If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them

One of the basic principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that there are commandments. God has given us instructions for how to return to Him. When I was younger, I wrote this story as a parable of sorts about what commandments are for me:

I had grown, and now there was a mountain. My days of innocence had gone, and now I needed to go home-- the top of the mountain.

I wasn't completely certain why this  mountain was mine; after all, there were countless others to choose from. As I scanned my surroundings, I noticed that though the mountains were different, they all ended in the clouds.

Behind the clouds was light.

I looked to my side, to my friend who was going to climb this mountain with me. Her mouth hung open as she stared up at it.

"How will we ever make it?" she asked me. I pointed to the trail, "We just need to follow The Way."

Before we knew it we were climbing. The Way was steep and hard. Rocks moved and turned under our feet, creating bruises. Occasionally, we found water and food left for us. There were also signs and notes of encouragement left on the trees and always counsel never to leave The Way.

In time, we came to an overlook: a place in the shade with a seat, where we could see how far we had come, and look up to our goal. 

Then we started moving again. For a while, my friend and I were both optimistic. We both felt energized after the overlook. But when we came to the next deposit of refreshments, my friend refused to join me.

"I can wait," she said, "I'm still pumped from the overlook."

"Okay," I said. Worried for her, I ate thoughtfully.

As we continued, the trail grew harder. My friend insisted on only taking sporadic meals, and soon her strength started to diminish.

I helped her through the tough spots and she said she'd eat and drink more, but every time we came to some, she'd just nibble and sip.

She began to be despondent, and frustrated.

"Why is the path so hard?" she'd ask me, "Why must we only go 'The Way'?"

"The Way takes us home," I'd answer, surprised at her questions. "It's the only  Way."

"Well, what about that  path, over there?" with the arm I wasn't supporting, she pointed off into the trees where the ground seemed more level and where a crooked path wound its way.

Just then, we came to another overlook.

"C'mon," I tugged her over to the bench, "Let's rest, and get our bearings."

Once again, we sat on a bench, and I enjoyed the view. But my friend was jittery and anxious to explore the crooked path. When we stood again, she went straight into the trees and onto the path. She gasped, "You've got  to come and see this!"

I hesitated as I reached the edge of The Way.

"What about food?" I asked. "We'll starve."

"There's food here, too!" my friend yelled, "And this path takes the easy way up the mountain."

I couldn't let her go off by herself. Maybe I could go to convince her to come back and climb The Way with me.

Just then, a breeze blew a letter up to my feet.

No matter how hard it gets, no matter how long it takes, follow The Way. I have gone off onto crooked paths, but they only lead to danger. There is  a road back to The Way, but it is hard. Trust me, The Way is the only Way.

Hailey.

I didn't know Hailey. All I knew was that my friend was in trouble. I had to save her.

"Wait up!" I called, but she was already out of earshot. Following, I left The Way.

As I ran through the trees, I tripped on unseen roots and stones. Soon, I came to a fork in the middle of the road. Which way had my friend gone?

I shouted her name, but she didn't answer. Fatigued, I looked around for the food she'd mentioned. Finding some, I ate it-- it disappeared in my mouth like a breath. What had I done?

Then I saw a fork in the path. By one of the entrances was another note.

You've made a mistake, friend. But I've prepared this path for you. You've made it harder than it could have been, but you can still get back home. This Way will lead you home.

Love, Your Brother.

I went. This Way was  hard, but there were real food and water here and hope! Looking at the thick foliage around me, I knew that this Way had been forged with a  great sacrifice.

At last, I reached The Way again-- right where I had left it. I still had scars from my time off the path, but the wounds were healed. I went out to the overlook where I'd last seen my friend. I looked up the Mountain to where Home was and felt a renewed vigor and dedication to get there.

I started climbing once more. Although it was still difficult, I had faith that I was heading Home.

Occasionally, I could see the crooked path; but I also saw pits, cliffs, ledges, and dead ends. I hoped and prayed that my friend would make it back.

As I was resting at another overlook, I heard someone running up behind me. I turned and cried for joy! There was my friend! Out of breath and scarred but happy and strong. I asked her what had happened.

"After I left The Way, I followed the crooked path to a river. I ate a lot of the food, but it was never enough. The crooked path led through a river, and there was no other way for me to go. I decided I could swim it. I never even got half-way. 

"The river pulled me farther and farther down; I struggled for breath! …" my friend shook her head as she stared at the ground. I put my arms around her and listened.

