It Is Finished

The words uttered by the Savior as he hung on the cross are three of the most fulfilling and eternal words ever spoken. The brought wholeness, completeness, and legitimacy to the faith and hope and prayers of many "who believed on His name." When Christ said, "it is finished," it was a statement in recognition of the grandeur of the act that had just been accomplished. He endured, held out, and literally suffered all. He chose to continue on, to press forward, because He loved us. He died on the cross to pay for our sins, and He rose from the tomb to conquer death. My heart is full of gratitude for my Lord, my Redeemer, the Only Begotten of the Father. Because He lives, we all can live and love forever.

I Stand Amazed

My life is like anyone else's - full of commitments, obligations, trials, and a wide spectrum of emotions. I am imperfect and sometimes, I recognize that it's okay to be imperfect and I cope with that fairly well. Other days, I struggle more - frustrated that I'm not overcoming an imperfection at the rate I desire. The marvelous gift of the Gospel though, the focal point of it all, is Jesus Christ. He is my Savior and He knows me. He loves me and He cares about me. He voluntarily entered the Garden of Gethsemane so that He could suffer to know how I suffer; He chose to live through the pain so that I don't have to, and He died that I might live forever.

The titles of two LDS hymns adequately describe the dependency on, and reverence for, the Savior that I feel every day. One is "I Need Thee Every Hour" and the other is "I Stand All Amazed" - combined, I feel they express my appreciation for what the Savior has done for me and they testify of the His power, love, and grace. I need it; I need Him. Life is hard and without Him, I know it would be much harder. I wish I could find the words to describe how I feel. I wish I had the vast amount of time I would like to have to truly explore my relationship with Him. I guess that's what daily prayer and scripture study is for, but I wish it were different. I do know however that I am grateful for His sacrifice. Through His power, through the Atonement, by coming unto Him and following Him, I know that He has prepared a way for the sinner to repent and be forgiven, for the offended to be made whole, and for all of us to live once more with the weights and burdens of this world lifted from our shoulders. As Matthew records the Savior's perfect and eternally valid statement: "Come unto me... and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

Time Under Tension

In weight lifting, the term "time under tension" refers to how long the lifter is placing his/her muscles under the rigor (or tension) of lifting weights. Increasing time under tension breaks down the muscles more, allowing them to grow strong once they're given a break and allowed to rest and recover. While this principle is widely recognized in the weight lifting world, it is often a stumbling block for many when it comes to matters of faith and spirituality.

Those who would try to disprove the reality of Christ’s ministry – and even more-so the existence and actuality of an infinite Atonement – argue that if the Atonement were real there would be no suffering or overwhelming burdens. Yet, I would argue that hardships and challenges in this life directly help to prove that the Atonement truly is real. As stated in the book of Moses, God’s great plan is for the benefit and salvation of mankind (Moses 1:39). Because it has always been about “the one” and helping that “one” to progress and improve and change, Christ’s Atonement was never intended to be a power which would eliminate all worry and difficulty; rather, it is “the rock foundation upon which all hope in this life and eternity is predicated” and the means whereby life’s challenges can be conquered. Nephi valiantly stated that he knew he could accomplish anything the Lord commanded Him because a way had been prepared (1 Nephi 3:7), and Christ taught His disciples that He is “the way” (John 14:6).

While suffering under great persecution, the Lord tells Alma and his people that “I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage” (Mosiah 24:14). “And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease” (Mosiah 24:15). Disciples of the Savior can find comfort in remembering that the Lord has promised that there is a way prepared, He has promised to help when help is needed, and He is bound so long as His commandments are obeyed (D&C 82:3).

The Lord understands perfectly the concept of time under tension, and He will put us in situations that cause our spiritual muscles to be flexed and used and exhausted and broken down, because that is how they are made stronger.

