What Thinks Christ of Me?
I spoke in West Point Ward yesterday. The topics came from President Carlson, and I loved the topics...though I struggled a bit with getting my thoughts down because this was a very busy and also a difficult week for me. I hope that I shared some things that were helpful.
Topic description: With discouragement from the adversary designed to defeat us, what would the Savior’s message be to combat such despondency (see Elder Uchtdorf’s most recent General Conference talk - "Jesus Christ is the Strength of Youth" - for some insight on this)? How have you turned to Him during your hard times and what has He said to you during the trials of your life? Invite members to introspect on this important question and feel His perfect love for them. Please give heartfelt encouragement to remain valiant to the Savior and bear pure testimony of Jesus’ power to help and heal us in this mortal journey.
Life is full of challenges. Some are relatively small such as having too many responsibilities and not enough time or getting a flat tire on an especially busy day (these are both experiences I can relate to right now!) and some are much bigger such as the loss of a loved one, divorce, illness, job loss, or countless other trials. Sometimes our challenges can begin to wear on us. We may become discouraged or even feel despair. But there is help and hope and healing in these difficult times.
In October conference, Elder Uchtdorf spoke about what the Savior would say if he stood before us. He said, “I believe He would start by expressing His deep love for you. He might say it with words, but it would also flow so strongly—just from His presence—that it would be unmistakable, reaching deep into your heart, filling your whole soul!...
I believe the Savior Jesus Christ would want you to see, feel, and know that He is your strength. That with His help, there are no limits to what you can accomplish. That your potential is limitless. He would want you to see yourself the way He sees you. And that is very different from the way the world sees you.
The Savior would declare, in no uncertain terms, that you are a daughter or son of the Almighty God. Your Heavenly Father is the most glorious being in the universe, full of love, joy, purity, holiness, light, grace, and truth. And one day He wants you to inherit all He has.6
It is the reason why you’re on the earth—to learn, grow, and progress and become everything your Father in Heaven has created you for.”
Think about that. You are a son or daughter of God. You are deeply loved. And because you are a child of God, you have a divine nature and eternal destiny. You have seeds of divinity within you! This doctrine has been taught and repeated by many.
For example, President Packer taught, ““However many generations in your mortal ancestry, no matter what race or people you represent, the pedigree of your spirit can be written on a single line. You are a child of God!”
And President Nelson recently taught young adults that they should remember their three preeminent identities:
Child of God
Child of the covenant
Disciple of Jesus Christ
President Nelson said, "Make no mistake about it: Your potential is divine. With your diligent seeking, God will give you glimpses of who you may become."
I hope you will take a few minutes to really think about that...you are a child of God. He is your Father. You are of infinite worth. Repeatedly, prophets have testified of this. To the youth, President Nelson said: ““You are among the best the Lord has ever sent to this world. You have the capacity to be smarter and wiser and have more impact on the world than any previous generation.”
I hope you know that you are loved, that your nature is divine.
Yet, we sometimes forget our worth. This can be because we fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others. We see their gifts, talents, strengths or what appears from the outside to be their nearly perfect lives and we think that we have less to offer when in reality we just have something DIFFERENT and UNIQUE to offer. Sometimes we forget our worth because we know that we are supposed to become like Christ and we can see the gap between where we are and where we want to be and that discourages us. Sometimes we forget our worth because we hear messages from social media, tv, music, advertisements or even people we know that make us doubt ourselves. And sometimes we doubt our worth because we have sinned or made mistakes and we confuse our worth with our worthiness.
Sister Joy Jones said, “Let me point out the need to differentiate between two critical words: worth and worthiness. They are not the same. Spiritual worth means to value ourselves the way Heavenly Father values us, not as the world values us. Our worth was determined before we ever came to this earth. “God’s love is infinite and it will endure forever.”3
On the other hand, worthiness is achieved through obedience. If we sin, we are less worthy, but we are never worth less! We continue to repent and strive to be like Jesus with our worth intact. As President Brigham Young taught: “The least, the most inferior spirit now upon the earth … is worth worlds.”4 No matter what, we always have worth in the eyes of our Heavenly Father.”
