Text of talk given on 15 December 2024 at the Northpark YSA Ward, California San Bernardino Stake:
There is Peace in Christ
I can’t express how happy I am to be here with you today. I have great hope for the future of the Church and for the future of the world because of you! You are few in number, but it’s just nice to look out and feel the Spirit. I’m so thankful for the season and the richness of opportunities and blessings, to feel the Savior’s love for us; and I’m thankful to be here with you today to share in His love.
Jesus spoke, in the Doctrine and Covenants. He said,
“Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me” (Doctrine and Covenants 19:23).
Today, I want to share a message of the Love Jesus Christ has for us, and the love that we have for Him. This is an abiding love that brings us peace!
There is peace in Christ when we learn of Him.
Angels proclaimed the birth of Jesus Christ to shepherds who kept watch over their flocks by night. They had faith that He would come, because they had been taught the prophecies. On this peaceful bright night, they knew He had been born and they made haste to see Him. After they had seen Joseph and Mary with the baby Jesus, they became witnesses and relayed the message that Jesus had been born in Bethlehem.
That message is now ours to share. The Holy Ghost speaks the message of the angels to us (and through us) of the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ and His mission, here on earth, to redeem all the children of God who have faith on His name. We become as the shepherds as we relay this message, our testimony of Jesus. Don’t you love all the Christmas hymns that we sing and the peace and surety that they bring as we focus on the Christchild?
Like the people of Christ’s day who were waiting for the signs of Jesus Christ’s birth on earth, we as His disciples now are waiting for His Second Coming. Our focus must be on Jesus Christ, so that we are not distracted and diverted from our faith in Him.
Like Nephi, “…we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins” (2 Nephi 25:26).
There is safety in remembering and honoring Jesus. There is safety, not only for us, but for the generations that follow after us.
Can we feel the love He felt for us when He bore our sins?
Our Father’s Plan for us to come to earth to receive a body and gain experience is a very perfect plan. But we are imperfect. For that reason, Heavenly Father chose Jesus to be our Savior. His mission was to come to earth to do the will of the Father in being the Sacrificial Lamb for this world, to provide an Atonement, whereby we can repent and progress as we develop faith in Jesus Christ and keep the commandments of God.
He suffered, bled, and died for you and for me; he bore our sins; He provided the way for us to be forgiven and overcome sin through Him, because He paid the Infinite price. He is the way, and He can lift us up to return us safely to our Father. [to return to our Heavenly Father safely]
“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).
Listen to His words; let them come alive. If we know Him as He is, there is peace in Christ.
Truly there is peace in hearing the words of Jesus. As we study the scriptures, we can learn of Him. Each testament declares His words.
The Old Testament teaches us about the Savior and His mission and His ever-loving kindness.
The New Testament shows us the perfect life He led, of love and service. He taught us the two greatest commandments in His gospel. Quoting from Deuteronomy, the Lord proclaimed [said],
“The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
“And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).
“Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His gospel is peace” (Song, O Holy Night).
In The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, we learn more about Jesus, His nature, and His love. The testimonies in this testament are powerful and great. We have a knowledge that the Resurrected Savior [Lord] visited these people who were a branch of Israel [in the Americas]. He shared with them His gospel. His doctrine is taught more clearly in this book than in any other. I love my Savior more because of this book and its mission to this last [our] dispensation.
The Pearl of Great Price gives us other great truths that help us understand more the mission of the Pre-mortal Messiah and of the covenants we can make with Heavenly Father. Much of the temple endowment can be found in this testament.
And The Doctrine and Covenants, what a powerful book! If we read it in faith, we are promised that we can testify that we have heard the voice of the Lord. Isn’t that powerful?
“These words are not of men nor of man, but of me; wherefore, you shall testify they are of me and not of man;
“For it is my voice which speaketh them unto you; for they are given by my Spirit unto you, and by my power you can read them one to another; and save it were by my power you could not have them;
“Wherefore, you can testify that you have heard my voice, and know my words” (Doctrine and Covenants 18:34-36).
I’m looking forward to studying this testament with the Come, Follow Me study guide in this New Year. I hope you are too.
We can also hear the voice of the Lord through the messages of our Latter-day prophets and apostles. We have such a great blessing to be guided by the Lord in these last days. Conference time should be a great time of spiritual renewal and commitment to increase our efforts to follow Jesus; and as a result, have His Spirit with us more abundantly as we travel through the perplexities of modern day life.
Pray is also an important part in hearing the Lord’s voice.
I can testify that things go better for me on the days that I remember Him first, pray to Heavenly Father in Jesus’s name and devote some time to Them. This equips me to be able to do more than I thought I could do and to have the assurance of His love and peace no matter what the day brings.
He gives us hope when hope is gone. He gives us strength when we can't go on. He gives us shelter In the storms of life. When there's no peace on Earth, there is peace in Christ.
Studying the words of our Savior is so important. When we immerse ourselves in scripture study and pray for faith and direction, we will receive it. We will find the ability, through Jesus, to walk as He would have us walk, and say what He would have us speak. With the Holy Ghost as our companion, we will be able to stay true to Him, and will choose to do it!
I love our Savior. I love Jehovah that agreed to be our Savior when Heavenly Father presented His Plan for our Happiness. We love the Baby Jesus who was born in Bethlehem, fulfilling the long awaited promise of our redemption. We love the Child “Jesus [who] increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52). We love the Man Jesus who taught us the way, because He is the way. “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). I am thankful for the loving messages that are recorded of His words and His actions, so that I can try to pattern my life after His, and keep trying. I am thankful for my Redeeming Lord, who suffered for me in Gethsemane and on Calvary, so that we can be freed from the bondage of my sins, and so that we can live forever. I am thankful for my Resurrected and Perfected Savior Jesus. Because of Him, all things and all people that would have been lost to us forever are restored, and I have the hope of being with my family forever [and you have the hope of being with your family] and with our friends. We all have the hope of being together with our Lord and Friend, and with our Father and His Father.
“Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me” (Doctrine and Covenants 19:23).
There is peace in Christ, because Jesus is the Prince of Peace!
I wish you all a Merry Christmas! And I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
