Choose Faith!

What is faith?

Why does it even matter? Why is it SO important that it is the first principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ?

In the Book of Mormon, in Alma 32:21, it says,
"And now as I said concerning faith- faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true."

How can we have faith in things that we can't see, and yet know that they are true?

I don't know a lot of things, but I know the important things. For example, I can't see God, I never have, but I know He is there. I know He answers my prayers. I never met Joseph Smith, but I know he was a prophet. I didn't live during the time of Jesus Christ. I didn't get to touch the prints of the nails in His hands and in His feet. I didn't see Him suffer in the Garden of Gethsemene, but I KNOW that He died for me! I KNOW that He lives! I didn't hear Alma the Younger's conversion story or hear Samuel the Lamanite prophecy of Christ's coming, but I know the Book of Mormon is true. I know that it is a book written by God's prophets, and not just a good story. It is another testament of Jesus Christ.

Is that faith? Absolutely!

Did I always know these things? No way!

The prophet Alma compared the word of God to a seed that must be nurtured by faith:

"27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

28 Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

29 Now behold, would not this increase your faith?" 

Faith is a choice. Faith is action. Just like Alma said, we need to awake, arouse, experiment, exercise, desire, work, and plant- all of which are action words!

"Yes, faith is a choice, and it must be sought after and developed. Thus, we are responsible for our own faith. We are also responsible for our lack of faith. The choice is yours. So I say, choose faith! Choose faith over doubt, choose faith over fear, choose faith over the unknown and unseen, and choose faith over pessimism. (Faith-The Choice is Yours, Bishop Richard C. Edgely, November 2010)"

Please watch this video about Jesus Christ! 

Jason's Testimony.

I wanted to keep my testimony honest, truthful and detailed. I was raised in the Church by my mom and grandmother. We were always off and on Mormons. We would go for stretches and then stop. My father didn't join til I was 14, so it made it harder for my mom. I wasn't raised with the overwhelming sense that I must and should serve a mission. I met a friend in high school .... OK a girl, and she really got me very active in the Church my junior year in High school. I decided on my own to serve a mission. It wasn't an easy decision but yet my heart was always at ease and comforted in what I decided. My mission defines who I am today in so many ways. I gained the first part of my testimony of the Church on my mission. Kneeling down in someones home the first time you meet them to pray and ask if Joseph Smith was a prophet of God is powerful. One time without my companion knowing I actually was doing the prayer for myself too, with the investigator. Wow!! The spirit was amazing, I knew then my answer.

The mission was great and I gained a foundation of a testimony through it. I came home and married a nonmember and shocked a lot of people. I made some choices after that led me to feel guilty and ashamed, so I allowed myself to fall away from the church. After my kids were born and at an age where they could pray with me, we started nightly prayers together. I was away from the Church for over 12 years.

The second part of my Testimony came after I went back to Church in Southern California. I made a lot of stupid choices in those 12 years. Its funny because the first 21 years of my life I was squeaky clean and innocent, then after the mission....even having a testimony like I did, I mess up. Anyways, I got really sick about 6 months after going back to Church. The kind of sick where you wonder if you will live another day.

One Sunday I was so ill I couldn't attend Church with the kids, so my wife decided to take them. I was blown away but couldn't comprehend the magnitude of her willingness to go. Amanda came home that day and told me the Bishop talked about the importance of reading The Book of Mormon. I was like wow, she went to Church without me and she paid attention...I better open my book of Mormon.

I started reading in the most dark hours of my life, where I was so sick with anxiety, and the medications I was on didn't help either. The Book of Mormon got me through some very tough nights. My testimony grew of the absolute power that resides in the Book of Mormon. I also gained a bigger testimony that I wasn't alone and I had a friend in Christ who was there with me the whole way. I wouldn't have made it out of those times without Him.

In this season when we celebrate His birth, my heart is filled with gratitude towards Him. I would feel like Mr. Kruger in his presence where I just continue to thank him over and over for what He has done for me and my family.

I know this Church is the only true church by which men can truly come to know their Savior and Redeemer. I am truly blessed with that great honor of knowing.

I know Joseph Smith was a prophet, and brought forth The Book of Mormon in our day to be a beacon in dark times.

I know the Atonement is real and have a strong testimony and understanding of it.

