Week 14: He is Risen

“He is Risen.” Three of the most beautiful words. This past week we had the opportunity to reflect on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and as I pondered on the Atonement of Christ my heart was full of gratitude. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to see the Savior being tormented, tortured, spat upon and ridiculed. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to feel the darkness as He ‘gave up ghost.’ I will be forever grateful for the willingness of my Brother to endure all the pain and anguish He went through that night. He did it for me. He did it for you. He did it for all of us. He did it for our Father. But because Christ went through with all that He promised to do, He was resurrected three days later. After the death of Christ, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. When she arrived, she found the tomb open and an angel spoke to her. Matthew 28:5-6 reads:

“And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not yee: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

“He is not here. For he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”

“He is Risen.” For me, these words are where I find the greatest hope. Christ overcame everything in this life. He experienced every trial you and I will every go through. He knows how it feels to be lonely, depressed, guilty, distant, sad, discouraged. And because He knows perfectly, He will give us the strength, endurance and help we need to return to our heavenly destination. I love my Savior with my whole heart. I know He lives. He is my rock, my salvation. He is my greatest Friend. Let Him be yours.

Week 13: Valleys and Mountains of Life

When I was on my mission, we were privileged to have a zone conference with Elder Hamula of the seventy. He spoke many wonderful truths that strengthened my testimony, but the one I would like to share today is about the valleys and mountains of life. He began by drawing a wavy line that went up at an angle. The valleys were the lower points of the wave, while the higher points were the mountains. The times we have felt peace, joy, and happiness were the times we were on top of the mountain. Maybe we had just accomplished a major goal, learned a valuable lesson or overcome a hard trial. When we are on top of a mountain, we usually can always look back and see how far we have come. But eventually, we always come to another valley. Valleys are when we are going through trials, feel lost, less guided or unsure about where we are heading. But in the end, the valleys always lead to a higher mountain. I am grateful for all of the valleys that Heavenly Father has given me, and I am excited for the ones to come. Even though the valleys of my life have been the hardest and most trying times of my life, I came out so much higher than before. Because of the valleys in my life, my Savior has been able to shape me into the person I am today. And I am so grateful He will continue to guide me through my valleys and lead me to the highest mountain. And one day I will be able to stand on the high mountain with my Father and Savior, to live with them forever.

Week 12: Unimaginable Heights

Each of us have times when we give into temptation, make a mistake, have our hearts shattered, or just feel we can’t do it anymore. We may feel that God has forgotten us. Sometimes we may even feel He is disappointed in us. But neither of these statements are true. Heavenly Father never condemns or says we have completely failed. Instead He asks us three simple questions:

“How are you going to become a better person? How are you going to get up and move on? Are you willing to let me in to help you through this process?” If we can just answer yes, we can be lifted to such unimaginable heights.”

I love the promise at the end. “If we can just answer yes, we can be lifted to such unimaginable heights.” I know with my whole heart that the moment we turn to Heavenly Father and ask for His help, we are immediately lifted. Overtime hearts become new and we are changed. Most importantly we are taken higher than we’ve ever been before. And one day everything we experience in this life will be the very reason we will return to live with Heavenly Father for eternity.