Easter, Celebrating Christ’s Atonement and Resurrection

What does Easter mean to me?  It is a time to remember the atonement, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ because these great gifts make possible the greatest gifts mankind has to gain!

“We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

“We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.”  Pearl of Great Price, Article of Faith 3 and 4.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth to show us the right way to live and to prepare the way for us to return to live with Him and with our Heavenly Father.  His great example has helped me live a better life every day of my life.  When problems arise, or I am unsure what to do in a situation, the stories and the teachings of Jesus help guide me to make the right choices.

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I have learned the way that Christ prepared so that I and my family may follow in His footsteps, live the principles and accept the ordinances that Jesus instituted for those who desire to know the truth and return to live with Him one day.

Because Jesus was resurrected, everyone will be resurrected – body and spirit reunited once again never to be separated again!  This is a free gift that He provided for all.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus Christ paid for the sins of all mankind.  This is difficult to fathom, for our minds are so finite and small.  Yet, He accomplished this great price:

“For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;

“But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;

“Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—”  Doctrine and Covenants 19:16-18.

This great gift is available to everyone, but it is a conditional gift.  To receive it, we must repent of our sins and strive to live a good and righteous life, following the example of Jesus.  We build our faith in Jesus, which allows us to learn more about how He lived and try to make the same types of choices in our own lives.

The reward for that is not only to be resurrected, but also to live with God forever and ever!

What greater joy could there be?

other results

Christ’s Atonement and Grace

My mother sent me a beautiful article about Christ’s atonement and grace.  It is entitled, His Grace is Sufficient, and was given by Brad Wilcox in a devotional at Brigham Young University on July 12, 2011.

In his talk, Brother Wilcox (what we members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints call each other since we are all children of God) explains that rather than looking at the atonement and grace as Jesus making up the difference after all we can do, it is much more akin to a mother providing music lessons to her child.

The mother pays the piano teacher, she pays the debt in full.  So she can ask for something from her child.  What does she ask for?

That the child practice.

Does the child’s practice pay the teacher?

Does the child’s practice pay back the mother?

No to both.

Practicing is how the child shows appreciation for the wonderful gift his mother provided.  It is how the child takes advantage of the opportunity his mother is giving him to live his life on a higher level.

And the mother doesn’t receive happiness by getting repaid for the lessons, but by watching her gift being used, to see her child improve his life.

If the child complains that her requirement to practice is unreasonable and too difficult, it may be because he doesn’t see the big picture the same way that she does, how much better his life could be if he chooses to live on a higher level.

It is the same with Jesus Christ.  He paid for our sins, satisfying the demands of justice.  Therefore He gives us His requirements – to follow Him and keep His commandments.  He invites us to live on a higher level.

If we complain that His requirements are unreasonable and too difficult, it may be that we do not see the big picture in the same way that Christ does, how much better our lives could be if we choose to live on a higher level.  We have not comprehended what He is trying to make of us!

We try and try to follow His commandments – not as a punishment nor even as payment for what He suffered for us.  The purpose of His rules, His requirements, is to change us, to bring us to a higher level.

We are not earning our way into heaven; we are learning heaven.  We are preparing for heaven, practicing for it.

The purpose of grace is to change us.  Remember not only what Jesus saved us from, but also what He saved us for – to be like Him and to enjoy all the blessings and happiness that He has!

25 Days of Christ – Day 19

Does the Christmas season get you down?  Is it hard to feel the spirit of Christmas?

In the story, The Timepiece by Richard Paul Evans, Mary and David Parkin lose their young daughter in a fire started by an angry young man as retaliation against David.  Of course Mary and David are heartbroken, and depressed.

At Christmas time several months later, they are still grieving terribly, especially David who has long since thrown himself entirely into his work, barely stopping even long enough to eat or sleep.

One day their minister stops by to see how they are doing.  He tells Mary of a child who will have no Christmas and invites her to go with him to bring the child a present.  Mary goes with him.  They are greeted at the small home by a young mother.  Her little girl is peeking around her to see who is there.  Mary gives her a doll and the child’s eyes light up!  She hasn’t had a present in a long time.

As they leave, the minister tells Mary that this is the family of the young man who started the fire and is now in prison.  Mary’s heart goes out to the mother and child.

When her husband finally gets home that night, Mary is brimming over with the joy she felt when giving the gift to the little girl.  David sees her love and happiness with the experience, and agrees to help provide Christmas to the family.  They deliver food and presents to the doorstep of this family who have almost nothing, and watch from afar as they excitedly gather the gifts and take them inside.

Despite their great loss, Mary and David have found the true spirit of Christmas through selflessly giving to those in greater need.

“Then shall the King [Christ] say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

“Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

“Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

“When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

“Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”  Matthew 25:34-40.

25 Days of Christ – Day 17

What do you do when all seems lost?  When it just seems that you cannot go on one more step?  When your burdens seem too heavy to bear, and one more tiny thing will be “the straw that breaks the camel’s back”?

Christ said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30.

Father in Heaven did not send us to earth so we would know only pain and sorrow.  In fact, just the opposite.  He knew we would experience pain and sorrow here, so He planned the way for our “escape”.

Instead of turning away from God and Christ, instead of hunkering down to bear it, Christ invites us to look up to Him.  How often He has invited us, “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”  Luke 11:9.

We are invited to lay our burden at Christ’s feet and bear a song away.

