Eternal Life (notes)

I have recently been asked to prepare a sermon on Eternal Life and wanted to capture my notes (especially because I do not think I will be able to put it all into my talk):

What did Jesus have to say about Eternal Life?

• Baptism is necessary (John 3:5) and so is the Sacrament (John 6:54)
• We can inherit Eternal Life only through Christ, there is no other way (John 14:6)
• Heavenly Father sent His Son so that we can have Eternal Life (John 3:16-17)
• We need to come unto Christ and believe in Him in order to obtain Eternal Life (3 Nephi 9:14; see also John 6:40; 10:27-28; 5:23-24)
• We need to follow Christ’s example in order to obtain this gift (see John 8:12)
• We need to do good and endure to the end (D&C 6:13; see also 3 Nephi 15:9)
• Most will not accept Christ (see Matthew 7:13-14; John 3:19)
• The parable of the True Vine (John 15:1-11)
• We need to seek first the Kingdom of God (3 Nephi 13:33)
• We need to come to know the Father and the Son (John 17:3) and we know by doing (John 7:17)
• The rich, young ruler was told he needed to keep the commandments and also to give up his riches and take up the cross (Mark 10:17-22)
• The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) began with the question “What shall I do to inherit Eternal Life?”

Scripture chain on obtaining Eternal Life only through Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Mosiah 4:8; Mosiah 5:8; 2 Nephi 31:21; 2 Nephi 2:8)

Some other thoughts:

