Take my Yoke Upon you

The greatest gift we have ever been given is the atonement of Jesus Christ. When we become "at one" with Christ, He can not only cleanse us from our sins but also succor us when in need.

When Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane, He felt the weight of all of our sins AND the sorrow for our infirmities--all of our heartache, pains, and sufferings of any kind. No matter how alone we may feel at times in our lives, we can turn to the Lord and know that He understands our every pain.

He beckons, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you...and you will find rest unto your souls," (Matt. 11: 28-29)

When we are heavy laden with the sorrows of life, we can come unto the Lord and He can make our burdens feel light. To "yoke" means to become joined or linked together, and often refers to the harness that links oxen together before a cart. So, when we take His yoke upon us, He can help us carry our load so that it feels lighter. He doesn't necessarily take the burdens away from us, but He will carry them with us.

What does this mean for us? When we feel the desire to despair, when we feel as though no one can understand the pains we are coping with, when we feel like our burden is too heavy to bear, we can remember that the Lord suffered ALL for us and knows our infirmities.

The first prophet of the restoration, Joseph Smith, suffered unimaginable trials. He was persecuted and driven from place to place. His clothes were ripped from his back while his enemies coated his flesh in tar and feathers. He was wrongfully imprisoned. In his most painful hour, he turned to the Lord for comfort and strength. The Lord responded with this message:

"If thou art called to pass through tribulation...If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations...and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can’t you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you?...And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee;...and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?" (Doctrine & Covenants 122:5-8)

The Son of Man, our Savior Jesus Christ hath descended below them all. He has suffered more than any man on this earth will ever suffer. We should note that He doesn't promise us a life free of suffering. He explains that the trials and sorrows we suffer in this life will "be for thy good." Paul also explains in Romans that, "...all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28, see also 38-39)

When we view our trials and sorrows as opportunities to grow and gain experience, and when we turn the the Lord so that He can help us carry our burdens, our load will be lightened. I can testify that by coming unto Christ, we can find "rest for our souls" and He can help us understand the purpose behind the sorrow we experience.

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As it is Thanksgiving this week, I would also like to suggest that we develop an attitude of gratitude in the trials we face. In 1 Thessalonians, we read, "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you," (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Notice he does not say, "give thanks when times are happy," or "give thanks for all blessings." He says to give thanks in EVERY thing. I suggest that we seek to have gratitude in all situations and all trials. Not only will this help us see the reason behind our sufferings, but it can bring the peace of Jesus Christ into our hearts so that we feel lighter. We all have so much to be grateful for. We would do well to contemplate and meditate on what those blessings are specifically, rather than lumping them all together by saying, "we're thankful for our blessings." Let us take the time to give true thanks to the Lord for all things.

Thoughts on the Atonement

The last few posts have delved into who Christ is, and some of the many acts He has done for us. Allow me a moment to expound on my understanding of the Grace we receive from the Savior through His atonement.

I want to make it clear that the Savior isn’t our last chance, He is our only chance. I often hear from others that Mormons believe we earn our way to heaven. Such a notion is false and misconstrued. Let me make it clear that it is only through the Savior’s grace and atonement that we can be cleansed and live in His presence; in otherwords, we cannot save ourselves.

However, merely saying, “I believe,” is not enough. It reminds me of the scripture in Matthew 15:8, which states, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouths, and honoureth me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me," (See also Isaiah 29:13, 2 Nephi 27:25). If we truly believe in Christ, our our words and our actions will indicate our faith in Him and will align our hearts with His. For, "Not every one that saith unto [Christ,] Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of [the] Father which is in heaven," (Matt 7:21).

We show Christ that we believe--that we have faith--by acting. It is through exercising our faith that it is tried and proven to the Lord. What are some actions of our faith? Repentance, baptism, keeping the commandments, serving others, and trying to become more like him. These actions are evidences of our faith in Him and allow His spirit to dwell in our hearts so that we remain near Him, and thus can receive the blessings of His grace.

Furthermore, the person who says, “I believe that Jesus Christ has saved me, so I can live in sin, because I cannot better myself,” does not fully understand the atonement. The scriptures say that Christ does not save you in your sins, but "from your sins,” (Matt 1:21, see also Alma 11:34-37). In other words, His atonement does not save us in sin, but helps us shed our sins so that we can be free from our sins.

How does His atonement help us shed our sins? The atonement is not just a saving power, it is an enabling power. It enables us to repent, to be forgiven, to forsake, and yes, to become perfect. No one can ever say, “this is the way I am; I cannot change,” for that is a falsehood. Can I become perfect on my own? No. Do I have hope of changing and becoming more like Him on my own? No. But I CAN forsake my sins and become perfect by coming unto my Savior, and succumbing to his atonement. If we don't make an effort to shed our sins, we are saying we don’t believe in His atonement--we don’t believe that our Savior can save us, cleanse us, and redeem us.