"I knew I would be taken all the way back down the Mountain. I didn't want that. I wanted to go Home again. I had forgotten that. But once I remembered and desired it again, the oddest thing happened. Someone gave me strength. I used it and swam as swiftly as I could for the bank. 

"When I finally got out, I was stained a muddy brown. I found another path, but it seemed different from the crooked paths. Following it, I came to a pond, with a sign that said "Malada." There was some strong soap next to it. I knew what to do. I took the soap, and washed up!"

I looked into my friend's eyes: sparkling, looking up at the Mountain.

"It felt so good to be clean again," she breathed softly.

"How did you catch up with me so quickly?" I asked her.

"I ran. I ran all The Way. I ate the food, drank the water, and stopped at every overlook I could," she stood, "And now I'm ready to begin again. Shall we go?"

So we did. We got up and climbed the Mountain.

 Through writing this story, I learned that commandments are instructions for the best path back to God and all His promises. Some of those promises are true joy, peace, being with your family forever, and in some cases "the windows of heaven will be opened." Who doesn't want happiness?

Nephi, a prophet in the Book of Mormon, was commanded to build a boat. When his brothers mocked him, Nephi responded: "If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them." He believed he could do anything, as long as it was the will of God. I was thinking about this phrase, and wondered, "If God had commanded me to do all things, would I do them?" If He told me to study calculus, would I? If He told me I couldn't have children, would I still trust Him? If He told me to sell everything and move to Africa, would I? If He told me to study my scriptures every day before studying, would I?
I have faith in God, I know He can do anything and that through His power I can too. But would I?

I hope that I would. I know I don't a lot. But thankfully, God doesn't ask us to be perfect. He doesn't ask us to jump from the foot of the mountain to the top of it. He just asks us to keep climbing, keep progressing.
"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." "(He) is the way, the truth, and the life."

Is Salvation Free?

This was an interesting question in my class. It took some thought, but I think I understand it better now. I thought I'd share for any who were curious or confused.

What does Lehi mean when he says that “salvation is free” (2 Nephi 2:4)?

When Lehi says "free," I don't think he means it comes without a price. I think he means that "unto every one of us is given grace" (Eph 4:7). A lot of modern Christian churches teach that grace comes without a price, that it only takes an acceptance of Christ and then we're good. But in Ether 12, we learn at least one thing is necessary for us to receive this grace: "and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me;..."

In Alma 5, it says "Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely;" Yet Alma also asks "now I ask of you on what conditions are they saved?" So we can drink of it freely as we are meeting the conditions of repentance. Some things he mentions are belief in the prophets, faith in Christ's atonement, works of righteousness, being "stripped of pride," etc.

Now, I don't believe that we have to be perfect to partake of Christ's atonement, but we do need to be making an effort. His grace isn't an opportunity for a free ride into the Celestial Kingdom, but it is an enabling power that can help us as we try to get there.

Chapstick

It's been a while, but I feel like I'm ready to get back to sharing through this blog. Today will just be a short post, but I hope it helps someone.

This year, our church has started a study program that focuses on learning in the home and then bringing what you learn to church for discussion and group learning. It's been a wonderful experience to really study on my own time and then get perspectives and opinions from others at church.
Here's a link to the manual. We're studying from the New Testament, so it's applicable for other faiths as well (although some resources reference modern-day prophets and the Book of Mormon for further light and truth).

As I was reading in John 2 for this week's lesson, it asked to consider how Jesus Christ uses simple objects to teach lessons. Then it invited the learner to look at common household items and draw their own connections. It just so happened that I had chapstick sitting on my desk in front of me and a few insights immediately leaped to mind...

  Firstly, while chapstick will help if your lips are already dry, it works much better as a preventive measure. We can always repent after we've gone down the road of sin; but if we can catch ourselves as we're starting to eye that thorny path, we're much better off.

Chapstick (at least for me) should be used regularly. I put it on whenever I notice it (I applied it before starting this post). That's how repentance should be. Whenever we think about it, we should repent (something I will do after this post).

Finally, chapstick is sweet, smooth, feels good, and helps keep my lips healthy.
All I have to do is apply it.

"Thy will be done"... "Hagase tu voluntad"

Hello! This is my first blog post since I got back from my mission. Being able to serve in Argentina was one of the greatest experiences of my life!