• God taught Adam and Eve the Plan of Salvation first and then gave them commandments to follow–when we understand the Plan of Salvation we are better able to keep the commandments (and thus progress toward Eternal Life) (Alma 12:32)
• God’s work and glory is to bring the immortality and eternal life of man (Moses 1:39)
  • Eternal life is to live life as God knows it: a family life in God’s presence (see D&C 132:19-20,24)
  • Immortality is victory over physical death
• Eternal Life is the greatest of all the gifts that God could give to man (D&C 6:13; see also D&C 14:7)
• We are free to choose our own path, Eternal Life is only one of many possible choices (see 2 Nephi 2:27; Helaman 14:31)
• Nephi taught us how to obtain Eternal Life (2 Nephi 31:20; see also 31:17-21)
  • Press forward
    • Moving ahead perhaps without all of the details (not knowing the end from the beginning) and in the face of adversity, great challenge, or suffering; also not giving up or getting discouraged
    • Examples:
      • Nicole visiting her parents this year when she wasn’t sure if she could make it by herself and in spite of the challenging drive ahead of her
      • Mormon Pioneers moving West to follow the Prophet without even knowing where they were headed and in the face of almost insurmountable challenges
      • Everyone in the military who gets deployed not knowing a lot about the mission or the environment they are going into
      • Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane (see Luke 22:39-44)
  • Steadfast faith in Christ
    • Steadfast means resolute, dutifully firm, unwavering, committed, devoted, dedicated, reliable, steady, constant, not tossed about, not distracted
    • Steadfast faith in Christ means that we come unto Him and trust in His ability to make us better and to help us to overcome sin, disappointment, doubt, weaknesses, and pain
      • “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden…and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29)
      • “And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind…he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people…that he may know…how to succor his people” (Alma 7:11-12)
    • Examples:
      • Aaron from the Book of Mormon
        • One of the sons of Mosiah who went about trying to destroy the Church (Mosiah 27:10)
        • Was converted and repented of his sins; worked diligently among the Nephites to make reparations and to help in the conversion of others, in spite of persecution among the Nephites (Mosiah 27:32-35)
        • Preferred by the people and would have been their king but he chose to go to the Lamanites to teach the gospel instead (Mosiah 29:3)
        • Was unfortunate enough to fall among some pretty hard-hearted Lamanites and apostate Nephites (Alma 20:28-30)
        • Didn’t give up, didn’t go back home to the comforts he enjoyed there, didn’t stop teaching among the Lamanites (Alma 21:14-17)
        • Found success and eventually was instrumental in converting the king of all of the Lamanites (a work that Ammon, his brother, had started but Aaron finished) (Alma 22:15; see verses 1-27)
      • Nephi
        • Heard his father, Lehi, teach the gospel and sought a testimony for himself (1 Nephi 2:16)
        • His brothers were constantly abusing him, they murmured (1 Nephi 3:31; 1 Nephi 16:1; 1 Nephi 16:20; 1 Nephi 16:37-38; 1 Nephi 17:17-22 ), beat him with a rod (1 Nephi 3:28), tied him up with the intent of leaving him in the wilderness to be devoured by wild beasts (1 Nephi 7:16), tried to throw him into the depths of the sea (1 Nephi 17:48), bound him with chords and really abused him while they were traversing the seas (1 Nephi 18:11-15), and threatened to kill him (2 Nephi 5:1-4)
        • He suffered greatly in the desert along with everyone else in their party but chose to focus on the blessings (see 1 Nephi 17:2,6)
        • He was always showing his faith (see 1 Nephi 3:7; 1 Nephi 7:21; 1 Nephi 17:50-51; 1 Nephi 18:16)
        • He was instrumental in obtaining the brass plates (1 Nephi 4:5-24,38), obtaining food in the wilderness (1 Nephi 16:19-32), building a ship (1 Nephi 17:7-11,16; 18:1-4), guiding the ship safely to the promised land (1 Nephi 18:21-23), and in leading his people to believe in Christ (see for example 2 Nephi 25:26)
    • See also Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Broken Things to Mend” April 2006 General Conference; “None Were With Him” April 2009 General Conference
  • A perfect brightness of hope
    • What is hope?
      • A realistic expectation with confidence
      • “An optimistic attitude of mind based on an expectation of positive outcomes related to the events and circumstances in one’s life of the world at large” (see Wikipedia “Hope“)
      • A mental creation of a potential and desired future outcome
    • Some examples:
      • Simple hope = “I hope there is pizza for dinner tonight”
      • More complex = “I hope to get married in the temple” or “I hope that my children will choose the right”
    • In a gospel sense, hope is an actual assurance that based upon your faith in Jesus Christ and your desire for righteousness that you will be able to inherit the Celestial Kingdom (which is Eternal Life)
    • Hope comes from faith (we actually believe that Christ can do what He says He can do in saving us from our sins and weaknesses) and is a shield against despair, temptation, discouragement, and doubt
    • “And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.” (Moroni 7:41)
  • A love of God and of all men
    • Sounds a little like Charity (see Moroni 7:45-48)
    • The Two Great Commandments (see Mark 12:30-31)
      • Using all of our faculties (heart, soul, mind, and strength) to show our love for God which includes:
        • Keeping the commandments (John 14:15)
        • Being anxiously engaged in good causes (D&C 58:27-28)
        • Serving others (Matthew 25:40; see also Matthew 25:34-40; Mosiah 2:17)
      • Loving our fellow-man as we love ourselves, which includes:
        • Forgiving (D&C 64:10)
        • Not judging others (3 Nephi 14:1-5)
        • Using persuasion, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, kindness, etc (see D&C 121:41-45)
        • Serving (see previously mentioned scriptures)
  • Feasting upon the words of Christ (scripture study)
    • “Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do” (2 Nephi 32:3)
    • Jesus said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have Eternal Life” (John 5:39)
    • During this portion of my talk I want to try to express my love of the scriptures as a source of knowledge, inspiration, comfort, guidance, reproof, and spiritual strength
    • Turn to the scriptures:
      • if you are lonely
      • if your goals have been frustrated
      • if you feel burdened
      • when you don’t know what to do
      • if you are struggling with temptations
      • if you have doubts and are struggling with what you think you believe
      • if you are feeling depressed
      • when you need help making important decisions
      • to feel closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ
      • DO IT EVERY DAY!!!!
  • Endure to the end (see Matthew 10:22; 1 Nephi 13:37; 1 Nephi 22:31; Alma 5:13; 3 Nephi 27:6; 2 Nephi 33:4; D&C 6:13; 3 Nephi 15:9; D&C 66:11-12; D&C 14:7)
    • Charity is a key to enduring all things (see 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Moroni 7:45-47)
    • Repentance is also a key (3 Nephi 9:22; see also Isaiah 1:18; Moroni 6:8; D&C 58:42-43; Guide to the Scriptures: Repent, Repentance)
      • Example: Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)
      • The great thing is that we can always repent and that Christ wants us to do so: every time and all the time
    • It is important to maintain an eternal perspective
      • Compare 1 Nephi 17:2 with 1 Nephi 17:20
      • We need to make “strategic” decisions vice “tactical” ones (in other words we need to make decisions based upon the whole layout of the field and the direction we want to head, not just on the individual battles we face)
    • Enduring sometimes has a negative connotation; however, in the gospel sense, enduring to the end means we find joy in the journey
    • Enduring to the end comes from making and keeping covenants:
      • “Many were the blessings we had received in the house of the Lord, which has caused us joy and comfort in the midst of all our sorrows and enabled us to have faith in God, knowing He would guide us and sustain us in the unknown journey that lay before us. For if it had not been for the faith and knowledge that was bestowed upon us in that temple by the influence and help of the Spirit of the Lord, our journey would have been like one taking a leap in the dark. To start out on such a journey in the winter as it were and in our state of poverty, it would seem like walking into the jaws of death. But we had faith in our Heavenly Father, and we put our trust in Him feeling that we were His chosen people and had embraced His gospel, and instead of sorrow, we felt to rejoice that the day of our deliverance had come.” (Sarah DeArmon Pea Rich, “Autobiography, 1885–93,” Church History Library, 66; spelling, punctuation, and capitalization standardized)
      • Quoted by Elder Richard G. Scott, “Temple Worship: The Source of Strength and Power in Times of Need” April 2009 General Conference
• Within the Plan of Salvation, Eternal Life is the ultimate goal, the Celestial Kingdom

