Christ Gives Rest

I spoke in sacrament meeting today.  Here's what I shared. 

Sister Camille N. Johnson taught us about rest using this analogy:
Each of us is carrying a metaphorical backpack. It may be a basket balanced on your head or a satchel or a bundle of things wrapped in cloth and thrown over your shoulder. But for our thinking, let’s call it a backpack.
This metaphorical backpack is where we carry the burdens of living in a fallen world. Our burdens are like rocks in the backpack. Generally, there are three kinds:
    Rocks there of our own doing because of sin.
     Rocks in our backpack because of the poor decisions, misconduct, and unkindness of others.
     And rocks we carry because we are living in a fallen condition. These include the rocks of disease, pain, chronic illness, grief, disappointment, loneliness, and the effects of natural disasters.

Sister Johnson said, “I joyfully declare that our mortal burdens, these rocks in our figurative backpack, need not feel heavy.
Jesus Christ can lighten our load.
Jesus Christ can lift our burdens.
Jesus Christ provides a way for us to be relieved of the weight of sin.
Jesus Christ is our relief.”

“Our beloved prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, invited us to overcome the world and find rest. He defined “true rest” as “relief and peace.”

Guide to the Scriptures explains rest as The enjoyment of peace and freedom from worry and turmoil. The Lord has promised such rest to His faithful followers during this life. He has also prepared a place of rest for them in the next life.

As a child I lived near my paternal grandparents and spent a lot of time with them.  I can remember as a child, climbing into my grandpa’s lap, putting my head on his shoulder and feeling so comfortable that I would fall asleep.  I felt safety, security and peace…I experienced deep rest.  In fact, my grandparent’s home evokes such deep feelings of peace and rest that I visualized being in their home with them as I gave birth to Ella and Gabby and it was part of what helped me give birth naturally.  And to me, that is a pretty good representation of what the Savior is promising.  Visualizing my grandparent’s home didn’t remove the pain or difficulty of giving birth…just as finding rest through the Savior rarely means that our trials will disappear.  But it did and does bring peace and relief.  C. S. Lewis said, "“Life with God isn’t immunity from difficulties but peace within difficulties.”

Sister Patricia Holland, in her book A Quiet Heart, told of a young 3 year old boy who fell into a pool.  He couldn’t swim.  He didn’t begin to kick or scream or struggle.  He just put his arms straight in the air and his dad noticed and pulled him out. Sister Holland then writes:  “If only we could remember, when the water of worldly sorrow and pressure is crashing in around us, that we don't need to give up, nor do we need to wildly thrash around strangling anything that looks like help. If we could just remember to peacefully hold out our arms to let people and God know we are hurting, the help will come. I promise it will come."
As a young child I felt so completely known and loved by my grandparents and parents that it was easy to feel completely safe, secure and trusting.  Unfortunately most of us lose at least some of that trust over time as people hurt us or fail to live up to our expectations.  However, while people will disappoint and hurt us, the Savior and our Heavenly Parents can be completely trusted and through them we can find the same type of rest that I found in my grandpa’s arms as a child.  
How can we find this rest?  I don’t have all the answers because often when I feel like I am drowning I do thrash around and struggle.  But here are some of the things that help me find rest.

1. Cleaving to my covenants.  Our covenants bind us to the Savior and offer strength, power, perspective and hope.  As we keep our covenants, we are promised to have the Holy Ghost as our companion, we are promised cleansing, we are promised help beyond our own, and we are promised a future beyond anything we can really imagine. Our covenants truly can help us find rest and remove rocks from my backpack.   President Nelson said, "The reward for keeping covenants with God is heavenly power—power that strengthens us to withstand our trials, temptations, and heartaches better. This power eases our way. Those who live the higher laws of Jesus Christ have access to His higher power. Thus, covenant keepers are entitled to a special kind of rest that comes to them through their covenantal relationship with God."  President Nelson also said, "As I have stated before, the gathering of Israel is the most important work taking place on earth today. One crucial element of this gathering is preparing a people who are able, ready, and worthy to receive the Lord when He comes again, a people who have already chosen Jesus Christ over this fallen world, a people who rejoice in their agency to live the higher, holier laws of Jesus Christ.

