The Atonement

I feel that given the readings this week, I could not write about anything besides the Atonement of Jesus Christ, as spoken of by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. There are so many different aspects of the Atonement - so many different things that we must come to an understanding about - but I wish to focus on just a few things that struck me as I learned about the Atonement this week.

The Lord's Will Versus Our Own

Christ's suffering in Gethsemane was so great that "he sweat as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Luke 22:44 - with Joseph Smith translation). I can not even begin to comprehend the amount of agony and anguish that had to be endured. And yet, Christ was willing to do this for us because He loved us. It was not without trial. The agony was so bad, in fact, that Christ cried to His Father in Heaven saying, "if thou be willing, remove this cup from me," however, knowing that His suffering must take place, added, "nevertheless not my will, but thine be done"

(Luke 22:42).

I don't know that there have ever been more humble words spoken. Christ was willing to fully submit His will to the Father's.

Are we this obedient and faithful? I know that I'm not, as much as I try to be.

Christ, in his selfless sacrifice for all of us, teaches us an important lesson about the will of God compared to our own. I do not believe that it is wrong for us to question the way things are or to want something different than what we have been given. In fact, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland even says, "When life is hard, remember - we are not the first to ask, 'Is there no other way?'" But, as Christ has shown us through His perfect example, sometimes the answer is that there is no other way. And when there isn't, we must endure our trials with faith, knowing that everything shall work out for our good (D&C 90:24).

How perfect an example Christ gave to us of fully submitting our will to the will of the Father.

He Understands

The biggest thing that I always take away from learning about the Atonement is what Christ actually felt and what He suffered for. He suffered for the sins of the world (meaning that He suffered for my sins, your sins, your ancestors sins, your children's sins... everybody's sins) so we all have the opportunity to repent and to eventually return to the presence of our Heavenly Father. This is the ultimate gift that Christ could have given us.

Another part of the Atonement, however, that I think we sometimes overlook is that Christ didn't just suffer for our sins (although if He had "just" done that, we would still be indebted to Him forever). In addition to feeling the pain and anguish from our sins, he felt all of the physical, mental, and emotional pain that we would ever feel.

Do you understand what that means? It means that Christ is the only one who understands exactly how we feel about everything all the time. When we have this knowledge - that Christ not only loves us more than we can comprehend (enough to suffer for our sins!) but understands us fully - then it's no wonder why we are told to come unto Christ. He truly is our Savior, our older brother, and I hope that all of us count Him as a friend.

No matter the hardship or trial that we are facing, Christ has been there. He has been pushed lower than we can ever imagine and He understands our hearts and desires and situation more perfectly that even we do.

My husband has a poem that he likes to work into any sacrament meeting talk he has ever given. He would be proud of me for using it here. When I think about how Christ understands us perfectly, I cannot help but think of this poem. While it is written about a missionary, I think that we can all relate to this poem to some extent. Have some tissues ready - it's a real tear-jerker.

He's Been There Before

The alarm bell rings at 6:30, I stumble to my feet

I grab my companions bedding and pull off his sheets

A groan fills the room, is it already time to arise?

It seems like just a second ago, I was able to shut my eyes

The morning activities follow with study, prayer and such

When it’s time to leave the apartment, you feel you haven’t accomplished much

“We have a super day planned,”

My comp. says with a grin

I lowly utter a faithless breath,

“Yeah, if anyone lets us in.”

With the word of God and my faithful Schwinn, we ride off in the street

Prepared to face another day of humidity and heat

It’s 9:30 in the evening, the day is almost through

My companion and I are riding home not accomplishing what we thought to do

We ride up to the mailbox, hoping to receive a lot

Only to look inside and hear my echo reverberate “air box”

We go up to our apartment, the day is now complete

The only thing to show for our work is a case of blistery feet

It’s past 10:30 p.m. My companion is fast asleep

Silence engulfs me all about and I begin to weep

In the midst of sadness, I kneel down to pray

I need to talk to father, but I’m not sure what to say

“Oh, Father” I begin, “What happened to us today?

