My nephew left on his mission almost a week ago. We missed his farewell talk and saying goodbye because of sicknesses.
I am so proud of him and the decision he has made. My little John Derek really looks up to his cousin and I am so grateful that he has such a wonderful role model to follow after. John Derek really wasn't excited about him leaving so we asked if John Derek could sleep over one more time. John Derek loved it. He got to hang out with two of his favorite cousins and really felt like he was as big as they were. What a blessing to be surrounded by such wonderful examples of truth and righteousness.
Recently my sister sent me a link to a talk she read. As I read the talk this morning I was reminded about what I have been learning about the atonement. How it is more than just a way to be forgiven of our sins but even more so a way to live in this world. Here are some of my favorite quotes from this talk:
October 23, 2001
BYU Devotional
In the Strength of the Lord
David A. Bednar
These two dimensions of the Atonement are connected and complementary; they both need to be operational during all phases of the journey of life. And it is eternally important for all of us to recognize that both of these essential elements of the journey of life—both putting off the natural man and becoming a saint, both overcoming bad and becoming good—are accomplished through the power of the Atonement. Individual willpower, personal determination and motivation, and effective planning and goal setting are necessary but ultimately insufficient to triumphantly complete this mortal journey. Truly we must come to rely upon “the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah” (2 Nephi 2:8).
Reading this gave me such strength. To know that yes I should be setting goals and working to achive them but when I start to feel overwhelmed and unable to accomplish the goal that instead of giving up I should pray and seek the Lord's help and then I will be able to accomplish my goal.
Thus the enabling power of the Atonement strengthens us to do and be good and serve beyond our own individual desire and natural capacity.
Nephi is an example of one who knew and understood and relied upon the enabling power of the Savior. In 1 Nephi 7 we recall that the sons of Lehi had returned to Jerusalem to enlist Ishmael and his household in their cause. Laman and others in the party traveling with Nephi from Jerusalem back to the wilderness rebelled, and Nephi exhorted his brethren to have faith in the Lord. It was at this point in their trip that Nephi’s brothers bound him with cords and planned his destruction. Now please note Nephi’s prayer in verse 17: “O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound” (emphasis added).
Brothers and sisters, do you know what I likely would have prayed for if I had been tied up by my brothers? My prayer would have included a request for something bad to happen to my brothers and ended with the phrase “wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren” or, in other words, “Please get me out of this mess, now!” It is especially interesting to me that Nephi did not pray, as I probably would have prayed, to have his circumstances changed. Rather, he prayed for the strength to change his circumstances. And may I suggest that he prayed in this manner precisely because he knew and understood and had experienced the enabling power of the Atonement of the Savior.
Brothers and sisters, the implication of this episode for each of us is quite straightforward. As you and I come to understand and employ the enabling power of the Atonement in our personal lives, we will pray and seek for strength to change our circumstances rather than praying for our circumstances to be changed. We will become agents who “act” rather than objects that are “acted upon” (2 Nephi 2:14).
I love this example of Nephi. As I read this story the enabling power of the Atonement became so much more clear. I feel like I can do that. I can pray for strength to help me in my circumstances, that I can still accomplish what is asked of me but that I kind of have a "super power," as my son would say, to help me through this. I love the idea of acting instead of being acted upon. Right now in my life I feel that I am reacting to things that have been acted upon me. But I feel the need more and more to act, to anticipate, to take control. I know that the Lord can help me with this. That when I feel out of control He can bring me back to where I need to be to fulfill His desires for me and my family.
Again we observe that Alma did not pray to have his afflictions removed. He knew he was an agent of the Lord, and he prayed for the power to act and affect his situation.
The key point of this example is contained in the final verse, Alma 31:38: “Yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith” (emphasis added).
When I think about all the hardships we have, how I feel that my role in life is not where I wanted to be when I was younger, because I saw motherhood through the eyes of the world. I am given encouragement that I can be "swallowed up in the joy of Christ" no matter my hardships.
“No one understands. No one knows.” No human being, perhaps, knows. But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He felt and bore our burdens before we ever did. And because He paid the ultimate price and bore that burden, He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy in so many phases of our life. He can reach out, touch, and succor—literally run to us—and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do through relying only upon our own power.
What peace and comfort this gives me and I hope to give my children. On those days when I am frustrated and angry and need empathy for a child who is not moving forward I can pray and pray for the knowedge of what that child is feeling so that I can better understand where they are coming from. Christ knows them, he has been where they are and He can help me help them. What a great Captain I have on my team!!