Elder Uchtdorf said, “And yet, because we’re all weak and imperfect, some concerns might creep into your mind. You might remember mistakes you’ve made, times you gave in to temptation, things you wish you hadn’t done—or wish you had done better.
The Savior would sense that, and I believe He would assure you with words He has spoken in the scriptures:
“Fear not.”1
“Doubt not.”2
“Be of good cheer.”3
“Let not your heart be troubled.”4
I don’t think He would make excuses for your mistakes. He wouldn’t minimize them. No, He would ask you to repent—to leave your sins behind, to change, so He can forgive you. He would remind you that 2,000 years ago He took those sins upon Himself so that you could repent. That is part of the plan of happiness gifted to us from our loving Heavenly Father.
Jesus might point out that your covenants with Him—made when you were baptized and renewed each time you partake of the sacrament—give you a special connection with Him. The kind of connection the scriptures describe as being yoked together so that, with His help, you can carry any burden.”
So what can we do when we begin to forget our worth, when we sin, or when we feel burdened by trials and difficult challenges? Always, the first and foremost answer is to turn to the Savior. Repent if you have sinned. Pray for help if your burdens are great. But turn to Christ.
Elder Uchtdorf also said, “When you have important choices to make, Jesus Christ and His restored gospel are the best choice. When you have questions, Jesus Christ and His restored gospel are the best answer. When you feel weak, Jesus Christ is your strength.
He gives power to the weary; and to those who feel powerless, He increases strength.... You need to put your trust in Jesus Christ. He will lead you the right way.”
This week has been a challenging one for me. It’s been very busy, and my husband has been out of town visiting his mother who is dying, and several other things are happening that have led it to be a difficult week. But as I have prayed, peace has come. And people have shown up for my family in small and big ways. The Savior has been with me during this difficult week and has given me strength beyond my own and has helped me know that I never have to walk alone. I know He will do that for you as well. (8 minutes)
What else can we do if we’re struggling to feel our worth or deal with our challenges? There are many but here are a few that have blessed my life.
*First, Attend the temple. The temple can provide peace and perspective. Often it gives us personal revelation to help with difficult challenges. And in my experience, several of my most sacred experiences that have taught me of my worth or reminded me of my worth have happened in the temple.
*Second, Pray to know how God feels about you. Elder M. Russell Ballard said, “One of the sweetest messages the Spirit will relay is how the Lord feels about you.” And Romans 8: 16-17 says, “16 The Spirit itself beareth awitness with our bspirit, that we are the cchildren of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; aheirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we bsuffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
I served in YW in my ward for nearly seven years, and one of my favorite things we did yearly was what we called worth week. We’d have a special lesson teaching the young women about their divine nature and individual worth. Then they’d get an envelope filled with small items to open each day for a week to remind them of their worth and the challenge to pray each day to know how God feels about them. It was such a beautiful experience, and I can testify that as I prayed the Spirit DID testify to me that I am of worth. That I am known and loved. And you are too!
*Third, Read your patriarchal blessing (and if you don’t have it yet...prepare to receive it then read it regularly.) Your patriarchal blessing likely tells you a bit about your past, present and future. It helps you know some of your potential, and likely has an expression of God’s love for you.
Sister Wendy Nelson, in the worldwide devotional for youth Hope of Israel, said, “let me ask you a question: What were you born to do?
How I wish you could watch a 10-minute video of your premortal life on YouTube.
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that if you could gaze into heaven for five minutes, you would know more on a topic than if you studied it all of your life.2 So just imagine if you could gaze for 10 minutes at your premortal life!
I believe if you could see yourself living with your Heavenly Parents and with Jesus Christ; if you could observe what you did premortally and see yourself making commitments—even covenants—with others, including your mentors and teachers; if you could see yourself courageously responding to attacks on truth and valiantly standing up for Jesus Christ, I believe that every one of you would have the increased power, increased commitment, and eternal perspective to help you overcome any and all of your confusion, doubts, struggles, and problems. All of them!