I thought we’d teach somebody, but everyone was away

My hands, my aching hands- worn, hurt and beat;

If our area was any smaller, we’d have knocked the doors on every street”

“Why on missions are the days so much alike?

The only difference about today was the flat tire on my bike

Will you send some cooler weather? The heat is killing me

I sweat so bad, it gets in my eyes, it’s very hard to see”

“Why do I have to wear a helmet, isn’t your protection enough?

People always laugh at me, and call me stupid stuff

Please send us investigators so I may give them what they lack

I want to give them Book of Mormons, the weight of them hurts my back”

“And what about my family, They don’t have much to say

I’m sick of not hearing from home day after day after day

Oh Father, Why am I here am I just wasting time?

Sometimes I just want to go home, I’m sorry but that’s on my mind”

“My companion, Heavenly Father, what are you giving me?”

The way he rides his bicycle, I don’t think he can see

Now you have it, I can’t go on, I don’t know what to do

That, my Father in Heaven, is the prayer I have for you”

My prayer now finished, I stand up, then jump right into bed

I need my rest for tomorrow, we have another long day ahead

Sleep starts to overtake me, I seem to drift away

Then it seems a vision takes me to another time in another day

I’m standing alone on the hill, The view is very nice

A man walks towards me and says, “My name is Jesus Christ”

Tears of joy well up inside, I fall down to His feet

“Arise,” He states, “Follow me to the shade. You and I need to speak”

My attention’s towards my Savior, total and complete

He says, “Your mission is similar of what happened to me

I understand how you feel, I know what you’re going through

In fact, it would be fair to say I’ve felt the same as you”

“I even know how you felt when no one listened to you

At times I felt not quite sure what else that I could do

I know you don’t like to ride a bicycle, for you a car would be sweet

Just remember the donkey I rode wasn’t equipped with 21 speeds”

“I understand you don’t like sweating, in fact it’s something you hate

I remember when I sweat blood from every pore, oh the agony was great!

I see you don’t like your companion, you’d rather have someone else

I once had a companion named Judas who sold my life for wealth”

“It’s hard to wear a helmet and have people make fun of you

Much like when they put thorns on my head and called me King of the Jews

So you feel burdened down by the weight of your pack

I recall how heavy the cross was when they slammed it on my back”

“Your hands hurt from tracting and knocking on doors all day

I guess when they pounded nails into mine, I ached in a similar way

It’s hard not to hear from home when your family’s not there to see

I lost communication on the cross and cried, “Father, why hast Thou forsaken me?”

“We have a lot in common, but there’s a difference between us you see

I endured to the end and finished my mission, so follow and do like me”

He embraced me with His arms and His light filled me with His love

With tears in my eyes I watched as He ascended back to the Father above

I stood with awe and wonder when a beep rang in my head

Listening I heard the alarm, then realized I was in my bed

My companion let out a groan, “it’s 6:30 already, no way!”

I sat up and said, “Come on, I’ll even carry your scriptures today!”

No matter what we go through,

When we feel we can’t take more

Just stop and think about Jesus Christ,

He’s been there before!

By Elder Troy Whittle

Texas Houston Mission

The Atonement of Jesus Christ is so fundamental to the gospel that it requires all of us to have an understanding of it. No matter how much studying we do, I don't believe we will have a full understanding, at least, not in this life. However, through studying the scriptures and the words of the prophets and apostles, as well as regularly attending the temple, attending our church meetings, partaking of the sacrament, and striving to keep the spirit with us, we can come to a better understanding of the Atonement and work to implement it into our every day lives.

In Conclusion

I wanted to share this short video. It's a song that I often find running through my head during the day. The simplicity of it is something that allows even a young child to understand its meaning, which is part of the reason that I love it so much.

Resources:

He's Been There Before retrieved from http://www.mormonmissionprep.com/motivating-missionaries/poem-hes-been-there-before/

"Gethsemane" retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ_VlQ8M5EE

Don't Be Deceived

This week we had the opportunity to read and study Joseph Smith - Matthew. As I prayerfully read through the chapter, I specifically looked for things that apply directly to me and to my life right now. In addition, I always search for things that will help me in my role as a mother and ways in which I can influence my children for the better.

