Easter Sunday

Jesus the Christ

Since it was Easter and the fifth Sunday of the month Relief Society and Priesthood combined and our Bishopric gave the lesson. The lesson material came from the book Jesus the Christ written by James E. Talmage. Anyone unfamiliar with James E. Talmage just know he is brilliant, and this book is so amazing! I encourage everyone to get a copy and study from Jesus the Christ. It is a tough read, but the sacrifice put into reading it will strengthen ones testimony of the Beloved Son of God.

This beautiful Easter I hope we have all taken time to reflect on the Savior's life, sacrifice, atonement, death, and resurrection.

Rather than go over points of the lesson today I want to bear my testimony of the Savior. I know that Christ is the literal Son of God. He lived a perfect life, and spent His days teaching the gospel and serving. He showed love to all He met and performed miracles. He performed the perfect and infinite Atonement. I know he suffered for all my sins, pains, and heart aches. He understands all I have been through because He has been through it too. He was beaten, mocked, and killed in the cruelest of ways, but He endured all things with love. Christ rose with a perfectly resurrected body, and broke the bands of death that we may also be resurrected and return to the presence of our Father and and Him our Savior. Jesus Christ knows me and every detail of my life. He loves me so much and each of us individually. He cares and will always be there for me when I turn to Him. When we run to Him, He will meet us half way. He will morn with us, and dry our tears. Through Him everything that is wrong will be made right. I know these things are true in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

March 24th Lesson

Being a More Christian Christian 

Our lesson this week in Relief Society came from Robert D. Hales talk from last conference "Being a More Christian Christian. Below is a link to his talk which I encourage everyone to reread/relisten to; it is so great.
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/being-a-more-christian-christian?lang=eng&query=more+christian+christian

What does it me to be a Christian?

Think about this for a minute. What do you think it means to be Christian?
We discussed that it means to...
Take upon the name of Christ
Testify of Him
Know of the divinity of the Godhead and
Follow the example of Christ

We read scripture that show what it means to be Christian.

Matthew 4:18-20
Christ says to follow Him and He will make us fishers of men. Peter and Andrew left everything and followed Christ.

Mark 8:34
Christ asks us to deny ourselves (by putting off the natural man) and follow Him.

Mosiah 5:2
We are asked to do good continually.

Even if we falter in following the Lord, we can always return to Him. He will never leave us.

We sang hymn 270 "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go" which as great incite on what it means to be Christian.
"I'll go where you want me to go,
I'll say what you want me to say,
I'll be what you want me to be."

The Lord needs us to be His valiant Christians. Elder Hale gives us ways to become more Christian by strengthening our Christlike attributes. These include:
Love
Faith 
Sacrifice
Caring
Service
Patience
Peace
Forgiveness
Conversion
Endurance to the End
By working on these attributes we can come closer to the Lord, learn to follow Him, and prepare ourselves for the Celestial Kingdom.