Here is perhaps an outline of what I want to actually talk about:

1. Introduce myself and talk about my family and how grateful I am to be sealed to them and the promise of Eternal Life which that brings (I can live forever with my family! 🙂
2. Eternal Life within the context of the Plan of Salvation
   • Celestial Kingdom
   • The greatest gift from God (D&C 6:13)
3. Difference between Eternal Life and Immortality (Moses 1:39)
4. In depth discussion of Nephi’s recipe for Eternal Life (2 Nephi 31:20)

Why I Cannot Support Same-Sex Marriage

(Disclaimer: the views of the following post are wholly the authors and do not represent those of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)

I know this is a controversial topic and it is one that I have struggled with.  In the gospel of Jesus Christ we learn to love all of God’s children, that we need to be compassionate and loving (see 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 1 John 3:17;D&C 121:45).  We are taught to be charitable and kind and to serve others.  However, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has clearly come out against same-sex marriage.  Why would a Church that professes to follow Jesus Christ and to do His teachings, including those of loving our fellow-man, be so against same-sex marriage?  After all, shouldn’t we all be treated with equality and fairness?  I believe that the reason is because same-sex marriage undermines Heavenly Father’s plan for His children.  I also believe that regardless of what man’s laws state, either for same-sex marriage or for more traditional marriage, God’s laws are unchangeable and clear, and we should be obedient to God’s laws if we want the promised blessings.

The Plan of Salvation

Our Father in Heaven has a plan for us.  He wants us to have all that He has and to enjoy eternal happiness.  We lived with Him as His spirit sons and daughters before we came to this earth.  His plan included a means for us to obtain physical bodies and earthly experience so that we could learn to live as He lives.  We came to this earth to fulfill that purpose and when this life is through we will have an opportunity to stand before our Heavenly Father and account for our choices.  Those who choose to follow our Savior, Jesus Christ, and repent of their poor choices in this life will receive the blessing of life as God knows it.

We…solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children…We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife…THE FAMILY is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. (The Family: A Proclamation to the World)

This is how God defines marriage: ordained of God when between a man and a woman.  God has commanded His children to multiply and replenish the earth because we find joy in our posterity and it is the way He has ordained His spirit children to receive physical bodies.  The procreative powers we posses are sacred and are meant to be used, but only within the covenant of marriage as God defines it because it is essential to His plan.