So today I was reading in Moses 4 about the life before this life when we all lived with our Heavenly Father. In this life, we held a Great Council, where our Father told us that He had a plan, a plan that would give us the chance to be like Him. This plan is known as the Plan of Salvation, the Plan of Redemption, or the Great Plan of Happiness! As it says in Job-- "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy..." (Job 38:7)
But there must be opposition in all things. Lucifer (now called Satan) wanted to change the plan. He wanted to take away our freedom to choose.
He said, "Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor."
Once, someone pointed out the pronouns in this statement: ""Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor." (Moses 4:1)

Thankfully, there was another son, and this is what He said: "Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever." (Moses 4:2)
The second Son, Jesus Christ, was chosen to be our Savior and Redeemer. We keep our freedom to choose but have a chance to repent from the wrong choices we make.
More on that later.

For now, I want to focus on what Christ said, and when He said it. He said, "Father, thy will be done." And He said it during a time when another was seeking for power. Rather than combat Satan's idea with a "bigger" and "better" idea, Christ submitted Himself humbly before the Father.
Then I started thinking about the other times that Christ had spoken that phrase.

He said it again in the middle of His mortal ministry when He was surrounded by followers.
"And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth." (Luke 11:2, emphasis added)

Then, when He was alone, in the height of His suffering, He pleaded: "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."
Isn't it amazing that He used the same humble phrase when He was accepting His mission and when He was fulfilling it? He used it when He ascended above all God's children and when He descended below all things. He used it in good times and in bad.

How am I doing? Am I accepting the will of God? Even when it's hard?
In my hardest times, do I humbly recognize that I might be fulfilling my calling?

I love the Lord, and He loves us. As we submit ourselves to the Father, He will strengthen us for our callings and help us to become better.

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.

What CAN we Give?

What can we give to someone who has everything? He literally created the world and everything in it.

Incense and spices and gold we've a-plenty- Are these the gifts for the king of us all?
Palms at his feet and hosannas uprising; Are these for him who will carry the tree?
Tears for his mercy we'll weep at the manger, Bathing the infant come down from above.

Gifts we can give: gratitude, forgiveness of others, obedience, love, reverence.

Why We Have Christmas

A couple weeks ago, we adopted two little kittens: Tsunami and Noemi ("No-Amy"; it's Hungarian). We were heading out of town, so on Wednesday we dropped them off with their supplies at a friends house. Just as the second group of us were heading out, the friend called us saying that Noemi was looking sick, and that we should come pick her up.
I thought that it might just be the motherly instincts of the friend seeing things that weren't there, but when I went in to pick up the little kitten, she was laying stretched out on her towel while her sister climbed around her. The friend told us Noemi had diarrhea, and needed to stay hydrated.
For the two-hour drive I cradled the prone little body in my hands, feeding her water through a baby dropper one drop at a time. I watched for each sign of improvement: She blinked! She kicked her leg! She rolled over!
While I chose to take these as good signs, I also knew that they may also be signs of her final struggle.
Finally, we made it to Andover where we'd be spending the weekend. I handed off the little kitty to her owner, my nine-year-old sister. At first they took the cats (we'd brought both) to the barn, but then in order to give Noemi more water more often, our friends let us bring them into an outer room in their house.
Despite almost constant care, little Noemi died that night while I was holding her.
As she started leaving, I burst out crying. I'd worked for hours to keep this little kitten alive. Why couldn't she stay?
Comforting me, my mom said, "At least we were able to give her love and a home before she died."

Another woman told of her experience. She was finally fulfilling her dream to go see Mother Theresa. When she landed in India, she went off in search of the famous nun. The woman was directed to a hospital. When she entered it, she found herself in a long hall. Along one wall were 10 or so rocking chairs, and on the other side were dozens of babies lying on the ground.
The door at the other end opened and Mother Theresa walked in followed by some nurses. As she slowly advanced towards the woman, Mother Theresa would point at a baby and then point at a nurse, saying "That one. You. ... That one. You. ..." Obediently, the nurse would pick up the child and rock it in a rocking chair.
At last, Mother Theresa was standing in front of the woman. But as the woman opened her mouth to say something, Mother Theresa pointed at a baby. "That one. You."
Without another word, she left the hospital, leaving the woman who'd come so far to meet her.
Stunned, the woman stood there for a moment. Then she angrily began to leave. "Wait!" a nurse called. "You have to help."
"I'm not a nurse, I don't know what to do." The woman protested.
Quietly, the nurse explained. "There isn't enough care and medicine to save all of these babies. Mother Theresa knows which of these babies are going to die today. Our job is to rock them, and make sure they feel human love before they leave this world."
The woman looked back at the little baby that Mother Theresa had assigned her to love. Then she went over, picked it up, and then rocked it until it slept.
By that time, she needed to rush to catch her plane home, and she never saw Mother Theresa again. But she said that it wasn't a wasted trip. She learned what she needed to learn.

