The Ultimate Sacrifice

Some people say that the ultimate sacrifice is dying for a person. Others counter that it's "easy" to die for someone, but hard to live for them.
My view point on it is this: live so that you would be willing and ready to die for your fellow man.
We read the story of Maximilian Kolbe this morning. He is an amazing example of living and dying with the pure love of Christ in his heart.

Maximilian Kolbe was born in Poland in 1894, became a Franciscan monk as a teenager, and was later ordained as a priest who served a small parish community. But when the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939, tragic events of human suffering where set into motion in which Kolbe's destiny would be sealed.
... In his labors to protect many Jewish refugees, Kolbe found himself a Nazi target, was arrested, and sent off to Auschwitz in 1941. There, in the midst of the death camp's unimaginable daily horrors, he worked to encourage his fellow prisoners by setting an example of faith and hope.
One day a prisoner escaped, and, in order to bring an end to any future plans of the same, the guards decided to punish 10 inmates of cellblock 14 by condemning them to death by starvation in an underground bunker. One of the ten ... began to weep and cried out, "My poor wife and children! I will never see them again!" At that moment, Father Kolbe calmly and purposefully stepped forward.
"I wish to die for that man." Such an unusual offer surprised the deputy commandant, who asked Kolbe to identify himself. His response was simple and direct: "I am a Catholic priest." Those words said far more about the saint than any name possibly could. The commandant agreed to grant the request.
Thrown into the dank, crowded underground bunker with the other men, Maximilian Kolbe continued to set an example of faith and hope, leading them in prayers of praise and adoration to God, singing hymns, and encouraging them to focus on the certain and irrevocable promises of Christ. ...Weeks later it became necessary to kill him by lethal injection.

 As Easter gets closer, I start to think about Christ and His sacrifice for us. When I searched "easter" on Google, the pictures that came up were of bunnies, eggs, and flowers. But Easter is about much more than any of those things.
Easter is our time to recognize the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made. His Atonement allows us to follow in His footsteps. We are able to correct our course through His grace.
Because of the example of love He showed us, we can also reach out to others with love.

I know that as we pray for His love and for His Atonement, He will answer our prayers and bring us peace.

"Could you not watch with me one hour?"

I was thinking last Sunday about the disciples who were with Jesus in the garden. Even after all of His teachings, they didn't understand that this was the final night they'd be with Him.
So they fell asleep.
As He saw their faces and felt their sins, they slept.
Of course, they didn't know that this was the most important night in history. And they probably weren't the only ones to sleep. Hundreds of people slept that night and billions of people were saved from hell.
As angels in heaven, I'm sure we were watching in wonder and awe. I'm sure we wondered how the disciples could sleep when they were only a few yards away from the Savior as He bled from every pore.

But as I pondered this, I looked at my own life. Am I missing important experiences? Are there times when I'm giggling with my friends while everyone else is having a defining spiritual experience? Am I too busy to answer a friend when they call me for comfort?

President Jeffery R Holland shared one woman's story about when her husband watched for his one hour:
“I want to tell you about the moment I ceased resenting my husband’s time and sacrifice as a bishop. It had seemed uncanny how an ‘emergency’ would arise with a ward member just when he and I were about to go out to do something special together.
“One day I poured out my frustration, and my husband agreed we should guarantee, in addition to Monday nights, one additional night a week just for us. Well, the first ‘date night’ came, and we were about to get into the car for an evening together when the telephone rang.
“‘This is a test,’ I smiled at him. The telephone kept ringing. ‘Remember our agreement. Remember our date. Remember me. Let the phone ring.’ In the end I wasn’t smiling.

