Happy Easter!

Sorry for the long post, but I thought I would post the talk I gave today in Church for those who missed it. Hope you like it!

Just know that I wish I could be talking with each of you individually today, and since I can’t, I hope you’ll hear what I have to say and maybe pretend that it’s just us. Because, I would like to ask you to do something. Well, maybe a couple of something’s; first of all, will you pray for me? I’ve had a hard time knowing what to say and I want to make sure that what I’m saying is really going to invite the Spirit in, because I know it’s the Spirit that will teach you what you need to know. Second, I would like to ask you to be completely honest with yourself and think about a time where you really struggled in life. Maybe it’s today, maybe it was last week, or a year ago, or several years ago, whatever. I’d just like you to have that in your mind as I speak to you today. Because what I want to talk about is personal, very personal, in fact, but I can’t see into your heart and I don’t know what your life has been like. But I do know that what I will talk about today will apply to you – so please be honest with yourself and don’t hold anything back.


Alma 7:7, 11-13

“For behold, I say unto you there be many things to come; and behold, there is one thing which is of more importance than they all – for behold, the time is not far distant that the Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people.

“And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and sicknesses of his people.

“And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

“Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.”

Still thinking about a specific time you struggled? Good.

Somewhere far from here, somewhere I’ve never been, there’s a garden of olive trees. In this garden sits an olive press - which grinds down olives and presses out their oil. It is an appropriate symbol for what will take place there. On a quiet evening, Jesus and his disciples walk the familiar path to the garden. He takes Peter, James, and John and heads further into the grove. Leaving them a ways off, he enters a solitary place and offers a prayer. For the first time in his life, he is afraid. “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” But in spite of the fear, he proceeds. “nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” For the next three to four hours, he takes upon himself, what for us, is an incomprehensible burden. It is the weight of all our sins; all our pains; all our sicknesses, infirmities, fears, doubts; ALL of them. That time in your life when you really struggled? That too.

Thus began the Atonement, and it was just beginning. Over the next few hours and days he would be accused, cursed, smitten, mocked, scourged, spit upon and reviled. He would be judged of the world and delivered to the enemy. Still the Atonement was not complete. Forced to carry his cross until unable, he was lead to Calvary. There he was nailed to a cross and lifted up among thieves. There was yet one thing more to suffer. A pain even He could not fathom; as He carried the weight of our sins, His Father withdrew His Spirit. All of his burden, carried alone.

Why did he do it?

There is just one reason.

You.

Remember that time in life you really struggled with something? He did what he did so he could help you through that. He did it so he would know what you feel and how to comfort you.

What does that say about you? What does that say about how important you are?

Three days after His crucifixion, His final gift was given and the Atonement complete, for even death could not hold Him. He was resurrected and lived again, thereby ensuring that ALL mankind would be resurrected and able to return to the presence of our Father.

This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The word gospel means Good News – and this is Good News, that because of Christ’s Atonement, we all will be resurrected and we all are given the possibility of exaltation (which is Eternal Life with God).

What he did was truly incomparable. Not one man or woman who ever lived, who lives now, or who ever will live on earth, can ever compare to Him. And everything He did was for you. You see, you are the key here. The Savior GAVE His offering, it is now your choice whether or not to TAKE it. You choose to accept His offering when you repent, when you exercise faith to obey His commandments. But mostly when you repent, so go to Him. Please don’t wait. Take Him your burden, He will recognize it, and He will know what to do. Trust Him. Repent. Reconcile yourself to Him.

I testify that we are nothing before Him, but we are everything to Him.

Please don’t get distracted. Please don’t ever think the things of this world can ever give you what He could give you. The world will never know His peace. The world will never know His love. But you can. The world and all it holds can never offer you the sweetness of forgiveness and I promise you, it is worth any amount of pain to achieve.

I bear you my testimony: God lives. He gave His Son as an offering so that we could be forgiven and so that we could return to His presence. I testify that by obedience to the commandments and through repentance, we accept the offering of our Father and of Jesus Christ and prove ourselves worthy of returning to their presence, not just for a moment, but for eternity. And I know it gets hard sometimes to remember that. So read your scriptures every day, they’ll remind you. Go to church each week, that will remind you. And when you take the sacrament, let that remind you too, not just of what he did for all men, but what he did for you.

John 16:33

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.