Mosiah 16: 7 And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection.
8 But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.
9 He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death.

Peace be unto You Because of your Faith

This week, I posted the scripture Helaman 5:47 on my wall.

"Peace, peace be unto you because of your faith in my Well Beloved, who was from the foundation of the world."

Today in family scripture study, we read about Alma (senior) and his people living peacefully before the Lamanites came and captured them. Someone pointed out that Alma and his people were righteous and listened to the Lord whenever He commanded them to do something. On the other hand, King Limhi's people (the ones who stayed behind when Alma and his followers fled) were sketchy at best.
But both groups were brought into bondage. The good guys and the not-so-good guys.
Why would following God's directions lead Alma's people into bondage?

When I think about the differences between these two groups, a few things stand out.
First of all, because each of these groups was brought into bondage they were motivated and given the opportunity to get back to Zarahemla to join the rest of the Nephites.
Secondly, while the people of Limhi were in captivity many of them died because of the many wars they fought. But the people of Alma were close to the Lord and knew the correct actions to take. When the people of Limhi were finally humbled and converted, they didn't have anyone with the authority to baptize them or receive revelation for them. But the people of Alma were almost all already baptized and close to God.

As we have a foundation of faith, I know we are able to find peace in our trials.

12 Days of Easter: Day 10/Grace Series pt 4-- "The Gift of Grace" (Pres. Uchtdorf, April 2015)

Here is a link to the General Conference talk given yesterday by Pres. Dieter F Uchtdorf.

I was so happy when he started talking about grace-- the subject I've been focusing on recently.

He is an amazing speaker, and drives home many points. 

The main point I took from him was this: Grace Unlocks and Opens the Gates of Heaven.

Read: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-gift-of-grace?lang=eng

Watch: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/watch/2015/04?lang=eng&vid=4154894179001&cid=12

12 Days of Easter: Day 3, He is Here

What a beautiful Easter Video!!
He is Here. In this little hotel room, when I'm far away from home and taking care of a rambunctious 4 year old at 11 pm He is still Here.
I can feel the Spirit as I watch this video, and I hope you can, too.

(The next day...) I was thinking about this post during sacrament meeting and put together these thoughts.
He is Here.
Here in this Church. With the small babies, elderly couples, and the families. With the boys and girls, gentlemen and ladies.
He is in this Room. He sees the sunflowers and hibiscus, the beautiful brown tiles, the dark blue seats.
He is in the Music. As we sing His praises He joins our song. He comes closer to us than ever before.
He comes through the Spirit. Comes to our hearts, to our minds. And we are able to feel His presence-- His Love.
The Love that took Him to the garden. The Love that brought Him up the hill. The Love that carried Him to the Cross.
His friends mourned Him and buried Him. They saw His body, but He was not there.
Three days passed. "He is not here." No, He was no longer in the tomb. No longer in death

HE IS RISEN

He is Here.

He is with you. He is with me.

Willingly, He sacrificed everything for us.

Freely, He now shares His love and peace.

Always Remember... 

He is Here.

Grace Part 1---Christ's Grace is Sufficient

To start off this post, here's a story told by Brad Wilcox:

A BYU student once came to me and asked if we could talk. I said, “Of course. How can I help you?”

She said, “I just don’t get grace.”

I responded, “What is it that you don’t understand?”

She said, “I know I need to do my best and then Jesus does the rest, but I can’t even do my best.”

She then went on to tell me all the things she should be doing because she’s a Mormon that she wasn’t doing.

She continued, “I know that I have to do my part and then Jesus makes up the difference and fills the gap that stands between my part and perfection. But who fills the gap that stands between where I am now and my part?”

She then went on to tell me all the things that she shouldn’t be doing because she’s a Mormon, but she was doing them anyway.

Finally I said, “Jesus doesn’t make up the difference. Jesus makesall the difference. Grace is not about filling gaps. It is about filling us.”

Seeing that she was still confused, I took a piece of paper and drew two dots—one at the top representing God and one at the bottom representing us. I then said, “Go ahead. Draw the line. How much is our part? How much is Christ’s part?”

She went right to the center of the page and began to draw a line. Then, considering what we had been speaking about, she went to the bottom of the page and drew a line just above the bottom dot.

I said, “Wrong.”