I believe if you could remember who you said you would help while you are here on earth, or what anguishing experiences you agreed to go through, that whatever really tough situation you are presently in—or will be in—you would say, “Oh, now I remember. Now I understand. This difficult situation makes sense to me now. With the Lord’s help I can do this!”
And while patriarchal blessings don’t give us all these answers, they do give us glimpses of some of these things.
*Fourth, Serve others. One of my dear friends has said that service is like a magic pill. When we are struggling or feeling like we are not of worth, it often seems like the last thing we can or should do is serve others. But over and over again I have seen that taking even a few minutes to do something kind for someone else lifts our spirits and brings at least a measure of peace and joy. Each December the Church sponsors the Light the World campaign. I love participating. But this year, as I mentioned, I have a lot on my plate. My daughter gets married in a few days. My mother in law is dying. My other two children have busy schedules. And so I had decided that just this year, I wasn’t going to participate. I figured the Lord would understand—and I think He would. But last weekend, I was able to attend a devotional for the youth with Elder and Sister Bednar. And I felt really prompted to find small ways to serve others each day until Christmas. So I began. And almost immediately, I felt greater peace and more joy and more Christmas spirit. During this past week, it has been the bright spot in a couple of my days. It really is like a magic pill.
*Fifth, choose good friends. Choose friends who will remind you to turn to Christ when things are hard. Choose friends who see the good in you and remind you of it when you are struggling. Choose friends that make you want to be even better, but never make you feel bad about yourself.
I testify that Christ lives. That He descended below all things so that He would understand whatever heartache, whatever worry, sorrow, frustration, or problem you are experiencing today or have experienced or will experience. He can succor you. He knows you. He will help you. Trust in Him. Turn to Him. He can give beauty for ashes and the oil of joy for mourning. He can turn our weakness into strength. He can take someone as imperfect as you or me and perfect us. I know this to be true. I bear witness of His love and the love of our Heavenly Parents. I bear witness of their goodness. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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Topic #1 - Higher and Holier - What does a higher and holier way look like? What examples of higher and holier ways have you seen implemented in the Church? Please share personal examples and testimony of how following these prophetic examples have helped you to more closely and more frequently walk with the Savior.
I’m a glutton for punishment because it’s two weeks before Christmas, less than a week before Michelle’s wedding and I have had a rough week. But I decided months ago that I wanted to prepare mini talks or at least take some time to ponder the topics and write down a few of my thoughts. And today has felt hard, but writing my own talk was a beautiful experience so I’m going to at least write down a few thoughts about these other two great topics.
My first thought when reading this topic is the hymn “More Holiness Give Me”.
More holiness give me,
More strivings within,
More patience in suff’ring,
More sorrow for sin,
More faith in my Savior,
More sense of his care,
More joy in his service,
More purpose in prayer.
2. More gratitude give me,
More trust in the Lord,
More pride in his glory,
More hope in his word,
More tears for his sorrows,
More pain at his grief,
More meekness in trial,
More praise for relief.
3. More purity give me,
More strength to o’ercome,
More freedom from earth-stains,
More longing for home.
More fit for the kingdom,
More used would I be,
More blessed and holy—
More, Savior, like thee.
How can I live in a higher and holier way? I can try each day to be a little more like Christ. I can do an honest self-assessment and see what Christlike attributes I need to work to develop. I can then pray for help to develop one attribute at a time, study that attribute and focus on applying that attribute in my life. Or I can repeatedly ask myself how Christ would handle the situations that I’m facing and seek to act more like Him.
President Nelson said, “As we strive to live the higher laws of Jesus Christ, our hearts and our very natures begin to change. The Savior lifts us above the pull of this fallen world by blessing us with greater charity, humility, generosity, kindness, self-discipline, peace, and rest.”
Some examples I have seen of a higher and holier way in the Church. Ministering is one of the first that comes to mind. Rather than having a somewhat prescribed expectation that home or visiting teachers will visit each month, share a message from the Ensign, and report on the visit, we are given more flexibility in how we visit and the only reporting done is the ministering interviews. In many cases, this has led to us ministering less, not more and it’s definitely an area where I need to expend more effort to approach ministering in a higher, holier way.
