“Encircled in His Gentle Arms” Home Teaching 1 March 2015

“Encircled in His Gentle Arms”

By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Second Counselor in the First Presidency

 

Like many others, I have often been inspired by beautiful works of art and music. One such occasion was when I stood before a masterful painting created by the Danish artist Frans Schwartz titled The Agony in the Garden.¹

This achingly beautiful painting depicts the Savior kneeling in the Garden of Gethsemane. As He prays, an angel stands next to Him, enfolding Him in gentle arms, offering comfort, heavenly succor, and support.

The longer I contemplate this painting, the more my heart and mind swell with inexpressible feelings of tenderness and gratitude. I can sense, in small part, what it must have been like to be present as the Savior began His great culminating work of mortality by taking upon Himself the sins of the world. I marvel at the infinite love and compassion the Father has for His children. I am overwhelmed with profound gratitude for what the sinless Son did for all mankind and for me.

The Sacrifice of the Son of God

Each year at this time we commemorate and ponder the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for all mankind.

What the Savior did from Gethsemane to Golgotha on our behalf is beyond my ability to grasp. He took upon Himself the burden of our sins and paid an eternal and binding ransom not only for Adam’s original transgression but also for the sins and transgressions of the billions upon billions of souls who have ever lived. This eternal, sacred sacrifice caused “even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit” (D&C 19:18).

He suffered for me.

He suffered for you.

My soul overflows with gratitude when I contemplate the precious meaning of this sacrifice. It humbles me to know that all who accept this gift and incline their hearts to Him can be forgiven and cleansed of their sins, no matter how dark their blemish or how oppressive their burden.

We can be made spotless and pure once again. We can be redeemed by the eternal sacrifice of our beloved Savior.

Who Will Comfort Us?

Though none of us will ever have to experience the depth of what our Lord suffered, we each will have our own dark and bitter hours—times when our sorrow and grief may appear to be greater than we can bear. There will be times when the weight and remorse of our sins will press mercilessly upon us.

Even so, if we will lift our hearts to the Lord during those times, surely He will know and understand. He who suffered so selflessly for us in the garden and on the cross will not leave us comfortless now. He will strengthen, encourage, and bless us. He will encircle us in His gentle arms.

He will be more than an angel to us.

He will bring us blessed comfort, healing, hope, and forgiveness.

For He is our Redeemer.

Our Deliverer.

Our merciful Savior and our blessed God.

Teaching from this Message

Before you teach, seek the Spirit’s guidance to help you understand the specific needs of those you teach. As you share excerpts from President Uchtdorf’s message, bear testimony of the Savior and of His redeeming sacrifice. Consider asking those you teach what His Atonement means to them and how they have felt the Lord’s comfort during their “dark and bitter hours.”

Youth

Victory through Jesus Christ

I had a problem with overeating. My repeated bouts of gorging resulted in a harrowing mass of guilt, frustration, and disappointment. I felt so weak when I tried to overcome my problem.

For a long time I neglected the fact that the Savior’s Atonement not only saves us but also redeems us and perfects us, and that this even applies to my obviously imperfect habit of overeating.

I decided to give myself to my Savior. I prayed. I sincerely admitted my weakness and my need for grace, and then I asked Heavenly Father to bless me with His divine assistance in the upcoming day. That night I felt the assurance of a loving Father that He had the immeasurable desire to help His son and the unquestionable power to fulfill His will.

Since that night, food no longer has the same overwhelming influence over me. I know Jesus Christ is the reason for my success. Just like Paul, I am learning that “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13). And I’m trying to never forget another lesson from Paul: “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Children

The Savior Will Comfort You

Ask a family member or a friend about a time when he or she felt comforted by the Savior. Try to think of a time when the Savior comforted you. You could draw a picture of the experience and hang it by your bed to remind you that Jesus Christ will always be there to comfort you.

 

“Overwhelmed”

 

cji

3/1/15

 

Encompassed by perfect love

even though I’m so imperfect

feeling the eternal warmth given

knowing truly I’m a child of God;

 

Seeking always to share love

being in Father’s service here

overwhelmed by awesomeness

at times to comfort another;

 

Tears flowing freely most times

knowing such comfort I’m given

through trials and tribulations

knowing truly I’m a child of God!

 

Copyright © 2015 – cji

Visiting Teaching Message 1 March 2015

VISITING TEACHING MESSAGE The Attributes of Jesus Christ: Long-suffering and Patient

Faith, Family, Relief

This is part of a series of Visiting Teaching Messages featuring attributes of the Savior.

