Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

I have thought a lot lately about Faith. There is little meaning in the word itself until it is placed in something else. People may hope for many things, and even put their trust in many things; but, unless they practice faith in something that is true and everlasting, they may very well be disappointed.

The First Principle of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus means everything to me. He is my Creator, my Friend, my Exemplar, and my Redeemer. Through practiced faith in Him, I feel rewarded by the presence of His Spirit. His kindness is truly the Bread of Life to all of us.

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is always rewarding. As we make covenants with Him, we have this promise: that if we always remember Him, we will always have His Spirit to be with us. I know this is true. He is true and faithful. We can count on His word every time.

As a child, I was taught to pray to Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ. We prayed as a family, and each night I prayed at my bedside. I passed this tradition of Faith in God and His Son on to my children. Our childhoods were also filled with Primary songs which taught Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We have also made it a habit of reading the Word of God as found in the scriptures and the testimonies of the prophets and apostles. These things are important. We have the promise, from Jesus, that the Holy Ghost will give us those things that we need in the very hour that we need them. I’ve seen that happen time and time again. Practicing Faith in the Lord on a daily basis gives us a store of spiritual fortitude that will bless us in our times of need.

Letting go of our Faith in Jesus Christ leaves us in great peril. When we only trust in our own strength and wisdom, we soon find that we are left to ourselves to reap the devastation of the trials we choose to face alone. Often in this state, we are humbled and again choose to feel the Savior’s love, whose arm in stretched out still, forever reaching for us; and if we reach for Him, we experience immediately His grace and kindness.

As we experience the Savior’s love, our trust in Him will grow, and our faith in Him will increase. When this happens, a growing and abiding love will develop as we begin to realize all that He has done for us, all that we mean to Him, and all that He is coming to mean to us.

I know He lives. I know He loves me, and He loves you. He is not partial in His love. He is not condemning in His reaching. His reproof is a blessing to us all, as He knows us and loves us, and His desire is to give us all that He and His Father have and enjoy. Through Him we all have life, and through Him we may all live eternally with Him and with our Father.

At this Easter season, as our hearts are drawn to Him in gratitude for the gift that He has given us, may we give to Him the gift of greater faith in Him. Happy Easter.


“The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 3:30)

God Loved Us, So He Sent His Son

1. God loved us, so he sent his Son,
Christ Jesus, the atoning One,
To show us by the path he trod
The one and only way to God.

2. He came as man, though Son of God,
And bowed himself beneath the rod.
He died in holy innocence,
A broken law to recompense.

3. Oh, love effulgent, love divine!
What debt of gratitude is mine,
That in his off'ring I have part
And hold a place within his heart.

4. In word and deed he doth require
My will to his, like son to sire,
Be made to bend, and I, as son,
Learn conduct from the Holy One.

5. This sacrament doth represent
His blood and body for me spent.
Partaking now is deed for word
That I remember him, my Lord.

Text: Edward P. Kimball
Music: Alexander Schreiner

Managing our Demands with our Resources

Managing our Demands with our Resources

In our busy lives, we are constantly engaging in a balancing act. How well we do this highly depends upon active assessment and personal self-control. We have many roles to play and many responsibilities, plus many interests that also vie for our attention. In other words, there are demands. Sometimes it can be overwhelming for us, which might leave us with a feeling of helplessness. But that need not be so.

Demands are just part of the picture. We need to remember that in this balancing act, we also have resources; and, they are many. That is why active assessment and self-control become a vital part of balancing. If we only feel the weight of our demands, then we may blind-side ourselves to the many resources available to us.

So we can begin by making a list of our demands and a list of our resources. This may be the last thing that we feel like doing, because it only feels like one more demand on our time. But that’s not the case. If we allow ourselves this few minutes of planning time, this assessment activity will empower us and give us more time to meet our demands successfully, instead of desperately or despairingly.

One way that writing a list of resources can be most beneficial is that we will see we are not alone, and we will find that we do not need to face our challenges alone. In other words, the Lord is our greatest resource and He will help us, and we can be guided through His Holy Spirit as we turn to Him and ask Him to be our Partner. We will also find that we have support in our spouses and family members and in our friends. As we properly engage each other towards common goals, we will find that our burdens or the weight of our demands will become significantly lighter and far easier to manage.

When we still feel out of balance, we probably are. So what can we do? What is necessary for us to do? Yes, this will also require more assessment. That’s okay. We should be happy to get to know ourselves and to value ourselves enough to make our own lives happier and more pleasant.

