Rock of Offense

I understand Israel’s plight now. They wanted a dead law to follow, because it was easier. They wanted to have a secret recipe to get back to Heavenly Father. In the Law of Moses, Heavenly Father gave them a dead law, but still tried to show in a bajillion ways that CHRIST was the secret ingredient. It was, amazingly, no secret at all. Thus, the cruel irony in their search for this ‘secret recipe’ of the Atonement, and its ‘secret ingredient’, even CHRIST, they are “looking beyond the mark” (Jacob 4:14), so that the very “head of their corner” (Jacob 4:17) becomes “a stone of stumbling” or a “rock of offense” (2 Nephi 18:14).

That is the same problem many of us struggle with today. We think that church simply has hoops to pass through, and that is good enough. It is not. If Christ is the cornerstone of the Church’s religion, why should it not be the cornerstone of Your religion and My religion? Maybe that’s exactly what Joseph Smith meant when he said that. Maybe we have misinterpreted it to apply more theoretically to the church, when it should be applied literally and directly to our lives, much like Helaman 5:12.

When we apply this to our lives, we build us a mansion, much like our mansion above. We have to keep Christ the “head of [our] corner” as we place other foundation stones such as the testimony of The Book of Mormon, our prophet, the Bible, tithing, and so forth. As we lay these foundation stones, we build upon them with or actions. Eventually, we finish the basement, and are qualified to enter into baptism. As we work on the next level, we may drop things and damage the floor, or possibly even the foundation upon which we are built. We need to refurbish the living quarters by partaking of the sacrament each week.

Growing our Family Tree

Imagine a tree. There are three sections of the tree. There are the branches, the trunk, and the roots. We are the trunk, our ancestors are our roots, and our posterity is our branches and its fruit. A tree cannot grow without its roots, nor can it stay stable. Likewise, we need our roots to stand and grow. When we have children, they are the Fruit of our Loins. After they grow up, our family tree branches out more and our grandchildren become our fruit as well. Imagine the tree were separated into those chunks, nothing to hold the branches to the trunk, nothing to hold the trunk together, and nothing to hold the trunk to the roots. The trunk would split right down the middle, the branches would fall down and die, and the roots would rot and turn to fertilizer for another, better equipped, tree. What is this adhesive holding the whole tree together? The bonds are our Temple Sealings.

“Seest Thou This?” —Luke 7:44

The Savior had called his apostles, saying, “Come ye after me.”1 He had turned water into wine with the words, “Draw out now.” 2 He had halted and negated a funeral procession with the simple command, “arise.”3 The ever-fierce vortex of Pharisaical and Sadducaical skepticism which continuously raged about him now attempted a subtler means of attack. Simon, a Pharisee, invited Jesus of Nazareth to dinner.4

He accepted the offer and attended the occasion. I now read the account:

“[A] woman in the city… when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,

“And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with her tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.”5

Simon looked on the ordeal and saw what he expected. He saw a sinner. Jesus countered the callow condescension with a chord that rings through the ages and resonates in my soul, “Seest thou this?”6

“Seest thou this, [this] woman?”6 Seest thou this--her need? Seest thou this--her pain? Can YOU, the leader of Moses’ law, not see the deep wounds in her soul--aching, yearning, for something, ANYTHING, to ease her anguish? And do you not see—that you have it?

From the narrative, we can see that the only question to which Simon would have answered affirmatively was the first, “Seest thou this woman?” and even then, he was wrong. He did not see her as she really was.7

May each one of us learn a key and important lesson from this story. Even the apostles struggled with their blindness to reality and their inaccurate assumptions of people. If Peter, James, and John, the later presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ, were blind to others, then why on earth would we consider ourselves exempt from such short-sightedness? Let’s take some examples:

Seest thou this young woman? Who today--is crying in her room, because even though she appears popular, she has no friends. Seest thou this woman?

Seest thou this friend? Who today--is stuck with their foot in the door of our friendship, but never allowed in. They knock and they knock, but we turn them away, again and again. Seest thou this—their need?

Seest thou this young man? Who today--like the Savior, tries to uplift anyone and everyone he meets, but also like the Savior, “hath not where to lay his head”8. He is a friend to all, but has no friend. He would listen to all, but none would hear him. He gives all a home in his heart, but has no home himself. Seest thou this—his pain??