“My poor husband looked trapped between me and a ringing telephone. I really did know that his highest loyalty was to me, and I knew he wanted that evening as much as I did. But he seemed paralyzed by the sound of that telephone.
“‘I’d better at least check,’ he said with sad eyes. ‘It is probably nothing at all.’
“‘If you do, our date is ruined,’ I cried. ‘I just know it.’
“He squeezed my hand and said, ‘Be right back,’ and he dashed in to pick up the telephone.
“Well, when my husband didn’t return to the car immediately, I knew what was happening. I got out of the car, went into the house, and went to bed. The next morning he spoke a quiet apology, I spoke an even quieter acceptance, and that was the end of it.
“Or so I thought. I found the event still bothering me several weeks later. I wasn’t blaming my husband, but I was disappointed nevertheless. The memory was still fresh when I came upon a woman in the ward I scarcely knew. Very hesitantly, she asked for the opportunity to talk. She then told of becoming infatuated with another man, who seemed to bring excitement into her life of drudgery, she with a husband who worked full-time and carried a full load of classes at the university. Their apartment was confining. She had small children who were often demanding, noisy, and exhausting. She said: ‘I was sorely tempted to leave what I saw as my wretched state and just go with this man. My situation was such that I felt I deserved better than what I had. My rationalization persuaded me to think I could walk away from my husband, my children, my temple covenants, and my Church and find happiness with a stranger.’
“She said: ‘The plan was set; the time for my escape was agreed upon. Yet, as if in a last gasp of sanity, my conscience told me to call your husband, my bishop. I say “conscience,” but I know that was a spiritual prompting directly from heaven. Almost against my will, I called. The telephone rang and rang and rang. Such was the state of my mind that I actually thought, “If the bishop doesn’t answer, that will be a sign I should go through with my plan.” The phone kept ringing, and I was about to hang up and walk straight into destruction when suddenly I heard your husband’s voice. It penetrated my soul like lightning. Suddenly I heard myself sobbing, saying, “Bishop, is that you? I am in trouble. I need help.” Your husband came with help, and I am safe today because he answered that telephone.
“‘I look back and realize I was tired and foolish and vulnerable. I love my husband and my children with all my heart. I can’t imagine the tragedy my life would be without them. These are still demanding times for our family. I know everyone has them. But we have addressed some of these issues, and things are looking brighter. They always do eventually.’ Then she said: ‘I don’t know you well, but I wish to thank you for supporting your husband in his calling. I don’t know what the cost for such service has been to you or to your children, but if on a difficult day there is a particularly personal cost, please know how eternally grateful I will be for the sacrifice people like you make to help rescue people like me.’”
I know that as we follow the Spirit, we will be guided to moments of amazing spiritual growth. But when we get there, we can't fall asleep. Satan will tempt us, tell us we deserve a break.
Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to have eternal peace and rest with Him. Trust Him, and watch with Him for this one hour.

Missionary Work-- Sacrificing our Music, or Sharing our Music?

I've heard it said that it's not a sacrifice unless it's hard.
I was very touched by this story of a young man sacrificing one of his greatest treasures in order to answer his call to serve.

"In Search of Treasure" (Thomas S Monson)
Benjamin Landart ..., in 1888, was 15 years old and an accomplished violinist. Living on a farm in northern Utah with his mother and seven brothers and sisters was sometimes a challenge to Benjamin, as he had less time than he would have liked to play his violin. Occasionally his mother would lock up the violin until he had his farm chores done, so great was the temptation for Benjamin to play it.

In late 1892 Benjamin was asked to travel to Salt Lake to audition for a place with the territorial orchestra. For him, this was a dream come true. After several weeks of practicing and prayers, he went to Salt Lake in March of 1893 for the much anticipated audition. When he heard Benjamin play, the conductor, a Mr. Dean, told Benjamin he was the most accomplished violinist he had heard west of Denver. He was told to report to Denver for rehearsals in the fall and learned that he would be earning enough to keep himself, with some left over to send home.

A week after Benjamin received the good news, however, his bishop called him into his office and asked if he couldn’t put off playing with the orchestra for a couple of years. He told Benjamin that before he started earning money there was something he owed the Lord. He then asked Benjamin to accept a mission call.

Benjamin felt that giving up his chance to play in the territorial orchestra would be almost more than he could bear, but he also knew what his decision should be. He promised the bishop that if there were any way to raise the money for him to serve, he would accept the call.

When Benjamin told his mother about the call, she was overjoyed. She told him that his father had always wanted to serve a mission but had been killed before that opportunity had come to him. However, when they discussed the financing of the mission, her face clouded over. Benjamin told her he would not allow her to sell any more of their land. She studied his face for a moment and then said, “Ben, there is a way we can raise the money. This family [has] one thing that is of great enough value to send you on your mission. You will have to sell your violin.”

