I have used this scripture before, but I feel it is appropriate to use it again. In Alma 7:11-12 it states that He toke upon Him the pains and the sicknesses of His people so He may know how to succor His people according to their infirmities. Again, the word "succor" more or less means to run to the aid, but how can He do that if the only thing His Atonement entailed was His death on the cross at Calvary. Let me tell you. I would like to begin by saying this, everything Jesus Christ did during His entire life and ministry was for the purpose of being able to "succor" us. He performed miracles, taught true doctrine and served the least of the people yet others still spat on Him and laughed at Him as He took His cross on His own back to the place of martyrdom. He knows what it feels like to be alone as He states, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46) while on the cross. I asked the individual I previously mentioned above if they knew what the Garden of Gethsemane was and what had happened there. They told me they didn't know. I feel like this is a very important part of what the Atonement is, so I am going to explain it. In Luke 22:41-44 we read that it is here that Christ actually took upon Him the pains and sicknesses of the world. It talks about how Christ's agony was so great that He bled from His pores. I cannot imagine the amount of pain and anguish one must go through to bleed from their pores, but I can imagine it is more painful than anything you or I have experienced. Even if I may not have mentioned it on here, Christ has been through every negative thing you will go through in this life for the sole purpose of being able to "succor" you. That is charity for sure if you ask me! I love my Savior very much and cannot thank Him enough for all that He has done for me. Of this I testify in His sacred name, even Jesus Christ. Amen.
Showing posts with label Pain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pain. Show all posts
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Power to Heal
Today, I hope to help you understand what the Atonement of Jesus Christ really means. Just the other day, I had someone tell me, "Well, I am so very grateful that Jesus died for me and I am forever in debt to Him for it, but that is nothing like being raped or losing a loved one, so how could He possibly be able to help me get through this?" I didn't realize that people actually thought that. In this post, I hope to have the Spirit help me teach you that ALL things that are unfair in life can be healed and made right through the Atonement of Christ.
I have used this scripture before, but I feel it is appropriate to use it again. In Alma 7:11-12 it states that He toke upon Him the pains and the sicknesses of His people so He may know how to succor His people according to their infirmities. Again, the word "succor" more or less means to run to the aid, but how can He do that if the only thing His Atonement entailed was His death on the cross at Calvary. Let me tell you. I would like to begin by saying this, everything Jesus Christ did during His entire life and ministry was for the purpose of being able to "succor" us. He performed miracles, taught true doctrine and served the least of the people yet others still spat on Him and laughed at Him as He took His cross on His own back to the place of martyrdom. He knows what it feels like to be alone as He states, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46) while on the cross. I asked the individual I previously mentioned above if they knew what the Garden of Gethsemane was and what had happened there. They told me they didn't know. I feel like this is a very important part of what the Atonement is, so I am going to explain it. In Luke 22:41-44 we read that it is here that Christ actually took upon Him the pains and sicknesses of the world. It talks about how Christ's agony was so great that He bled from His pores. I cannot imagine the amount of pain and anguish one must go through to bleed from their pores, but I can imagine it is more painful than anything you or I have experienced. Even if I may not have mentioned it on here, Christ has been through every negative thing you will go through in this life for the sole purpose of being able to "succor" you. That is charity for sure if you ask me! I love my Savior very much and cannot thank Him enough for all that He has done for me. Of this I testify in His sacred name, even Jesus Christ. Amen.
I have used this scripture before, but I feel it is appropriate to use it again. In Alma 7:11-12 it states that He toke upon Him the pains and the sicknesses of His people so He may know how to succor His people according to their infirmities. Again, the word "succor" more or less means to run to the aid, but how can He do that if the only thing His Atonement entailed was His death on the cross at Calvary. Let me tell you. I would like to begin by saying this, everything Jesus Christ did during His entire life and ministry was for the purpose of being able to "succor" us. He performed miracles, taught true doctrine and served the least of the people yet others still spat on Him and laughed at Him as He took His cross on His own back to the place of martyrdom. He knows what it feels like to be alone as He states, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46) while on the cross. I asked the individual I previously mentioned above if they knew what the Garden of Gethsemane was and what had happened there. They told me they didn't know. I feel like this is a very important part of what the Atonement is, so I am going to explain it. In Luke 22:41-44 we read that it is here that Christ actually took upon Him the pains and sicknesses of the world. It talks about how Christ's agony was so great that He bled from His pores. I cannot imagine the amount of pain and anguish one must go through to bleed from their pores, but I can imagine it is more painful than anything you or I have experienced. Even if I may not have mentioned it on here, Christ has been through every negative thing you will go through in this life for the sole purpose of being able to "succor" you. That is charity for sure if you ask me! I love my Savior very much and cannot thank Him enough for all that He has done for me. Of this I testify in His sacred name, even Jesus Christ. Amen.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Opposition and the Atonement
Why do I have to experience bad days? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why can't life be easy? How come life is so unfair? Why cant I ever get a break? These are all questions I have asked myself along with many others. The answer I might suggest is opposition, and the solution is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Now let me explain using two scriptures, in the Book of Mormon, that have helped me to understand this principle.
The first states, "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one;" (2 Nephi 2:11.) If every day was happy and perfect then that would be "normal." There would be no pleasure behind happiness because there is no reason for there to be. It would just be what we expect, with nothing special about it. How lame would that be! In order to really have a good day, sometimes we are going to have bad days. In order to really appreciate our health we need to experience sickness. There must be opposition so we can understand the difference.