I call upon you, my dear brothers and sisters, to become this righteous people. Cherish and honor your covenants above all other commitments. As you let God prevail in your life, I promise you greater peace, confidence, joy, and yes, rest.

2.  Closely related to this is the temple. The temple is a place of peace, a place to find rest.  Share day in temple and the peace &joy I felt and it’s worth any sacrifice or effort to go there.  When I am sad or worried or especially busy, going to the temple invites peace.

3. Repentance.  One of the reasons we have these rocks in our metaphorical backpack is that we sin.  Sin is a heavy weight.  Repentance allows the Savior to cleanse us and remove those rocks.

4. Forgive others.  This is hard!  But when we refuse to forgive, we carry around extra unnecessary rocks in our backpack.  We allow the original hurt to hurt us over and over and make our backpack heavier for us to bear. The Savior can help us to forgive, he can help us to see others as he sees them, and can heal our hearts allow him to remove those rocks through forgiveness.

5. Learn the nature of God.  Come to know Him.  I knew my grandpa well and so I knew I could trust him.  As we come to know the Savior better, our trust in Him increases.  

6. Serve others.  As we serve others, we are helping them to find rest and relief and it also eases our burdens as well.  President Kimball said, "God does notice us, and he watches over us.  But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs."   Elder Per G. Malm taught:   “To find rest unto our souls includes peace of mind and heart, which is the result of learning and following the doctrine of Christ, and becoming Christ’s extended hands in serving and helping others. Faith in Jesus Christ and following His teachings give us a firm hope, and this hope becomes a solid anchor to our souls. We can become steadfast and immovable. We can have lasting inner peace; we can enter into the rest of the Lord.” (2010)

7. Pray for God’s help and for Him to give us rest.

I love the story of the people of Alma found in Mosiah 24.  The Lamanites defeat them in battle and Amulon begins to rule over them. 

In verses 8-10 we read:  “8 And now it came to pass that Amulon began to exercise authority over Alma and his brethren, and began to persecute him, and cause that his children should persecute their children.
9 For Amulon knew Alma, that he had been one of the king’s priests, and that it was he that believed the words of Abinadi and was driven out before the king, and therefore he was wroth with him; for he was subject to king Laman, yet he exercised authority over them, and put tasks upon them, and put task-masters over them.  10 And it came to pass that so great were their afflictions that they began to cry mightily to God.”
Notice that their response to the trial…to these rocks placed in their backpacks by others…was to pray.
Amulon then commanded them not to pray and put guards to watch to make sure they didn’t pray.  So they prayed silently.

 
Verse 13 and 14:  And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.
14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

Because of their covenants and prayers, He promises to ease their burdens.  To lighten the backpack even though their situation wasn’t going to change.  I don’t know exactly how it works but it does!  Christ can strengthen us and make our backpacks feel lighter, even when some of those rocks of mortality like health challenges, or death of loved ones remain.

Mosiah 24: 15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

And then they expressed gratitude and after some time, the Lord delivered them.  

Nik Day song:
You will find what you’re needing
If you open up your heart.
Call His name.
He’s been waiting for you.
And you’ll find rest from your worries.
You’ll find peace for your soul.
You’ll find strength in your journey
Wherever you go.
You’ll find light in the darkness
And hope once again.
When you follow the Savior,
You’ll find rest.
Lay your head down on His shoulder.
He can take the pain away.
He knows exactly what you need.
He’s your healer, your protector.
He came and took your place.
So come and lay your burdens at His feet.

Elder Per Malm also said, “The promise to enter into the rest of the Lord, to receive the gift of peace, is far from a temporary, worldly satisfaction. It is indeed a heavenly gift: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). He has the power to heal and to strengthen the soul. He is Jesus Christ, of whom I testify.”

Sister Johnson said, “I testify that Jesus Christ is relief. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we may be relieved of the burden and consequences of sin and be succored in our infirmities.
And because we love God and have covenanted to serve Him, we can partner with the Savior to help provide temporal and spiritual relief for those in need—and in the process find our own relief in Jesus Christ.”
******************************
Instead of asking have I worked hard enough to deserve rest, ask
Have I rested enough to do my most loving, meaningful work?”
Nicola Jane Hobbs
“ our hearts will always be restless until they rest in God.” Patricia Holland