christ >

I love the book of Hebrews because it emphasizes how important Christ is. One example of this is Hebrews 7:1-2, "For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him: To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all: first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is King of peace". In verse 3 it goes on to say that Jesus has no end and that He is the son of God. Christ is above all because of what he has done for us.

Hebrews was written by a committee and their writing shows us that Jesus Christ deserves all of the glory of the atonement. I am so thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ and all that He has done for me. I know that he should come before all things. He should come before the temptations and doubts that I may face during this life. Sometimes it can be hard to be constantly obedient and faithful because of the temptations we face, but keeping Jesus Christ in my mind and heart helps me a lot. He is with me and wants me to succeed, which is why he died for me.

share the gospel

I honestly haven't read the second half of the New Testament very much; whenever I get to it I don't pay as much attention to it as I should. In my Christ & the Everlasting Gospel class we have been talking about the different acts that the disciples have been doing and I have been loving it. In Acts 1:8 it reads, "ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth". We talked about how this verse is like the thesis statement of the chapters in Acts.

I loved reading through the first few chapters of this book because of how fast the church was growing! It gave me so much hope to see how many people saw the works of the apostles and believed in this wonderful gospel. I am so thankful for this gospel and all that it has done for me - it makes me so happy to see others feel the warmth and the strength that I feel because of my Savior, Jesus Christ.

One last thing I want to talk about from class is the beginning of Acts 3, in these verses there is a man that is healed but it took years for the healing to happen. Sometimes we may feel overlooked by Jesus, but there is a plan for everything and sometimes things take time for a reason. This gave me comfort because sometimes I feel like things aren't happening fast enough for me.

it is done

"When Jesus therefor had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost" (John 19:30). 

I love this verse so much because it reminds me of how much my Savior went through in order to die for me. He also lived through so many trials in order for the atonement to go through. He was given vinegar when he said that he was thirsty and that goes along with the sacrament. We may do things that can bring bitterness into our lives, but the sacrament can take away the bitterness from our lives. By loving Jesus and doing what he wants us to do, we can stay clean and be happier people. I am so thankful for this atonement and for all that Jesus has done for me. 

As I was reading through all of the things that Jesus said before he died, I felt how much He loves us. He went through so much pain because he wants to help us. I love this gospel and my Savior so much. 

This weekend is conference and I am looking forward to hearing all that is shared over these two days. I know that I will be blessed by listening to these talks and that I will learn more about what Jesus wants me to be. 

not what I will, but what thou wilt

"And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee: take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt" (Mark 14:36).

This verse means so much to me because it is a great example of how to pray to our Heavenly Father. We can ask for things or specific blessings, but it is His will that we should accept and be happy with, even if it was not what we wanted in the beginning. I have had experiences with prayer that I may not have gotten what I wanted then, but looking back, things played out just the way the should have. I love looking back on past prayers or past experiences and understanding things that I did not originally understand. It increases my testimony so much seeing all the wonderful blessings that I have gotten that I didn't want at first.

Another reason I love this verse/chapter in Mark is because it shows how much Jesus loves and understands us. Because he went through all of this pain, he can know exactly how I'm feeling when things get hard for me. I love my Savior so much and I am so thankful for all that He has done for me.

conversion

Converting to this gospel is more than being baptized and going to church. It is truly believing and having faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ. Different people are converted at different times in their lives. In the gospel of John there are two people that have stories based on their conversion; Nicodemus and the woman at the well. Nicodemus took three years to be converted while the woman at the well took about five minutes. One is not better than the other, both eventually were truly converted and loved and trusted the Lord with all their heart. Both of them had difficult backgrounds and stories that made it difficult for them to convert, but they loved what was taught to them. 

I love that in John 3:8 Jesus said, "the wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound therof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth..." He is talking about feeling the spirit and knowing about it, but not seeing it. One thing that is sometimes hard for those converting is not seeing proof, but feeling it is just as promising. We feel the spirit just as we would feel the wind. We cannot see the wind when it is blowing around us, just like we can't see the spirit, but we can definitely feel it. I am so thankful the these past lessons on miracles and conversion because it gives me hope about my future and my family's and friend's futures. 

i have been found

Feeling lost and alone is one of the worst feelings that one can have in my opinion. Feeling like you've got no where to go and that you don't have anyone on your side that can help is heartbreaking. In the past my anxiety has really gotten to me and has caused me to feel so lost and sometimes make poor decisions. Reading through the three parables on being lost then found in Luke 15 is always a huge comfort. I love that they cover being lost through wandering, neglect, and rebellion because in one way or another I've experiences all of the different types. My Savior will always be there for me and He will root for me even when I make mistakes. I know that I am in the right place now, at BYU and in this church, with all my heart. 

In Luke 15:32 it says, "...for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found". What is lost can be found with prayer and work. Each type of loss has a different way to handle it. The son that leaves because of rebellion can't be searched for like the lamb that gets lost due to wandering. Waiting and having faith is the best way to bring back those that are rebellion in the same way that the son did. 

Having these parables makes me feel much more prepared for my life and all that can happen. I know that I can constantly find help in the scriptures whenever I feel lost. My Savior will always be around to find me if I do my part also. 

trust in the lord

After John the Baptist's death Jesus wanted to be alone, but instead he helped five thousand men by multiplying bread loaves and fish given by a young boy. If we give all that we have, like the boy did, Jesus can multiply it and help us in so many ways. Sometimes it seems like we're sinking - especially during midterms in college, but being able to pray and read the scriptures brings me so much comfort. I will do all that I can and I know that the difference will be made by my Savior. In Matthew 14:20 it says, "and they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up the fragments that remained twelve baskets full". Bringing all that we can to Jesus, just like the young boy did, can make a huge difference in peoples' lives. For me personally, my life is so much better because of the gospel and my love for the doctrine.

The morning after Jesus fed the men, he helped some of his disciples in a fishing boat during a rough storm. During one of the worst parts of the storm he began to walk on water towards the boat and called for Peter to come to Him. The faith that Peter showed while he was walking on the water once more showed how much trust we should put in Jesus. I am thankful for the examples that people have set for me, both in the scriptures and in my daily life.