The second states, "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind... He will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people... He will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." (Alma 7:11-12.) The word "succor" more or less means to run to the aid. So, this scripture is telling us that Christ not only suffered to redeem us from our sins, but He suffered so that He could be there for us as we go through the hard times in life. He did it so that He could run to our aid when we are struggling. He did it because He loves us and wants us to find happiness in life.
I know that my Father in Heaven knows and loves me and will not let me go through anything that I can't handle, at least not on my own. In a time of need my Savior is there waiting and ready to help me along as I feel I can't go any further. So, when you are going through a hard time, just remember, someone has been there before and is ready to help you through it. "All that seems unfair in life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ..." (The Plan of Salvation.) I testify of this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
The first states, "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one;" (2 Nephi 2:11.) If every day was happy and perfect then that would be "normal." There would be no pleasure behind happiness because there is no reason for there to be. It would just be what we expect, with nothing special about it. How lame would that be! In order to really have a good day, sometimes we are going to have bad days. In order to really appreciate our health we need to experience sickness. There must be opposition so we can understand the difference.
The second states, "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind... He will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people... He will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." (Alma 7:11-12.) The word "succor" more or less means to run to the aid. So, this scripture is telling us that Christ not only suffered to redeem us from our sins, but He suffered so that He could be there for us as we go through the hard times in life. He did it so that He could run to our aid when we are struggling. He did it because He loves us and wants us to find happiness in life.
I know that my Father in Heaven knows and loves me and will not let me go through anything that I can't handle, at least not on my own. In a time of need my Savior is there waiting and ready to help me along as I feel I can't go any further. So, when you are going through a hard time, just remember, someone has been there before and is ready to help you through it. "All that seems unfair in life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ..." (The Plan of Salvation.) I testify of this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Why Pain and Suffering?
If God loves us, why does he allow is to suffer through pain and sorrow? This is a question I have heard many times while serving as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Here are some of the answers I have found during my service and throughout my life so far.
One of the things that pain and sorrow does for us is that it allows us to grow. Much like working out breaks down our muscles and makes them sore, trials and hardships can be taxing to us spiritually. However, when we work through those trying times, our spiritual selves will come out on top, and we will be stronger than ever before. It is analogous to the way our muscles rebuild themselves after an intense workout. No pain, no gain, as the saying goes.
"Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.
Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people." (Mosiah 23:21-22.)
Another thing, I don't necessarily think that people are inherently evil, there are just those people who don't understand what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is all about. Needless to say, bad things do happen to good people. These "bad people", for lack of a better term, when wronged, need to have their revenge. If God was to make sure nothing bad ever happened to us that would mean He would have to stop all of the "bad people" from doing bad things. If God was to do that, He would be taking away our agency, which is the freedom to choose. When people do bad things, they are accountable for what they did. If God was to stop them from doing anything, then how could He punish them; they didn't do anything wrong. Thus, good people have to go through the pains and sorrows caused by the wickedness of others.
Finally, there must be opposition in ALL things. We cannot experience happiness without knowing what it is like to be sad. If life was all puppy dogs and biscuits, we would take it for granted very quickly. We would simply exist in a state of limbo, going around our lives in a rather pointless existence, for without pain and sorrow, neither would there be any happiness. I like to think of it this way. Imagine the tastiest cookie you have ever eaten. If that was the only cookie you ever had, you would expect all cookies to taste like that and it would be nothing special. It takes eating something like a salty cookie, which is clearly nowhere as delicious, to realize how delicious that first cookie actually was.
I have found that it is easier to just accept the trials God places before me and ask Him for the help that He is always willing to give us. We can get through our hard times if we just trust in God and rely on the fact that He knows what He is doing.
One of the things that pain and sorrow does for us is that it allows us to grow. Much like working out breaks down our muscles and makes them sore, trials and hardships can be taxing to us spiritually. However, when we work through those trying times, our spiritual selves will come out on top, and we will be stronger than ever before. It is analogous to the way our muscles rebuild themselves after an intense workout. No pain, no gain, as the saying goes.
"Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.
Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people." (Mosiah 23:21-22.)
Another thing, I don't necessarily think that people are inherently evil, there are just those people who don't understand what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is all about. Needless to say, bad things do happen to good people. These "bad people", for lack of a better term, when wronged, need to have their revenge. If God was to make sure nothing bad ever happened to us that would mean He would have to stop all of the "bad people" from doing bad things. If God was to do that, He would be taking away our agency, which is the freedom to choose. When people do bad things, they are accountable for what they did. If God was to stop them from doing anything, then how could He punish them; they didn't do anything wrong. Thus, good people have to go through the pains and sorrows caused by the wickedness of others.
Finally, there must be opposition in ALL things. We cannot experience happiness without knowing what it is like to be sad. If life was all puppy dogs and biscuits, we would take it for granted very quickly. We would simply exist in a state of limbo, going around our lives in a rather pointless existence, for without pain and sorrow, neither would there be any happiness. I like to think of it this way. Imagine the tastiest cookie you have ever eaten. If that was the only cookie you ever had, you would expect all cookies to taste like that and it would be nothing special. It takes eating something like a salty cookie, which is clearly nowhere as delicious, to realize how delicious that first cookie actually was.
I have found that it is easier to just accept the trials God places before me and ask Him for the help that He is always willing to give us. We can get through our hard times if we just trust in God and rely on the fact that He knows what He is doing.
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