Ten days later, on March 23, 1893, Benjamin wrote in his journal: “I awoke this morning and took my violin from its case. All day long I played the music I love. In the evening when the light grew dim and I could see to play no longer, I placed the instrument in its case. It will be enough. Tomorrow I leave [for my mission].”

Forty-five years later, on June 23, 1938, Benjamin wrote in his journal: “The greatest decision I ever made in my life was to give up something I dearly loved to the God I loved even more. He has never forgotten me for it.”

(David Archuleta's experience on his mission (1 hour long Live Q&A))

I'm so excited for my own mission. I don't have a brilliant career I'm leaving behind. However, I hope that I will be able to leave a legacy behind me.

Another Beautiful Quote

Worth Waiting For...

Pres. Uchtdorf also talked about this in his talk "Continuing in Patience":

In the 1960s, a professor at Stanford University began a modest experiment testing the willpower of four-year-old children. He placed before them a large marshmallow and then told them they could eat it right away or, if they waited for 15 minutes, they could have two marshmallows.

He then left the children alone and watched what happened behind a two-way mirror. Some of the children ate the marshmallow immediately; some could wait only a few minutes before giving in to temptation. Only 30 percent were able to wait.

It was a mildly interesting experiment, and the professor moved on to other areas of research, for, in his own words, “there are only so many things you can do with kids trying not to eat marshmallows.” But as time went on, he kept track of the children and began to notice an interesting correlation: the children who could not wait struggled later in life and had more behavioral problems, while those who waited tended to be more positive and better motivated, have higher grades and incomes, and have healthier relationships.

What started as a simple experiment with children and marshmallows became a landmark study suggesting that the ability to wait—to be patient—was a key character trait that might predict later success in life.

Patience can be seen as the mother of all virtues. If you don't have the patience to listen, how can you be teachable? If you don't have patience, how can you develope charity or faith? If you don't have patience, how can you maintain your chastity?
Impatience can also be the mother of all vices. Impatience leads to anger, pride, and insecurity.

Pres. Monson said: Oh, precious youth, please give life a chance. Apply the virtue of patience.

Here is one of my favorite poems:

 Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round,
or listened to rain slapping the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight,
or gazed at the sun fading into the night?
You better slow down, don't dance so fast,
Time is short, the music won't last.

Do you run through each day on the fly,
when you ask "How are you?", do you hear the reply?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed,
with the next hundred chores running through your head?
You better slow down, don't dance so fast,
Time is short, the music won't last.

Ever told your child, we'll do it tomorrow,
and in your haste, not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch, let a friendship die,
'cause you never had time to call and say hi?
You better slow down, don't dance so fast,
Time is short, the music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere,
you miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
it's like an unopened gift thrown away.
Life isn't a race, so take it slower,
Hear the music before your song is over

Our Saviour--Christ

Wow. There is just so much that Christ has done. So many roles He plays. So much to talk about :).

I found this amazing site which lists talks given about Christ, and makes basic things easy to find:
http://jesuschrist.lds.org/SonOfGod/eng/ 
I feel that I should go through these, and learn more about Christ through the words of living prophets. I hope you will too ;).

Here is a direct quotation from another Church resource site:
Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and the Son of God. He is our Redeemer. Each of these titles points to the truth that Jesus Christ is the only way by which we can return to live with our Heavenly Father.  
Jesus suffered and was crucified for the sins of the world, giving each of God’s children the gift of repentance and forgiveness. Only by His mercy and grace can anyone be saved. His subsequent resurrection prepared the way for every person to overcome physical death as well. These events are called the Atonement. In short, Jesus Christ saves us from sin and death. For that, He is very literally our Savior and Redeemer.
In the future Jesus Christ will return to reign on earth in peace for a thousand years. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and He will be our Lord forever.