Patience is often thought of as a quiet, passive trait, but as President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, said, “Patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something … even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!”

In our premortal life, our Heavenly Father prepared a plan for us—His spirit children—and we shouted for joy at the opportunity to come to earth (see Job 38:7). As we choose to align our will with His during our earthly life, He “will make an instrument of [us] in [His] hands unto the salvation of many souls” (Alma 17:11).

President Uchtdorf continued, “Patience means accepting that which cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace, and faith. It means being ‘willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us], even as a child doth submit to his father’ [Mosiah 3:19]. Ultimately, patience means being ‘firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord’ [1 Nephi 2:10] every hour of every day, even when it is hard to do so.”¹

Additional Scriptures

Psalm 40:1; Galatians 5:22–23; 2 Peter 1:6; Alma 17:11

From the Scriptures

The scriptures tell us that in our earthly life, we should “be patient in afflictions, for [we shall] have many.” God then gives us this comforting promise, “Endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days” (D&C 24:8).

The following Bible story is an example of patience and faith.

“And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years … touched the border of [Christ’s] garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched [stopped].

“And Jesus said, … Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.

“And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.

“And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace” (Luke 8:43–48).

Like her, we can find blessings and comfort, and even healing, as we reach out to Jesus Christ—whose Atonement can heal us.

Consider This

From the account in Luke 8, how was this woman’s years of patience and then her faith in Jesus Christrewarded?

 

 

“In-between Tears”

 

cji

3/1/15

 

Doing all am able to do

expecting to reach deeper

into a well of understanding

striving to be like Jesus

unable to be so perfect

thus tears flowing freely

putting all I’ve on the line

each and every time

called by the whisperings

promptings of what to do

in-between tears smiles

knowing my Savior’s love

longsuffering and patient

with one such as me!

 

Copyright © 2015 – cji

"How Can it Be"

From a friend: “Thought you heard it all ?........... Now we have a top ranking State Dept. talking head suggesting that if these poor Radical Islamic ISIS types had more  job opportunities things may be different. Right...........maybe a meat cutter, pyro maniacal expert? We reach an all-time low with this stupid talk. Children of God my butt. Evil is as evil does........... Things are so upside down I feel comfort in a Christian radio station while it is allowed. As I said before....but for the Pope.....surprise ? MOST religions and large groups remain silent doing harm  with their lack of real voice. … How can it be?”  

 

 

Those who lead our Church do so by example not chatter – thus the media fails to understand what we’re doing – however, those who generate better sales are those which the media cater.

 

How can it be? – excellent question and you know most of the answer (so in part a rhetorical question) – but still a question. First and foremost Paul foretold that there would be an apostasy – where the church would lose all or most all of the gnosis (truth). Those who took over the church – inside and outside would turn to logismoi and their logismoi would be from the world i.e. Greek Philosophy and anything which waters down the teachings of the Savior and those called as Prophets to lead his Church.

 

Soon popular (money mixed with power) would offer multiple churches, religions, beliefs and generally create so much confusion most will say, “It doesn’t matter which church as long as they go.” Matters not which god as long as they pray. Matters not what they believe or which commandments they keep as long as they’re generally a good person (as least to what their friends and associates see). All of this is not found in the Bible – but just the opposite! So who is leading these churches in such confusion? I’ll leave this as a rhetorical question as almost all refuse to believe the only answer possible. However, I would recommend a careful reading of the Bible – cover to cover – without asking other to define what can be easily looked up or researched by each individual. The Scriptures are literally true – even with all of the translations, transmissions, political corrections and changes made to them since first written.

 

What has resulted is called confusion and confusion is of the adversary! It’s called lying, beguiling, altering, and otherwise all the things of which Satan is known to employ to fool even the very elect. Thus they contain some truth (ever so little) so one can hang their hats on them – but still and all the common sense and logical understanding is gone from them.

 

However, when a Church is led by a Prophet of God – which Thomas S. Monson is today – they thus act on behalf of the Father and the Son and in their name. They give the guidance which those of the world are to follow – but as in the days of the dead Prophets most do not listen – certainly don’t obey and seek to kill a living Prophet (of which President Monson is under constant threats). As the Scribes and Pharisee’s then so are the preachers, ministers, clerics, rabbis, priests, and any other worldly ordained clergy – they simply do not accept living Prophets. Their living is made off of the people who they service – while no person ever called of God the Father or the Son our Savior has ever lived off of the labor of another. They also (those called) live the law of consecration fully is such service. While those at Regional, Stake, Ward and Branch levels live and work within their communities receiving no monies from the Church ever!  