I share these things and my Testimony in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

 

Until We Meet Again...Part 2.

All of us experience the death of a loved one at one point or another in our lives, but the miracle of the gospel and the Atonement of Jesus Christ is that we know that death is not the end! There is more after this life! That is the great news of the Gospel! Families can be together forever!! I have asked 2 of my very best friends to share their testimonies and experiences of how the gospel of Jesus Christ helped them through losing a loved one.

Christa said,

"My brother, Blake, passed away when I was 15 years old. He was 2 years older than me, and we were very close. Not only was it hard for him to be gone, it was especially difficult because he chose to leave me. Blake took his own life due to depression and addictions. It was all too much to bare. I thought I had a strong testimony before he died, but I did not rely on it when I needed it the most. I struggled for about a year with his sudden death-- I stopped going to church, and my choices were not up to my standards as a member of the church. I was suffering from situational depression, and life seemed hopeless. I had found myself with tunnel vision- and the end was not very bright. After finding myself as lost as I could possibly be, I got down on my knees and poured out my whole soul. I finally knew what the scriptures meant to give the Lord a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Never before have I felt so broken. The Holy Ghost truly did his role as a comforter that night. I never felt more peace in my life. After that, it wasn't automatically a happy, and perfect situation. I still had a lot of sincere praying to do, and repenting for going astray. It also takes a lot of time to heal. But through it all, from that time forth, I completely let the Savior carry me through. It isn't until we fully give ourselves to the Lord, that he can heal us. It is a difficult thing admitting that you cannot do it alone- that you don't have the strength to do it alone. But it is once you humble yourself, that the Savior can lift you up. It's a long process, but it is a beautiful gift of the atonement. Jesus Christ suffered not just for our sins, but for any pains, afflictions, and sicknesses. I am so grateful for our Savior. He has done more for me than I could ever repay Him for. I still miss my brother, but the pain, sadness, and heartache have completely left, and I have found true happiness again through our Savior's help and love. And I know that my brother can finally receive the help that he needs as well. I am so grateful for the gospel, and the blessings we receive from following the commandments and keeping our covenants. I am so grateful that my parents were sealed in the temple so that we can all be together again if we do our part. I'm just overly grateful for the perfection of the gospel, and that there is always hope. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

Blake (Christa's brother)

