I Have Walked Where Jesus Walked

I Have Walked Where Jesus Walked

Posted on 12:52 PM by Unknown | 4 comments

This week's post comes from Stephen Mickelson:

I spent this past summer at my university's Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies.  In my short three-and-a-half month stay in the Holy Land I had the opportunity to visit some of the most sacred locations on earth for Muslims, Jews, and Christians.  The call to prayer from neighborhood mosques became my music every night as I’d watch the city lights glimmer off the gold of the Dome of the Rock.  On two occasions I welcomed in the Jewish Sabbath Friday at sunset at the Western Wall.  There I danced with Jews my age in Kotel Plaza as I tried to hum along to their Hebrew songs of worship.  I said countless prayers in Christian church pews on ground dedicated to various events of Christ's life and on occasion followed processions of Franciscan monks through the old city.  

Upon returning home after seeing so many wonderful places, people often asked me, “What was it like to walk where Jesus walked?”  I always told them about the following experience I had in the Garden Tomb.

The Garden Tomb is the traditional location of the burial and resurrection of Christ for some Christian faiths.  It was the location that I most looked forward to seeing in the Holy Land.  As a Latter-day Saint, the resurrection has always been the ultimate message of hope and victory for me. Surely the greatest message ever received by mortals was that given to Mary by angels.  "He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay" (Matthew 28:6).  Just as Christ rose from the tomb, we too can rise.  We can rise from sin, temptation, mortal frailties and death to return to our Father in Heaven because of the sacrifices of our Savior.

I found the Garden Tomb to be peaceful.  The gardens are well kept.  There is a reverent atmosphere there despite the bustle of the surrounding East Jerusalem.  However, I found my initial experience there to be vastly underwhelming.  There was peace, but there was no burning conviction.

After a tour of the gardens, we sat on some benches and sang hymns until it was our turn to enter the tomb.  As we started singing a hymn called "I know that my Redeemer lives", something changed within me.  The words were no longer lyrics that someone else wrote:  they were a declaration of my personal faith.  I felt a fire grow within my heart until it consumed me with gratitude, love, and knowledge.  It was the powerful spiritual experience I was looking for.  

I've thought about this experience a lot as an answer to the question, "What is it like to walk where Jesus walked?"  The experience taught me that when seeking spiritual conviction, the physical location is nowhere near as important as the location of our hearts, thoughts, and actions.  After all, those are the elements that made such places meaningful to begin with.  The thoughts, actions, and emotions of the Savior are what made the paths He walked sacred two millennia ago.  It was Paul's prayer that the disciples of Colossae walked as Christ walked.  "That ye might walk worthy of The Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Col 1:10).  

Throughout the rest of my stay in the Holy Land, my greatest increases in knowledge and discipleship came from walking worthy of The Lord's guidance.  I know that I will never forget standing on the same steps to the temple that Christ ascended many times.  I'll never forget walking on the shores of the Galilee or through the streets where Christ carried His cross.  But I will be slower to forget paths my heart walked as I learned to love my brothers in Abraham, regardless of how different our cultures and beliefs may be.  I will be slower to forget the thousands of humanitarian kits we put together so that Bedouin children can attend school. I'll be slower to forget sitting down to share pita with Palestinian kids and looking for even the smallest ways to serve my classmates.

If you'd like to know for yourself what it is like to walk where Jesus walked, it's not hard.  You don't have to travel halfway across the world.  In order to know what it is like to walk where Jesus walked, you simply have to walk as Jesus walked.  No Galilee is necessary to be a fisher of men.  No road to Jericho is necessary to be a Good Samaritan.  Just act, speak, and love like the Savior.  Then stop and listen to the Spirit.  He'll tell you in your heart and your mind what it is like to walk where Jesus walked.

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Repentance – The Lawn Mower Of Our Lives

Repentance – The Lawn Mower Of Our Lives

Posted on 11:50 AM by Unknown | 2 comments

Written by Devon Lawless.

Repentance—what’s the first thing that comes to your mind when this word is said? For many the very mention of the word often makes them shudder.  For others it floods their minds with images of sad, depressed hopeless people confessing their mistakes to god or man in hopes that they will be forgiven.  Ultimately, the latest or greatest mess up of our lives comes back to haunt us.

I would be willing to bet that more people are willing to watch the latest and scariest movies on the market before facing their fears and repenting of their guilt. But is that really how you should feel about repenting?

