Two weeks
ago I was asked by a counselor in our Bishopric to give a talk at an upcoming Sacrament
meeting. Each Sunday Mormons go to church for three hours. One of those hours
is dedicated to partaking of the sacrament and other purposes. One of the
purposes of Sacrament Meeting is to “provide gospel instruction” and to
“strengthen faith and testimony” (Administering the Church [2010], 138).
The instruction given during Mormon Sunday services, unlike other religions, is
not monopolized by church leaders. All members are given an opportunity to
instruct their congregation and share their testimony. I spoke on the topic: How does Christ help us change.
Here’s most of the talk I gave. The introduction I gave and the testimony at
the end of the talk I didn’t script (sorry), so they are excluded:
The month of
December is coming to a close. Gifts have been exchanged and opened, we have
started to put away the decorations, a month that was once busy with cookie
exchanges, devotionals, traditions, service, visiting relatives, travel, and
ugly sweaters parties is beginning to quiet down. The last days of December
give opportunity to reflect and assess before we cross the threshold of the new
year.
I think most
New Year resolutions fall into one of three camps: something we want to
continue, something we want to start, or something we wish to stop. When you
are considering your goals for the upcoming year, I hope you accept one last
invitation this season. That is, as Moroni issued, "Yea, come unto to Christ and be perfected in him"
(Moroni 10:32)
I was
assigned to speak on how Christ helps us as we repent or change. First, let me
state a disclaimer: Repenting- the process of changing our behavior- is hard. It is uncomfortable. And rarely pleasant. The story of Jesus
Christ cleansing the temple comes to mind when I think of repentance. The story
is found in all four Gospels of the New Testament:
During the
Passover, Jesus and his disciples are in Jerusalem, they make their way to the
temple. There, "commercial" transactions inappropriate for the House
of the Lord are taking place. Christ expels people from the temple, turns over
tables, and even places himself between merchants and the temple- embargoing
product from entering.
Imagine the
chaos, the awkwardness, and offense these actions had. When we repent, it can
feel like overturned tables, it is awkward to admit our wrongdoings or
shortcomings, and others may become offended by our attempts at bettering
ourselves- mistaking our propriety as superiority. But it is through our faith
in Jesus Christ and repentance we are cleansed.
The
disclaimer I stated before is followed by a guarantee: that Christ will help us
as we repent and change. Romans 8:35-39 reads: "Who shall separate us from
the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or
distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in
all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I
am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor
powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any
other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord."
Just like Paul, I have been
persuaded and have a witness of the love of God. I want to share with you a
block of scripture that helped me tap into the power of the atonement. When I
discovered this scripture, I was grieving. I am not saying grief is something
we need to repent of. But for me, during that time, I needed to mourn the life
I had envisioned, regroup and realign myself, I needed to change my heart and
my spirit needed healing. Whatever may prompt the needed or desired change in
your life, this scripture story should help you realize the resources available
to you. I know it helped me.
This story
is recorded in the 24th chapter of Luke. The setting, a dusty road
to Emmaus. Two disciples of Christ, walk and, in verse 14, “talk together of all these things which had happened."
What had happened? Well, nothing they had planned. Jesus was condemned to death
and was crucified, and on the third day, there was much confusion about where
his body had gone.
Companionship
As this pair of disciples communed and reasoned together the
resurrected Christ, unrecognized, drew near and went with them. He engages in
their conversation.
As we go through our change,
we need support. We need to talk. We need company. Through prayer we can
communicate our doubt, our longing, and our frustrations to our Father in
Heaven through our Great Mediator, Christ. God will also place others on your
road to sustain you. A bishop, a visiting teacher-just another disciple to
commune and reason with, that will allow the Savior to draw near.
Instruction
The Savior
hears his disciples’ uncertainty, he observes they are sad, senses their
disbelief and begins to instruct them concerning himself through expounding the
scriptures.
This past
General Conference, President Packer gave a wonderful talk- when I first heard
it I thought it was a very plain and simple talk- but over the course of the
past few months I have re-read it, I have taught it within our family, and have
applied it's teachings regarding the scriptures. As I have done so the talk has
become more significant to me. If you have a deficiency in your scripture
study, I encourage you to read the talk, “The Key to Spiritual Protection” by
President Packer. He affirms that, I quote, “The gospel teaches us to be happy,
to have faith rather than fear, to find hope and overcome despair, to leave darkness
and turn toward the light of the everlasting gospel. Paul and others warned
about the trials of our time and the days yet to come. But peace can be settled
in the heart of each who turns to the scriptures and unlocks the promises of
protection and redemption that are taught therein. We invite all to turn to the
Savior Jesus Christ, to His teachings as found in the Old Testament, the New
Testament, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and
Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.” The purpose of scripture
is to testify of Christ. There is a great reservoir of strength and hope found
there. Through the scriptures we sit at the feet of the author and finisher of
our faith.
Ordinances & Covenants
My favorite
part of this account comes after the two disciples ask the Savior to stay with
them for the evening. It has been a long day of traveling. They sit down to
eat. As it is written in verse, 30-31. “And it
came to pass, as he (Christ) sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed
it, and brake, and gave them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him...”
It is after the blessing and breaking of bread, they recognize their Savior.
Today, we have partaken of broken and blessed bread in remembrance of Christ.
Elder Groberg counseled, “Those who would deny
themselves the blessing of the sacrament by not attending sacrament meeting or
by not thinking of the Savior during the services surely must not understand
the great opportunity to be forgiven, to have his Spirit to guide and comfort
them! What more could anyone ask? As we worthily partake of the sacrament, we
will sense those things we need to improve in and receive the help and
determination to do so. No matter what our problems, the sacrament always gives
hope.” Coming to church and striving to fulfill and renew the contract
between us and the Lord is our subscription to open eyes granted through the
companionship of the Spirit- that comforts, guides, testifies, and
sanctifies.
Testimony
After the
disciples eyes are opened, Christ vanished from their presence. They rose up
the same hour, no doubt invigorated by this experience, and returned to
Jerusalem, there they found the eleven apostles and other disciples and
witnessed, saying, “The Lord is risen indeed.” These two disciples gained a
testimony. We gain a testimony as we repent.
Sister Julie
B. Beck, former Relief Society President, asserted, “It is through repenting that I have come to know the Savior, and it is
as I seek His help to change me that my faith and dependence on Him increase. I
bear testimony of His reality and power.”
The
Manhattan Temple, has a stain glass rendering of this story, it is beautiful.
It greets you as you pass the reception desk. When I visited the Manhattan
temple I didn't even notice it at first. In New York, there is such a rhythm
and just a quicker pace about the city I didn't manage to slow down when I
entered the temple. To be honest, I didn't really slow down until I entered the
dressing room! After our session, when we were readying to depart my husband
pointed the stain glass mural out to me. I am glad I was able to have caught it
and behold it. It brought comfort to my soul.
At the
beginning of this talk, I mentioned the invitation to come unto Christ. Let me
read the rest of that verse I referenced:
“Yea, come unto Christ, and
be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall
deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and
strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be
perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can
in nowise deny the power of God.”
Change is not a race. It is a personal journey. Repentance is not a feat of strength. It is
one of the primary principles of the Gospel. Slow down and behold the
power of the atonement, and the grace of your God.
On our
journey of improvement and progression Christ provides companionship,
instruction, covenants. Repentance is an opportunity to cultivate a testimony
to sustain us and to share with others.
Just like
Sister Beck and many of you, I also bear testimony of the reality and power of
Jesus Christ.
The first floor of the Manhattan Temple, a stain glass rendering by Tom Holdman.