Stephanie said,

"Losing my mom is by far the hardest, most trying experience I have had in my life. She passed away 3 1/2 years ago from melanoma skin cancer. At the time, I felt like my world was ending and I would never be happy again. My mom was truly a best friend to me and someone who I relied on and looked up to very much. To lose her when I was only 17 seemed incredibly unfair and I couldn't imagine how I would live the many years of life I had ahead of me without her. I have been raised in the Gospel all my life and had excellent examples and teachings from my parents. About 2 years prior to this trial in my life is when I really gained my own testimony. Through lots of scripture study and personal prayer I came to know undoubtedly that I had a Father in Heaven and I was His daughter. I knew with a surety that the Gospel was true and was filled to capacity with the Spirit and joy of my testimony. I was incredibly happy and optimistic about life and wanted to share the wonderful knowledge I had gained with the whole world! I strongly believe that if I had not had this experience and gained my own testimony at this point in my life, I would have given up hope and ended up in a much different place than I am now upon losing my mom. Her battle with cancer was very brief - less than 6 months from her diagnosis to her death. However, those 6 months were the beginning of this long, enduring trial for me and I was truly tested during that time. Knowing my mom had terminal cancer with a poor prognosis filled my thoughts with fear, pain, and doubt. When faced with the serious possibility of losing a loved one, you suddenly look at life quite differently and the questions of "Who are we? Why are we here? And especially, Where are we going?" become more real than ever before. I had been taught the Plan of Salvation and answers to these questions since I was in Primary, but I was now contemplating it all much more and differently than ever before. And I found myself filled with doubt. Suddenly that strong, burning testimony I had gained 2 years before was not so strong and sure. It seemed that Satan was well aware this was a moment of weakness and vulnerability for me, and jumped at the opportunity. I was bombarded with fear and questioning everything I had ever been taught. There was one night in particular that I was struggling with this as I was laying in bed. I felt completely hopeless and grieved with the thought of never seeing my sweet mom again. I was wondering how I used to be so sure and know without a doubt the truth of the Gospel, and I longed to have that faith again. I decided to pray. I prayed to my Heavenly Father and simply told Him, "I know I have a testimony. Please help me remember it." And immediately my prayer was answered! I was filled with the Spirit of my testimony and felt more hope and peace than I had in a long time. That was such a blessing for me then and I am very grateful for the power of prayer. The months following her death I was overcome with grief and pain, and frankly hurt too much to care about anything. I was still struggling with my faith and testimony and felt I was getting nothing from the Gospel. I didn't believe like I used to. But I knew I couldn't give up and even if I didn't feel any immediate benefits, I needed to keep "going through the motions" until I did. With time, things got better. It was a long, hard process but eventually I realized I needed to take action and actively build up my testimony again. I knew that turning to the Lord was the only way I could deal with my loss and handle all of my grief. I knew that feeling the joy and surety of the Gospel again would help me heal. I am grateful I was able to continue going to church, reading the scriptures, and praying even when I didn't know if I still believed, because eventually it paid off and I did reap the benefits of the Gospel. The Spirit came back into my life and on countless occasions I had little promptings and confirmations that what I was hearing was true. More than anything else, the Holy Ghost testified to me the reality of the Atonement. I prayed to know that it was real and received answers many times in many ways. I developed such a deep gratitude for Jesus Christ and His sacrifice that makes it possible for me to see my mom again and have the chance to live with her forever. It brought more peace and hope into my life than I could have imagined. The grief has still not gone away, and I miss her all the time, but I have faith and know without a doubt that she lives on. I have felt her spirit and know that she is watching over me. I am so grateful I was able to strengthen my testimony again and receive a witness that the Plan of Salvation is real. The Gospel of Jesus Christ healed my hurting heart and brought happiness into my life again. Losing a loved one can be an extremely difficult thing, but the power of the Gospel does have the power to heal you. I testify of that. No matter how lost or hopeless you may feel, do not give up. Heavenly Father loves you and will answer your prayers."

Vickie (Stephanie's Mom)

Vickie (top), Stephanie (middle), Melanie (bottom)

Until We Meet Again!

“What Happens When I Die?”

All of us ask this question at one point in our lives, but what is the answer? 

A testimony of our living prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, about what happens after we die. 

 

Picture your hand inside a glove. The glove moves only when your hand does. Take your hand out and the glove sits lifeless on the table. This is an easy way to visualize what happens when you die. Imagine your body is the glove being operated by who you really are—your spirit. When you die your body gets left behind, lifeless like a glove, but your spirit lives forever.

Countless scriptures and personal accounts by prophets throughout time have told us this is true.

Our physical death isn’t the end, but rather is a step forward in Heavenly Father’s plan and a time of indescribable joy for the person making the transition.

When you’re the one left behind—the one losing a friend or loved one—the pain of that loss is very real. But there’s a lot of comfort in knowing you’ll see him or her again. And because of Christ’s death, at some point our spirit and body will be reunited (resurrected) and made perfect never to be separated again.

In a couple of days I am going to post some powerful testimonies of people I know who have lost a loved one, and how the Gospel of Jesus Christ and their knowledge of God's plan of happiness has helped them.  Make sure to check back in a few days!!

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ

The Book of Mormon is Another Testament of Jesus Christ. It was written by the by the prophets in the ancient America's and contains the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.   

"The crowning event recorded in the Book of Mormon is the personal ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ among the Nephites soon after His resurrection. It puts forth the doctrines of the gospel, outlines the plan of salvation, and tells men what they must do to gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come (Introduction to Book of Mormon)."

Over and over again the Book of Mormon has invitations to get to know our Savior Jesus Christ and to "come unto Him." Some of my favorites of these invitations are recorded in 3 Nephi.

The first one is in 3 Nephi 9:13-14.

 13 O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?

14 Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me. 

I love this scripture because our Savior Jesus Christ is inviting us, beckoning us, to come unto Him and feel of the healing power of His Atonement. His arms are opened and He is waiting for us to come. We just have to take the first step.

The second one is in 3 Nephi 11:14-15.

 14 Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world. 