I am so proud of him and the decision he has made. My little John Derek really looks up to his cousin and I am so grateful that he has such a wonderful role model to follow after. John Derek really wasn't excited about him leaving so we asked if John Derek could sleep over one more time. John Derek loved it. He got to hang out with two of his favorite cousins and really felt like he was as big as they were. What a blessing to be surrounded by such wonderful examples of truth and righteousness.
Recently my sister sent me a link to a talk she read. As I read the talk this morning I was reminded about what I have been learning about the atonement. How it is more than just a way to be forgiven of our sins but even more so a way to live in this world. Here are some of my favorite quotes from this talk:
October 23, 2001
BYU Devotional
In the Strength of the Lord
David A. Bednar
These two dimensions of the Atonement are connected and complementary; they both need to be operational during all phases of the journey of life. And it is eternally important for all of us to recognize that both of these essential elements of the journey of life—both putting off the natural man and becoming a saint, both overcoming bad and becoming good—are accomplished through the power of the Atonement. Individual willpower, personal determination and motivation, and effective planning and goal setting are necessary but ultimately insufficient to triumphantly complete this mortal journey. Truly we must come to rely upon “the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah” (2 Nephi 2:8).
Reading this gave me such strength. To know that yes I should be setting goals and working to achive them but when I start to feel overwhelmed and unable to accomplish the goal that instead of giving up I should pray and seek the Lord's help and then I will be able to accomplish my goal.
Thus the enabling power of the Atonement strengthens us to do and be good and serve beyond our own individual desire and natural capacity.
Nephi is an example of one who knew and understood and relied upon the enabling power of the Savior. In 1 Nephi 7 we recall that the sons of Lehi had returned to Jerusalem to enlist Ishmael and his household in their cause. Laman and others in the party traveling with Nephi from Jerusalem back to the wilderness rebelled, and Nephi exhorted his brethren to have faith in the Lord. It was at this point in their trip that Nephi’s brothers bound him with cords and planned his destruction. Now please note Nephi’s prayer in verse 17: “O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound” (emphasis added).
Brothers and sisters, do you know what I likely would have prayed for if I had been tied up by my brothers? My prayer would have included a request for something bad to happen to my brothers and ended with the phrase “wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren” or, in other words, “Please get me out of this mess, now!” It is especially interesting to me that Nephi did not pray, as I probably would have prayed, to have his circumstances changed. Rather, he prayed for the strength to change his circumstances. And may I suggest that he prayed in this manner precisely because he knew and understood and had experienced the enabling power of the Atonement of the Savior.
Brothers and sisters, the implication of this episode for each of us is quite straightforward. As you and I come to understand and employ the enabling power of the Atonement in our personal lives, we will pray and seek for strength to change our circumstances rather than praying for our circumstances to be changed. We will become agents who “act” rather than objects that are “acted upon” (2 Nephi 2:14).
I love this example of Nephi. As I read this story the enabling power of the Atonement became so much more clear. I feel like I can do that. I can pray for strength to help me in my circumstances, that I can still accomplish what is asked of me but that I kind of have a "super power," as my son would say, to help me through this. I love the idea of acting instead of being acted upon. Right now in my life I feel that I am reacting to things that have been acted upon me. But I feel the need more and more to act, to anticipate, to take control. I know that the Lord can help me with this. That when I feel out of control He can bring me back to where I need to be to fulfill His desires for me and my family.
Again we observe that Alma did not pray to have his afflictions removed. He knew he was an agent of the Lord, and he prayed for the power to act and affect his situation.
The key point of this example is contained in the final verse, Alma 31:38: “Yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith” (emphasis added).
When I think about all the hardships we have, how I feel that my role in life is not where I wanted to be when I was younger, because I saw motherhood through the eyes of the world. I am given encouragement that I can be "swallowed up in the joy of Christ" no matter my hardships.
“No one understands. No one knows.” No human being, perhaps, knows. But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He felt and bore our burdens before we ever did. And because He paid the ultimate price and bore that burden, He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy in so many phases of our life. He can reach out, touch, and succor—literally run to us—and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do through relying only upon our own power.
What peace and comfort this gives me and I hope to give my children. On those days when I am frustrated and angry and need empathy for a child who is not moving forward I can pray and pray for the knowedge of what that child is feeling so that I can better understand where they are coming from. Christ knows them, he has been where they are and He can help me help them. What a great Captain I have on my team!!
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