usually have pretty good answers to the questions in Sunday school and Relief Society. I think I appear to be doing pretty well. But is it indicative of actual growth? I think I am making progress, but the change isn't visible to anyone else.
In Matthew 23, Christ condemns the Pharisees for appearing clean on the outside, but being filthy inside. I get a bit frustrated sometimes because the inside and the outside don't match. I don't look quite the way I want to. And sometimes I think others have too high of an opinion about me. I don't always feel very spiritually competent. But according to my Savior, I shouldn't be paying much attention to those outward appearances. I should be focused on cleansing the inner vessel. No matter what my appearance to others, others I need to continually work on improving myself. That way, the version of myself that I see and that my Heavenly Father sees will be beautiful.
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of aextortion and bexcess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, acleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto awhited bsepulchres, which indeed appear cbeautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all duncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear arighteous unto men, but within ye are full of bhypocrisy and iniquity.
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