We should probably first define what repentance is and I can think of no better way of doing so then by quoting a former president of the LDS church, Spencer W. Kimball:

"Sometimes it is easier to define what something is by telling what it is not. Repentance is not repetition of sin. It is not laughing at sin. It is not justification for sin. Repentance is not the hardening of the spiritual arteries. It is not the minimizing of the seriousness of the error. Repentance is not retirement from activity. It is not the closeting of sin to corrode and overburden the sinner. 

True repentance must come to each individual. It cannot be accomplished by proxy. One can neither buy nor borrow nor traffic in it. There is no royal road to repentance. Whether he is a president’s son or a king’s daughter, an emperor’s prince or a lowly peasant, he must himself repent and his repentance must be personal and individual and humble. 

Whether he be lean or fat, handsome or ugly, tall or short, intellectual or less trained, he must change his own life in a real and humble repentance."

So repentance is for everyone. Yes, that means it’s for you too. It doesn’t matter how perfect or imperfect you feel. It doesn’t even matter if you feel like giving up your sins yet because I know that if you give repentance a try you will not regret it. I have discovered that repentance is always scary to start but always results in greater happiness.

Repentance is not just feeling sorry for what you did wrong but it’s a start. It’s not just restoring that which was ruined or lost even though that is in the right direction. It's not just confessing to receive forgiveness from somebody else but you have started to grasp it. It's not just a long drawn out period of fasting, prayer and personal suffering, although this may be necessary for some.

Repentance is change.

I think one of the best scriptures to describe repentance can be found in the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

As a Book of Mormon prophet named King Benjamin taught, his people "...all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually." (Mosiah 5:2)

The Lord Jesus Christ did more for us than a thousand novels could ever contain or express. His sacrifice allows us to become clean and spotless on the outside, but he cannot change who we are without our help. The goal in this life is not just to appear clean on the outside but to feel and be clean on the inside as well. That is why repentance is not just the bleach for our dirty white shirts; it’s also the antibodies for our infected inner selves.

We live in an age where with the swipe of a card and the push of a button we can get almost anything and go almost anywhere in a day. God has not however given us a repentance credit card. Repentance is not like winning the Super Bowl. You don’t do it just once or twice in a life time. Repentance is a process meant to be used every day.

Our lives are like a giant lawn of grass. If you don’t water it, it will die, and if you don’t trim it, it will go wild. Therefore repentance is like lawn mowing. You cannot simply give up and do half the job. Nor can you neglect repenting for too long without consequences, but it is never too late to trim it back down. New sod can be placed where old grass died, and over grown grass can always be trimmed back down. Now I never said it was easy, but, honestly, lawn care takes more constant effort then it does super human strength. Anyone and everyone can repent. You can get your lawn back up to being lush, green and well-trimmed.

It is my testimony that if you want to change, it is not too late. If you want to repent, God is still there and ready to listen. If you want to follow Christ, his arms are outstretched even now waiting to help guide you in the right direction.  I have felt his love and the power of the sacrifice of Christ, also known as His Atonement, in my life. I know that God loves us and so does His son Jesus Christ. We are here on earth to take a journey not to simply find the end, so don’t you EVER think that you are worthless, or too far gone. This is the hardest lesson I have had to learn but it was the most worth it. So don’t stop trying to change your life and follow God’s plan. You may not be near the finish now but each step you take gets you closer.

For more information on the Atonement and Repentance please follow the links below.

Atonement

Repentance

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What Is To Be, Is Up To Me

What Is To Be, Is Up To Me

Posted on 11:13 PM by Unknown | 2 comments

Written by Kirk Koenen.
.

Quite recently, I enjoyed a particularly memorable sacrament meeting focused on choices. Though it didn't initially sound so captivating, it helped me understand some things I think my Father in Heaven needed me too.


One of the speakers, a friend of mine, quoted her father on one of his favorite sayings. It simply said, "What is to be, is up to me." That short saying resonated with me. I love the gospel because it is empowering. The Savior has done His job. He knows my destiny, my happiness, and my sadness. If I allow it, my path is completely in His hands. If I allow it. That empowering decision is not easily made, but whatever is to be IS truly up to me.