 

They can teach only truth – literal understanding of the Scriptures – and they’ve continued revelations from the Father and the Son whose Church it is and always has been. It is called by the Savior’s name, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – as during the period of the Savior’s ministry and until the apostasy – The Church of Jesus Christ (reference Paul’s writings).

 

Further clarification starts with what each Church professes to be their core beliefs or their Creeds. My suspicion is that most have no clue what their creeds state in fact. However there is one truth supreme above all others, The Father and the Son are two separate and distinct individuals with both having resurrected physical bodies of flesh and bone. (This is repeatedly testified to throughout the Scriptures) which all of the creeds of men/women reject except one.

 

There should be no mistake in that anyone can believe what they want to believe and in so doing make themselves accountable and responsible to those beliefs – every church on this earth (even those of Satan) have some truth – some more than others. Each person who honors the commandments – in full obedience within their beliefs should be recognized and appreciated. All can do good – some do more than others. Sadly most do little at all – which is why the world is in the sad condition which it is in. We’ve to remember this is by design and choices made by those who’ve influence over others.

 

Matters not what one ultimately calls themselves or others – matters whether or not they’re obedient to the Commandments of God and not those of men/women! The Savior repeated over and over – ‘If you love me – keep my Commandments’ and there are far more than just ten – but the first two are the most important. Yet we’ve to remember also the Savior said, ‘if you break the least of my Commandments it’s the same as if you broke them all.’ 

 

There is no easy answer to the turmoil of the worldly – therefore we’ve been commanded to do what we can where we can – even if only by example – knowing the adversary will do all in his power to destroy any good to be found. Therefore – ourselves – our families – our communities – require our work to be done where we can be of most value. Hopefully we’ll be found anxiously engaged in doing what we can – and poorly engaged in doing what we can’t.

 

“How Can it Be”

 

cji

2/23/15

 

The world of religions

idle away their time

crossing not PC lines

watching in horror

or some in delight

world hemorrhaging

blood, burning, evil

how can it be …

can no one step in

is everyone so afraid

can no one stem the tide

or is it as Prophet’s wrote

all things to be fulfilled

ever jot and tittle

and in ignorance

much like those past

refusing to believe

the Prophets of God!

 

 

Copyright © 2015 – cji

“To Be as Our Father and Our Savior (his only begotten Son)2”

“To Be as Our Father and Our Savior (his only begotten Son)2”

(The eternal purpose and meaning of Spirituality)

 

cji

2/4/15

 

 

First, let’s clarify some thoughts into written form: when one speaks or thinks of Spirituality it involves the ideas of our oneness with the Father and the Son (Matt. 5:48). For only by being perfect (in our understanding ‘being pure’) can we return their presence and be one with the Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ as they are one with each other (and we’ve been commanded to do so). By the grace* (power given to us to endure from the Son after all we can do) the Father and the Son provide to us with specific direction and promptings to learn more about them. Thus the Spirituality within us returns power and energy to the Father and the Son. This is done through our service/works thus showing our respect and honor to them. Each must remember one gives honor and respect to the Father and the Son by doing their will and by being in full obedience to all they’ve commanded us to do and become. Therefore the interchange of energy’s become more than just one or the other. Making us (the servants) more able to do and thus to learn – and our Father and his Son are thus able to bestow more blessings upon us.

 

Second, it is necessary to understand energy and power. Energy begets and builds more energy – the Lord’s grace while greatly misunderstood by the worldly – is the spiritual power given for us to endure the trials and tribulations of this world after all we can do. The scripture (see Ether 12:27, D&C 17:8, 2 Corinthians 12:9) which refers to ‘grace’ isn’t just about being ‘saved’ but a beginning to become more like the Savior (until we indeed can become like Him (Moroni 7:48). Energy equates power – power equates to grace – grace must therefore equate to energy. One could consider this the power and energy which emanates and returns to the highest degree of glory of Celestial Kingdom. Only does the Celestial Kingdom require full obedience, works, faith, and becoming even one with the Father and the Son and most importantly receiving all of the ordinances bestowed in the House of the Lord**.

 

Third, in what has been discussed above then this combined energy/grace helps us understand that what has been proposed as to the meaning and understanding of Spirituality, which it is intangible except by our works to learn more of the intangibles and tangibles of the doctrines of the Father and the Son to which we’re to learn to adopt as our own. Below is the definition of energy as found in Wikipedia: (In physics, energy is a property of objects, transferable among them via fundamental interactions, which can be converted in form but not created or destroyed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy) or (http://physics.about.com/od/glossary/g/energy.htm Energy is the capacity of a physical system to perform work.)