I love the talk that Elder Dallin H. Oaks, an apostle chosen to be a special witness of Christ in our day, ordained to declare God’s word to the world, gave in last October’s General Conference:

We know that the marriage of a man and a woman is necessary for the accomplishment of God’s plan. Only this marriage will provide the approved setting for mortal birth and to prepare family members for eternal life. We look on marriage and the bearing and nurturing of children as part of God’s plan and a sacred duty of those given the opportunity to do so. We believe that the ultimate treasures on earth and in heaven are our children and our posterity…we believe that, as an essential part of His plan of salvation, God has established an eternal standard that sexual relations should occur only between a man and a woman who are married…The emphasis we place on the law of chastity is explained by our understanding of the purpose of our procreative powers in the accomplishment of God’s plan. Outside the bonds of marriage between a man and a woman, all uses of our procreative powers are to one degree or another sinful and contrary to God’s plan for the exaltation of His children. (Elder Dallin H. Oaks,”No Other Gods,” October 2013 General Conference)

Clearly the standard is the same regardless of who you are: sexual relations are to be employed only between a man and a woman who are married.  This is the way Heavenly Father provides for all of His children.  The blessings promised to the faithful are outstanding which includes happiness and prosperity in this life as well as eternal life, or the kind of life that God enjoys, in the hereafter.  We obtain these blessings only through our obedience.

Obedience

Our loving Heavenly Father, knowing the end from the beginning and the importance of family units in our eternal happiness declared: “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14) and “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication” (1 Thessalonians 4:3).  Sexual transgression is a serious sin, no matter whether it is a man and a woman or a same-sex relationship.  The Family: A Proclamation to the World states “We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.”  This is very clear: sex is good and wonderful but only when employed between a man and a woman who are lawfully wedded in a relationship that God ordains.  This has been God’s law from the foundation of the world when He created Adam and Eve.

I believe that the reason why I cannot support same-sex marriage is stated between these two principles: the principle of the Plan of Salvation whereby Heavenly Father’s spirit children obtain bodies and progress toward perfection and the principle of the Law of Chastity, including the correct and wonderful employment of sexual relations.

Tolerance vs. Love

Those who would have us accept this lifestyle choice ask for tolerance.  I sometimes believe that we can do wrong in the name of tolerance and I feel that tolerance is the wrong word here.  I tolerate my employers onerous time keeping policies.  I tolerate the weather when it isn’t ideal.  I tolerate some of my wife’s music choices.  I think love is a higher principle and love is what is required in this issue.  I can love my brother even when I don’t approve of his choices in life.  I love my mom even when I think she is crazy.  I can, and indeed should, love those who struggle with same-sex attraction.  Love recognizes that each person is a child of God with needs and challenges and they should be treated fairly, regardless of where they stand on this issue.  Heavenly Father loves all of His children, even those who struggle with same-sex attraction.  Let us be loving and kind, indeed let us follow Jesus Christ in compassion and charity, as we continue to work through these issues of our day!

For a better idea of where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints stands officially on this issue, check out these links:

• An official website which the Church runs to address this issue directly: http://www.mormonsandgays.org/
• An article by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, another apostle of the Lord
• An official statement regarding same-sex marriage
• The Church’s response to a petition
• The Church’s response to a nondiscrimination ordinance
• Some thoughts on Same-Sex Marriage from an instruction manual
• A brief filed with the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
• The Church’s response when Proposition 8 in California was overruled

The Gifts of Resurrection and Eternal Life

My wife and I moved from San Diego, CA to Omaha, NE about 5 months ago.  As you can imagine that was quite the change for us because of the difference in the weather.  However, one of the nice things about being in Omaha is that we had a front-row seat to the most spectacular change in nature as the cold, dark winter was chased away by the beautiful songbirds and the awe-inspiring blossoming trees.  I especially loved seeing the dormant trees come to life as their branches filled with blossoms—my wife and I would excitedly point them out to each other as we drove around town.  Spring is a time of rebirth and of hope for a brighter future.