The chapter speaks quite a bit about the importance of not being deceived. It speaks of the signs of Christ's second coming - of false prophets and false Christs who shall lure even the most elect away from the true gospel of Christ. It speaks of the love of men waxing cold and brother turning against brother in hatred. All of these are examples of how deceit will inevitably (and already is) play a role in these the last days. Thankfully, we have some counsel on how to get through these challenging times.

Marvin J. Ashton said,

"Young people, be not deceived. God loves you. He cares about you. He wants you back in his paths, where there is comfort, companionship, and purpose. We as leaders need to effectively communicate to our youth that God loves them no matter where they are. We need to sacrifice our time and talents in this direction."

Additionally, President Thomas S. Monson said,

"My young friends, be strong. The philosophies of men surround us. The face of sin today often wears the mask of tolerance. Do not be deceived; behind that facade is heartache, unhappiness, and pain. You know what is right and what is wrong, and no disguise, however appealing, can change that. The character of transgression remains the same."

So the message is clear: Don't let yourself be deceived.

But the question remains: How?

There are many ways that we can keep ourselves from falling into the grasp of the adversary and being deceived. Among them are regular church attendance, prayer, fasting, serving others, building our testimonies, and the list goes on and on and on. Basically, think of your typical Sunday School answers, and it will most likely answer this question to some extent.

In Joseph Smith - Matthew, however, we are given a more specific answer to the question, How can we keep ourselves from being deceived?

Verse 37 reads:

"And whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived."

So there you have it. How can we keep ourselves from being deceived? By treasuring up the word of the Lord.

This, to me, includes reading, studying, and pondering on the words found in the scriptures. We are so blessed to have the scriptures that we do today and much personal revelation can come from the words written there. They are our study guide and cheat sheet as we navigate through our Earthly life.

In addition, we should listen to the talks given at General Conference. Not only that, but we should study those talks again and again, prayerfully searching out counsel that applies and helps us now or will help us in the future. I have never read or listened to a talk in Conference - and I mean really listened - and not come away with some new insight that I hadn't thought of before. Listening to and studying the words of our modern leaders is another way that we can treasure of the word.

We are given more counsel on how we can treasure up the word.

Elder Adrian Ochoa said,

"My dear brothers and sisters, if you ever come across anything that causes you to question  your testimony of the gospel, I plead with you to look up. Look to the Source of all wisdom and truth. Nourish your faith and testimony with the word of God. There are those in this world who seek to undermine your faith by mixing lies with half-truths. This is why it is absolutely critical that you remain constantly worthy of the Spirit. The companionship of the Holy Ghost is not just a pleasant convenience - it is essential to your spiritual survival. If you will not treasure up the words of Christ and listen closely to the promptings of the Spirit, you will be deceived."

What I love most about what Elder Ochoa said was that we should look to the source when we see something that confuses us. Too often, we see something that is concerning to us and as we research it more, we fail to go to the source to confirm its truth or to better understand it. If I see something about Church doctrine that troubles me, who should I go to for answers? The anti-mormon websites who will tell me everything wrong with the doctrine in addition to telling me why everything I have ever believed is false? Or the words of the prophets and apostles, my local church leaders, and (most importantly), my loving Heavenly Father?

I'm not sure about you, but I'd rather get my answers from that second set of sources.

We have been put on this Earth to succeed, not to become deceived and fail in our efforts to return to our Heavenly Father. Our Heavenly Father has not left us empty-handed in our endeavors. He has provided us with the tools and information and resources necessary for us to be successful; one of which is the holy scriptures.

I can say with absolute surety that as we treasure up the words of Christ and the words of His servants, then we will know right from wrong. We will know the truth of the doctrines that we hear. We will understand the gospel more fully. And most importantly, we will not be deceived by the ways of the world.