Seest thou this beautiful, beloved child of God? Who today--though kind and loving, is planning their death because they cannot see themselves loved by anyone, even God—only forgotten. Can YOU, the choice generation, not see the deep wounds to the soul, aching, yearning, for something, ANYTHING, to ease the anguish? And do you not see—that you have it?

Yes, I acknowledge that bullying is a very real, very large problem, even an epidemic. However, among the prevailing problems of bullying, backbiting, and other such virulent strains of abuse, there is one growing and even more infectious plague among us, soaring even to the level of pandemia. Much like AIDS, however, its effects are not visual, but open the doorway to the opportunistic infections aforementioned.

In Moses 7 verses 31 and 32, God weeps. Why? Because He looked down on His children and said, “I gave unto them knowledge, in the day that I created them… unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another… but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood.”

No. We don’t hate our brethren like the people preceding the flood—yet. But do we have affection for them? Do we say it? Do we live it? Society’s apathetic immune system is deficient. Is ours? If we cannot change it, friend by friend, soul by soul, a plague will strike, and the consequences will be crippling.

Now, before you begin to think I’m some “doomsday prophet”, I want to make some things clear. We are naturally good. We are wonderful people. You are a kind, admirable person. Our human empathy drives us to love and to serve—when we see the pain.

As good as we may be, we have reactive tendencies. It is not in our nature to be proactive,9 searching for an opportunity to serve, but this is what Heavenly Father asks of us.9 This, is the trait of a saint.10

My friends, I ask you today, to go home and pray to see others, not as they appear, but as they really are.7 Kneel down and pray, every morning and every night, that you will have the gift to discern the souls you see every day. Pray to see the needs each one has. Pray to see the pain you can help to heal. Pray that you, a beloved child of God, will see the deep wounds in the soul—aching, yearning, for something, ANYTHING, to ease the anguish. And pray to see—that you have it.

My friends, no matter how large or little, we may have charity. No matter how active or inactive, we may have charity. No matter how sought-after or snubbed, we may have charity. It is a gift bestowed upon us from God, and none can take it away, only we can lose it. “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son.”11

Yes, it will be hard, but we, the youth of the noble birthright, have so much power for good. However, as always, the adversary will do all he can to diminish and diffuse this, the power of charity, that he can. We can know this because it is the great irony that in the very time when we have the greatest power to assist a brother, friend, or other peer, we are so affected by our own trinkets of trial that even if we saw their needs, we would be tempted to discount them in favor of our own.

Never in the history of the world, has the white noise of Satan’s false truths been so influential, and never in our lives, will the silencing pressure of our peers’ opinions be so influential, as today. On the other hand, we, the youth of this day, have more power to influence our peers than at any other time in our lives, or in the history of the world, even, with the aid of the internet and other valuable resources. Imagine the power we could command in our pocket, if we harnessed its potential to truly connect with our friends.

As we pray for the Spirit to open our eyes to those around us, we will learn that we need not forge new friendships, but deepen the ones we have. Loneliness can be found as commonly in a quiet corner as in a group. Alienation can be found as commonly in the front of the bus as the back. One can be physically isolated, but emotionally close, and another may be physically close, but emotionally isolated. The need of a true friend can be so close to our nose we would never see it. We need to continually ask ourselves, “Seest thou this?”

Do I see this—my friend? Do I see this—his need? Do I see this—his pain? Can I, their friend, see the wounds to their soul, aching, yearning, for something, ANYTHING, to ease the anguish? And do I see—that I have it?

Please, my friends, may we never allow anybody to question our love for them. We manage to have so very much to speak, but manage say so very little. We consume so much time with people, but are we ever full? Are we, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, still fulfilling the prophecy that people will run to and fro, in famine of the Gospel12—the Gospel of Love13?

Let us take time to set aside every distraction we can and actually communicate with someone. Let us try to break through the fluff of everyday conversation and see their soul, which is precious in the sight of God.14

As we continually practice these habits, Heavenly Father will trust us to truly love each one of His children, from the universally adored, to the universally abhorred. We will see the beauty in the soul of the saint, and the sinner. We may see the dark patches of our fellow travelers, but will love them all the greater, not the lesser, because of them. This love, I bear my testimony, is a pearl beyond price.15

While some may be skeptical, we will be unstoppable, for God is on our side.16 We will invite our friends, saying, “Come with me.” We will turn the bitter cup of life to love’s sweet draught with the words, “Draw from my faith.” We will negate one’s funeral plans with the simple invitation, “Arise, and be loved.”