We Are The Lost Sheep

As I think about the parables Christ taught, the three "lost" parables - the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son - come to mind as incredibly relevant and applicable to each of us today. I know that for me, there've been times in my life where I've felt lost. Sometimes, it's been because I'm not sure what the next step is that I should take, sometimes it's been a direct result of my decisions and actions, and sometimes it's been a result of the situation around me. However, I know that as long as we are following the Savior, we are never truly lost. He loves us and He wants what's best for us. By choosing to try our best, to follow Him and keep His commandments, we allow His guidance and love to protect us. And yes, He allows light and hope to shine where we wouldn't otherwise think it to be possible. No decision or action or situation will ever cause us to be outside the reach of the Savior's arms. We can never wander "too far away" for the Atonement and the blessings of the Gospel to restore, replenish, and return hope and peace to our lives. Luke 15 teaches that with the three parables, and in each of them, they end with joyful celebration because that is how the Savior feels when we return to Him. We are all like the lost sheep because no one is perfect and the other ninety-and-nine didn't need repentance. So, yes, we will each be lost at some point in our lives. It's the decision to remain humble and continue to seek repentance that will restore happiness and love to our lives.

Overcoming Our Will To Do His Will

I think one of the most frustrating - but also the most rewarding and fulfilling - things is trying to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. It is impossible to be perfect in this life; and a new perspective was illuminated to me this week. In a gathering where the focus was on discussing the social customs of various countries with regards to business, it was determined that Americans are very clear-cut and direct with their business purposes. When a business idea is formed, a business meeting almost always follows soon after - whether that's pitching the idea to a potential financial backer, to a development and production team, etc - and it's expected that the meeting will last only as long as necessary to clarify details and the vision of the project. However, in other countries, especially in the Middle East, a business deal is only formed after a friendship is established - and the business deal usually quickly and unanimously follows once the friendship and trust is built.

I think this is often the case with the Gospel and our relationship with our Heavenly Father. We take the American business mentality of "give me the 10-step plan, set a deadline, show me the guidelines, and I will do everything I can to get it done in that amount of time." And yet, this isn't how the Gospel is. It's not meant to focus on a deadline or to be a checklist of to-do items; it's about learning who we are and who are Heavenly Father is. Once we know who He is, we must learn how He acts and thinks and speaks and interacts, because the purpose of the Gospel is for us to become like Him. We will continue to make mistakes and the Atonement is there as a powerful correctional tool to aide us in eventually achieving what Heavenly Father expects of us. In fact, once the relationship is established and trust in Him truly is there, the blessings and results of the Gospel, the commandments, and the Atonement become very evident in our lives.

Thus, we must surrender our instinctive desires and do as Christ did when He said "not my will but thine be done." Truly, His will is one of patience, long-suffering, enduring, adapting, overcoming, learning, growing, changing, and improving. It's a process- and it guarantees the best outcome for us.

My Storms, My Fear, His Peace

Mark's biblical account of Christ's ministry teaches us an invaluable lesson about the Master. One verse in Mark 4 reads: "And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm" (Mark 4:39). As we navigate through the storms of life, we must remember that Christ is in our ship, and that He is all-powerful. He truly can do all things. If we ask Him, "all things are possible..." and He will turn our worldly fears into godly fear. He will calm our souls and our lives. Christ is the equilibrium that we so desperately seek. As prophets of God prepare to speak in about a month, my personal goal is to thoroughly evaluate my life to determine areas that are not so "calm" and "still" because I know that if I prepare my heart and mind, I can receive counsel and guidance for my life. My storms and my fear will be tempered with the sweet peace that is only His to give.

The Process of Perfection

In Matthew 5, Christ gives the following command: "Be ye therefore perfect." The simple reality is that, in this life, we will never attain perfection. The process of perfection, though, is one that we can follow and in doing so, we can learn more about ourselves, Christ, and the love that He has for all of us. The Savior, the Master Teacher, taught us that "strait is the way and narrow is the gate" that leads to eternal life; and the only way we can be on track to make it through that gate and along the way that He has prepared is by following Him. Because perfection is a process, one of the most important things we must remember is to be patient with ourselves. Life is hard. There are a lot of things that potentially stand in the way between where we are now and the "perfect" that we are commanded to be. Maybe it's best to add another command that Christ often gives: "come." So maybe we are supposed to be perfect by coming unto Him; in other words, maybe what He's really asking is that we try our best, that we "learn of [Him]" and strive to be more like Him, recognizing that we can work to be-come perfect over time, rather than striving to be perfect right now.

"Look to God And Live"

“But behold, this is not all; these are not the only ones who have spoken concerning the Son of God.

Behold, he was spoken of by Moses; yea, and behold a type was raised up in the wilderness, that whosoever would look upon it might live. And many did look and live.

