Accessing the Atonement through Patience

     Understanding the Atonement of Christ is one thing, but living it is completely another! It's like the phrase, "You can't have the cake, and eat it too." Psh that's crazy! What's the point of having cake if you can't eat it? It's kind of like saying "You can't understand the Atonement AND use it in your life." Of course you can! We learn to understand the Atonement so that we CAN apply it! That doesn't happen over night though. It takes a long time to understand the Atonement, and even longer to learn how to use it! I think we may need a little patience don't we? 

   
     According to President Uchtdorf, from the first presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, patience plays a huge role in who we are and who we become. I myself have been studying patience and found that it applies to multiple aspects of our life. I can be patient with someone I am teaching, who won't keep their commitment to go to church, but 5 minutes later, I am yelling at the guy who took a couple extra seconds to go when the light turned green! So how do we become patient with ourselves in becoming christlike?
     1. Remember the Atonement is real: We become christlike through the mercy and grace of Christ's atonement for us. We could not repent if we did not have Him. But because we DO have Him, we can repent, leave behind the bad, and start fresh as many times as it takes to become like our Savior.
     2. Pray for patience: It seems easy doesn't it? Guess what? It is easy! Do you pray every day? Modern day prophets have taught us to pray at least morning and night. The scriptures teach us to "pray always" or to keep Him in our thoughts at all times. So pray for patience! Then keep patience in your mind at all times.
     3. Be patient in receiving patience: That sounds kind of funny. You have to be patient to receive patience? Well it all starts somewhere, and patience can be acquired if we seek for it! Remember that no christlike attribute will fall into your lap. It takes time, and it will take patience so don't give up!
     Look for patience in your life, seek to be more patient with yourself and with others. Is there anything in your life that you are not patient with? Yourself? Your family? Figure out what you need to be more patient with, and relax a little bit! Focus on what you CAN control! That's the message here. The Atonement of Christ makes us better, but it does not happen over night, and it doesn't come cheap. We need to work, learn, and grow from our mistakes. It seems endless, but if we are PATIENT, we can become like our Savior Jesus Christ one step at a time. Be patient with yourself. Rejoice in your accomplishments, and do not dwell on your failures. Use the Atonement and get past it! I know you can do it. He is waiting for you. Good luck readers! I know that you can learn and grow, all you need is a little patience and a little faith!

Shake it Off, Step Up

     I was feeling a little sorry for myself yesterday. Every missionary gets homesick every once in a while, and it made me think of one of the most inspirational stories I have ever heard. I heard it from my weight lifting coach my Sophomore year of high school, and as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I couldn't help applying this story to the atonement of Christ.

SHAKE IT OFF, STEP UP

     A farmer was tending to his farm one day, when he heard a loud cry. He followed the sound to a dried up well on the side of his farm. To his dismay, his work mule had fallen in and was crying out in distress. The Mule was heavy, and the well was deep. It would be impossible to get it out. So the farmer made a bitter decision, but a productive one. He decided that he would bury the mule in the well, therefore accomplishing two jobs. He would fill the well up, and take care of the mule. So he shovels one shovel of dirt on top of the mule. At this point the mule is hysterical. The farmer continues to shovel, and the mule continues to cry even louder.

     Then all of a sudden, the mule has an idea. The mule shakes the dirt off of his back and steps up. With each shovel full of dirt, the mule takes a step closer to the top of the well. The farmer catches on, and starts shoveling faster. Shake it off, step up. Shake it off, step up. The mule steps up, one pile of dirt at a time. The farmer keeps shoveling, and the mule is getting tired. Shake it off, step up. Shake it off, step up. The mule pushes onward, and finally, steps up and over the edge of the dried up well. The farmer and mule rejoice as they are reunited.

     So what does this have to do with the Atonement of Christ? We are all human. Every one of us. We all make mistakes, we all get mad, we all are jealous sometimes. We are not perfect, however, we can become so. 

Matthew 5:48

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your father which is in heaven is perfect."

Why would Christ ask so much of us if we know we cannot possibly be perfect in this lifetime?

Well,

1 Nephi 3:7

 7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I ^awill go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no ^bcommandments unto the children of men, save he shall ^cprepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them. 

     What? is this saying that I CAN be perfect? That the Lord will PROVIDE a way for us to keep his commandments? YES! the Lord has provided a way, just as he has promised he would in the scriptures. That "way" is called the Atonement.

     Now of course, this isn't going to happen over night, in fact, I don't think anyone can be perfect in this lifetime! Let's go back to the original story. In life, that mule represents us, and the dirt represents trials that PROVE our faith and IMPROVE us! With each trial, each temptation, we shake it off and step up. Now here is the tricky part, where is the Savior in this story? I would say the savior is represented by the mule's strength. Without strength, the mule would not be ABLE to shake the dirt off and step up! He would have been stuck, helplessly, at the bottom of the pit, with no ability to stand. Christ is the way, and the enabler that allows us to shake it off and step up.
      I don't know how many times I will have to shake it off and step up before I finally become like God, but I know one thing, I am NEVER going to give up! I will shake it off and step up until that great and glorious day when I reach the top of this old, dried up well and I am reunited with my master again.
   
     Ok, so now for the challenge to you all: what do you need to improve on? what trials or temptations do you need to shake off? My challenge is for all of you to pick something. ONE THING! and shake it off! step up, and leave that dirt underneath your feet. Take the next step up to your Father in Heaven. I know that as you do this, your faith will grow, and you will feel the Savior's love and you will have lasting, true happiness like you have never felt before.

Hello! this is my first blog post on this blog. The purpose is to teach/explain principles that will bring us closer to our Savior Jesus Christ.
    There once was a boy I went to school with who really didn't have the highest self esteem. He had friends, he had good grades, and he was super nice! What more could someone ask for? Well, here's the problem: High school is not exactly the nicest environment. Bullying, teasing, name-calling, all of that stuff just tears a kid down! I chose to "love everyone" and lift him up. When that happened, I could see his lip curl up juuuuuust barely, like trying to hide a smile, but I knew it was there! It was the best feeling in the world. Lifting someone up, not tearing him down, that is the true key to happiness. Christ taught us to love our neighbors. So that's what I am trying to do! You will never know what impact you may have on a person, so get out there and make sure your impression on this world is a good one!
     I remember the day I decided to have an uplifting attitude towards others. This is the difference between making a joke about how fat your friend is, and making a joke about how huge his biceps are. It's the little things that make someone's day! And I know there is a way for us to always lift other's burdens.

Mosiah 24:15

15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

Carry another's burdens, and cast your's upon the savior's shoulders. Jesus Christ took our burdens upon himself. I love him for that. And I will continually strive to be like him by carrying the burdens of those around me. That is my invitation to all. What can you do to make someone's burden light?

http://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages#god-will-lift-us-up