Ward Conference
I should blog more often. How many times have we all said that? I was sitting in church today thinking, I should blog about this. I should blog about a lot more than I have lately.
We had ward conference today so the stake presidency did most of the teaching. They went into dating and everything (after all, we are a singles ward). I think the best part was the Stake President's talk on the atonement in Sunday School. It gave me greater insight to forgiveness. The Lord said, "I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive but of you it is required to forgive all men."
I always understood the part that the amount we will be forgiven will depend on how forgiving we are ourselves. What the stake president pointed out to me was that Christ already paid for the pain of both the person who wronged us's sin and our pain for being hurt by the other person. Why make those pains be paid double by not forgiving? Why hold a grudge against another and subject them, or more importantly ourselves, to continued suffering when Christ already suffered it?
His gospel is a gospel of peace. The atonement makes amends and comforts the spiritually wounded. Whether we have sinned or not, we all need the atonement. Our Father in Heaven's plan is called 'The Plan of Happiness' for good reason. The most peaceful and joyful times of my life have been the most spiritual moments, the times I have felt the closest to my savior.
In the saddest time of my life, when I had to let James go back to his father in heaven, I felt the comforting love of my savior around me. When in the greatest pain, peace did come to my heart. What reason did I have to sorrow for all children are alive in Christ? His salvation and exaltation was assured. Who we needed to sorrow for was us left behind in this mortal existance to continue our struggle against temptation. And the joy I can look forward to when, after this mighty struggle, I can wrap my arms around James once again.
We had ward conference today so the stake presidency did most of the teaching. They went into dating and everything (after all, we are a singles ward). I think the best part was the Stake President's talk on the atonement in Sunday School. It gave me greater insight to forgiveness. The Lord said, "I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive but of you it is required to forgive all men."
I always understood the part that the amount we will be forgiven will depend on how forgiving we are ourselves. What the stake president pointed out to me was that Christ already paid for the pain of both the person who wronged us's sin and our pain for being hurt by the other person. Why make those pains be paid double by not forgiving? Why hold a grudge against another and subject them, or more importantly ourselves, to continued suffering when Christ already suffered it?
His gospel is a gospel of peace. The atonement makes amends and comforts the spiritually wounded. Whether we have sinned or not, we all need the atonement. Our Father in Heaven's plan is called 'The Plan of Happiness' for good reason. The most peaceful and joyful times of my life have been the most spiritual moments, the times I have felt the closest to my savior.
In the saddest time of my life, when I had to let James go back to his father in heaven, I felt the comforting love of my savior around me. When in the greatest pain, peace did come to my heart. What reason did I have to sorrow for all children are alive in Christ? His salvation and exaltation was assured. Who we needed to sorrow for was us left behind in this mortal existance to continue our struggle against temptation. And the joy I can look forward to when, after this mighty struggle, I can wrap my arms around James once again.