When we find that balance is still lacking, we need to shuffle through our demands to see what is most important. It may very well be that we find that we are carrying unnecessary demands. We need to reduce unnecessary demands either by eliminating them or setting them aside for a more appropriate time in our lives. In that way, we will not feel so weighed down, and we will have increased capacity to carry our necessary demands and fulfill them with greater success.

There is another important thing that we can do to find the balance we need. Not only can we reduce unnecessary demands; we can also increase our resources. What are the desired resources that we want in order to meet the demands that we have? Are they available? How can we enlist them? Sometimes, this is as simple as asking someone else for help or giving ourselves time for a restful reprieve. Sometimes, this may require some active learning and hard work, so that we build a new reservoir of available resources in newly gained knowledge and ability. Of course, if this is the case, then we do need to set aside other demands for later, or enlist others for help with those demands, or to allow them the privilege of carrying them for a time.

We need to remember that we all need renewal. The Lord knew that. He gave us the Sabbath day for that. What a great resource. We can set aside many of our particularly draining demands for one day in every week and refuel ourselves. Then we can meet those demands with the promise that we will always have His spirit to be with us if we always remember Him. The very faith that we actively engage in on the Sabbath day provides us with rich renewal and should be considered as a most valuable and incomparable resource. As we sing hymns together, pray and worship, teach, instruct, discuss, and learn, we are strengthened and renewed to meet the challenges of the week.

And then there is the Gift of the Atonement. As we seek the Lord’s approval, acceptance, and forgiveness through the covenants we renew in partaking of the Sacrament, we can be forgiven of our sins and blessed with his Spirit. In other words, He will help us carry our burdens and lighten our loads; our demands will not feel so heavy because He is by our side as our most valuable resource.

Balance is important. Anyone who has ridden a bicycle knows that. And balance takes a certain amount of vigilance or steadfastness. Steadiness in our life will help us to feel calmer and more in control. As we work to achieve the balance that is necessary in our lives, we will see that we are becoming more constant people with emotions that are kept in check, instead of having highs that are too high and lows that are too low. As we seek to manage both our demands and our resources, we will find that we are far better equipped to serve the Lord, to serve our fellowmen, and to feel greater peace and joy in our lives. 

This post was inspired by President and Sister Dixon as they taught in a Zone Conference in San Bernardino, California, for the Latter-day Saint Missionaries who are serving there on 22 November 2016. 

Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and Peace Be with You

Jesus is the Prince of Peace

 Brent Borup

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He who created all things and gave us life also allows us to live our lives. His desire is for us to grow in goodness and prosperity, to learn to love and trust Him, and in so doing, to love and help each other. But as always, He gives us choice. 

Freedom

Freedom. What is it? Jesus has told us that the truth shall make us free (See John 8:32).

Those who embrace His truths with trust in Him feel this freedom. We can be free from hate, free from addictions, free from idleness, free from greed, free from loneliness, and free from ignorance. The thing about that is that all these freedoms take work. Our free will is a gift to us, but these other things take work and are a result of our choices and how we exercise our agency.

Our chances for lasting peace and freedom are void without Him and everlasting abundant through Him. There may be seasons of rest from wars and strives, but there will never be lasting freedom without people choosing to work within the boundaries of laws, especially His laws. He who said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15), did not say so because He wants to control us, but rather because He wants to free us. 

Many of us long for the promised day when Jesus will return and the inhabitants will be at peace with one another. It will be lovely, beautiful, and supernal. But we do not have to wait until then to feel His love, His peace, and His presence in our lives now. Today.

Peace Can Be Felt Today

Jesus promises us as He did His disciples of long ago,

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). 

We Must Love God and Love Each Other (See Matt 22:36-40)

We cannot keep this peace if we feel anger, hate, and revenge towards our fellow brothers and sisters. Here’s what the Lord says about that:

"If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from Him, That he who loveth God love his brother also" (1 John 4:20-21).

This extends to all humanity with which we share this planet, whether we have met each personally or not. We cannot love God without loving His children as well, who come from Him.

Also, here is good counsel from the Apostle Paul, who reminds us that the Lord said vengeance belongs only to Him, He who desires not to give it.

"Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:17-21).


How can we know when we are free? We will feel the Holy Spirit with us. And what is the fruit of the Spirit?

"...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22-25).

Jesus Has Done All

We are not asked to do anything that Jesus will not help us do. Neither are we asked to do anything that He hasn’t already done for us. From the cross, He still loved us all. Every one.

The words He spoke resound through the universe still,

"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).

He who was wronged for all of our wrongdoings and none of His own, He who suffered for me and for you and bled from every pore; He it is who was free from all evil, and He alone can make us free as well.

Peace be with you.

And peace be with you as well.