Some people say that Mormons aren't Christian. After all, we're called Mormons aren't we? (well, first, I'd point out that there are Lutherans, for example, and others who go by names of influencial people in their religion). But the main point is, that that is just our nickname, which comes from the "Book of Mormon."
This is an apostle talking about it:

The official name of the Church is The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-Day Saints (we are also known as "LDS", an acronym for "Latter-Day Saints").
But the Church, and many in it, are Christian.
Like it says in our first Article of Faith: "We believe in God... and in His Son, Jesus Christ..." That is the first statement of our belief.
Anyway, back to the actualy man of Christ.

The Church has come out with an ongoing project: videos of the life of Christ

I love watching videos about the Atonement. When you see (a recreation of) what Christ did for us... your heart stirs, and you can't help but realize that you're feeling something.
Here are some of my favorites (yes, they are the last ones :)):

Here are other ones, made on Easter:

This next one is amazing. Put simply, and inadequately: I love it.

(Yes, I do use a lot of videos, but they teach in another dimension, that I can't)

I know that Jesus Christ lived and lives. He paid the price for us to live with Him and Heavenly Father again. Because of the Atonement, it's like the gates of Heaven were opened to us. I know that He loves us, and that He is waiting for us to show that we're committed to Him, and His purpose.

MISSIONARIES!

I recently had the awesome experience of having my oldest cousin leave on her mission! 

Now, what a missionary for the Church does is leave home for 2yrs for boys, and 18 months for girls. They live there life totally for other people-- inviting them to come to Christ, and serving them.

In 2012, Pres. Monson changed the ages that men and women could leave for their mission: boys could now leave at 18 (before it was 19), and girls could leave when they were 19 (previously 21).
After this, there has been a HUGE increase in missionaries in the field. Here is a news article from the Church about it, and about the lives of some missionaries in New York, NY.

I personally am preparing for my mission. You need to pay for it yourself, so I am saving up my money. I'm also doing my best to live a life that would make my Heavenly Father proud of me, and that sets a good example to others.

The message of the missionaries (and of the church) is that through Christ you cam make it to Heaven, and be with Heavenly Father again. Even if you're imperfect, Christ has performed the Atonement for us, and we can change.

I'm going to end by sharing this poem (again):

After All We Can Do 

By Robbie Pierce  I had been in that hole for a very long time- 
In the dark and the damp, in the cold and the slime. 
The shaft was above me; I saw it quite clear, 
But there's no way I ever could reach it from here. 
I could not remember the world way up there, 
So I lost every hope and gave in to despair.   
I knew nothing but darkness, the floor, and the wall. 
Then from off in the distance I heard someone call: 
"Get up! Get ready! There's nothing the matter! 
Take rocks and take sticks and build up a fine ladder!" 
This was a thought that had not crossed my mind, 
I started to stack all the stones I could find.   
When I ran out of stones, then old sticks were my goal, 
For some way or another I'd climb from that hole. 
I soon had a ladder that stood very tall, 
And I thought, I'll soon leave this place once and for all! 
I climbed up my ladder, a difficult chore, 
For from lifting those boulders, my shoulders were sore.   
I climbed up the ladder, but soon had to stop, 
For my ladder stopped short, some ten feet from the top. 
I went back down my ladder and felt all around, 
But there were no more boulders, nor sticks to be found. 
I sat down in the darkness and started to cry. 
I'd done all I could do, and I gave my best try. 
But in spite of my work, in this hole I must die. 
And all I could do was to sit and think, Why?   
Was my ladder too short? Was my hole much too deep? 
Then from way up on high came a voice: "Do not weep." 
And then faith, hope, and love entered into my chest 
As the voice calmly told me that I'd done my best.   
He said, You have worked hard, and your labor's been rough, 
But the ladder you've built is at last tall enough. 
So do not despair there is reason to hope, 
Just climb up my ladder; I'll throw down my rope. 
I climbed up my ladder, then climbed up the cored. 
When I got to the top of it, there stood the Lord.   
I've never been happier; my struggle was done. 
I blinked in the brightness that came from the Son. 
I fell to the ground as His feet I did kiss. 
I cried, "Lord, can I ever repay Thee for this?" 
He looked all about. There were holes in the ground. 
They had people inside, and were seen all around.   
There were thousands of holes that were damp dark and deep. 
Then the Lord looked at me, and He said: "Feed my sheep," 
And He went on his way to save other lost souls. 
So I got right to work, calling down to the holes, 
"Get up! Get ready! There is nothing the matter! 
Take rocks, and take sticks, and build up a fine ladder!"   
It now was my calling to spread the good word, 
The most glorious message that man ever heard: 
That there's one who is coming to save one and all, 
And we need to be ready when He gives the call. 
He'll pull us all out of the holes that we're in 
And save all our souls from cold, death, and from sin.  
So do not lose faith; there is reason to hope: 
Just climb up your ladder; He'll throw down His rope