I love my Father in Heaven. I love you. I apologize for imperfectly manifesting that love, and ask for your forgiveness. However, I know that through the Atonement of Christ, my attempts to show my love and also to be a medium of sharing Heavenly Father’s love are perfected, and yours will be too. Jesus Christ suffered for our sins, mistakes, pains, and loneliness in the Garden of Gethsemane17. May we all reduce His pain and loneliness by reducing the pain and loneliness of all around us is my fervent plea. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

1.       Mark 1:17

2.       John 2:8

3.       Luke 7:14

4.       Luke 7:36

5.       Luke 7:37-38

6.       Luke 7:44

7.       Jacob 4:13

8.       Luke 9:58

9.       Doctrine and Covenants 58:27

10.   Mosiah 3:19

11.   Moroni 7:48

12.   Amos 8:12

13.   Loren C Dunn, “Gospel of Love” October 1985 General Conference, Matthew 22:36-40

14.   Amos 8:12

15.   Matthew 13:45-46

16.   Romans 8:31

Thrust in your Sickle

In missionary work, the Atonement is what we teach, the Atonement is what we study, the Atonement is why we teach, and the Atonement is why we study. But the Atonement is also How we teach.

1. I remember going with a friend to invite an inactive member of our quorum to hear a devotional put on by my Bishop. His wife was in the process of releasing her first religious album, so she was the keynote speaker. I was scared. I feared I would say the wrong thing. I was afraid I’d sound too religious and offend him. I was worried I might be applying the promptings I thought I had received incorrectly, or, even worse, I had invented the promptings in a superficial vigor for quorum unity. I feared my best wouldn’t measure up to the task at hand. I feared I would come on too strong and push one of Heavenly Father’s beloved children even further from the fold. Lastly, I feared my testimony of my Savior, the core of my being, would fall utterly short. Over the next few months, I learned some things:

2. We WILL say the wrong thing. We WILL say something that could come off bigotrous and offend someone. We WILL act on an imperfect thought, falsely attributed to the Holy Ghost. Our best attempts WILL ALWAYS fall short. We WILL offend someone and momentarily push them farther from the church. Lastly, I promise you, that, by itself, our testimony WILL NEVER be strong enough to enter itself into the heart of man¹, let alone convert.

3. If we WILL fail, utterly and entirely, then what’s the point of trying? How are we expected, from prophets², apostles, and Jesus, the Christ, to contribute in the work of salvation?

3. If we  WILL fail, utterly and entirely, then what's the point of trying? What can we do then, if we are expected, from prophets², apostles, and Jesus, the Christ, to contribute in the work of salvation?

4. When there’s nothing we can do for ourselves, and there’s no hope for our success, where can we turn for peace³, hope, faith, and love, in missionary work? Where do we turn when we are utterly helpless? We turn to Christ and His Aonement. From scripture, we learn that:

“[H]e [went] forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and sicknesses of his people… and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy... that he might know… how to succor his people according to their infirmities.”⁴

5. I bear my testimony that this agonizing, horribly unfair bruising and punishment, which no man can comprehend⁵, took place in the Garden of Gethsemane⁵, and again on the cross at Golgotha⁵.

6. I also promise you that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, “Suffered these things for all, that [we] might not suffer if [we] would repent; But if [we] would not repent, [we] must suffer even as [Christ. This] suffering caused [Christ], even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore.” ⁶

7. Many people, from what I have seen, view the Atonement almost like a washing machine. They get their shirt dirty in sin, they recognize it’s dirty and feel sorrow unto washing it. As the shirt washes, it is cleaned, and then the drier, like the Holy Ghost, cleanses the shirt, and completes the process. However, the Atonement is not simply a box to check off a list, not simply for cleaning our ‘clothes’.