But there were many who were so hardened that they would not look, therefore they perished. Now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would heal them.

O my brethren, if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly, or would ye rather harden your hearts in unbelief, and be slothful, that ye would not cast about your eyes, that ye might perish?

…cast about your eyes and begin to believe in the Son of God, that he will come to redeem his people, and that he shall suffer and die to atone for their sins; and that he shall rise again from the dead, which shall bring to pass the resurrection...

And now, my brethren, I desire that ye shall plant this word in your hearts, and as it beginneth to swell even so nourish it by your faith. And behold, it will become a tree, springing up in you unto everlasting life. And then may God grant unto you that your burdens may be light, through the joy of his Son. And even all this can ye do if ye will. Amen. (Alma 33:18-23)

“O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever. And now, my son, see that ye take care of these sacred things, yea, see that ye look to God and live.” (Alma 37:46-47)

“…and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished.” (1 Nephi 17:41)

Although I didn't realize it at the time, these three scriptures have been constantly in my thoughts. As I'm sure many of you feel - if not most of you - I feel inadequate in so many aspects of my life. There are things that I'm good at, but there are many more things that I struggle with. And it's those things that I seem to worry so much about. Yes, these weaknesses are frustrating, heartbreaking, challenging, upsetting, exhausting, and sometimes embarrassing... but I've remembered a few important principles as I've tried to work through these. One, we're not always going to be perfect. There may be moments in our lives where things really seem to be going well - we're "firing on all cylinders" so to speak - but it's not always going to be like that, and that's okay. Life's ups help us stay motivated during the downs and they help us learn more about how God is; and life's downs return humility and dependency to our lives amidst the joys and successes of life's ups, and it's during the downs that we learn who God is.

Let me phrase it a little differently. Life sometimes seems to be all ups or all downs, but I believe that truly it isn't like that. The only thing that really makes us feel truly invincible or totally helpless is our attitude. They both result from a lack of faith. Life is full of both ups and downs, at the same time, and it's how we accept, confront, and overcome those challenges and success that help us learn more about God. Through the ups, we learn how God is and what heaven will be like - what it's like to experience and live in a world full of inexplicable joy, the pure love of Christ, and a myriad of other positive emotions. And through the downs, we learn who God is - that He is our Father, that He loves and cares about us, that He is an Almighty God through whom we can be saved, cleansed, forgiven, succored, mended, and healed. The ups and downs together remind us that there is a path, and that path to redemption and joy is quite simple. The way is prepared by the Son of God, our Savior, Redeemer, and Elder Brother.

And most of all, with every experience combined, we learn that there is only one way - God's way - to be humble and successful, truly happy even during the most devastating times, perfectly compassionate and justly condemning; and we learn that the way is prepared and all that we must do when we find ourselves in the downs of life is "look to God and live."

He Answers My Prayers

200 years ago, a boy named Joseph Smith saw God, our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ. They were, and are, and forever will be two separate individuals with unique roles in bringing about our salvation.

In the boy Joseph's own words about the experience, he said:

“After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.

“But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being—just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.

“It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”

I love this passage of scripture because I learn so much about the Plan of Salvation and Satan’s limited but very real power; the power of God and the closeness I truly have to Him; and the infinite power which I can call upon whenever we need it. There is a pattern which we can follow in order to receive answers to our prayers, and for the Prophet Joseph, that pattern began before his vision in the Sacred Grove.

It’s important to recognize that we have to do our part to gain answers to our prayers. We must formulate and ponder our questions, study them out in the scriptures, and meditate how the principles and doctrines of the Gospel apply to our question. We must have faith that we will receive answers to our prayers, and humility sufficient to recognize the answers when they come. One other important principle we learn from Joseph is that we must make a plan of action, if necessary, and then go to the Lord. Joseph spent some time attending different churches, studied the scriptures, and then he determined that he would go to the woods to pray and ask God Himself which church the boy should join.

Joseph Smith saw God, our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, as a result of diligent study, mediation, faith, and humble prayer.

There are two great principles to be learned from the First Vision. The first is that Satan has a very real and significant power, and yet we can overcome his power if we pray to our Father in Heaven. Temptations, distractions from and confusion about religion, faith, and the Savior have become commonplace in our society. But Christ has shown us the manner by which we can pray, and we can pray any time, whenever we need help. This first principle shows us that we have been given an incredible power – specifically, prayer – by which we can overcome the adversary.

