Death, Sin, and Mortal Challenges

Piece by piece I'm learning a little more about the Atonement. We learn that it can used to repent of our sins and be forgiven of them. I then learned that the Atonement can also be used to help me forgive others as well. Now I'm learning that it can be used to lift the burdens and pain from the challenges that we face here on Earth.

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 the sicknesses of his people. (Alma 7:11)

Whatever struggle I am struggling with at this very moment, whatever intensity of pain I am feeling, or whatever burden I feel is dragging me down, I can be given the strength to overcome all of it. Any stresses, pain, or burdens I experience have been felt before. My exact trials were His as well. Just like we learn in the Book of Mormon with Nephi, anything is possible when we ask the Lord for help. In Elder Dallin H. Oaks 2015 October General Conference talk Strengthened by the Atonement of Jesus Christ, he says,

What cures us is our Savior and His Atonement...He willingly experienced them all as an essential part of His Atonement. And because of this, His Atonement empowers Him to succor us--to give us strength to bear it all. 

 One of my favorite lines in his talk was where he said that ...even when that behavior has been repented of, the addiction may remain. We can ask for forgiveness, we can be repent and be forgiven, but that's when the guilt should stop for us. Even when we still feel the pull of our sins, we shouldn't let them control us and our worthiness. They don't determine our worthiness, it is the cleansing power of the Atonement that it does.

Because of His atoning experience in mortality, our Savior is able to comfort, heal, and strengthen all men and women everywhere, but I believe He does so only for those who seek Him and ask for His help. The Apostle James taught, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up” (James 4:10). We qualify for that blessing when we believe in Him and pray for His help.

 This brings a lot of comfort knowing that even though we have the desire to do what is right but still feel the pull of our sins we wish to forsake, that the Atonement can save us from those sins and give us the strength we need in order to truly let go of them.

What I am Getting Out of General Conference

One theme that I am hearing throughout all of the conference talks is that we will be blessed with protection from the Adversary and his temptations IF we will but follow His commandments. We are being given "iffy" blessings as was James Covill in the Doctrine and Covenants 39. If we obey, we will be blessed.

[To see more General Conference today, October 2nd -- go to http://www.byu.tv/ to see the live sessions at 12:00 EST and 4:00pm EST (10am MST/2pm MST)


[SATURDAY OCTOBER 1ST MORNING/AFTERNOON SESSIONS]

Elder Richard G. Scott
He repeated the invitation given to us at the General Relief Society Session to pray to be filled with charity. He wants us to love our neighbor like unto ourselves. We will be blessed with His Spirit to have a stronger conviction to be righteous IF we cleave unto charity and are consistently reading the Book of Mormom.
Sister Barbara Thompson
IF we want to receive our own personal revelation, we need to be humble and soften our hearts. Then as we read the scriptures and live righteously, the Lord will then bless us with revelation. As we are seeking to know His will, remember that we need to seek for wisdom, not power. Our testimonies will grow in strength that can fill in the holes and gaps in our lives only IF we keep nourishing it through church attendance, praying, renewing our covenants, etc.

Elder L. Whitney Clayton
Testified that there is a Savior and claims so with authority that he is Jesus Christ. Growth of the church is expanding throughout the world bc we can claim authority that he is our Savior.

President Thomas S. Monson
Building of temples is the most important of building bc it is where we can build eternal relationships through the sealing power of the Priesthood. How wonderful it is that we can now help others attend the temple through the General Temple Patron Fund!!!

Elder Jose L Alonso
We need to be doing the right thing at the right time without delay! We need to go out and seek for those lost sheep. Some of them may not even know that they are lost! The Lord doesn't ever lose sight of His children! What does Heavenly Father expect from us? Our thinking, actions, testimonies and devotions to be directed towards the building up of His kingdom. We can do this by bringing back those lost sheep to the fold, to strengthen them, to help them.

President Boyd K. Packer
To our youth of the church -- who are more faithful, more knowledgeable of the Gospel. Some warnings and counsel to you: We need to remember the importance of the power of procreation is only permitted within the bounds of lawful matrimony between a husband and wife lawfully wedded. We can be given our own "iffy" blessings through our patriarchal blessings given to us by the Patriarch. He has the spirit of revelation and prophecy given to him with authority of the Priesthood. We must listen for the voice of the Spirit as he whispers to us. Learn how to hear it and feel it! His spiritual voice will and can correct our actions. IF if we listen to the Spirit, he will protect us as we are being raised up in enemy territory.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
We need to retain the importance of the greatness of God and our own nothingness. The Lord made this universe for our benefit. Satan wants to deceive us, puff us up and prey on our pride. He will try to discourage us and tell us we have no worth. What matters? Doing your best in the situation we are in, not where we are and what our rank is in the world. The Lord uses a different scale for determining the worth of our souls.
1. God loves the humble and meek.
2. Lord entrusts his work to his servants, the weak ones.
3. No matter how little you have, you are not invisible to Heavenly Father!
4. What you experience now is not for forever.
HOLD ON. YOU MATTER TO HIM!

Elder David A. Bednar
We need to be turning our hearts to our fathers through family history and genealogy. We can become "Saviors on Mount Zion" as we attend the temple and do proxy work for our ancestors. As we are doing the work on family history, the Lord promises us protection. We are the Lord's agents and it is our duty and privilege to do this work!

Elder Neil. L. Andersen
Concerning the area of if and when and how many children to have -- answer this question by prayer and faith. Motherhood is what God gave us time for. Where is our faith?

Elder Ian. S Ardern
We need to be using our time wisely. Love is really spelled T.I.M.E.! Don't let technology overtake your time from prayer, scripture studying, etc. Don't let them become addictions.  We need to master them by balancing our time with the Lord, Family, Work and Wholesome Recreational Activities.

Elder Carl. B. Cook
Prophets redirect our focus heavenward. "It is better to look up!" (President Thomas S. Monson)

[Sadly, my kids started acting up right about this talk so I didn't get to take notes after this. But wow...what amazing instruction! I love General Conference!]

Light of the Atonement will illuminate the truth of all things

John 7:17

If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

If we want to know if His teachings are true or not, the best way to prove them is by doing them. The way I see it, we have two choices here: rely on someone's testimony of it because they have found out for themselves OR we can act upon His teachings to know for ourselves. You can't gain a testimony of tithing unless you pay tithing and reap the blessings from paying it. As we gain a testimony, our faith turns into knowledge.

Later in John (John 8:12), it talks about how Christ is the Light of the world. Something that my Sunday school teacher said was really quite interesting if you read it in the right context:

The Light of the Atonement will illuminate the truth of all things

I've tried articulating what he meant by this quote, but it's not coming out right. I guess it is one of those things where you would've had to of been there. But if you want to discuss it, by all means...discuss. I'll try to explain it as best as possible.