 15 And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come. 

This is one of my all time favorite scriptures because the Savior is personally inviting all people to come unto Him, one by one, and feel the prints of the nails in his hands and feet. I know that we cannot physically do this right now, but the invitation still stands. We can truly come to know our Savior Jesus Christ and gain a personal testimony of Him as we read the Book of Mormon. We can come to know that He really is our Savior and Redeemer, and that He is the Son of God. It is through the Book of Mormon that we learn of His teachings and His gospel. We learn the things that He would have us do. I like to think that every week when we partake of the sacrament we get to have our 5 minutes with the Savior. As we partake of the bread and water, one by one, we get the chance to remember that sacrifice that He made for each one of us. We get to remember the marks in his hands, feet, and side. He may not be here physically, but we can still know Him personally.

The third is in 3 Nephi 17:7.

7 Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy.  

I love this because again our Savior is inviting us to come unto Him and be healed. We may not all be physically sick, but we all need the hope and comfort that can only come through His healing power. I testify that His Atonement is real. It covers all pain. 

As we can see, the Book of Mormon testifies of Christ. He is the center of this gospel, the head of this church. I know that we can come to know the Savior better as we read the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon comes with a promise for all people.  It says:

"We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Jesus Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3-5)

Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is his revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the Lord's kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the second coming of the Messiah. (Introduction to the Book of Mormon)"

I know that this promise is real. I have come to know for myself that the Book of Mormon is true, because I have prayed about it. There is no other way to find out. I know that Jesus is the Christ. He is my Savior, and my best friend. I have come to know my Savior more personally as I have read the pages of the Book of Mormon. You can too. I would invite all of you, member or not, to read the Book of Mormon, and take the challenge to pray about it and find out if it is true. You will receive an answer. God loves you. You are His child, and He will answer. 

 

A very powerful slideshow that depicts when the Savior visited the America's. Pay special attention to the emotion of the Savior and the people as they come unto Him, one by one. 

The photography is done by Mark Mabry.  (This event takes place in 3 Nephi, in the Book of Mormon)

The progressive blog is now in the hands of the wonderful Sister Simnitt! Check it out! http://sistersarasimnitt.blogspot.com/

Forgiveness: My Burden Was Made Light

This is a video of a man who truly allowed the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the power of forgiveness to work in his life. His story is incredible. It amazes me that not only did the power of forgiveness heal him, but it also healed the other people involved. We can all find this freedom and feel our burdens be lifted if we allow the Atonement to work in our lives.

Forgive or not to Forgive?

We've all been hurt or offended by the actions or words of another person right? We've all been in the situation where we have had a hard time letting go of those feelings of hurt and pain caused by other people and sometimes even ourselves right? We are completely justified in harboring feelings of pain, hurt, hatred, self-loathing, and sometimes even grudges that come as a result of being wronged by another person right? Wrong!

The Savior teaches us in Doctrine and Covenants 64:10, "I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men."  That scripture is pretty clear- there really is no room for argument. The Savior commands us to forgive everyone, no exceptions. That doesn't mean that we should forgive everyone except for your neighbor Bob who said something to you 5 years ago that offended you, your family, your dog, and your ancestors all the way back to Adam. He makes it very clear that we must forgive all men. This also includes forgiving ourselves. I know this is much easier said than done. I would like to discuss two things in this blog. 1. The need to forgive others, and 2. The need to forgive ourselves.

1. The need to forgive others:

I know it is not easy to forgive those who have hurt us. I know that because I have been there before. We all have. I would like to share some thoughts from a talk called "Remember Lot's Wife" by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland that literally changed my perspective on forgiveness and the part that forgiveness plays in the Atonement. This talk really helped me realize that I was guilty of the greater sin when I didn't forgive and forget those who wronged me.

Elder Holland began by relating the story of Lot and his wife. They were asked to flee from Sodom and Gomorrah because it was going to be destroyed. The Lord told them to, "Escape for thy life...look not behind thee..." We all know how the story ends. Lot and his wife make it out of the city in the nick of time, but then Lot's wife "looked back" and was turned into a pillar of salt. In Luke 17:32 we are cautioned to "Remember Lot's wife."