Just as spring gives us joy as we partake in this season of hope and rebirth, the Atonement gives us hope and an opportunity to start anew as we repent of our sins.  We all left the presence of our Heavenly Father to come to Earth in order to learn and to overcome.  Unfortunately, we all make mistakes along the way—we all fall short of perfection (see Alma 34:9).  Seeing as how God “cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance” (D&C 1:31), this means that when we make mistakes, no matter how big or small, we all separate ourselves from the goodness and perfection of our Heavenly Father.  However, our loving and kind Father in Heaven knew this would happen and He provided a way for us to overcome these setbacks.  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).  Heavenly Father sent His Son to suffer so that we can all have the opportunity to return to live with Them once more.

We use the word “Atonement” to signify all that our Savior did for us: from the suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, to His death on the cross of Calvary, and even including the resurrection from the tomb.  Because of the gift of the Atonement, every human being will enjoy the gift of resurrection, in other words, we will all be able to live in immortality after this life.  Also because of this precious gift, we have the opportunity to repent of our sins and we can, if we choose, enjoy the gift of Eternal Life, which is life with God, living as He lives.  The Atonement offers us hope and a promise of rebirth in these two distinct ways: through the universal gift of resurrection and through the conditional gift of Eternal Life if we choose to follow our Savior and do the things He asks us to do, including repenting of all our sins.

The Gift of Resurrection

In this marvelous Easter season, we have the opportunity to reflect upon the gift of resurrection.  The very blossoming trees remind us that what once was dead will live again.  Our Savior did in actuality suffer death, as all of us do, when He lived upon the earth.  Just as real as His life is, so is the reality of His resurrection.  Jesus did, in all reality, rise from the dead as a perfect, immortal being.  The scriptures are replete with testimony of this fact.

In the Old Testament, the prophet Job gives us a powerful testimony of the resurrection.  Job suffered the most of any living person I know.  He lost friends and family, and even his health.  However, in his suffering, he taught us the importance of the gift of resurrection.  He began by asking, “If a man die, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14) and then he taught about the surety of a resurrection, “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God” (Job 19:25-26).  Even before the glorious birth of our Savior, Job had a surety and a witness of the resurrection and he shared that testimony with us.

Additional testimony of the reality of Christ’s resurrection is found in the angels who rolled away the stone of His tomb.  When the women who so dearly loved our Savior returned on the third day after His death to properly care for His body, they found the tomb empty and marveled at these words of the angelic sentinels, “Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen” (Luke 24:5-6).  What a remarkable testimony!

There is one other testimony of this reality that I would like to share.  That is the testimony of our beloved prophet, Joseph Smith.  Early in the spring of 1820, this young boy went into the grove of trees to pray.  He also witnessed and testified of our living Savior, “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!”  (Joseph Smith-History 1:17).  Joseph Smith received the blessing of being able to speak with the resurrected Lord!  Later in life, Joseph gave this testimony, “And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!” (D&C 76:22).  Our Savior does live and because He lives we can rejoice in the gift of the resurrection.

Because Jesus rose from the dead and broke the bands of death, we rejoice in a multitude of blessings.  We are reassured that even though we may lose loved ones and friends while we travel this mortal sphere that we will be reunited with them once again.  In this way, the resurrection of our Savior assures us of the promise of eternal families—that we can be together forever.  We know that we will all have the opportunity to live forever and that we will be brought back to the presence of our Eternal Father (if we chose to, we can even remain there).  We have the promise and peace of knowing, even as we age and suffer in this life, that when we are resurrected we will never again suffer disease, pain, or death.  When we are resurrected we will receive a perfect body (see Alma 11:42-45).  Ultimately, the gift of the resurrection not only enables us to find joy in this life but it also gives our lives purpose as we become aware of a life after death.  Our Savior obviously loved each of us very much in order to provide this gift and purpose to our existence.

