Lay Hold Upon Every Good Gift

In one of Moroni’s final exhortations, he states: “And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gist, and touch no the evil gift, nor the unclean thing” (Moroni 10:30). He exhorts us to “lay hold upon every good gift”. What gifts of the spirit have we been given? What can we do to develop and improve them? These gifts can give us greater capacity and unique opportunity to serve the people around us. Lately I have been praying to be able to recognize and develop the gifts that God has given me, so that I may be better able to serve Him and my fellow man. I would challenge you to do the same. Learn what gifts you have, pray for gifts, and use these great blessings to serve others.

Weaknesses to Strengths

With finals coming up, life can seem overwhelming. We may feel inadequate to the challenge before us. During these difficult times the word of the Lord can bring us comfort and reassurance. Ether 12:27 states: "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they: may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." His grace is sufficient for us now and forever. If we put our best foot forward, we may not be perfect, but we will be adequate through His grace. I would challenge you to turn to the Lord during these next few weeks. Pray for His grace and His peace. He will provide. Through the infinite atonement of Jesus Christ, our weakness and inadequacies can become strengths.

He Wept

3 Nephi 17: 21 states: "And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them". I love the phrase "he wept". Isn't it amazing to think that an omniscient and omnipotent God weeps because of us? Such a supreme being loves us each so much, that he weeps. In contrast, I know that he rejoices when we come unto Him. We are infinitely, eternally, and unconditionally loved by our Heavenly Father. I challenge you to live your life in a way that reflects this great truth. Cleave unto this knowledge in times of trial and hardship. He is your loving Father. He will provide, protect, and comfort. He will never leave you.

An Individual and Intimate Savior

Christ's visit to the Americas is the crowning event in the Book of Mormon. When Christ descends, he invites each individual to come and "Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world" (3 Nephi 11:14). They went "one by one" to have a personal moment with their personal Savior. Christ takes time for us one by one. He knows us perfectly, far better than we know ourselves.
Last night I received a powerful witness of this divine truth. I have been suffering with migraines for the past few days, and the Relief Society president recommend that I get a blessing. My best friend's
fiance and my hometeacher came over to give me a blessing. Although it was a blessing of healing, the words spoken were not focused on that. My hometeacher blessed me with hope and faith in the Lord. He told me that my Heavenly Father and my Savior know me perfectly and know the desires of my heart. They love me perfectly, I am a daughter of Heavenly Father, and Christ atoned for me personally. It was amazing to be reminded of this in my Book of Mormon lecture, to ponder it when I got home, and then for it to be reiterated in a blessing.
I would like to testify to you that our Heavenly Father and Savior know us personally. Christ knows how to comfort and bless us. He atoned for you and me individually, he is our personal and intimate Savior. I challenge you to pray to feel of His love. I challenge you to ponder His role in your life- as your Savior, Redeemer, and your elder brother. I testify that as you do so, you too will feel the love of your Savior and the power of His infinite and intimate atonement.

Poisoned By Degrees

The story of Amalickiah and Lahonti is one of my favorites. At first, Lahonti stay strong against the beckoning call of Amalickiah. After much entreaty, he and his guards finally meet Amalickiah just outside his camp. Lahonti makes a deal with Amalickiah, and allows him to enter his camp. In verse 18 of Alma 47, it states: "And it came to pass that Amalickiah caused that one of his servants should administer poison by degrees to Lehonti, that he died." Not only was Lahonti poisoned by degrees, but he also left the safety of his camp by degrees.
How often do we leave the safety of the Lord's side? We may not be tempted to go out and commit a heinous sin, but Lucifer knows that he is much more effective when he can slowly but surely lure us from our refuge of safety. We rationalize our behavior, and before we know it, we are poisoned by degrees until we die. These changes can come slowly enough that we may not even recognize what is happening.
The surest way to avoid the grasp of Satan is to stay as far from him as possible. If you stay as far from the edge as possible, you won't fall. I challenge you to re-commit yourself to living the gospel more fully. Study your scriptures and pray daily. Attend church, Institute, and the temple. These things will bless your life and keep you from straying. Remember, Satan will tempt you by degrees until he can kill you by degrees. Stay strong, endure well, and the Lord will bless you eternally.

He Will Be Your Support

A scripture that stood out to me during my study was Alma 36:3. It is Alma the Younger speaking to his son, Helaman. He says “I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day”.

I love this scripture. If we put our trust in the Lord, we will be supported by Him through His atonement. What a great promise! As we come unto the Lord and put our faith and trust in His plan, we will have help in this life, and eternal life in the world to come. It doesn’t say that we won’t have trials, troubles, or afflictions, but that we will not have to face them alone. All we have to do is turn to the Lord, and He will be our support. I testify that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. I would like to challenge you turn to the Lord in your afflictions. I testify that He will raise you up.

The Psalm of Nephi

2 Nephi 4:28- "Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul."

This soulful cry from Nephi strikes a note of my heartstrings. I love the phrase "Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul". Isn't it disheartening when we let Satan into our lives? It can be discouraging! While we may have a desire to be righteous, it is harder to live a righteous life.
What does Satan place in our heart? Fear, discouragement, doubt? We must not allow Satan to deceive us. We must rise above his lies and let our hearts rejoice in our Redeemer. Joy comes from faithfully living the gospel of Jesus Christ. It may not always be easy, but it will provide the joy that nothing else can.
I challenge you to declare with Nephi that you will "give place no more for the enemy of [your] soul". I know that as you do so, the Lord will strengthen you and give you great cause to rejoice!

I Will Give Unto You Success

Alma 26:27- Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

I believe that most of us have felt like Alma at one point or another, I know I have. Notice how they were about to turn back. They were going to give up! They were doing such a great work but they were getting frustrated because they couldn't see the good fruit of their labors. I'm sure they felt that the harder they tried, the more struggles they encountered. How often do we feel that in our own lives? The Lord is so merciful. He comforts them and tells them to "bear with patience thine afflictions", then He promises them success! This promise is extended towards us! The Lord will consecrate our efforts and afflictions for our eternal gain! What a blessing it is to know that the trials and tribulations that we face in this life our helping us progress. They may seem heavy and burdensome at times, but in those moments, as we seek the Lord, He will comfort our hearts. He will bring success to us as we patiently endure to the end!
When you are being weighed down with the burdens of the world, I challenge you to turn to Christ and let Him shoulder the burden. Keep pressing forward with patience, and I know He will consecrate your afflictions for your gain.

Where Can I Turn For Peace?

This month has been a challenge for me. This semester has been tough and I have felt very inadequate in all aspects of my life. Lately, my scripture study has been focused on the atonement of Jesus Christ. This has brought great peace into my life as I have found greater strength to put faith in my savior. A scripture that stands out to me is Alma 7:12. It states: “And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.” I am so grateful that Jesus Christ chose to suffer for my weakness and infirmities, so he could know how to succor me when I struggle. To me, this is the greatest evidence of Christ’s love for me. He didn’t have to suffer those things, but because He did, He knows how to help me in my very personal and specific circumstances of life. When I feel that nobody knows how I feel, I know Christ understands. This knowledge brings indescribable peace and happiness to my life. I challenge you to turn to Christ in your struggles and I testify that He will carry you because He knows exactly what you are enduring.