Sweet forgiving

Our sacrament hymn to day was "In Humility, Our Savior." I found myself thinking about the first two lines of the second verse:

"Fill our hearts with sweet forgiving;

Teach us tolerance and love."

It struck me that the sacrament is not just about obtaining forgiveness, but about learning to forgive others. I love those words "sweet forgiving." There is a sweetness that comes, not just when we are forgiven of our own sins, but also when we can let go of anger, pride, and hurt and forgive those who may have wronged us.

Just as I must pray for the Lord to forgive me of my sins, at times I have had to pray for the strength and humility to forgive another. Christ's atonement covers this, as well. And there is such a peace--indeed, sweetness--that comes from forgiving. Often when this is the case, the person may not even have realized that he/she had hurt me. But I have learned that when I choose to be hurt--well, quite frankly, it hurts! It doesn't hurt the other person. And it doesn't just leave me feeling emotionally down. Whether the other person is oblivious or unrepentant, choosing to harbor a grudge, to feel hurt or offended, hurts my spirit and drives away the Spirit of the Lord. I can't always turn around and be "buddies" with that person, but by letting go of my hurt and seeking the Lord's help to forgive, I find peace with myself and with the Lord. And this is the peace that I most need in my life. This is the peace that will allow me to draw nearer to Jesus Christ and to become more like Him. This is the peace that comes from following the Lord's teachings and inviting the Holy Ghost into my life: the peace that can come only through the companionship of the Holy Ghost.

As I thought about this, one of the speakers in sacrament meeting shared a couple of quotes that related very well. First was, "Anything we can change, we should change, and we must forgive the rest." Pretty self-explanatory. The other was Matthew 11:28-30:

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

How easily this can be applied to forgiveness! And not just to giving up our own sins, but to forgiving others. When I do not forgive immediately, it really is as if I were carrying a heavy burden. I cannot feel happy. But as I choose to take Christ's yoke upon me, things change. I must still lift a burden, as it were. I must make an effort to let go, to forgive, even to love. I must pray for the strength to forgive. But as I take up the Lord's yoke instead of continuing to carry my own burden, I find peace and joy that can come only from following the counsel of the Lord. It looks difficult to change and to choose right, but as we do it, we are entitled to the help of the Lord and to the companionship of the Holy Ghost, and we learn that Christ's yoke is easy, and His burden is light.

Back to the words of the hymn:

In humility, our Savior,

Grant thy Spirit here, we pray,

As we bless the bread and water

In thy name this holy day.

Let me not forget, O Savior,

Thou didst bleed and die for me

When thy heart was stilled and broken

On the cross at Calvary.

Fill our hearts with sweet forgiving;

Teach us tolerance and love.

Let our prayers find access to thee

In thy holy courts above.

Then, when we have proven worthy

Of thy sacrifice divine,

Lord, let us regain thy presence;

Let thy glory round us shine.

How grateful I am for the atonement of Jesus Christ, for the knowledge that He has already borne my burdens: sins, sorrows, sicknesses, and anything else I may experience. I am grateful for a gospel of peace and love and forgiveness. I am grateful for the invitation to take His yoke upon me. I must demonstrate that I am willing to take His yoke upon me, but I also know that He will help and guide me as I do so. Jesus Christ lives, and He has overcome all things, that we might also overcome all things!

For whom the bell tolls

No, not Hemingway. John Donne. For the full text, see Meditation XVII. In Relief Society today, we discussed what are probably the most quoted lines: "No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less., as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

We related this to the lesson, of course, which was "Love thy neighbor as thyself." We began and ended with these lines, and I had some thoughts as we ended that I wanted to share. Too bad we ran out of time there, but I have time here. :)

We discussed the obvious: the bell tolls for thee because nothing can happen to your neighbor without it in some way affecting you. When a piece of mankind is lost, in a way you lose a piece of yourself.

As the lesson ended, however, and we heard the words once more, "And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee," I couldn't help thinking that it could also be a call to action. In many cases, the bell tolling did represent someone's loss. But it could also be considered a cry for help. It tolls for thee (or it tolls for me!) could mean that you (I!) am being asked to step up in someone else's loss and offer those things that he or she needs most--whether it be a shoulder to cry on, a physical gift, or any other offering of love. The bell tolls for me not just because I should feel sorrow, but because I can offer service to those who may be hurting most. The bell tolls to alert us to the needs of others. In this way, we can truly be involved in mankind!

I have liked John Donne's writing since I was first introduced to a piece or two (including this one, of course!) in high school. I like his expressions of faith and the sense that he truly was involved in mankind. I am grateful for the many examples of Christianity who have gone before, and I hope that I can also develop these Christlike attributes and show greater charity to those with whom I come in contact.

What does the Book of Mormon mean to YOU?

We are studying the Book of Mormon in Gospel Doctrine (Sunday School) this year, and this question was posed in class today. The teacher suggested we go home and think about it, and it seemed like a perfect blog post.

I can't possibly convey all my thoughts and feelings about the Book of Mormon. I may make other similar posts throughout this year as we continue through the Sunday School course. The most important thing to me is that I know that it is true, that it is another testament of Jesus Christ, and that it brings people--that it brings me closer to Christ.

Every Book of Mormon prophet, both before and after Christ's birth, testified of Jesus Christ and of His life and ministry. They testified of the atonement and of the resurrection. They testified that salvation comes only in and through the name of Christ. And yet these were ordinary men. Like Paul in the New Testament, several prophets in the Book of Mormon also turned from persecuting the Church of Christ to accepting, believing, and preaching the words of Christ. These men stand as examples to us, now, reminding us that though we are imperfect, we can come unto Christ, repent, and seek to follow Him, and that we can one day be perfected in Him.

The crowning event of the Book of Mormon is Jesus Christ's visit to the people of what we now know as the Americas. He came to them following His resurrection. He taught them, just as He taught the people in the Holy Land. He healed their sick. He blessed their children. He taught them to pray. He organized His Church among them.

What does the Book of Mormon mean to me? It means that Heavenly Father loves all of His children. It means that just as Jesus Christ organized His Church in the Holy Land, He also organized it among the people on the American continent, and He has restored His gospel to the earth in these latter days. The gospel of Jesus Christ is available to all people, regardless of race, gender, or economic position. God is no respecter of persons, so it seems only logical that He would extend the blessings of the gospel to all people who will accept it.

The Book of Mormon means that God has provided a way for me to come unto Him. He has made it possible for me to study and learn His word. He wants me to know that He sent His Son to atone for my sins. He wants me to share this knowledge. As I read and study and ponder the Book of Mormon, I invite the Holy Ghost to be a part of my life.

The Book of Mormon means that God has begun to gather scattered Israel, to prepare the world for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. I have faith that Christ was born in Bethlehem, ministered to the Israelites of His day, atoned for my sins, gave His life on the cross, and rose again the third day. I have faith that He manifested His resurrected body to His disciples in Israel as well as in the Americas. I have faith that He will come again in glory. I find great joy in this faith and knowledge.

This is what the Book of Mormon means to me: peace through the Spirit, joy in the redemption of mankind, the love of God, and a faith in Christ and a hope for things to come.

I bear testimony that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that it will bring us nearer to God. I know it is true. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.