Resources:

Marvin J. Ashton. You Can Get There From Here. October 1971 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1971/10/you-can-get-there-from-here?lang=eng

Thomas S. Monson. Examples of Righteousness. April 2008 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/04/examples-of-righteousness?lang=eng

Adrian Ochoa. Look Up. October 2013 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/look-up?lang=eng

Little Gems

There are a few things that I love from the readings in the New Testament that we did this week. As I was reviewing the readings, I honestly was having a difficult time narrowing it down to just a few things that I absolutely loved. But as I looked back at the notes I took and what I highlighted in my scriptures, three distinct instances stood out to me.

O Jerusalem

The first of these is found in Luke 13:34 where the Lord exclaims, "Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!"

As I read this verse, I could sense the sadness and the anguish that Christ must have experienced at seeing the wickedness that was ever persisting in Jerusalem.

I sometimes get a small taste of His anguish as I watch those that I love and care about turn away from the things of God, and succumb to the temptations of the world. I have often gotten to the point where I feel the world couldn't possibly get more evil... only for something else to happen which shows me that things just keep getting worse.

But this scripture doesn't speak all "doom and gloom" to me. There is hope in the message that Christ is conveying. "How often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings..." How beautiful is that? The Lord wants to help us, to heal us, to strengthen us. Just because the world seems to have turned their backs on Christ, that doesn't mean that Christ has turned His back on us. As we remain faithful and true to the things that we know, the Lord will be ever by our side, strengthening us and helping us. He will "gather [us] together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings" and we will be protected from the forces of the adversary.

To me, that is beautiful.

What Lack I Yet?

Elder Larry R. Lawrence gave a talk in the October 2015 General Conference that helps to shed some light on an account recorded in Matthew. Elder Lawrence said:

"Let's consider the New Testament account of the rich young ruler. He was a righteous young man who was already keeping the Ten Commandments, but he wanted to become better. His goal was

eternal life. When he met the Savior, he asked, 'What lack I yet?' Jesus answered immediately, giving counsel that was intended specifically for the rich young man. 'Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and ... come and follow me.' The young man was stunned; he had never considered such a sacrifice. He was humble enough to ask the Lord but not faithful enough to follow the divine counsel he was given. We must be willing to act when we receive an answer."

There are times when we all need to ask the Lord humbly, "What lack I yet?" This can be a difficult question to ask, especially when we are not sure that we want to hear the answer (and I know from personal experience that sometimes the answer is not what we were expecting). As Elder Lawrence said, it takes humility to come to the Lord with this question, but it takes great faith to follow the counsel that we receive as an answer to our question.

As we continue on in our lives, we will have need time and time again to approach the Lord with this question. I myself have asked similar things of the Lord more than once in my life. But we must always do so with the faith that it will take to do all that is asked of us. We probably will not be asked to sell all that we have like the man in the story was asked to do, but there are other things that we will be asked to do that may seem just as trying. As we are humble before the Lord, though, we will receive the answers to that great question, "What lack I yet?"

The Prodigal Son

I have always loved the story of the Prodigal Son. Not only does it speak of the love that a parent has for their child, but it speaks so strongly of repentance and forgiveness. We learn at the beginning of the chapter that "there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth" (Luke 15:10). As members of the Church we believe that we are literally the spirit sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father. As such, we know that each and every one of us has great worth (D&C 18:10) to our Heavenly Father. Thus, why wouldn't He rejoice when one of His children repents and starts their journey back to Him?

Another thing that this story speaks about is humility. When the son in the story realizes that he has taken some wrong turns, he decides to return to his father. The son says, "I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants" (Luke 15:18-19).

How often have we felt unworthy to be a son or daughter of our Heavenly Father? I know I have experienced times when I felt unworthy even to pray to my Father in Heaven. But this is not the way the the Lord wants us to feel. He wants us to feel of His love and He wants us to turn to Him so that we can receive His help. And, as we do, He will respond in the same way that the father in the story of the Prodigal son did - "His father saw him, and had compassion ... For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found" (Luke 15:20, 24).

The gospel is a message of hope and peace; repentance and forgiveness. No matter what we have done or what we will do, we must never feel unworthy to ask our Father in Heaven for forgiveness and for His help. There will be rejoicing in Heaven and on Earth when we choose to forsake evil and turn towards the Lord.

