Elder D. Todd Christofferson said in this last General Conference, “What our Heavenly Father offers us is Himself and His Son, a close and enduring relationship with Them through the grace and mediation of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer.” (Our Relationship With God, April 2022)
My life has been a pursuit of learning the order of grace. One thing I know that I had going for me when I was young was that I had been blessed with a believing heart. My mom would probably tell you that my catchphrase throughout my life has been, “It will work out.”
I have always believed that to be true.
However, much like the Israelites, who had to understand more deeply that it’s simply about looking and living, I’ve had my own journey of finding peace in Christ.
In Numbers 21, we get to see how the Lord delivered the people. Elder Glen O. Jenson, an area authority, said:
“Recognizing their sin, the people pled with Moses to petition the Lord for deliverance. Rather than simply taking the serpents away, the Lord chose to teach His people about faith and salvation through Christ. He instructed Moses to fashion a serpent of brass and mount it on a tall pole, and ‘…if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived’ (Num. 21:9).”
(“Look and Live”, Ensign, March 2002)
Elder Jenson said further,
“Helaman’s son, Nephi, explained the symbolism of the brass serpent when he testified: ‘As he [Moses] lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness, even so shall he [the Messiah] be lifted up. … And as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might live, even unto that life which is eternal’ (Hel. 8:14–15).”
(“Look and Live”, Ensign, March 2002)
Furthermore, Elder D. Todd Christofferson clarifies:
“Our Father is willing to guide each of us along His covenant path with steps designed to our individual need and tailored to His plan for our ultimate happiness with Him. We can anticipate a growing trust and faith in the Father and the Son, an increasing sense of Their love, and the consistent comfort and guidance of the Holy Spirit.”
(Our Relationship With God, April 2022)
I know that I have definitely tasted of their deep love for me. I have been richly blessed by the Holy Ghost throughout my life, but especially after I chose to follow him on the covenant path.
I have felt peace in Christ because my relationship with Christ is built on trust.
This means that it has been vital for me to REMEMBER WHO I AM & WHOSE I AM.
He knows better than I.
There’s a reason for everything, but sometimes you have to let go of knowing the reason why.
I’ve learned to love Him no matter what happens. And my love endures because I know that His love for me is unfailing. This means He loves me regardless of what happens, my choices or preferences.
Jacob wisely cautions: “Seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works” (Jacob 4:10).
How can we take counsel from his hand? We connect with him through prayer.
One of my mentor friends named Kim Davis, shared how this requires intentionality.
She said, “be present in your own temple,” which means we need to recognize sources or the voices within us.
I have felt peace in Christ because I look for Him in my life daily. I look for where he has saved me today. My kids have heard me ask: how was the Lord your shepherd today?
Isn’t it remarkable that the Nephrites in 4 Nephi lived 200 years in peace BECAUSE OF THE LOVE OF GOD?
What brought them that peace? I submit to you that it was the Holy Ghost that sanctified them. It literally transformed them.
Reminds me of Max Lucado’s cute little children’s story that we loved to read to our children called, “You are Special.”
Punchinello learned not to care about other people’s criticisms, or dots, that stuck on him, nor people’s praises, or the stars that stuck on him BECAUSE he learned to go to Eli daily.
Eli helps him remember who he is, and then the dots nor stickers stuck on him anymore. In this story, Eli represents our Father in Heaven and His love awakens Punchinello to remember who he really is.
I have felt peace in Christ when I have held to the promises given when I entered into covenant by participating in the ordinances. I have learned He does have expectations for us, but He provides the way.
Doctrine and Covenants 82:10 says, “I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.”
Elder D. Todd Christofferson said in last general conference: “It is essential that we honor and obey His laws, but not every blessing predicated on obedience to law is shaped, designed, and timed according to our expectations. We do our best but must leave to Him the management of blessings, both temporal and spiritual.”
It can be so hard to wait on the Lord, but I’ve learned that when I look to Him, then I see He is still there. It helps me to endure well, when I have peace in Christ.
It is our privilege to learn how to walk in His ways and show others the understanding that He gives to us.
It is good for us to recognize other people’s talents and share each other’s burdens. He wants us to lift where we stand.
Remember in Mosiah 4:19, King Benjamin said,
“For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?
And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.
And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another.”
(Mosiah 4:19-21)
This scripture gives us a mindset of humility. As we have that humility, we are prepared to receive His love to share with others. This can be of our actual substance, or His charity.
For example, we can start to behold that not only are we fighting a daily battle to stay connected to God, but so are our brothers and sisters.
My mentor and friend, Kim Davis said, “People fighting hard battles need to be beholden just like I am. Father in Heaven sees the mess, but He also sees the glorious…the infinite possibilities within you through Jesus Christ The enemy only wants you to see the mess!”
Sometimes all we see is our mess, but there is a way to allow our mess to become the message. Enduring our trials means to let God guide me to peace because He delights to deliver us.
Remember what Exodus 19:4-6 said:
“Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.
Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.”
Think of 3 Nephi 17:6 when Jesus Christ was visiting the Nephites in the Americas, “Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you.”
Imagine what we could do if we had eyes to see and a heart that understood, like His. Sharing this kind of charity brings forth miracles.
Recently, I got to participate and witness a miracle with my husband. A difficult conversation ensued after we had been attacked from various angles by Satan. It was a tense experience and hard sleep.
In the morning, I felt rested but I still didn’t know what I was going to do to show support.
I prayed.
I had a subtle feeling that I should ask if I could hold him. It was born from hearing Kim Davis’ voice in my mind. It was an echo of what she had shared in her podcast on Mother’s Who Know in June. (“It’s All About Connection”)
“With one arm around your loved one, and your eyes fixated on the Savior…”
Before getting in the position, I told him that I wanted to hold him while I prayed. He accepted.
I prayed and asked Father to give me His love and let it come from Him, through me and into Him. Later, Robert called me to tell me how that was the best thing I could have done.
God’s love is deep…so deep that Robert and I were sanctified together as he spoke to me about a revelation he had and we experienced a deep cleanse together…one lacking words, but filled with emotion.
I was so touched, and it resonated so much that he was equally touched in a profound way.
It was a miracle!
***
The Savior’s invitation is, “Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live” (3 Ne. 15:9).
Paul, who had so much wisdom to share said: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. “ (Philippians 4:13)
My friend, Kim Davis, took me one step further when she taught me that Father in Heaven doesn’t just want to be with me, but He wants me to be “like him,“ which I can only be through the enabling power of Jesus Christ offered to me as I accept the gift of His Atonement.
It’s built on a pattern of increased connection, love, sanctification and exaltation I’m so grateful that He started this pattern in our relationship by granting me the opportunity to find peace in Christ.
If you want to learn more about how to use cutting-edge psychology, the scriptures and General Conference talks to uncover subtle satanic psychological strategies and gain actionable tools and techniques to respond to attacks, register for the Spiritual Psychology Masterclass. Learn together with licensed therapist Maurice Harker, M.ed.
Article written by guest blogger, Jessica Cordova Massey, participant in the weekly Spiritual Psychology Masterclass.