8. To those who believe this and other similar philosophies, Bruce R. McConkie said,

“many of us have a superficial knowledge and rely upon the Lord and His goodness to see us through the trials and perils of this life. ⁷

“But if we are to have faith like Enoch and Elijah, we must believe as they believed, know what they knew, and live as they lived.⁷

“I invite you to join with me in gaining a sound and sure knowledge of the Atonement.⁷

9. “Let us cast aside”⁷ this “washing machine” “[philosophy],… and hearken to the”⁷ whisperings of the Holy Ghost⁸, as we explore the experiences of Enoch, Moses, and others of the great prophets in their call to the same ministry to which we are now called:

10. Enoch, the prophet to perfect an entire city in only 300 years, was afraid when he received his call to preach: “I am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech,”⁹. Moses expressed similar fears when called to His work: “I am not eloquent… but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue,”¹⁰. Isaiah feared he might say the wrong thing: “I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips,”¹¹. Jeremiah, feeling young, unknowledgeable, and small in a world so full of Mosaic scholars, replied to his call, “Ah, Lord God! Behold I cannot speak, for I am a child,”¹². We know that the Lord’s call to Jeremiah was, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations,”¹³. We might not be a prophet unto the nations, but we are the children of the “Final Inning”¹⁴, and we are called of God to be a witness unto the nations. “This generation represents some of His Strongest children,”¹⁵.

11. In answering all these great men, The Lord promises to them, and each one of us, “Open thy mouth, [and]… all thy words will I justify,”¹⁶. The Lord doesn’t ask us to say everything perfectly, he asks us only to open our mouth, invoke His Atonement in the spreading of His work, and let Him worry about the rest.

12. To Enoch, an outcast, weak in speaking, the Lord said, “Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled… for all flesh is in my hands,”¹⁷. Do we believe Him? Do we believe that through His Atonement, He can arrange circumstance and soften heart so that even when we say the wrong thing, He will Atone for our best efforts? All flesh is in His hands! Do we believe Him? He goes on, and says “All thy words will I justify,”¹⁸. To justify, in this context, is to make perfect. The Atonement of our Savior will Atone for all of our mistakes in teaching the gospel. If you remember, Enoch, with only the power of his words, literally moved mountains and redirected rivers on their course¹⁹. I don’t believe every time he preached the Lord filled his mouth^A. I believe that the Lord sometimes left the speaking to Enoch, and Enoch spoke the best words he knew. As Enoch bore testimony of what he knew to be true, and as he taught the Plan of Salvation, the merciful Savior perfected the testimony of Enoch with the surrounding circumstances of the individuals listening.

13. Moses, feeling not only inadequate, but even handicapped, received the response, “Who hath made man’s mouth? ...Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth,”²⁰. ‘Who hath made man’s mouth?’ our Savior, Creator, and Shepherd, asks, “WHO, Who hath made the man’s body, heart, mind, yes, even soul? Can I, ‘God, the greatest of all,’²¹ not fix them as well? ‘All flesh is in my hands!!’²² ‘Believest thou this?!’²³” This won’t always happen. Yes, some people see miracles because they have the faith to be healed²⁴. They “rise up and walk”²⁵, gratefully serving people in many more ways than might have previously been possible. Others, however, have the faith to not be healed²⁶, and such constant faith and devotion to the Savior will inspire and motivate all who know them. After ‘healing man’s mouth’²⁷, our Savior promises to Moses, and again to all of us, that not only will He fill our mouth²⁸ and be in our mouth²⁹, like His promise to Enoch, but He will be WITH our mouth too³⁰. It is revealed doctrine that “Revelations from God—the teachings and directions of the Spirit—are not constant.”^A He won’t always provide us the words to say, or we become His puppets. “We [will be] left to work out problems without the dictation or specific direction of the Spirit.”^A We were given the gift of mortality to learn through our own actions. Due to this, our imperfect sphere, we will mess up. We will say the wrong thing. When we do, and when we realize, it is our duty to act upon the increased knowledge, the best we know how. BUT, because He is WITH our mouth, we will not fail. His atonement will not only purify our words in our mouth, but also in their ears. The eternal objective of the Atonement is that we eventually make it out on our own, without the assistance of the Holy Ghost, or the cleansing³¹, purifying³², and justifying³³ power of the Atonement. That is why, as we go, we will be left on our own to do what we know, on occasion^A. If we do not feel His Spirit, It does not mean that we are free to bypass missionary opportunities. It DOES mean that God trusts you. He trusts you to remember Him, and His message. He trusts you to be missionaries. Can we all invoke His Atonement on the lives of others by bearing testimony of the gospel to them? According to the Atonement, we cannot fail, if we have our eye single^B to His glory^C; are we willing to align to His will?