Resources:

Larry R. Lawrence. What Lack I Yet? October 2015 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/what-lack-i-yet?lang=eng&_r=1

Lord, I Believe

One of the New Testament stories that I am amazed by and I feel I have been able to relate to since coming to a better understanding of it is the story found in Mark 9:17-27. You may recall a talk by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland on the very subject of this story from the April 2013 General Conference. Ever since that address was given, I have found myself pondering on Elder Holland's words time and time again. So often we hear the General Authorities speak of having strong faith and of knowing that the Lord can help us. But Elder Holland took a bit of a different approach as he spoke of, not unwavering faith, but belief. 

The story in Mark reads as follows:

"And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit.

"And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and
pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

"...And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

"And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

"And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

"And Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

"And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."

Regarding this father, Elder Holland says the following:

"This man's initial conviction, by his own admission, is limited. But he has an urgent, empathetic desire on behalf of his only child... With no other hope remaining, this father asserts what faith he has and pleads with the Savior of the world 'If thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.' ...The plural pronoun us is obviously used intentionally. This man is saying, in effect, 'Our whole family is pleading. Our struggle never ceases. We are exhausted. Our son falls into the water. He falls into the fire. He is continually in danger, and we are continually afraid. We don't know where else to turn. Can you help us? We will be grateful for anything - a partial blessing, a glimmer of hope, some small lifting of the burden carried by this boy's mother every day of her life.'"

While I have never experienced the same pain and anguish that these parents must have experienced, I know there have been times when I have felt I have nowhere to turn to except for to the Lord. And as I do, I find myself hoping for any kind of help in my turmoil.

Elder Holland continues:

"'If thou canst do any thing,' spoken by the father, comes back to him 'If thou canst believe,' spoken by the Master. 'Straightway,' the scripture says - not slowly nor skeptically nor cynically but 'straightway' - the father cries in his unvarnished parental pain, 'Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.' In response to new and still partial faith, Jesus heals the boy, almost literally raising him from the dead."

I remember my reaction to this story the first time I read it in the scriptures. I was a Junior in high school and we were studying the New Testament in seminary (although at the time, we were living overseas and so we had more of a "self-study" sort of seminary system going on). I remember being confused at this father's admitting to him lacking some faith. After all, I had grown up my whole life being taught the importance of faith in our lives - and not just faith, but unwavering faith. I mean, the very first principle of the gospel as taught by the fourth article of faith is "faith in the Lord Jesus Christ." And yet, here was a father who expressed openly that he doubted and Christ still healed his son. 

I wouldn't say that this was something that I struggled with for years, but anytime it came up, I couldn't help but feel a bit confused. And so, in 2013 when Elder Holland gave his address, it was greatly appreciated by me.

He continues:

"Observation number one regarding this account is that when facing the challenge of faith, the father asserts his strength first and only then acknowledges his limitation... I would say to all who wish for more faith, remember this man! In moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited... When those moments come and issues surface, the resolution of which is not immediately forthcoming, hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes... The size of your faith or the degree of your knowledge is not the issue - it is the integrity you demonstrate toward the faith you do have to truth you already know.

"The second observation is a variation of the first. When problems come and questions arise, do not start your quest for faith by saying how much you do not have, leading as it were with your 'unbelief.' ...Let me be clear at this point: I am not asking you to pretend to faith you do not have. I am asking you to be true to the faith you do have... Furthermore, you have more faith that you think you do... In this Church, what we know will always trump what we do not know...

"Last observation: When doubt or difficulty come, do not be afraid to ask for help. If we want it as humbly and honestly as this father did, we can get it... A 14-year-old boy recently said to me a little hesitantly, 'Brother Holland, I can't say yet that I know the Church is true, but I believe it is.' I hugged that boy until his eyes bulged out. I told him with all the fervor of my soul that belief is a precious word, an even more precious act, and we need never apologize for 'only believing.' I told him that Christ Himself said, 'Be not afraid, only believe.' ...I told this boy that belief was always the first step toward conviction and that the definitive articles of our collective faith forcefully reiterate the phrase 'We believe.'"

