He Understands Us

·         Through the Atonement, the Redeemer‍ took upon Himself our troubles, pains, and sins. The Savior of the world came to understand each of us individually by experiencing our dashed hopes, challenges, and tragedies through His suffering in Gethsemane and on the cross.  He died as one final act of love for us and was buried in a new tomb.  On Sunday morning Jesus rose from the dead- promising new life for each of us.

  

      Elder M. Russell Ballard - April 2015 General Conference "The Greatest Generation of Young Adults"

       https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-greatest-generation-of-young-adults?lang=eng  

God's Grace Leads Upward

We have all “sinned, and come short of the glory of God”¹⁰‍ and because “there cannot any unclean thing enter into the kingdom of God,”¹¹‍ every one of us is unworthy to return to God’s presence.  Even if we were to serve God with our whole souls, it is not enough, for we would still be “unprofitable servants.”¹²‍ We cannot earn our way into heaven; the demands of justice stand as a barrier, which we are powerless to overcome on our own.  But all is not lost.  The grace of God is our great and everlasting hope.

The grace of God does not merely restore us to our previous innocent state. If salvation means only erasing our mistakes and sins, then salvation—as wonderful as it is—does not fulfill the Father’s aspirations for us. His aim is much higher: He wants His sons and daughters to become like Him.  With the gift of God’s grace, the path of discipleship does not lead backward; it leads upward.  It leads to heights we can scarcely comprehend!

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf - April 2015 General Conference "The Gift of Grace"
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-gift-of-grace?lang=eng

Because of the Atonement

On Easter Sunday we celebrate the most long-awaited and glorious event in the history of the world.  It is the day that changed everything.  On that day, my life changed.  Your life changed. The destiny of all God’s children changed.  On that blessed day, the Savior of mankind, who had taken upon Himself the chains of sin and death that held us captive, burst those chains and set us free.  Because of the sacrifice of our beloved Redeemer, death has no sting, the grave has no victory, Satan has no lasting power, and we are “begotten … again unto a lively hope by the resurrection‍ of Jesus Christ.”

The Savior’s Atonement cannot become commonplace in our teaching, in our conversation, or in our hearts. It is sacred and holy, for it was through this “great and last sacrifice” that Jesus the Christ brought “salvation to all those who shall believe on his name.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf - April 2015 General Conference "The Gift of Grace"
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-gift-of-grace?lang=eng

Stewardship of Our Time

If Jesus Christ‍ were to sit down with us and ask for an accounting of our stewardship, I am not sure He would focus much on programs and statistics. What the Savior would want to know is the condition of our heart. He would want to know how we love and minister to those in our care, how we show our love to our spouse and family, and how we lighten their daily load. And the Savior would want to know how you and I grow closer to Him and to our Heavenly Father.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf - April 2015 General Conference "On Being Genuine"
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/on-being-genuine?lang=eng

My Thoughts on Choosing Happiness by Embracing Challenges

Life is not easy for any of us.  We all have our trials and our burdens.  God allows these things to come into our lives because they strengthen and refine us and make us fit for His kingdom.  If we fight against them we will be miserable.  If we learn to embrace them as President Kimball did, we can experience tremendous growth, understanding, and peace in our lives. The Lord loves us.  He sees potential in us that we cannot even comprehend.  If we trust Him and allow Him to work in our lives we cannot even imagine the ways He will strengthen and bless us.  Trials are either stumbling blocks or stepping stones and only we can control what they will be for us in our lives.

Joy Regardless of our Conditions

“If we have faith in Jesus Christ, the hardest as well as the easiest times in life can be a blessing. In all conditions, we can choose the right with the guidance of the Spirit. We have the gospel of Jesus Christ to shape and guide our lives if we choose it.”

President Henry B. Eyring - April 2012 General Conference "Mountains to Climb"
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/mountains-to-climb?lang=eng 

My Thoughts on Peace and Comfort Through the Atonement

God knew that life would not be easy for any one of us.  Life is hard and burdens come to us all, but God did not leave us comfortless.  Part of the plan of salvation was providing for us to have peace and joy even amidst the pain and anguish.  God provided us with the Holy Ghost so that we can gain peace and comfort in a way that the world can never offer it.  Through the Atonement Christ knows how we feel and how we will best be helped.  Through the Atonement He offers us peace and comfort.  Our burdens can be lifted and lightened.  One of the ways this happens is through us helping each other.  It is our responsibility as member of His church to look for those who need help and need lifting.  The Lord does help us, but often it is by the hands of one of His other children.  We go to the Lord to ask for strength and comfort, then we look around for ways that we can offer strength and comfort to those around us.  It is a beautiful system He has devised.

Christ Knows

“That is part of the great plan of happiness the Father gave us. He allowed His Son to provide, by His sacrifice, the hope that comforts us no matter how hard the way home to Him may be..Only God knows hearts, and so only He can say, in truth, “I know how you feel.” So I can only imagine both her joy and the sorrow that preceded it, but the Lord, who loves her, knows."

President Henry B. Eyring - April 2015 General Conference "The Comforter" 
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-comforter?lang=eng

The Atonement Lightens Burdens

·         “Many are praying to Heavenly Father for relief, for help in carrying their burdens of grief, loneliness, and fear. Heavenly Father hears those prayers and understands their needs. He and His Beloved Son, the resurrected Jesus Christ, have promised help... The burdens His faithful servants must carry in life are made lighter by His Atonement."

President Henry B. Eyring - April 2015 General Conference "The Comforter" 
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/the-comforter?lang=eng

My Thoughts on Following Christ

Christ has set the perfect example for us to live by.  If we will follow His example we will become the man or woman that we have the potential of becoming.  There is so much that we can learn about Jesus if we will study the scriptures.  I know that the more time and effort I put into studying the scriptures the closer I feel to the Savior and to my Heavenly Father.  It is something that needs to be done on a daily basis so that daily I can grow closer to them.  The Savior went through so much so that He could have empathy for us and so that He could succor us.  I know that if I study His life and follow His example I can find peace and happiness in this life. 

Come Follow Christ

"To help guide us we have the words of God and of His Son found in our holy scriptures. We have the counsel and teachings of God’s prophets. Of paramount importance, we have been provided with a perfect example to follow—even the example of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ—and we have been instructed to follow that example...

 Physically walking where Jesus walked is less important than walking as He walked. Emulating His actions and following His example are far more important than trying to retrace the remnants of the trails He traversed in mortality...

All of us can walk the path He walked when, with His words ringing in our ears, His Spirit filling our hearts, and His teachings guiding our lives, we choose to follow Him as we journey through mortality...

As we strive to place Christ at the center of our lives by learning His words, by following His teachings, and by walking in His path, He has promised to share with us the eternal life that He died to gain. There is no higher end than this, that we should choose to accept His discipline and become His disciples and do His work throughout our lives. Nothing else, no other choice we make, can make of us what He can."

President Thomas S. Monson - October 2014 General Conference "Ponder the Path of Thy Feet" 
 https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/ponder-the-path-of-thy-feet?lang=eng