14. Isaiah, a prophet so accustomed to the beauty and power of prose and symbolism, and the only prophet toward whom our Savior expressly directs His disciples³⁴, feared his unclean lips. He was afraid he would say the wrong thing sometimes. He was also afraid he might confine the Spirit to a weaker message of the wondrous, beautiful, living³⁵ Gospel of Jesus Christ. He openly expressed this fear of ‘unclean lips’ to God, and “then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from the altar; and he laid it upon my mouth, and said: Lo, this has touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away,”³⁶. Fire represents the Holy Ghost³⁷, and as we bear testimony and teach the best we know, our previous sins, the sins we’ve laid on the altar for sacrifice³⁸, will be purged like a fire burning and purifying gold³⁹. Our words will also present a medium for the Holy Ghost to teach. Without the Atonement, our testimony is nothing, but with the Holy Ghost Applying the Atonement with our testimony, it has more power than the armies of the world to change a man’s heart and actions more towards the Savior⁴⁰.

15. Jeremiah, the prophet known for his dramatic foreordination⁴², fearing his youth and the many words of the Mosaic scholars⁴³, was consoled by our Loving Father in Heaven in these words: “Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee”⁴⁴. Then, says Jeremiah, “the Lord put forth His hand,… touched my mouth… [And] said unto me, I have put my words in thy mouth,”⁴⁵ God has done the same for us. He gave us a testimony⁴⁶. He gave us a language to speak⁴⁷. All truth is God’s⁴⁸. He gives us His words every six months in General Conference⁴⁹, and every time we hear a talk from someone in church⁵⁰. All these people have been called of God to teach His word directly through His keys⁵¹. The Holy Ghost gives us His words when we ponder and pray for them⁵², yes, but there are almost as many of God’s words out there as there are stars in the sky. Can we try to share these words, words of truth⁵³, bearing power unto salvation⁵⁴, with those we love?

16. When we feel despised⁵⁵, slow⁵⁶, inadequate⁵⁷, incapable⁵⁸, unworthy⁵⁹, young⁶⁰, or unknowledgeable⁶¹, we can be strengthened in knowing that through the Atonement, the Savior covers for EVERY imperfection we have⁶², according to His will⁶³. Those INLUDE imperfections in learning, remembering, physical health, talents from the arts to the sciences, performance in our temporal activities from school to the workplace, and Missionary Work⁶⁴!!! Especially Missionary Work! It is God’s WORK!!!! It is His GLORY!!!!⁶⁵ Why then, would He not help you, if your actions qualify? Through His Atonement, the Touch of the Master’s Hand will turn everything to gold⁶⁶. God promises us: “Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and REMEMBER THE COVENANT⁶⁷!!” ⁶⁸ Why then, would your actions not work together for the world’s good? Your friend’s good? Your brother’s good? All He asks is that we try⁶⁹.

17. Elder M. Russell Ballard assures us of this: “It is impossible for you to fail when we do our best when we are on the Lord’s errand.”⁷⁰ He is “not asking everyone to do everything. [He is] simply asking all members to pray, knowing that if every member, young and old, will reach out to just “one”… millions will feel the love of the Lord Jesus Christ."⁷¹

18. “Heed the promptings of the Spirit. Supplicate the Lord in mighty prayer. Become engaged in doing what you can in sharing the great message of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” ⁷²

19. I know that if we simply do the best we can with what we have, our Savior, Jesus Christ, will Atone our best efforts to the will, purpose, and means of God. This work is NOT ours⁷³. It is the Lord’s beautiful masterpiece, and each one of us, as President Uchtdorf says, “[has our] own part to play—[our] own notes to sing. Fail to perform them, and with certainty, the symphony will go on. But if [we] rise up and join the chorus and allow the power to God to work through [us], [we] will see ‘the windows of heaven’⁷⁴ open, and He will ‘pour [us] out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.’⁷⁴”⁷⁵ That’s not even including the privilege of playing in that masterpiece⁷⁶.

