Christ Carries the Weight to Heaven

Too often, we look at sin as a simple setback. It's as if we can "Two steps forward, one step back" our way into heaven. When we look at it that way, repentance and forgiveness aren't much more than drawing the "Advance to go" Chance card in Monopoly, simply allowing us to get back to when we were perfect.

The bottom line is that no mortal has reached the standard of perfection demanded of Jesus of Nazareth in the Sermon on the Mount:

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48).

That level of perfection does not come in an instant. It is not constantly attained each time we ask for forgiveness. It comes as a result of effort on our part, and our cooperation and agreement to the terms of the grace, justice, and mercy of God.

To illustrate the point I'm trying to make in a much more clear way, imagine your ship just went down, and you see an island off in the far distance. Naturally, you are going to swim with all your energy to get there. Perhaps if you are in the right condition, you could actually have the energy to make it!

Yet, for some reason, every now and then, you take a weight and tie it to the end of a rope; the other end of the rope is tied to you. Your swimming is going to get tougher and tougher, and is going to be utterly impossible. Try as you might, the weight is just going to be far too much, and you will be exhausted well before you can make it that ever-so-appealing island, where you can finally stay and rest.

That is what sin does to us. It weighs us down. It makes our progress all but impossible. Any progress we

In Him is No Darkness at All

Preach My Gospel, our guide as missionaries for the Lord, is full of absolutes. In the first chapter, which
discusses our purpose as missionaries, it lists a number of them:

• "The gospel of Jesus Christ as restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith will bless their families, meet their spiritual needs, and help them fulfill their deepest desires."
• "Only the gospel will save the world from the calamity of its own self-destruction."
• "Those who exercise faith in Christ, repent of their sins, and are baptized in Christ’s name can be sanctified by the Holy Ghost. If they endure to the end, they will stand spotless before Christ at the last day and will enter into the rest of the Lord. Christ will hold them guiltless before the Father. He will be their Mediator and Advocate."

Therein lies the beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It takes out the doubt. Are we still human, with human stress? Absolutely. But the difference is that we have answers.

Paul described this sense of serenity as being "illuminated... which hath great recompence of reward" (Hebrews 10:32, 35).

Illuminated. I love that word. When we are walking with the Savior, following in His footsteps, we can see more clearly. Moroni encouraged us to "Come

The Power of a Single Testimony

Early on in James' Epistle, he bears testimony of the power of personal revelation. He exhorts the then-
mostly Jewish church, saying:

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." (James 1:5)

Really, he was just bearing his testimony that God answers prayers. If you need help understanding something, God will help you figure it out. Coming from the half-brother of the Savior, that is powerful. He surely knew of the reality of a loving, listening Heavenly Father.

What I don't think James knew, was the eternal impact that one testimony would have. Nearly 1,800 years later, a young boy, lacking wisdom, would come across that scripture and change the world forever.

Joseph Smith was raised in a family that looked to the Bible for constant guidance. While his family was split on which church to join, religious life and adhering to the word of God was very important to them. Joseph, though, was left unsatisfied. Knowing that God wasn't the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33), and that there was "one Lord, [and] one faith" (Ephesians 4:5), he simply wanted to know which church was truly

God Doesn't Need a Plan "B"

In traditional Christian thought, God created a perfect plan. He created the Garden of Eden, and saw that it was good. He sent Adam and Eve as the first of His children, with it being their responsibility to multiply and replenish the Earth, and maintain life in this grand paradise. Unfortunately, they messed up. They sinned in the single way they could and partook of the forbidden fruit. They were no longer perfect, no longer worthy of living in Eden. God's very first children already ruined His plan. Infuriated, God had to create a Plan "B."

So, he created a law. He revealed this law to His servants, the prophets. One of the notable prophets this law was revealed to was Moses, hence the name "The Law of Moses." But Israel, God's chosen people, simply could not live up to the requirements of the Law of Moses. Unfortunately, man was fallen. We simply could not live up to the standard of the Law of Moses. On to God's Plan "C."

He sent His Only Begotten Son. This Messiah was able to pay the price for everyone else's shortcomings, because He was, in fact, perfect. When He suffered, He was paying a price that He did not owe. Now, if we do no more than accept His suffering for us, we can at long last return to our Father.

Now, how well does this fit in with the frequently found scriptural phrase, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8)? Or what about God's words to Malachi: "For I am the Lord, I change not" (Malachi 3:6)?

If we're already on Plan "C," who is to say that we are really on the final plan this time? What if people aren't able to live up to this new plan? What might Plan "D" be?

That simply would not be the way of an all-knowing God. That simply is not the way of our Heavenly Father.

Thanks to the Book of Mormon, these misconceptions can be cleared up.

Lehi makes the role of the Fall of Adam very clear. He tells his children, "Adam fell that men might be" (2 Nephi 2:25), explaining:

"If Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were

Do It Anyway - Mother Teresa

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.

 

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

 

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

 

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

 

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

 

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

 

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

 

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

 

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

-Mother Teresa