The Gift of Eternal Life

The second great gift that comes from the Atonement is the promise of Eternal Life if we chose to qualify for this gift—and then we receive it through the grace of our Redeemer.  There is only one way for us to live again with the kind of life that God has and enjoys and that is through the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).  There is no other way—if we want to enjoy the blessings of Eternal Life, if we want to obtain all the promises of our Heavenly Father that we can enjoy everything that He has, we must do it through the gift and grace of our Savior (see also 2 Nephi 2:8 and Mosiah 3:17).  His suffering was for all of us.  He provides a way for all of us to rise again and be judged (see 3 Nephi 27:14-15).  My question to you today is: do you believe Him?

If you are suffering under heavy burdens, His Atonement covers that. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).  Do you believe Him?  He can take your burdens and make them light.  He can help you in your darkest hour.  He offers peace and rest from the challenges of this life that seem, at times, too heavy to bear.

If you are suffering from the temptations of a natural man, His Atonement covers that.  “For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord” (Mosiah 3:19).  Temptations are difficult to bear—which is why they are called temptations.  All of us suffer from temptations of the natural man.  Some of you in the audience today may be struggling with some very real and very difficult temptations.  Some of you may be trying to overcome some sort of addiction or something that you know is against the teachings of our Savior.  In any case, I would ask again, do you believe Him that He can help you to put these things behind you?

If you are struggling with some weakness, His Atonement covers that too.  “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness.  I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them” (Ether 12:27).  As a new parent I have had to come to terms with all of my weaknesses.  It seems to me that family life is the crucible whereby the Lord helps us to recognize our dependence upon him, especially as we come up against the same weaknesses over and over again.  As the days are long and the nights are short, I marvel at the ability of our Savior, time and time again, to give me the strength to complete my tasks and to be a good father, husband, and employee.  We have been given weaknesses to help us turn to the Lord, and though we may get frustrated or tired of seeing the same weaknesses influence our lives over and over again, we can turn to our Redeemer for the love and support—and the strength—that we need.  His Atonement covers all of our weaknesses, do you believe Him?

If you feel lost, if you feel broken, if you feel sick, or pained, or afflicted in any way, shape, or form, the Atonement covers that.  “I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick” (Ezekiel 34:16 see also verses 11-15).  No matter what we are dealing with, no matter what back-breaking, heart-softening, life-altering, or difficult-to-bear trial that brings us to our very knees at times, His Atonement covers that.  “And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people” (Alma 7:11).  Our Lord, and Savior, wants us to have an abundant life and His Atonement enables us to achieve peace, happiness, and prosperity in this life.  “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10 see also John 10:11).  He suffered the agony of Gethsemane and the sorrow of Calvary in order to lift us above the mundane and to give us hope of a new life.  “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you” (John 14:18).  He is able to take care of us no matter our difficulties or challenges.  He knows what we are going through and has invited us to come unto Him for comfort, for solace, for peace, for healing, and for life eternal.  Do you believe Him?

If you are suffering from the effects of sin, no matter what kind of sin or how often you have sinned in the past, His Atonement especially covers that.  “Come now, and let us reason together, saith he Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18).  No matter what you have done, if you come unto Him, you can be forgiven—that is the great promise of the Atonement,  “[T]he blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).  He didn’t say only some sins.  He didn’t say only my sins or the bishop’s sins or the prophet’s sins.  He said all sins—which includes yours.  Do you believe Him?

The Atonement is for all of us, every last one of us.  “[H]e inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him” (2 Nephi 26:33).  Even if you have been rebellious in the past or have chosen not to partake of the goodness of the Atonement, He invites you to come now and partake (see 2 Nephi 28:32).  Choose to follow Him and to let His Atonement saturate your life.  He can care for you, no matter what is ailing you and He will help you to do and become better.

I close with the words of one of His special witnesses in these latter days.  Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, of the quorum of the 12 Apostles, said just last week in our General Conference, “I do not know who…may need to hear the message of forgiveness…but however late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines…there is nothing…that you have done that cannot be undone. There is no problem which you cannot overcome. There is no dream that in the unfolding of time and eternity cannot yet be realized.” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Laborers in the Vineyard,” April 2012 General Conference).

I know our Savior provided us the precious gifts of the resurrection and eternal life and I am very grateful for this chance to reflect upon these things!