What does all this have to do with forgiving others? Let me tell you. All too often we "look back" and dwell on the mistakes of others. We don't want to move on or forget something that someone has done to us. Elder Holland says, "There is something in us, at least in too many of us, that particularly fails to forgive and forget earlier mistakes in life-either mistakes we ourselves have made or the mistakes of others. That is not good. It is not Christian. It stands in terrible opposition to the grandeur and majesty of the Atonement of Christ. To be tied to earlier mistakes-our own or other people’s-is the worst kind of wallowing in the past from which we are called to cease and desist."

He later goes on to say, "When something is over and done with, when it has been repented of as fully as it can be repented of, when life has moved on as it should and a lot of other wonderfully good things have happened since then, it is not right to go back and open up some ancient wound that the Son of God Himself died trying to heal.



My best friend and I at Bear Lake
after a serious mud fight! It was a mess!



Let people repent. Let people grow. Believe that people can change and improve. Is that faith? Yes! Is that hope? Yes! Is it charity? Yes! Above all, it is charity, the pure love of Christ. If something is buried in the past, leave it buried. Don’t keep going back with your little sand pail and beach shovel to dig it up, wave it around, and then throw it at someone, saying, “Hey! Do you remember this?” Splat!



Well, guess what? That is probably going to result in some ugly morsel being dug up out of your landfill with the reply, “Yeah, I remember it. Do you remember this?” Splat.

And soon enough everyone comes out of that exchange dirty and muddy and unhappy and hurt, when what God, our Father in Heaven, pleads for is cleanliness and kindness and happiness and healing."

2. The need to forgive ourselves:

I think all of us are guilty of this one. It is difficult to forgive ourselves. All too often, it is way easier to look past and forgive the shortcomings of other people than our own. President Howard W. Hunter said, "It has always struck me as being sad that those among us who would not think of reprimanding our neighbor, much less a total stranger, for mistakes that have been made or weaknesses that might be evident, will nevertheless be cruel and unforgiving to themselves. When the scriptures say to judge righteously, that means with fairness and compassion and charity. That's how we must judge ourselves. We need to be patient and forgiving of ourselves, just as we must be patient and forgiving of others."

Why are we so hard on ourselves? Why can we forgive others so easily, but we cannot look past our own faults and shortcomings. No body is perfect. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is just as much for me, as it is for you, and everyone else. All we need to do it repent and move on. We need to allow the Atonement to work in our own lives.

Elder Holland continues in his talk by saying, "The proviso, of course, is that repentance has to be sincere, but when it is and when honest effort is being made to progress, we are guilty of the greater sin if we keep remembering and recalling and rebashing someone with their earlier mistakes—and that “someone” might be ourselves. We can be so hard on ourselves, often much more so than with others!

Forgive, and do that which is harder than to forgive: Forget. And when it comes to mind again, forget it again."

"Forgetting is part of forgiving. But forgiving oneself involves a special kind of forgetting. We don't forget the sin and its effects; rather, the memory ceases to be part of how we see ourselves. We must keep sin in its proper perspective. Satan would convince us that we are defined by our sins. The Savior, in contrast, would have us understand that we have sins that need to be cleansed, but we are much more than those stains ( "Forgiving Oneself" by Elder D. Chad Richardson, March 2007 Ensign)."

"You can remember just enough to avoid repeating the mistake, but then put the rest of it all on the dung heap Paul spoke of to those Philippians. Dismiss the destructive and keep dismissing it until the beauty of the Atonement of Christ has revealed to you your bright future and the bright future of your family and your friends and your neighbors. God doesn’t care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go. That is the thing Lot’s wife didn’t get—and neither did Laman and Lemuel and a host of others in the scriptures ("Remember Lot's Wife" by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland)."

Like I said before, this is all easier said than done, but is it possible? YES! President Packer taught: "Save for the exception of the very few who defect perdition, there is no habit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no apostasy, no crime exempted from the promise of complete forgiveness. That is the promise of the Atonement of Christ."

I know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real. It is powerful. It covers all things. Nothing is outside of the healing power of the Atonement. "The Atonement not only benefits the sinner but also benefits those sinned against-that is, the victims. By forgiving those who trespass against us."