I testify that through Christ's atonement, we can shed the sins that drag us down. We can overcome our shortcomings and be made, "new creatures," in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Christ commanded, “I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect," (3 Nephi 12:48, see also Matt 5:48). I testify that he can change us. He has helped me overcome sins and continues to help me daily. His atoning power is real and enables us to become perfect through His blood. I am forever grateful for the gift of his matchless love that saves me from my sins and helps me repent and forsake them.

The Rock, Our Foundation

As a young child, one of my favorite church songs was called "The Wise Man and the Foolish Man, which bases its lyrics on Christ’s admonition following His Sermon on the Mount.

“The wise man built his house upon a rock, and the rains came tumbling down. The rains came down and the floods came up, and the house on the rock stood still. The foolish man built his house upon the sand, and the rains came tumbling down. The rains came down and the floods came up, and the house on the sand washed away.” (Children’s Songbook 281, see also Matt 7:24-27 and Luke 6:48)

As I sang, my hands would form a house on a rock to the beat of the song. I remember how strong the rock felt compared to the wishy-washy sand, and wondered that anyone would build on a sandy foundation.

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The Only Sure Foundation

Christ is called “the Rock” because He is the only sure foundation for us in this life. He only can give us the strength to withstand the storms of the devil and the beatings of the world. In the Book of Mormon, a prophet named Nephi states,

“Remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall,” (Helaman 5:12).

If we build our foundation upon Him and His doctrine, we cannot fall. In Ephesians, Paul also asks that we, “be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine,” (Ephesians 4:14). Those without Christ “are driven about as a chaff before the wind…or as a vessel is tossed about upon the waves, without sail or anchor, or without anything wherewith to steer her,” (Mormon 5:16, 18).

So, how do we become like the wise man? How do we build our sure foundation?

In Christ’s admonition, he explains that those who hear his words and do them, are likened unto a wise man, while those who hear his words, but doeth them not, are likened unto the foolish man (Matt 7:24-27). So, to build upon the Rock, “we must be doers of the word, and not hearers only,” (James 1:22). We must heed the counsel He gives us in the Sermon on the Mount to seek first the kingdom of God, to judge not, and to do the will of the Father (see Matt 5-7). We must repent and believe in Him, become as little children, and be baptized in His name (3 Nephi 11:37-39).

I testify that Christ is the only sure foundation and protection from the buffetings of life. When storms cross my path, He helps me stand strong so that the devil cannot drag me down to the "gulf of misery and endless woe." Building on the Rock of our Redeemer brings hope and strength in the face of trials and tempests. If we hear and do his word, “we cannot fall,” for Christ is with us and will not forsake us. I am so grateful that He has never forsaken me in my time of need, and I know He will do the same for all men.

The Good Shepherd

“He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young,” (Isaiah 40:11).

I love the imagery of Christ as the Good Shepherd. It captures His gentle, loving nature and His devotion to leading, guiding, and protecting us. What can we learn about Christ by viewing Him as the Good Shepherd? The scriptures teach us the following. (See 1 Nephi 22:25, Psalm 23:1, Ezekiel 34:12-16, John 10:2-18, Alma 5:37-39, 57-60)

“He shall feed his sheep,” so that they “shall not want,” (1 Nephi 22:25, Psalms 23:1). Just as a shepherd feeds his sheep, the Lord Jesus Christ is the “bread of life,” (John 6:35); those who come unto Him shall neither hunger nor thirst, but shall be filled with His light and shall not want.

He leads His sheep “beside the still waters” and “in him they shall find pasture,” (Psalms 23:1, 1 Nephi 22:25). As the Good Shepherd, He leads His sheep on safe paths, wherein they can find peace and rest. He can help us stay clear of life’s dangers as we learn to put our faith in Him.

He “seeketh out His flock” and will “deliver them,” (Ezekiel 34:12). When found, he will “will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick,” (Ezekiel 34:16) and will “cause them to lie down,” in His rest (Ezekiel 34:15). He can deliver us from evil and heal our hearts.

He “giveth his life for the sheep,” (John 10:11). The Lord explains in His parable that an hireling careth not for the sheep, and fleeth when he seeth the wolf, (John 10:12). But, the Good Shepherd “lay[s] down [his] life for the sheep,” (John 10:15). Christ gave his life for us so that we might live again.

What must we do to be part of his fold?

We must first learn to recognize the beckoning voice of Christ. “…and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name…and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice,” (John 10:2-4). If we do not learn of Christ or seek after His words, how can we recognize His voice? We must come to know Him in our hearts.

Then, we must follow him. “The good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ…All you that are desirous to follow the voice of the good shepherd, come ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things…And if you will hearken unto his voice he will bring you into his fold, and ye are his sheep,” (Alma 5:57-60). Jesus added in His own words, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved,” (John 10:9).

I testify that if we come unto him, he will “carry [us] in his bosom” and “gently lead [us].” I have felt Him gather me in His arms and lead me to safe pastures. Through Him, my heart is full with the hope of everlasting life, such that I need not hunger or thirst. He has given His life, such that we might live if we but heed his beckoning call.