Week 10: Go Through Samaria

Week 10:

Go Through Samaria

This week in preparation for my religion class, I was reading John 4. This chapter is well known for the story where Jesus teaches the woman at the well. However, this time as I was reading, verse four stuck out to me. Jesus is on his way into Galilee, however, it says that, "he must needs go through Samaria." In the context of jewish tradition that move did not make any sense. Even though this was a shorter path to Galilee, Jews considered Samaritans filthy due to their heritage, and they did everything possible to avoid them. So I asked myself: Why would Jesus do this? After a few minutes of meditation, I felt the Spirit whisper to me, "because he wanted to interact with the woman at the well; not just talk with her, but bind her wounds  and then enable her to become the person she needed to be."

I felt like I had a similar experience last week. This past week was a really rough week for me. School was tough, the social scene was not that much better....all in all, I just wanted to give up because I felt so alone. I felt like a outcast at a campus of over 35,000 people. While doing my homework last weekend, I got an impression to pray, so I began to pray. As I did this, I felt the love of the Savior around me, helping me to remember that I was not alone and that I was greater in his eyes than I realized. On a day where I was alone, Christ came to me. He is willing to do whatever it takes, even breaking social norms of old, to come to our aid and help us remember our identity and destiny.
I pray that anyone reading this will remember the Savior's role in our everyday lives and see their true identity with the help of the Savior.

Week 9: Sheep

Week 9

All We Like Sheep

   As a teenager, I remember hating the parable of the lost sheep and the good shepherd. In my mind, it was always brought up when talking about less-active members of our quorum; I can still hear my young mens leader say, "we need to help the Good Shepherd and help find those lost sheep. The reason this bothered me was that, during the time I was a teacher and priest, I struggled with severe depression. As our leaders talked about the lost sheep, I remember thinking, "But what about those injured and wounded sheep among the ninety and nine? What about us that are part of the fold, do everything we need to do, and struggle? When will He help me?"

   A few days ago, I got my answer. I was reading in the Book of Mormon when Abinadi was testifying of our Savior and quotes Isaiah. In this verse he says, "All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way" (Mosiah 14:6 and also in Isaiah 53). 

   I realized that even as a struggling sheep in the ninety and nine, I had still turned my own way. I had done as Peter had when he took his eyes off of the Savior and began to sink. I had turned my gaze from him and had lost my faith in his abilities to remember my wounds. All of us in our own away turn from him, whether it be in sin or just losing faith in his ability to heal and raise us. However, we need to remember that because we all have all turned to our own ways, each of us is that lost sheep, whom the Lord will "go after that which is lost until he has found it." 

    I know that Christ will find everyone of us, lift us, and help us to great things. All we have to do is keep our gaze on him!

Week 8: Lifts Us

Week 8

He Lifts Us

     One of my favorite stories in the New Testament is the story of Peter walking on the water. As many of you know, the story goes that the apostles were sailing in the middle of a stormy night and see Jesus walking on water towards them. Peter, to prove that Jesus was not a ghost, asks, "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water" (Matthew 14:28); to which the Lord invites him to come. Peter got out of the boat and started walking to Jesus. He was doing so well until he looked around him at the tempest; at this point he begins to sink and shouts out for the Lord to save him. The Savior does save him and then tells him this, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" (Matthew 14:31) 

     This week I had a very similar experience. I was preparing to take a Chemistry test, praying and studying the entire week, and I felt like I had done everything to prepare. I started the test and everything was going smoothly, until I got to a problem that I didn't feel strong in. I began to "sink," feeling I had no chance of doing well. I said a prayer begging with almost the same plea: "Lord, Save Me!" At that moment, I looked back at the problem and saw tiny detail which made the problem solvable and finished the problem. In my mind's eye, I could see the Savior pulling me up and asking me that same question, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"

     When we look at the story of Peter, we might wonder why he was afraid of sinking; if he were a fisherman, he would have been a very skilled swimmer. In analyzing this, we could see that the fear of the storm took him. I felt that same way about my test; I had studied and was capable of doing well on my test; however, fear of failure took me. It feels nice to know that there is a Savior who, although knowing we are capable of fixing our own problems, is willing to lift us up in times of fear. I know that he will come to our aid, and, most of all, I know that when we fail to see that strength within us, he believes in us.

Week 7: Returning Home

Week 7

Christ helps us return home

This week in class, we discussed the miracles of Matthew chapter 8 in the Bible. One miracle that really hit me this week was the healing of the leper. In this miracle, "there came a leper and worshipped him (Jesus) saying 'Lord, if thou wilt, thou cant make me clean.' And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying 'I will; be thou clean.' And immediately his leprosy was cleansed"         (Matthew 8:2-3).