She said, “I knew it was higher. I should have just drawn it, because I knew it.”

I said, “No. The truth is, there is no line. Jesus filled the whole space. He paid our debt in full. He didn’t pay it all except for a few coins. He paid it all. It is finished.”

She said, “Right! Like I don’t have to do anything?”

“Oh no,” I said, “you have plenty to do, but it is not to fill that gap. We will all be resurrected. We will all go back to God’s presence. What is left to be determined by our obedience is what kind of body we plan on being resurrected with and how comfortable we plan to be in God’s presence and how long we plan to stay there.”

Christ asks us to show faith in Him, repent, make and keep covenants, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. By complying, we are not paying the demands of justice—not even the smallest part. Instead, we are showing appreciation for what Jesus Christ did by using it to live a life like His. Justice requires immediate perfection or a punishment when we fall short. Because Jesus took that punishment, He can offer us the chance for ultimate perfection (see Matthew 5:48, 3 Nephi 12:48) and help us reach that goal. He can forgive what justice never could, and He can turn to us now with His own set of requirements (see 2 Nephi 2:7; 3 Nephi 9:20).

“So what’s the difference?” the girl asked. “Whether our efforts are required by justice or by Jesus, they are still required.”

“True,” I said, “but they are required for a different purpose. Fulfilling Christ’s requirements is like paying a mortgage instead of rent or like making deposits in a savings account instead of paying off debt. You still have to hand it over every month, but it is for a totally different reason.”

("His Grace is Sufficient" by Brad Wilcox)

I know that through Christ's grace, through His Atonement and His love, we can all be healed. We can feel His peace and the happiness that comes with it.

Another Beautiful Quote

A BEAUTIFUL post by my mom

http://mylazarusquest.blogspot.com/2014/03/when-child-weeps.html

I absolutely loved this post when I read it. It reminded me somewhat of a talk in Church today that a missionary gave. He said that we often think of the Atonement just being there when we need to repent (which it is). But it is also there whenever we're in pain, or going through something bad. It's there for every negative cricumstance we may encounter, and it will help us get through it.

Come Unto Christ!

Each year, the Church comes up with a theme for the youth based on a scripture.
A few years ago, it was D&C 115:5 "Arise and shine forth!"
Last year it was D&C 87:8 "Stand ye in holy places"
This year, it's Moroni 10:32 "Come unto Christ"

This is a video, introducing the entire scripture.
https://www.lds.org/youth/video/come-with-us?lang=eng#d

There is a song to go with it, too!!
https://www.lds.org/youth/video/come-unto-christ-2014-theme-song?lang=eng

I love that it shows such different and real struggles: self-worth, death/illness, parental/family relationships, and addiction. 
He really can help us with ANYTHING!! No matter how unique your trial is, He knows what you feel! Because of the Atonement, He can relate with us. 

7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the ^apit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the ^bdeep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to ^chedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of ^dhell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee ^eexperience, and shall be for thy good.

 8 The ^aSon of Man hath ^bdescended below them all. Art thou greater than he? (D&C 122)

The Young Men General Presidency said "Because of His Atonement, we can gain the power to serve, to deny ourselves of ungodly things in our lives, and to feel His infinite love. As we do so, we will find true peace and happiness."

I know that Coming Unto Christ is what we have to do in this life (or at least TRY to do :)). The more we try to become like Him, the better we'll be, the more peace and happiness we'll have, and the better our lives will be (but not neccessarily in a worldy sense ;))

Moroni 10:32 Yea, ^acome unto Christ, and be ^bperfected in him, and ^cdeny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and ^dlove God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be ^eperfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

THE MOUNTAIN-- a journey to salvation

(btw, I'm taking a writing class, which is why many of my recent posts are stories :))

I had grown, and now there was a mountain. My days of innocence had gone, and now I needed to go Home-- the top of the Mountain. 

I wasn't completely certain why this  mountain was mine; after all, there were countless others to choose from. As I scanned the range, I noticed that thought the mountains were different, they all ended in the clouds. 

Behind the clouds was light. 

I looked to my side, to my friend who was to climb this mountain with me. Her mouth hang open as she stared up at it. 

"How will we ever make it?" she asked me. I pointed to the trail, "We just need for follow The Way." 

Before we knew it, we were climbing. The Way was steep and heard. Rocks moved and turned under our feet, creating bruises. Occasionally, we found water and food left for us. There were also signs and notes of encouragement left on the trees; and always counsel never to leave The Way. 