Sound impossible?  It isn’t.  I have done it myself on more than one occasion.  Talk to your Father in Heaven and explain how you feel and what is going on.  Perhaps you’re not sure you really believe in Him.  Go ahead and explain that too.  Tell Him all that is in your mind and in your heart.  Then ask Him to help you, to work with the tiny desire you have to believe.

And put your trust in Christ, closing your prayer in His name.  Then, take a moment to see how you feel inside.  Your head may still be swarming with the many things that trouble you, but your heart will feel a bit lighter.  Hang on to that feeling.

Turn your troubles over to the Lord.  He can handle them much better than you can anyway.  Let Him know that you will try to do whatever He asks you to do.

Then let go.

Leave that burden there at His feet, trusting that He will take care of it, and walk away singing praises to Him.  You will be amazed how much better you feel.  And as you strive to hang on to that trust, instead of to those problems, you will see God’s mighty power take over and your problems start becoming resolved or not as worrisome.

And soon you will see that things are working out.  In fact, better than you dreamed they ever could!  More than likely, better than you ever would have thought of!

I testify this is true as it has happened to me.

25 Days of Christ – Day 16

What about little children?  Are they in limbo or some horrible place if they die without being baptized?  Is that what our loving Father in Heaven would do?

No.  He planned for them from the beginning also.  Here is one of His most beautiful messages I know of:

Moroni chapter 8.  This one chapter has so much in it, so many layers.  Enjoy!  🙂

“1 An epistle of my father Mormon, written to me, Moroni; and it was written unto me soon after my calling to the ministry. And on this wise did he write unto me, saying:

“2 My beloved son, Moroni, I rejoice exceedingly that your Lord Jesus Christ hath been mindful of you, and hath called you to his ministry, and to his holy work.

“3 I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end.

“4 And now, my son, I speak unto you concerning that which grieveth me exceedingly; for it grieveth me that there should disputations rise among you.

“5 For, if I have learned the truth, there have been disputations among you concerning the baptism of your little children.

“6 And now, my son, I desire that ye should labor diligently, that this gross error should be removed from among you; for, for this intent I have written this epistle.

“7 For immediately after I had learned these things of you I inquired of the Lord concerning the matter. And the word of the Lord came to me by the power of the Holy Ghost, saying:

“8 Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them; and the law of circumcision is done away in me.

“9 And after this manner did the Holy Ghost manifest the word of God unto me; wherefore, my beloved son, I know that it is solemn mockery before God, that ye should baptize little children.

“10 Behold I say unto you that this thing shall ye teach—repentance and baptism unto those who are accountable and capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that they must repent and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little children, and they shall all be saved with their little children.

“11 And their little children need no repentance, neither baptism. Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins.

“12 But little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world; if not so, God is a partial God, and also a changeable God, and a respecter to persons; for how many little children have died without baptism!

“13 Wherefore, if little children could not be saved without baptism, these must have gone to an endless hell.

“14 Behold I say unto you, that he that supposeth that little children need baptism is in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; for he hath neither faith, hope, nor charity; wherefore, should he be cut off while in the thought, he must go down to hell.

“15 For awful is the wickedness to suppose that God saveth one child because of baptism, and the other must perish because he hath no baptism.

“16 Wo be unto them that shall pervert the ways of the Lord after this manner, for they shall perish except they repent. Behold, I speak with boldness, having authority from God; and I fear not what man can do; for perfect love casteth out all fear.

“17 And I am filled with charity, which is everlasting love; wherefore, all children are alike unto me; wherefore, I love little children with a perfect love; and they are all alike and partakers of salvation.

“18 For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity.

“19 Little children cannot repent; wherefore, it is awful wickedness to deny the pure mercies of God unto them, for they are all alive in him because of his mercy.

“20 And he that saith that little children need baptism denieth the mercies of Christ, and setteth at naught the atonement of him and the power of his redemption.

“21 Wo unto such, for they are in danger of death, hell, and an endless torment. I speak it boldly; God hath commanded me. Listen unto them and give heed, or they stand against you at the judgment-seat of Christ.

“22 For behold that all little children are alive in Christ, and also all they that are without the law. For the power of redemption cometh on all them that have no law; wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is under no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such baptism availeth nothing—

“23 But it is mockery before God, denying the mercies of Christ, and the power of his Holy Spirit, and putting trust in dead works.

“24 Behold, my son, this thing ought not to be; for repentance is unto them that are under condemnation and under the curse of a broken law.

“25 And the first fruits of repentance is baptism; and baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins;

“26 And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God.

“27 Behold, my son, I will write unto you again if I go not out soon against the Lamanites. Behold, the pride of this nation, or the people of the Nephites, hath proven their destruction except they should repent.

“28 Pray for them, my son, that repentance may come unto them. But behold, I fear lest the Spirit hath ceased striving with them; and in this part of the land they are also seeking to put down all power and authority which cometh from God; and they are denying the Holy Ghost.

“29 And after rejecting so great a knowledge, my son, they must perish soon, unto the fulfilling of the prophecies which were spoken by the prophets, as well as the words of our Savior himself.

“30 Farewell, my son, until I shall write unto you, or shall meet you again. Amen.”

And through modern revelation we know that the age of accountability is 8, therefore children under 8 have no need of baptism.  As Christ said, “little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them.”

Heavenly Father loves your children!