 Now, to better understand the significance of this miracle, we need to understand what happens to someone when they are found to have leprosy. When leprosy is first spotted by a priest, the priest immediately sends them to leave society; they cannot return home to say goodbye or go back and get their  worldly goods. They must immediately leave everything and suffer alone. When Christ heals this man of his leprosy, he gives him the chance to go back home to his family, to restart his life, and to have the happiness that we once enjoyed.

This story can and is a very good lesson for us. I am a sinner, and as we know, no unclean thing can enter the kingdom of God. However, Christ can heal us of our imperfections and make us whole. He gives us the chance to return back HOME, back to our celestial home to dwell with our Father in Heaven and our families in never-ending happiness. This story was a good reminder to me of that power Christ has and I pray that it will serve as a reminder to you as well. May you have the faith to let Christ cleanse your life!

Week 6: Beauty from Ashes

Week 6:

Beauty from Ashes

   Since its announcement to become the second temple in Provo, the Provo City Center Temple has become one of my favorite temples. Its beautiful design, use of the older tabernacle, and its location make it so special to me. This week as I attended the temple, I thought about a scripture that is always brought up when talking about this temple in Isaiah 61. I decided to study that section of scripture this week. 

   In this chapter, Isaiah is speaking about Christ and his ability to heal. In verse 3, the scripture related to the temple, he says:

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

Of course this scripture makes sense for Provo City Center Temple, as this building was caught in a fire and then brought back in beauty and given to us all to enjoy as a House of the Lord. However, as I studied this chapter and this verse., I realized that not only can it relate to the temple, but it can used to describe what he can do with us.

   In my life, I have gone through a lot of "fire;" my parents got divorced, I struggle with clinical depression and anxiety, have wrestled with my identity and self-worth. In a way, I always feel like a pile of ash, burned, blown, and kicked around by life. I have felt deep sadness and felt heavy and worthless. However, there is someone who can come and heal us, to not only bring us back, but to "give us beauty from (our) ashes." This person is none other than the Savior himself, who gave everything so we could be whole. He can heal all wounds, lift us in our sorrows, and make us into the people we were made to be! After reading and realizing that, my connect to this temple, and to Christ the Great Healer, has grown. I feel closer to my Savior and know that he can make me into something beautiful and grand. He can heal us all.

  I challenge all who read this to read the story of the Provo City Center Temple and to pray to know if God can do the same to you, that is, "give you beauty for ashes."

Week 5: The Word

Week 5 

Christ is The Word

This week in my religion class we discussed John 1:1-3. In these verses, it says:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

We know that the Word described by John is none other the Jesus Christ. From this scripture, we can conclude that in the beginning Christ was the firstborn and stayed by God’s side. We also know that He was a god, in the fact that he was perfect and did take part in the creation of this world. So why would I want to share this verse? What struck me this week about section of scripture is how John does not say, “Jesus was with God and Jesus was God,” but that he called Christ, “The Word.” Why would John give that name to Jesus?

            In class, we examined how “The Word” was translated from the Greek word, “logos.” This is probably a word you have heard in school to describe how an author uses logic to help convince his audience. Our professor pointed out how John used “The Word” or “Logos” to show how Christ is the mind/logic of God; everything that Christ ever did was in line with the will and mind of God. Why is this important to you or me? For me, this realization hit me really hard and strengthened my testimony of Christ as the perfect example. If you want to know what God wants us to do, follow Christ! He did the Father’s will every time.

I know that Jesus is the Savior of the world, not only for paying for our sins, but also in laid down the path we need to follow to get back to our Father in Heaven. I challenge you to look at the life of The Word this week and find one way to put your life more in-line with the will and logic of the Father. I know it will bring you closer to the Savior and our Father in Heaven.

Week 4: The Viewpoints

Week 4:

The Four Different Viewpoints of Christ

This past week we looked at the differences between the 4 testaments in the New Testament. So often we know Christ's story so well that we just clump the stories together without looking at the beauty of each individual testimony. While Matthew is speaking to the Jews and trying to convince them of the divinity of Jesus, John takes a totally different approach as he testifies that Jesus was the Great "I AM." While Mark has an general oral overview of Christ's life through his actions, Luke tries to give the most balanced account of Jesus. 

Why would Heavenly Father do that? Why would He allow for such different accounts? It could (and has) caused much contention on who really Christ is and was. A scripture that helps clarify this is 2 Corinthians 13:1, "This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established." 

Many members of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints use this to convince people of the truth of the Book of Mormon. Today, I would like to take a different stand and testify that all 4 books of the New Testament testify that Jesus is the Christ, the very Savior of the world. In a world that has slowly faded away from God's truth, I testify that Bible is a true book and gives testimony to Son who saved us all.