20. Can we all open our mouths and speak with love, allowing the atoning power of Christ to flow through us, cleansing and purifying our hearts and minds and edifying others⁷⁷? Can we all set a goal today, and reach out to even one⁷⁸? I give you Elder Ballard’s promise that, “it is impossible for us to fail”⁷⁹, and “the Lord will hear [our] prayers and [we] will have many opportunities now and for years to come”⁸⁰, and one more promise from Elder Scott, “The natural consequence is power from God—power to do more than we can do by ourselves. Our insights, our talents, our abilities are expanded because we receive strength and power from the Lord.”⁸¹

21. That young man I invited to “’come and see’^A, once more”^B, has not come back to church yet, but from this, and other similar experiences, I have grown significantly, coming to a knowledge of much brighter truths:

22. I bear my testimony that if we but lay our sins on the altar^C, treasure up Christ’s words^D, and open our mouth⁸²: HE will speak the perfect word to the heart of man⁸³. HE will rewrite the law upon all our hearts⁸⁴. HE will give us His power⁸⁵, the power of God unto the salvation of men⁸⁶. HE will justify our “widow’s mite”⁸⁷. HE will soothe the aching soul⁸⁸, whether suffering is at one’s own hand⁸⁹ or suffering is heaped upon them by others⁹⁰. HE will be the one to transform ashes—into beauty⁹¹, a tiny seed—into the Tree of Life⁹², and us—into gods⁹³.

23. I know that Jesus Christ, our Savior, came to this earth to redeem all mankind⁹⁴. More personally, He redeemed me⁹⁵. He snatched me from the grasp of the adversary⁹⁶. He is the Savior of our world⁹⁷. But more personally, He is the savior of MY world.

This is my testimony, and I bear it in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Footnotes:

1. 2 Nephi 33:1

2. D&C 62:4-5,3;

3. “Where Can I Turn for Peace” Hymn 129; “Where Can I Turn for Peace”, Quentin L. Cook, May 2013 Ensign; John 14:27

4. Alma 7:11

5. Bruce R. McConkie, May 1985 Ensign

6. D&C 19:16-18

7. Bruce R. McConkie, May 1985 Ensign

8. Bruce R. McConkie, May 1985 Ensign;

9. Moses 6:31

10. Exodus 4:10

11. 2 Nephi 16:5, Isaiah 6:5

12. Jeremiah 1:6

13. Jeremiah 1:5

14. Benson, In His Steps

15. Monson, October 2011

16. Moses 6:31-34

17. Moses 6:32

18. Moses 6:34

19. Moses 7:13

20. Exodus 4:11-12

21. Doctrine and Covenants 19:18

22. Moses 6:32

23. John 11:26

24. D&C 46:19

25. Acts 3:6

26. That We Might Not Shrink, Elder Bednar, CES Devotional March 3, 2013

27. Exodus 4:11

28. Moses 6:32; Isaiah 6:7

29. Moses 6:32; Isaiah 6:7

30. Exodus 4:12

31. Bible Dictionary, Holy Ghost

32. Bible Dictionary, Holy Ghost

33. Bible Dictionary, Holy Ghost

A. Teaching and Learning by the Spirit, Oaks, May 1999 Ensign

34. 3 Nephi 23:1

35. 2 Corinthians 3:3;

36. 2 Nephi 16:5; Isaiah 6:5

37. Bible Dictionary, Holy Ghost

38. Isaiah 6:6

39. The Refiner’s Fire, Elder James E. Faust, April 1979 General Conference

40. Oaks, Teaching and learning by the Spirit, May 1999; Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation

41. Jeremiah 1:5

42. Jeremiah 1:5

43. Jeremiah 1:8; Ezekiel 2:6-7

44. Jeremiah 1:8

45. Jeremiah 1:9

46. Converted unto the Lord, Elder David A. Bednar, October 2012 General Conference

47. Genesis 11:9

48. D&C 29:34

49. D&C 124:88

50. D&C 107:15,18; D&C 124:34

51. D&C 107:15,18; D&C 124:34

52. D&C 6:14-15

53. Ps. 117:2; Prov. 8:7; Zech. 8:16; Ephesians 4:25; 1 Jn. 5:6; D&C 1:39; D&C 50:17; D&C 75:4; TG Truth

54. “Holy Scriptures: The Power of God unto Our Salvation”, Robert D. Hales, November 2006 Ensign; 2 Nephi 32:3;

55. Moses 6:31

56. Moses 6:31; Exodus 4:10

57. Exodus 4:10; Moses 6:31; Isaiah 6:5; 2 Nephi 16:5, 4:26-27; Jeremiah 1:6

58. Exodus 4:10

59. Isaiah 6:5; 2 Nephi 16:5;

60. Jeremiah 1:6; Moses 6:31

61. Jeremiah 1:6; Moses 6:31; Ezekiel 2:6-7

unknowledgeable⁶¹,

62. Anticipating the Need to Forgive, Ensign Sept. 2011

63. Doctrine and Covenants 25:9; Ether 12:27

64. Moses 1:39; D&C 88:78

65. Moses 1:39

66. Rev. 3:18; Rev. 21:15

67. Mosiah 18:8-10; 2 Nephi 31:10

68. D&C 90:25

69. 2 Nephi 31:10;