The second principle we learn in these verses is that God answers our prayers and that he is listening; when we pray, there is someone at the other end of our prayer listening and waiting to respond. He will respond on his own time schedule, with the response that is best for us, but Heavenly Father will answer our prayers. He loves each one of us – as Elder Holland so gracefully said, “the first great truth of all eternity is that God loves us with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength. That love is the foundation stone of eternity, and it should be the foundation stone of our daily life.” We are His children and He is our Father. At any time and anywhere, we can pray for anything and anyone. Whether that prayer be in our heart or vocalized, for ourselves or for the benefit of others, in the form of a prayer or a blessing, Heavenly Father hears and answers all of our prayers according to His wisdom, and our faith.

Yes! I Am My Brother's Keeper!

The often over-looked blessing of the Fall of Adam is that all of us have, as result, been given the opportunity to come into the Earth as part of a family here and to learn and grow. We're placed in families so that we can learn - everything from walking and eating to basic math and science principles. However, the most important reason we are in families is to learn about ourselves, to discover who we are as children of God. Yes, all of us are children of a very loving and merciful Father in Heaven.

It's interesting to think about the experience Adam and Eve had when they were cast out of the Garden of Eden. They now lived in a world of temptation, sickness, and death; yet, just a brief period before, they had been walking - quite literally - with God. So, to see their children grow up and fall for the tricks and lies of Satan must have been utterly devastating. And worst of all was that their son, Cain, murdered his brother Abel.

Upon doing so, the Lord - who evidently regularly spoke with Adam and Eve, and their family - comes to Cain and asks him: "Where is Abel, thy brother?" To which Cain replies, "I know not. Am I my brother's keeper?" The scriptures only ever refer to two persons as perdition - Lucifer and Cain. To that evil man who murdered his brother in cold blood and then lied to the face of the God of the Universe, my answer from personal belief, faith, and desire is: Yes! You are your brother's keeper! And so am I.

Our world seems to be in a state where we are constantly "hanging on" by threads and faith and hope sometimes seem rather impossible or pointless. And yet, I'm telling you that with the knowledge that Christ has triumphed over the grave and that the battle over Satan is in fact won, we just have to choose whether or not to have hope and to have faith. Being descent humans, serving others, being kind, smiling, giving compliments, being loyal to our spouses and children are all things that will foster an environment of love, concern, care, hope, and yes - faith.

Followers of Christ have even promised to be "[our] brother's keeper" for, in scriptural terms, we promise at baptism "to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort" (Mosiah 18:8-9). In modern revelation we are commanded to "succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees" (D&C 81:5).

In short, we are told to help everyone, to love our neighbors and our enemies, to bless those that curse us, and to turn the other cheek when we are the targets of hatred and malice; and yes, whether it come from an internal desire to love all or only from obedience to God, we are to be our brother's keeper.

Both Temporal and Spiritual

In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord gives us insight to the nature of His commandments and of us as beings created by Him. "Wherefore, verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal." I think mind, body, and spirit are all interconnected and have both spiritual and temporal (or physical) roots. We must treat them as both and work to increase their strengths by physical and temporal means. In working to improve ourselves, we must remember a very important, fundamental truth that will allow us to make the most of our efforts.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us the fundamentals in order to achieve happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. Principles and ordinances of the Gospel are simple and straightforward. The commandments that are taught all follow a pattern of "comply and be rewarded." The basic steps to building a testimony and finding success in the Gospel are: personal prayer, scripture study, church attendance, temple worship, and obedience to the commandments. There really is only one way - and there is no way around the basic principles and ordinances. There is no "detour" or "back door."

Likewise, being healthy and strong is something that must be done by following the basics to nutrition. If we want our bodies to gain muscle mass, doing muscle-building activities (like bodyweight exercises or lifting weights) is the way that those muscle gains will happen. Increasing our aerobic capacity can only be achieved by exercising. And ridding our bodies of chemicals and feeling internally healthier is only possible by eating healthy and making good lifestyle decisions. There are no secrets, there are no tricks. There are no "detours" to a healthy, fit, lean, strong, fast, or toned body. There is only one way, and it's a proven way. Doing the small and simple things - the basics - will get us to where we want to go.