 

When we are speaking of energy there are several dynamic forms but what is discussed here is not the worldly energy (or available energy) but of infinite energy that which we not only need – but which we can increase infinitely for our righteous behavior. Thus if Heavenly Father is the author of all natural law – then he has infinite energy of which he can bestow upon those who honor and respect he and his Son. We’re able to earn such energy through not only our obedience to the commandments but in our exercising our agency as to have eternal and internal faith in that which we yet do not know – but will eventually know – and in our choices to choose the right in doing work of service unto others for the Father.

 

Therefore in acknowledging all of the above – we must always be mindful of doing the simple tangible things of the commandments; i.e. honoring and sustaining Father’s chosen servants on the earth today, tithing’s, offerings, callings, home teaching, visiting teaching, or those things which are expected in order to be able to do the intangible. The basics are well known still even though most of which are simple to perform and to complete these basics are usually overlooked – or even worse, considered all that needs to be done.

 

The goal of this mortal probation is to return to the presences of our Heavenly Father and his only begotten his Son – our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Too many people ignore divine doctrine. Therefore it is taught that by Grace all are saved via the Atonement – which only in part is very true. What is forgotten all nothing excepted; those who’ve lived even when the Gospel of Jesus Christ was not on this earth – and those who when living while the Gospel has been on the earth never heard it. Again too many deny this belief as well – thinking there is only the two choices of Heaven or Hell ignoring about the various kingdoms from the teachings of Paul. With all of this belief system in mind, the world is a thoroughly wicked place with the influence and doctrines of the adversary in the forefront of the teachings (logismoi) of men replacing the gnosis of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

Now to return to the premise above – that Spirituality is a means of our becoming one with the Father and the Son. Indeed a power exchange between the Father and achieving righteousness as His children (you and I). An exchange which increases our respect and honoring for the Father – and his in turn to extend to us his Son’s grace for us to endure to the end in this wicked world. Without it being a two way interchange it would be meaningless! For when energy only goes in one direction it expends itself in the infinity of space or otherwise separates into other matter. Energy has to have a reciprocal giving and taking or it becomes disordered (refer to the three laws of energy).  Therefore, if the grace from the Father and the Son above is provided and not in some way returned to them then it to will turn to disorder. It is incumbent upon each of us to return our grace (power/energy) in kind (our prayers/works/services/testimonies and full obedience) in seeking to become like the Father and the Son.

 

The acceptance of our role in our eternal salvation is of utmost importance – we’ve choices to make – things to do – both tangible and intangible – much to learn. We’ve to become as the Father and the Son – as they are with each other. We’ve been commanded to do so – why do we do otherwise? And if so commanded to do so – there must be a way for us to accomplish this commandment!  “1Nephi 3:7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” Impossibility is a word unknown to the Father and the Son – and therefore we’re to do as they’ve commanded us to do!

 

We’ve much to do on our spirituality and our worthiness as they are eternally linked – thus someday to be found entering into the presence of our Heavenly Father and his only begotten Son our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – may we all strive to do so – I implore each – c/ork

 

*Grace is divine help and strength that we receive through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Through grace, we are saved from sin and death. In addition, grace is an enabling power that strengthens us from day to day and helps us endure to the end. Effort is required on our part to receive the fulness of the Lord’s grace. https://www.lds.org/youth/learn/yw/atonement/grace?lang=eng

 

 

**Since 1976 everyone born on this earth are eligible to all of the blessings and ordinances within The House of the Lord, i.e. the Holy Temple. Prior to this time and in many times over the entirety of the history of man-kind there were either no Temples to be found – or in so few that the proximity to be able to attend one was improbable (impossible) to most of mankind. With the restoration of the Gospel in these latter-days Temples were once again found on the earth but again in very small numbers and in limited locations. The first two Temples built were burnt or desecrated by mobs in Ohio and Illinois. Thus those who could not attend for various reasons – were entitled by their baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints if living worthily to all of their baptismal covenants were entitled to all of the eternal blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – i.e. the highest degrees of glory in the Celestial Kingdom. Each and every person born into a mortal body who do not have the opportunity to hear of the Restored Gospel in its fullness will at some future date in the Millennium hear and accept or reject as they would’ve had they heard it during their mortal probation. 

 

“To Become As”

 

cji

2/4/15

 

Commanded to do so

becoming as if one

with the Father/Son

entering their presence

fearing and doubting not

while the worldly tremble

peace and understanding

remain ours in mortality

knowing and discerning

Scriptures/covenants

becoming as they are

to do so commanded!

 

Copyright © 2015 – cji