70. M. Russell Ballard, “Put your Trust in the Lord”, October 2013 General Conference

71. M. Russell Ballard, “Put your Trust in the Lord”, October 2013 General Conference

72. M. Russell Ballard, “Put your Trust in the Lord”, October 2013 General Conference

73. Dieter F. Uchtdorf,

74. Malachi 4:5-6

75. Dieter F. Uchtdorf

76. Alma 26;

77. D&C 88:78; 2 Nephi 16:6-7

78. “Put Your Trust in the Lord”, Ballard, October 2013 General Conference

79. M. Russell Ballard, “Put your Trust in the Lord”, October 2013 General Conference

80. M. Russell Ballard, “Put your Trust in the Lord”, October 2013 General Conference

81. Richard G. Scott,

A. John 1:39

B. It’s a Miracle, Neil L. Anderson, April 2013 General Conference

C. 2 Nephi 16:6; Isaiah 6:6;

D. D&C 38:30; D&D 43:34; D&C 84:85

82. Moses 6:32; 2 Nephi 16:6-7; Isaiah 6:6-7;

83. D&C 33:1; 2 Nephi 33:1; D&C 6:16

84. 2 Corinthians 3:3

85.

86. Alma 26:13-15 (1-37)

87. Mark 12:41-44

88. 2 Nephi 26:25

89. Alma 15:3-12, 18, 19, 36; 2 Nephi 4; Mosiah 5;

90. 2 Nephi 4; Mosiah 22, 24:14, 19-23; Alma 17:27-39, 56, 57; 3 Nephi 3-4;

91. Isaiah 61:3; 2 Nephi 8:3;

92. Alma 32:__; 2 Nephi 8,11:__; Jeffrey R. Holland, “Lord, I Believe”, May 2013 Ensign

93. Romans 8:16-17;

94. John 3:16

95. Mosiah 27:27-30; Alma 36:17-22;

96. Mosiah 27:27-30; Alma 36:12-22;

97. John 3:16;

Broken Heart

The Law of Sacrifice is an Eternal Law. In the Premortal Life, Heavenly Father gave up a third of the hosts of heaven that the remaining children might have an opportunity for Eternal Life through His Plan, the Atonement. In the Atonement, there would be a Great and Eternal Sacrifice, even the Lamb of God. Being “wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace being upon him; his stripes healing our own” (Mosiah 14:5), His Sacrifice was promised to be capable of ransom from death, hell, and the devil.

The Atonement was agreed to, the earth created, and Adam sent to the Garden of Eden. After partaking of the forbidden fruit, Adam fell, and the Law of Sacrifice was once again taught. In Moses 5:5, we read: “[God] gave unto them commandments, that they should worship the Lord their God, and should offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord.”

Sacrifice was continued in Messianic worship  through Abraham and his descendants. Moses led the House of Israel through the Red Sea and reinstituted the Law of Sacrifice to the faltering, feeble nation. However, due to their experience in Egypt and the worshipping practices observed there, they misunderstood the purpose of the Law of Sacrifice. They thought that its purpose was to appease God, rather than to be in "similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth." (Moses 5:7).

Thinking that there was a 'secret recipe' to get to heaven, the Jews wanted a rote script to follow, day in and day out, to shortcut their way. To top it off, they wanted a 'secret ingredient' that they could just throw in the pot of their lives and turn themselves Celestial. A dead Law of Justice is so much simpler to comprehend, after all.

In the Law of Moses, Heavenly Father reluctantly gave them what they wanted, a dead law, but still tried to show in every possible way that CHRIST was the secret ingredient (Jarom 1:11). It was, paradoxically, no secret at all, hiding in plain sight, as it were.

Thus, the cruel irony is that in the very search for this 'secret recipe' of the Atonement, and its 'secret ingredient', even CHRIST, they are "looking beyond the mark" (Jacob 4:14), so that the very "head of their corner" (Jacob 4:14) becomes "a stone of stumbling" and a "rock of offense" (2 Nephi 18:14).