So many people in this life feel they have no options. They live under the false pretense that
their choices are limited-especially where religion is concerned. They mistakenly think that
circumstances are more important than choices. But the Savior teaches us just the opposite: our choices are more important than our circumstances. The Savior, through His Atonement, has empowered us with the ability to choose for ourselves who we are, who we will be, and where we will end up. It truly has little to do with the specifics of your trials and circumstances. It has to do with how we choose to react within those trials that matters.

Like many members, I feel like the gospel has given me a glimpse into my true potential. I know who I want to be. I know where I want to go. However, I know I am far from both. But, as another speaker that day said, "I will make mistakes, but I will never, never stop trying."

Because we have a vision of perfection as our goal, we can be prone to feelings of inadequacy
and guilt because we aren't perfect NOW. These feelings can hamper our progression. We
must understand that our best is never perfect. We won't reach perfection, but we will reach
progression.

Just ask yourself: Am I a better person now compared to last year, last month, last week? Am I trying everyday to keep an eternal perspective and make good choices? Am I striving to keep the covenants that I made at baptism or in the temple?

Or simply, AM I TRYING?

Because whether you're a member of the church or not, we all struggle with feelings of
inadequacy. But I can promise you that as you try, and let The Lord into your life, you'll witness miracles.


SEE "CHOICES" BY JAMES E. FAUST
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2004/04/choices?lang=eng&query=Choices

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Growing Like Christ

Growing Like Christ

Posted on 4:36 PM by Unknown | 4 comments

This week's post is a guest post from Scott Albright:

What do you know about Jesus Christ when he was your age? What did he do with his time? How did he treat his friends and family, most of whom had no idea of his real identity? It is unfortunate that we don’t have very many records that teach us about his day-to-day living. Indeed, I believe one of my religion teachers said that we only have details about 42 specific days of Christ’s life. The New Testament records the details of his birth and several incidents in his early years. When He was twelve we know that He went to the temple and was found, “sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions” (Luke 2:46). The next chapter after this verse in Luke gives the account of Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist, probably when he was around 30 years old. There is one verse that is found at the end of Luke 2 that teaches us about Christ from the time that he was twelve to the beginning of his ministry. It says, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke 2: 52).

From this scripture we learn that when Jesus was our age He was growing intellectually, physically, spiritually, and socially. I am so grateful that the writer of this account chose to include this small description of Jesus during his development into an adult. It has provided a criteria by which I can evaluate my life as a student so I know how to spend my time. As Mormons, we try to follow Christ in everything that we do. Learning about how Christ grew and improved really helps us understand how we can follow his example.

At this stage in our lives it is so easy to have entirely unbalanced schedules as we juggle the demands of school with work with friends with sports with taking care of ourselves and staying alive! Among other things. As we apply this verse to ourselves it is important to remember that word “increased” and the concept of improvement that it carries. God loves us and cares that we are growing in all aspects of our lives. He understands that we are going to be busy with classes (or friends and dating if that’s the case), but he has created simple ways for us to continue to progress in all of these particular areas. I know that God wants us to be like Him and to enjoy all of the great blessings that He does. We can involve Him in our lives in more ways than through reading our scriptures and saying our prayers. He wants to be involved in our schooling, in our social sphere, in struggling to take care of our bodies, and in dating. I am grateful for this example of my Savior more than ever because it helps me to understand how I can grow into the person that God wants me to be.

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Freedom to Choose

Freedom to Choose

Posted on 9:02 PM by Unknown | No comments

What should I wear today?

How should I do my hair?

What should I make for lunch?

What do I want to be when I grow up?

What school should I go to?

What major should I pursue?

Who should I marry?

Should we have children?

Should I accept that job offer?

Where should we buy a house?

Which way do I go from here?

Decisions, choices, forks in the road….we face them every day. Some minor, while others of a more serious nature. The great news though, is that this was all a part of the plan!

Before human life began on the earth, we all lived in heaven. God’s plan was for us to leave heaven for a time, acquire life experiences through our choices, and then return to live with Him in heaven. I want to focus on an aspect of this plan; that is the part of our ability to make choices.

The Gospel Principles book, a teaching manual used in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, reads, “God has told us through His prophets that we are free to choose between good and evil. We may choose liberty and eternal life by following Jesus Christ. We are also free to choose captivity and death by following Satan. The right to choose between good and evil and to act for ourselves is called agency. One purpose of earth life is to show what choices we will make” (17).

So our ability to make our own choices is known as agency, and it is a gift! God wants us to make choices and learn from our own experiences. A verse of scripture found in the Book of Mormon emphasizes this point, saying, “Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves” (2 Nephi 10:23). So let us be excited about the decisions we have to make.