The Prophet Joseph Smith

A very important man in the church was Joseph Smith jr. He was the man who organized the church after the Apostasy, when it had left the earth.
Here is a movie about him. It brings up major times in his life, and shows how hard he worked to build up God's Church.

I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God, and that he led His church in righteousness. I know that he had trials, but he still pressed on, and was able to find comfort in his faith.
I am very grateful for all he did.

"None Were With Him" -Elder Holland

I was listening to this talk this morning, and it was soo powerful, I just had to share it.

I know that the Savior suffered EVERYTHING for us.

"What weight is thrown on the scales of pain when calculating the hurt of innumerable patients in countless hospitals? Now, add to that the loneliness of the elderly who are forgotten in the rest homes of society, desperately yearning for a card, a visit, a call—just some recognition from the outside world. Keep on adding the hurt of hungry children, the suffering caused by famine, drought, and pestilence. Pile on the heartache of parents who tearfully plead on a daily basis for a wayward son or daughter to come back home. Factor in the trauma of every divorce and the tragedy of every abortion. Add the remorse that comes with each child lost in the dawn of life, each spouse taken in the prime of marriage. Compound that with the misery of overflowing prisons, bulging halfway houses and institutions for the mentally disadvantaged. Multiply all this by century after century of history, and creation after creation without end. Such is but an awful glimpse of the Savior’s load. Who can bear such a burden or scale such a mountain as this? No one, absolutely no one, save Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of us all" (-Callister)

“For many years I thought of the Savior’s experience in the garden and on the cross as places where a large mass of sin was heaped upon Him. Through the words of Alma, Abinadi, Isaiah, and other prophets, however, my view has changed. Instead of an impersonal mass of sin, there was a long line of people, as Jesus felt “our infirmities” (Heb. 4:15), “[bore] our griefs, … carried our sorrows … [and] was bruised for our iniquities” (Isa. 53:4–5).
The Atonement was an intimate, personal experience in which Jesus came to know how to help each of us.” -Merril J. Bateman
What better proof that the Savior loves us? Why else would He go through with all of this? He was perfect. And instead of living an easy life, He helped us by giving us a chance to be perfect, through the Atonement.

What Sacrifices would YOU make for the Savior?

Luke 9:23 ¶And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

Following are some stories of people who have made sacrifices for what they knew was right. They are examples to people today that if you sacrifice for the right reasons, you will be blessed.

Elder Gordon B. Hinckley spoke of meeting a young naval officer from Asia. The officer had not been a Christian, but during training in the United States, he had learned about the Church and was baptized. He was now preparing to return to his native land. “President Hinckley asked the officer: ‘Your people are not Christians. … What will happen when you return home a Christian and, more particularly, a Mormon Christian?’
“The officer’s face clouded, and he replied: ‘My family will be disappointed. … As for my future and my career, … all opportunity [may] be foreclosed against me.’
“President Hinckley asked, ‘Are you willing to pay so great a price for the gospel?’
“With his dark eyes moistened by tears, he answered with a question: ‘It’s true, isn’t it?’
“President Hinckley responded, ‘Yes, it’s true.’
“To which the officer replied, ‘Then what else matters?’

