"Strong faith in the Savior is submissively accepting of His will and timing in our lives - even if the outcome is not what we hoped for or wanted." - David A. Bednar
As we continue on our theme of friendship, think about how friends usually share similar interests. Often friends become friends because they begin enjoying doing the same things. What similar interests do you have with Christ? Jesus Christ's interests in life always dealt with doing the will of His Father. ("Not as I will, but as thou wilt") We too can strive to have this common interest with Christ as we strive to follow the will of the Father as well. Jesus Christ is our ultimate example of making the Lord's will, our own. The more we strive to follow the Lord's will, the more our friendship with Christ will deepen.
"His preparation began in the premortal life as He waited upon His Father, saying, "Thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever." Beginning in that moment and continuing today, He exercises His agency to accept and carry out our Heavenly Father's plan. The scriptures teach us that through His youth, He went "about [His] Father's business" and "waited upon the Lord for the time of his ministry to come." At the age of 30, He suffered sore temptation yet chose to resist, saying, "Get thee behind me, Satan." In Gethsemane, He trusted His Father, declaring, "Nevertheless notmy will, bu thine, be done," and then He exercised His agency to suffer for our sins. Through the humiliation of a public trial and the agony of crucifixion, He waited upon His Father, willing to be "wounded for our transgressions...[and] bruised for our iniquities." Even as He cried out, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" He waited upon His Father - exercising His agency to forgive His enemies, see that His mother was watched over, and endure to the end until His life and mortal mission were finished. - Robert D. Hales
"We cherish our understanding and feel heartfelt appreciation for the Savior's willing atoning sacrifice on our behalf. His acquiescence to the will of His Father won the supernal victory over death and is the transcendent event in the history of mankind." - Quentin L. Cook
As you watch this film below, think about some difficulties or heartaches or insecurities you may be feeling in your life right now, and ponder upon the bigger picture of why Heavenly Father is having you experience what you are going through.
How are we like the currant bush in this story?
What are the blessings of allowing the Lord to "cut us down"?
How can we become better and not bitter through our trials?
"Let us pray for His love-inspired correction" - Todd D. Christofferson
Although it may be difficult to recognize in the midst of our trials or being corrected (like the currant bush), Heavenly Father is shaping us into who He wants us to become. We need to learn to trust Him and make His will our own.
Talks to Study:
"That we might not shrink" - Elder David A. Bednar
"Waiting Upon the Lord, Thy Will Be Done" - Robert D. Hales
- President Snow Lesson -
President Snow shared the lesson he wanted the young men to learn from his experience: “My young friends, there is an opportunity for you to become great—just as great as you wish to be. In starting out in life you may set your hearts upon things very difficult to attain to, but possibly within your reach. In your first efforts to gratify your desires you may fail, and your continued efforts may not prove what may be termed a success. But inasmuch as your efforts were honest efforts, and inasmuch as your desires were founded in righteousness, the experience you obtain while pursuing your hearts’ desires must necessarily be profitable to you, and even your mistakes, if mistakes you make, will be turned to your advantage.”3
This was a favorite theme of President Snow. He often reminded the Saints of the Lord’s command to be perfect, and he assured them that through their own diligence and with the Lord’s help, they could obey that command. He taught, “We ought to feel in our hearts that God is our Father, and that while we make mistakes and are weak yet if we live as nearly perfect as we can all will be well with us.”When the Latter-day Saints received the gospel in the nations afar, and when the voice of the Almighty to them was, to leave the lands of their fathers, to leave their kindred as Abraham did, so far as they complied with this requirement, so far they were walking in obedience to this law, and they were as perfect as men could be under the circumstances and in the sphere in which they were acting, not that they were perfect in knowledge or power, etc.; but in their feelings, in their integrity, motives and determination. And while they were crossing the great deep, providing they did not murmur nor complain, but obeyed the counsels which were given them and in every way comported themselves in a becoming manner, they were as perfect as God required them to be.
The Lord designs to bring us up into the celestial kingdom. He has made known through direct revelation that we are His offspring, begotten in the eternal worlds, that we have come to this earth for the special purpose of preparing ourselves to receive a fulness of our Father’s glory when we shall return into His presence. Therefore, we must seek the ability to keep this law to sanctify our motives, desires, feelings and affections that they may be pure and holy and our will in all things be subservient to the will of God, and have no will of our own except to do the will of our Father. Such a man in his sphere is perfect, and commands the blessing of God in all that he does and wherever he goes.
But we are subject to folly, to the weakness of the flesh and we are more or less ignorant, thereby liable to err. Yes, but that is no reason why we should not feel desirous to comply with this command of God, especially seeing that he has placed within our reach the means of accomplishing this work. This I understand is the meaning of the word perfection, as expressed by our Saviour and by the Lord to Abraham.
A person may be perfect in regard to some things and not others. A person who obeys the word of wisdom faithfully is perfect as far as that law is concerned. When we repented of our sins and were baptized for the remission of them, we were perfect as far as that matter was concerned.6
- Teachings of the President of the Churc: Lorenzo Snow
- CHAPTER 6: BECOMING PERFECT BEFORE THE LORD: “A LITTLE BETTER DAY BY DAY”
Invitation
RECORD IN YOUR JOURNAL CURRENT TRIALS YOU MAY BE GOING THROUGH OR THINGS IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU MAY BE QUESTIONING "WHY ME?" UNDERNEATH THESE THINGS, LIST THE LESSONS YOU THINK THE LORD MIGHT BE WANTING YOU TO LEARN FROM THEM. HOW WOULD THESE THINGS HELP SHAPE YOU? WHAT CHRIST-LIKE QUALITIES CAN YOU GAIN FROM HANDLING THESE TRIALS WELL? STRIVE EVERY DAY TO FOCUS ON BECOMING BETTER, NOT BITTER, AND ACCEPTING THE LORD'S WILL.
"These mortal challenges allow us and our Heavenly Father to see whether we will exercise our agency to follow His Son. He already knows, and we have the opportunity to learn, that no matter how difficult our circumstances, “all these things shall [be for our] experience, and … [our] good.”13
Does this mean we will always understand our challenges? Won’t all of us, sometime, have reason to ask, “O God, where art thou?”14 Yes! When a spouse dies, a companion will wonder. When financial hardship befalls afamily, a father will ask. When children wander from the path, a mother and father will cry out in sorrow. Yes, “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”15 Then, in the dawn of our increased faith and understanding, we arise and choose to wait upon the Lord, saying, “Thy will be done.” - Robert D. Hales
No comments:
Post a Comment