      Know this, that ev'ry soul is free

     To choose his life and what he'll be;

     For this eternal truth is giv'n:

     That God will force no man to heav'n.

     He'll call, persuade, direct aright,

     And bless with wisdom, love, and light,

     In nameless ways be good and kind,

     But never force the human mind.

                       (hymn 240, Know This, That Every Soul Is Free)

God, our loving heavenly father, knows that the best way to learn is through experience. He will guide and assist us when necessary, but in the meantime he gives us plenty of room to explore and experiment for ourselves. He trusts us to make correct choices, to recognize the good from the evil. And should we take a wrong turn, God will intervene and lead us to the right path. In the following video clip, Jeffrey R. Holland, an apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, shares how this happened to him and his son on a camping trip one summer.

      http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=2714780496001

God does provide us guidance in life, and I am grateful for that. But how incredible that we are entrusted to make our own decisions. FREEDOM TO CHOOSE! Opportunities to learn. Experiences for growth. We need not be paralyzed with fear to take the first step. You can move forward, assured that God will redirect you if something is not right. 

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What is happiness?

What is happiness?

Posted on 12:17 PM by Unknown | 1 comment

Throughout my life I have wondering the answer to this question. What is happiness? And with it came more and more questions. Is it obtainable? Is it sustainable? Are there only fleeting moments when we feel happy?

Don't get me wrong. I feel like I am a cheerful person. However like many of you, I feel life's burdens and I often wonder, am I really happy? When my organic chemistry deadlines hit, what seems like everyday, when I am told that my father now has type 2 diabetes, and even when I was assigned to do this blog post, despair comes setting in and I begin to question again—am I really happy?

Through my quest for what makes me happy I have discovered a few things. The first, and what I believe to be the most important, is the choice to be happy. This probably sounds cliché to many of you because sometimes it is those cliché things put into action that do the most good. I can remember one day thinking, "Wow, I just really want to be happy. Starting tomorrow that is exactly what I am going to do." I am not perfect at doing this but I can honestly testify of the truthfulness of this. Alma 41:5, which is from another book of scripture called the Book of Mormon, states that those who are happy in the resurrection are so because of their desire to be so.

Another way I personally discovered to find happiness in everyday life was finding ways to serve others in everyday life. For me when I know that I have helped other people and made their life easier it makes me happy. Somehow in the mix of doing service I often forget about what was preventing me from being happy in the first place. Plus King Benjamin, a prophet from The Book of Mormon, said, "When you are in the service of your fellow man you are only in the service of your God." (Mosiah 2:17)

Lastly I would like to share what my final thoughts are about happiness. Happiness is a day to day endeavor. We are all going to have trials everyday and I believe that the purpose of this life is being able to be happy and to find it amidst adversity and trials.

A modern day apostle, Elder Richard G. Scott, offers some great advice on the subject in this Mormon message as well.

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Mormons And Christ

Mormons And Christ

Posted on 2:56 PM by Unknown | No comments

In this season of Christmas and New Years, many of us take the time to reflect on the year and decide what we want to improve during the next year. I have always been taught to also take this time to think about how I have bettered my relationship with Christ. Some times Mormons are described as not being Christian. Nothing could be further from the truth. So, in this holiday season, I thought it would be good to describe both what Mormons believe about Christ and how I feel about Him.

Like other Christians, we believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior and that he sacrificed His life on the cross to save us from our sins. However, unlike most Christians, we focus more on the Living Christ, that is, the resurrected Christ (this is also why we don't use that cross as a symbol in our buildings or elsewhere). For us, the greatest blessings of Christ's sacrifice were the ability to live again after we die, be forgiven of our sins and mistakes, and know that there is someone who can understand what we are going through. We all have many problems and difficulties that we go through in life, but Christ knows exactly how we feel and what help we need.

Mormons also believe that Christ lived a perfect life and gave us the perfect example of how to live our lives. We strive to emulate His example by loving and serving others. We are far from perfect people, but everything we talk about in church meetings and try to do in church activities are to try and help us follow Him.

I personally have tried to follow the Savior's example and learn about his life. This has helped me through the hard times of life and has helped me appreciate the good ones. In this time of reflection, let me recommend taking a little time to try and know Christ better as well. Happy New Years everyone!

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