Many of the things that Elder Holland said have stuck with me these last three and a half years since he gave the talk. Never before had I understood the importance behind belief, as a stepping stone to gaining that unwavering faith that I had always longed to have. I'm happy to say that now, as an adult, there are many things in which I have great faith in. As trials come and my faith is tested, though, I have often found myself comforted by not only Elder Holland's words, but also those spoken of by the Savior in Matthew 17:20 when He says, "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."

We will all experience times when we may doubt those things that we have always thought to be true. If it weren't for these experiences, we would have no way for our testimonies and our faith to grow. In those times, I think we can all reflect on the father spoken of in Mark, as well as the information that Elder Holland supplements with that story. Belief is a beautiful thing and we should never be ashamed for only believing in something, rather than knowing something completely. As we strive to build our faith, the Lord will know our desires to not only believe but to know and He will help us come to know.

Resources:

Jeffrey R. Holland. Lord, I Believe. April 2013 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/lord-i-believe?lang=eng

Miracles

One of the things that I love about the New Testament is the different accounts of the many miracles that Christ performed while He was on the Earth. It has been interesting as we have started our weekly readings in Matthew, then moved to the corresponding chapters in Mark and Luke. While the accounts are similar and seem to be in the same chronological order, there are some drastic differences in the way they recorded them. It seems to me that Matthew puts the most detail in his writings, so naturally I've been more engrossed in his accounts of things than those of Mark or Luke. Still, each of them offer their own unique record of the things that took place. Reading the New Testament makes me wish I could have been there!

I am probably rambling here, so maybe I should just get on with the miracles that we have read about so far.

In my husband's scriptures, he marks every miracle that Christ performed with a little red star. I thought this was a great idea and decided to get in the habit of marking them the same way in my scriptures too. It's really pretty amazing to be able to flip through the pages and see so many red stars in the margins of my scriptures! For the sake of the length of this post, I will only be referencing the miracles as listed in the book of Matthew because, as I stated, I have been much more engrossed in the book of Matthew and, the same miracles are repeated again in Mark and Luke.

Matthew 8:2-3
And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Matthew 8:5-10, 13
And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. And when they that followed him, heard this, they marveled, and when Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel... And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

Matthew 8:14-15
And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.

Matthew 8:16
When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick.

Matthew 8:24-26
And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

Matthew 8:28, 32
And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils...And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.

...And that is just the miracles listed in Matthew chapter 8!

Something that I am always reminded of when reading about the many miracles that Christ performed in His mortal ministry is that miracles still happen in our lives today. Just because Christ is not on Earth performing miracles, that does not mean that they have forever ceased. Because we have a Father in Heaven who loves us more than we can comprehend, He has allowed the priesthood to be restored on the Earth. This is the same power that Christ used while He was on the Earth. How cool is that?

I am also always amazed by the amount of faith shown by those who Christ came across throughout the New Testament. The individuals healed had to show great faith in order to be healed. Looking back on the first example of the leper, he said "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." He didn't say, "If it's possible for you to heal me, please heal me." No. He said "If it is thy will, then I know you can heal me." I have found myself sometimes doubting whether or not a miracle was possible. When trials come and things don't go exactly our way, we may find ourselves not only questioning if God will allow the miracle that we want, but if He even can.

But He can.

I found this video and I wanted to end my post on this. This mother experienced every parent's worst nightmare - the loss of her child - but I love how she phrases it when she speaks of miracles. She says, "I kept thinking 'God can fix this'... I had a very strong sense that God can fix this. I knew that God could do it. But I knew that he wouldn't today."


While I have never experienced the devastation of losing one of my children, I have seen the challenge that this trial can play in the lives of others. I have also found that sometimes the miracle isn't that bad things don't happen, or even that they are made right in this life, but the miracle is sometimes the knowledge that we have of our eternal families and of our Heavenly Father's plan for us. Along with that, the miracle is often our abilities to cope with the situations that we could have never handled on our own.