Sabbath Day worship. Rather than being given a list of dos and don’ts, President Nelson has asked us to consider our worship and what sign we are sending to the Lord through our worship.
Come Follow Me and home centered, church supported study and learning. I have seen such beautiful blessings from CFM and the resources available now. I am studying the scriptures in a better way as an individual and as a family. I am learning and growing and my faith is strengthened. I am so grateful for the ways in which CFM has blessed my life!
The new For the Strength of Youth pamphlet doesn’t spell things out as clearly as before. Instead it teaches principles and asks youth to use those principles to decide what they should do.
Elder Uchtdorf said, “So the purpose of For the Strength of Youth is to point you to Him. It teaches you eternal truths of His restored gospel—truths about who you are, who He is, and what you can accomplish with His strength. It teaches you how to make righteous choices based on those eternal truths.13
It’s also important to know what For the Strength of Youth does not do. It doesn’t make decisions for you. It doesn’t give you a “yes” or “no” about every choice you might ever face. For the Strength of Youth focuses on the foundation for your choices. It focuses on values, principles, and doctrine instead of every specific behavior.
The Lord, through His prophets, has always been guiding us in that direction. He is pleading with us to “increase [our] spiritual capacity to receive revelation.”14 He is inviting us to “hear Him.”15 He is calling us to follow Him in higher and holier ways.16 And we are learning in a similar way every week in Come, Follow Me.”
What I’m personally doing to live in a higher, holier way: I am trying to turn to the Lord in difficult situations. I’m trying to learn as much as I can about the Savior, and teach my kids as much as I can about Him. Each week we study one name of Christ and that has blessed my life. I hope it has blessed theirs.
I am working on my prayers. I’m trying to follow President Nelson’s counsel:
“My plea to you this morning is to find rest from the intensity, uncertainty, and anguish of this world by overcoming the world through your covenants with God. Let Him know through your prayers and your actions that you are serious about overcoming the world. Ask Him to enlighten your mind and send the help you need. Each day, record the thoughts that come to you as you pray; then follow through diligently. Spend more time in the temple, and seek to understand how the temple teaches you to rise above this fallen world.” I am working on my prayers and I am trying to record the thoughts that come to me as I pray and follow through on them. I have struggled a bit more lately with making it to the temple with all that is going on in my life right now, but I plan to recommit to that once the wedding is over.
Each year I choose a word or phrase to focus on and this year my word was “disciple”. I have been trying to live as a disciple of Christ. I am far from perfect, and I have so many areas that I struggle with, but I’m going to continue to try to be a loyal follower of Christ throughout my life. I love Him. I want to speak of Him, write of Him, testify of Him, think of Him every day as much as I possibly can.
Topic #2 - What Think Ye of Christ? (see - Matthew 22:42) - How do your daily actions and interactions align with your personal convictions of Christ, and how can we create greater alignment? How might we live in a higher, holier way if we would look unto Him in every thought (see D&C 6:36)? Invite members to introspect on this important question and make the necessary changes to invite Him more powerfully and intentionally into their lives. Please speak personally to this overarching principle of the Gospel and testify of the power of Christ to improve us in thought, word, and deed.
Christmas thought from President Dallin H. Oaks: The announcement of Christ’s birth was made to the shepherds...the very humble, to the wise men...the very wise, and to Simeon and Anna...the very holy. To the very humble, the very wise, and the very holy. I want to be all three, but especially the very holy. And Christ can help that to be true of me.
A lot of my thoughts about this are written above under topic 1. But here are just a couple of other thoughts. First, I think I can do better at recording the tender mercies He gives me and the ways that He shows up in my life on a daily basis. I can continue to “learn of Him, listen to His words, walk in the meekness of His spirit” because I know these things will bless my life and will strengthen my conversion.
When I have questions or doubts or when I face challenges, I can turn to the Savior, to the scriptures and to the words of the prophets for help. I can seek for answers from trusted sources.
And I can remember John 6: 68-69
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
Where else would I go? He loves me. He has engraven me upon the palms of His hand. No one else has done so much or loved me so deeply. I want to be faithful and loyal every day of my life.