God, who has power over all, who has a billionaire's budget, who has the universe as his desktop, has absolutely no need for the firstborn of our flocks, our wealth, however vast it may appear, or our knowledge. In reality, God has given power of only one thing to mankind, and that is our agency. He cannot, or, more accurately, will not, force us to do anything.

We must remember that he is not God only, but first and foremost, our Heavenly Father. Because of this, He wants our hearts, not for petty dominance, but so that He can help us, so that He can shape us, so that He can make us.

The Jews, unfortunately, misunderstood the Law of Sacrifice, and did not comprehend this most important principle, that "sacrifice never was placing an animal on the altar. Instead, it is a willingness to put the animal in us upon the altar and let it be consumed!"

Looking back, we may scorn the blindness of the House of Isreal, but I do not believe that we are all that different. We have been raised in the cold life of business interactions. We have been raised demanding fairness and equality in all superficial and visible means. We have been raised trading time for equal payment in money, money for equal value in posessions, and posessions for unequal value in sentiment.

Then, the real trouble comes when we bring this worldly perspective into our religion. We passed High School going through the hoops. We passed college cramming the night before. Even in work, all they want is your output, what you can make. These are all forms of the dead Law of Justice.

Christ does not care about our output, our cramming, or our ability to float by in church. Even those who have "prophesied in His name, and in His name have cast out devils, and in His name done many wonderful works" (3 Nephi 14:22) will be turned away from the kingdom of heaven if they did not turn their hearts towards Christ.

Even though He has instituted the sacrament to replace the outward approach, Christ still asks us to sacrifice. He asks of us a tenth of our monetary income, which I assume we pay faithfully, but aren't the twenty-four hours we have the privelege of experiencing each day part of our income? We fought for those in the Premortal Life. Isn't our agency in and of itself a type of income, too? We are blessed with a little bit more each time we choose truth. What if we chose to give a tithing of our lives, passions, and choices to the Lord as well as our money?

We give private service every day to our neighbor, we read our scriptures and pray often, we accept and act our callings, we forego carnal passions, we give up two meals once a month for the hungered and struggling, we give up a weekend once every six months for General Conference, and we give up three hours every Sunday for worship. These are all sacrifices we make willingly, but these are not given for the Celestial Kingdom. These sacrifices are terrific and commendable, but alone, they will get you no closer to heaven than a snail tied to a tree stump. We give up these "flesh pots" of our lives to fulfill the first and great commandment: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (Matthew 22:37), that Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, might be allowed to step in.

The great and last sacrifice we will ever learn to make of ourselves is that of 3 Nephi 9:19-20: “And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings. But ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit.”

In my study, I came across a poem regarding this same Celestial Currency:

Broken Heart

I’m broken and fragile, but I give what I can,

I can’t give but two mites, for I’m naught but a man.

So I give up my farthing, my body and soul,

No part of me separate, I give up my whole.

I trade not in actions, for in justice none live,

My deals are in hearts. For His, mine I give.

I give it to you; I give it to life,

I give it to religion, to school, and to strife.

I give it to music; I give it to math,

I give it to science, to art, and to laugh.

I give it to you, no expect for return,

I get that from Him, the heart that I yearn.

The heart that is happy, the heart that is light,

It loves when it's hated, yearns greater for right.

It knows the pure joy in heartfelt selfless prayer,

For enemies, loved ones, and everyone there.

Please accept this I give

Take my heart and go live

A little bit happier, a little bit lighter,

More faithful and lovelier, go see a bit brighter.

But lastly I point, to the Shepherd of all,

Than to teach of Him, I could have no greater call.

I love Him, a Savior, the Savior of all,

E’en more-so, my Savior, snatched me from the fall.

Thus I give Him my heart, in all that I do.

His vigor, His love, His heart me to renew,

For all that He hath, only one sacrifice,

My soft, broken heart, and a spirit, contrite.

So I give those two mites, for His heart, mine I give,

He trades not in actions. In justice none live.

He trades heart for heart. The trade is not fair.

For with His, in Him, of Heaven I’m Heir.

I bear my testimony that Christ, the Lamb of God, gave us His heart every moment of His life, beginning in the Spirit World with God the Father, and continuing even through the Eternities. I bear my testimony that in "laying down His life for His friends", he did not only die for us, he lived for us. He lived for us antemortally, he lived for us on earth, He lives for us now, and He will always live for us. He is the Creator of our known world, He is the Savior of our world, He is the Creator of my world, and, more personally, He is the Savior of my world.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.