I challenge all of us to be like the Anti-Nephi-Lehies of the Book of Mormon, bury your weapons of war, and leave them buried. Use the Atonement. Forgive yourself, and forgive others. President James E. Faust said, "Forgiveness is freeing up and putting to better use the energy once consumed by holding grudges, harboring resentments, and nursing unhealed wounds. It is rediscovering the strengths we always had and relocating our limitless capacity to understand and accept other people and ourselves." I just want to add my testimony, that I know that we are freed from a terrible burden when we allow forgiveness into our lives and when we apply the Atonement to our lives. We are happier. We are stronger. We are better people.

Parable of the School Boys.

There is a story that someone shared with while I was in college that has had an effect on me ever since. It is a story that President Gordon B. Hinckley shared during Christmas time:

“Years ago there was a little one-room schoolhouse in the mountains of Virginia where the boys were so rough that no teacher had been able to handle them.

“A young, inexperienced teacher applied, and the old director scanned him and asked: ‘Young fellow, do you know that you are asking for an awful beating? Every teacher that we have had here for years has had to take one.’

“‘I will risk it,’ he replied.

“The first day of school came, and the teacher appeared for duty. One big fellow named Tom whispered: ‘I won’t need any help with this one. I can lick him myself.’

“The teacher said, ‘Good morning, boys, we have come to conduct school.’ They yelled and made fun at the top of their voices. ‘Now, I want a good school, but I confess that I do not know how unless you help me. Suppose we have a few rules. You tell me, and I will write them on the blackboard.’

“One fellow yelled, ‘No stealing!’ Another yelled, ‘On time.’ Finally, ten rules appeared on the blackboard.

“‘Now,’ said the teacher, ‘a law is not good unless there is a penalty attached. What shall we do with one who breaks the rules?’

“‘Beat him across the back ten times without his coat on,’ came the response from the class.

“‘That is pretty severe, boys. Are you sure that you are ready to stand by it?’ Another yelled, ‘I second the motion,’ and the teacher said, ‘All right, we will live by them! Class, come to order!’

“In a day or so, ‘Big Tom’ found that his lunch had been stolen. The thief was located—a little hungry fellow, about ten years old. ‘We have found the thief and he must be punished according to your rule—ten stripes across the back. Jim, come up here!’ the teacher said.

“The little fellow, trembling, came up slowly with a big coat fastened up to his neck and pleaded, ‘Teacher, you can lick me as hard as you like, but please, don’t take my coat off!’

“‘Take your coat off,’ the teacher said. ‘You helped make the rules!’

“‘Oh, teacher, don’t make me!’ He began to unbutton, and what did the teacher see? The boy had no shirt on, and revealed a bony little crippled body.

“‘How can I whip this child?’ he thought. ‘But I must, I must do something if I am to keep this school.’ Everything was quiet as death.

“‘How come you aren’t wearing a shirt, Jim?’

“He replied, ‘My father died and my mother is very poor. I have only one shirt and she is washing it today, and I wore my brother’s big coat to keep me warm.’

“The teacher, with rod in hand, hesitated. Just then ‘Big Tom’ jumped to his feet and said, ‘Teacher, if you don’t object, I will take Jim’s licking for him.’

“‘Very well, there is a certain law that one can become a substitute for another. Are you all agreed?’

“Off came Tom’s coat, and after five strokes the rod broke! The teacher bowed his head in his hands and thought, ‘How can I finish this awful task?’ Then he heard the class sobbing, and what did he see? Little Jim had reached up and caught Tom with both arms around his neck. ‘Tom, I’m sorry that I stole your lunch, but I was awful hungry. Tom, I will love you till I die for taking my licking for me! Yes, I will love you forever!’”

To lift a phrase from this simple story, Jesus, my Redeemer, has taken “my licking for me” and yours for you. (President Gordon B. Hinckley- "The Wondrous and True Story of Christmas" December 2000)

This simple story reminds me of the scripture in Mosiah 14:3-5.

3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

The Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ is real. It is powerful and personal. Jesus Christ truly does know every heartache, pain, sickness, struggle, sin, or sadness that we have gone through. Nothing we have ever done or could do is outside of the healing power of the Atonement. When I think about the things Jesus Christ went through I cannot help but realize that it was such an act of love. Christ would NOT have "carried our griefs and sorrows", He would NOT have been "wounded for our transgressions", or "bruised for our iniquities" if He did not love us. I testify that our Savior, Jesus Christ is standing with open arms and pleading for us to, "Come unto him." In the scriptures He says, "Will you not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?"