In time, we came to an overlook: a place in the shade with a seat, where we could see how far we'd come, and look up to our goal.  

Then we started moving again. For a while, my friend and I were both optimistic. We both felt energized after the overlook. But when we came to the next deposit of refreshments, my friend refused to join me. 

"I can wait," she said, "I'm still pumped from the overlook." 

"Okay," I said. Worried for her, I ate thoughtfully. 

As we continued, the trail grew harder. My friend insisted on only taking sporadic meals, and soon her strength started to diminish. 

I helped her through the tough spots, and she said she'd eat and drink more, but every time we came to some, she'd just nibble and sip. 

She began to be despondent, and frustrated. 

"Why is the path so hard?" she'd ask me, "Why must we only go 'The Way'?" 

"The Way takes us home," I'd answer, surprised at her questions. "It's the only  Way." 

"Well, what about that  path, over there?" with the arm I wasn't supporting, she pointed off into the trees, where the ground seemed more level, and where a crooked path wound it's way. 

Just then, we came to another overlook. 

"C'mon," I tugged her over to the bench, "Let's rest, and get our bearings." 

Once again, we sat on a bench, and I enjoyed the view. But my friend was jittery, and anxious to explore the crooked path. When we stood again, she went straight into the trees, and onto the path. She gasped, "You've got  to come see this!" 

I hesitated as I reached the edge of The Way. 

"What about food?" I asked. "We'll starve." 

"There's food here, too!" my friend yelled, "And this path take the easy way up he mountain." 

I couldn't let her go off by herself. Maybe I could go convince her to come back, and climb The Way with me. 

Just then, a breeze blew a letter up to my feet. 

No matter how hard it gets, no matter how long it takes, follow The Way. I have gone off onto crooked paths, but they only lead to danger. There is  a Way back to The Way, but it is hard. Trust me, The Way is the only Way. 

(heart) Jen. 

I didn't know Jen, but I knew my friend was in trouble. I had to save her. 

"Wait up!" I called. Already, she'd gone far away. Following, I left The Way. 

As I ran through the trees, I tripped on unseen roots and stones. Soon, I came to a fork in the middle of the road. Which way had my friend gone? 

I shouted her name, but she didn't answer. Fatigued, I looked around for the food she'd mentioned. Finding some, I ate it-- it disappeared in my mouth like a breath. What had I done? 

Then I saw the Way to The Way. By the entrance was another note. 

You've made a mistake, ______. But I've prepared this path for you. You've made it harder than it could've been, but you can still get back home. This Way will lead you home. 

(heart), Your Brother. 

I went. This Way was  hard, but there was real food and water here, and hope! Looking at the thick foliage around me, I knew that this Way had been forged with a  great sacrifice. 

At last, I reached The Way again-- right where I'd left it. I still had scars from my time off the path, but they had healed. I went over to the overlook where I'd last seen my friend. I looked up the Mountain to where Home was, and felt a renewed vigor and dedication to get there. 

I started climbing once more. Although it was still difficult, I had faith that I was heading Home. 

Occasionally, I could see the crooked path; but I also saw pits, cliffs, ledges, and dead ends. I hoped and prayed that my friend would make it back. 

As I was resting at another overlook, I heard someone running up behind me. I turned, and cried for joy! There was my friend! Out of breath and scarred, but happy and strong. I asked her what had happened. 

"After I left The Way, I followed the crooked path to a river. I ate a lot of the food, but it was never enough. The crooked path led through a river, and there was no other way for me to go. I decided I could swim it. I never even got half-way.

"The river pulled me farther and farther down; I struggled for breath! …" my friend shook her head as she stared at the ground. I put my arms around her, and listened. 

"I knew I would be taken down the Mountain, all the way. I didn't want that. I wanted to go Home again. I'd forgotten my goal, and my purpose. But once I remembered and desired it again, the oddest thing happened. Someone gave me strength. I used it, and swam as swiftly as I could for the bank.  

"When I finally got out, I was stained a muddy brown. I found another path, but it seemed different from the crooked paths. Following it, I came to a pond, with a sign that said "Malada," and some hard soap. I knew what to do. I took the soap, and washed up!" 

I looked into my friends eyes: sparkling, looking up at the Mountain. 

"It felt so good to be clean again," she breathed softly. 

"How did you catch up with me so quickly?" I asked her. 

"I ran. I ran all The Way. I ate the food, drank the water, and stopped at every overlook I could," she stood, "And now I'm ready to begin again. Shall we go?" 

So we did. We got up, and climbed the Mountain.