In the course of constructing (the) tabernacle, the local brethren ordered the glass for the windows from New York and had it shipped around the cape to California. But a bill of $800 was due and payable before the panes could be picked up and delivered to St. George. Brother David H. Cannon, later to preside over the St. George Temple being built at the same time, was charged with the responsibility of raising the needed funds. After painstaking effort, the entire community, giving virtually everything they had to these two monumental building projects, had been able to come up with only $200 cash. On sheer faith Brother Cannon committed a team of freighters to prepare to leave for California to get the glass. He continued to pray that the enormous balance of $600 would somehow be forthcoming before their departure.
Living in nearby Washington, Utah, was Peter Neilson, a Danish immigrant who had been saving for years to add on to his modest two-room adobe home. On the eve of the freighters' departure for California, Peter spent a sleepless night in that tiny little house. He thought of his conversion in far-off Denmark and his subsequent gathering with the Saints in America. After coming west he had settled and struggled to make a living in Sanpete. And then, just as some prosperity seemed imminent there, he answered the call to uproot and go to the Cotton Mission, bolstering the pathetic and sagging efforts of the alkali-soiled, malaria-plagued, flood-bedeviled settlers of Dixie. As he lay in bed that night contemplating his years in the Church, he weighed the sacrifices asked of him against the wonderful blessings he had received. Somewhere in those private hours he made a decision.
Some say it was a dream, others say an impression, still others simply a call to duty. However the direction came, Peter Neilson arose before dawn on the morning the teams were to leave for California. With only a candle and the light of the gospel to aid him, Peter brought out of a secret hiding place $600 in gold coins--half eagles, eagles, and double eagles. His wife, Karen, aroused by the predawn bustling, asked why he was up so early. He said only that he had to walk quickly the seven miles to St. George.
As the first light of morning fell on the beautiful red cliffs of southern Utah, a knock came at David H. Cannon's door. There stood Peter Neilson, holding a red bandanna which sagged under the weight it carried. "Good morning, David," said Peter. "I hope I am not too late. You will know what to do with this money."
With that he turned on his heel and retraced his steps back to Washington, back to a faithful and unquestioning wife, and back to a small two-room adobe house that remained just two rooms for the rest of his life.
This story is a favorite of mine, because I can totally relate to it. I love playing the violin, and would have the hardest time making this sacrifice.

A story written by Karen Nolen, which appeared in the New Era in 1974, tells of a Benjamin Landart who, in 1888, was 15 years old and an accomplished violinist. Living on a farm in northern Utah with his mother and seven brothers and sisters was sometimes a challenge to Benjamin, as he had less time than he would have liked to play his violin. Occasionally his mother would lock up the violin until he had his farm chores done, so great was the temptation for Benjamin to play it. In late 1892 Benjamin was asked to travel to Salt Lake to audition for a place with the territorial orchestra. For him, this was a dream come true. After several weeks of practicing and prayers, he went to Salt Lake in March of 1893 for the much anticipated audition. When he heard Benjamin play, the conductor, a Mr. Dean, told Benjamin he was the most accomplished violinist he had heard west of Denver. He was told to report to Denver for rehearsals in the fall and learned that he would be earning enough to keep himself, with some left over to send home. A week after Benjamin received the good news, however, his bishop called him into his office and asked if he couldnt put off playing with the orchestra for a couple of years. He told Benjamin that before he started earning money there was something he owed the Lord. He then asked Benjamin to accept a mission call.

Benjamin felt that giving up his chance to play in the territorial orchestra would be almost more than he could bear, but he also knew what his decision should be. He promised the bishop that if there were any way to raise the money for him to serve, he would accept the call.

When Benjamin told his mother about the call, she was overjoyed. She told him that his father had always wanted to serve a mission but had been killed before that opportunity had come to him. However, when they discussed the financing of the mission, her face clouded over. Benjamin told her he would not allow her to sell any more of their land. She studied his face for a moment and then said, Ben, there is a way we can raise the money. This family [has] one thing that is of great enough value to send you on your mission. You will have to sell your violin.
Ten days later, on March 23, 1893, Benjamin wrote in his journal: I awoke this morning and took my violin from its case. All day long I played the music I love. In the evening when the light grew dim and I could see to play no longer, I placed the instrument in its case. It will be enough. Tomorrow I leave [for my mission].
Forty-five years later, on June 23, 1938, Benjamin wrote in his journal: The greatest decision I ever made in my life was to give up something I dearly loved to the God I loved even more. He has never forgotten me for it.