I worked on this chapter for awhile this morning also. It went in a different direction than I had planned. So I'm going to post what I have of this chapter also. I'm really close to being finished with the first draft, but there is still a long way to go with editing and polishing. And I have a headache. I'm going to revisit this on a future day as well. (I only wrote about gratitude earlier. So I returned to add a section in the beginning about grace on August 18, 2020).
Brad Wilcox gave a BYU devotional
address titled “His
Grace is Sufficient”
on July 12, 2011. That talk has had a profound influence on my life ever since
I first watched it. Brad’s powerful message has helped me to reframe my
thinking and has strengthened my testimony. His talk has guided my progress, much
like the lyrics of so many songs by Hilary Weeks. It was discussed when I first
attended a stake institute class in September 2013 and again when I took a Book
of Mormon class at the UVU Institute during Spring 2019 semester. In this chapter,
I will share the parts that have been most influential in my life.
He
explained that he will be speaking “about changing weaknesses into strengths
and about how the grace of Jesus Christ is sufficient (see Ether
12:27, Doctrine
and Covenants 17:8, 2 Corinthians 12:9,)—sufficient to cover us,
sufficient to transform us, and sufficient to help us as long as that
transformation process takes.” He began with a story about a BYU student who asked
to speak with him. “She said, ‘I just don’t get grace… I know I need to do my
best and then Jesus does the rest, but I can’t even do my best.’ She continued,
‘I know that I have to do my part and then Jesus makes up the difference and
fills the gap that stands between my part and perfection. But who fills the gap
that stands between where I am now and my part?’” That girl could have easily
been me. As a perfectionist, I have asked those same questions countless times during
my life. Brad’s reply continues to be so helpful to me, “Jesus doesn’t make up
the difference. Jesus makes all the difference. Grace is not about filling gaps.
It is about filling us… He paid our debt in full. He didn’t pay it all except
for a few coins. He paid it all. It is finished… You have plenty to do, but it
is not to fill that gap. We will all be resurrected. We will all go back to
God’s presence. What is left to be determined by our obedience is what kind of
body we plan on being resurrected with and how comfortable we plan to be in
God’s presence and how long we plan to stay there.”
He
continued by explaining more about the doctrine of Christ. “Christ asks us to
show faith in Him, repent, make and keep covenants, receive the Holy Ghost, and
endure to the end. By complying, we are not paying the demands of justice—not
even the smallest part. Instead, we are showing appreciation for what Jesus
Christ did by using it to live a life like His. Justice requires immediate
perfection or a punishment when we fall short. Because Jesus took that
punishment, He can offer us the chance for ultimate perfection (see Matthew
5:48, 3
Nephi 12:48) and help us reach that goal. He can forgive what justice never
could, and He can turn to us now with His own set of requirements.” I have written
notes in my scriptures for both of the verses he referenced. When I took “Repentance
and Forgiveness” during my last semester of institute, I was very grateful for
what I learned from 2
Nephi 2:7. It says that Christ “offereth
himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the
law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit.”
My teacher explained that means both ends of the law – forgiveness when we sin and compensation
when we have been wronged in any way. That felt so comforting to me. In 3 Nephi
9:20, Christ explains, “whoso cometh unto me with a
broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the
Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of
their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they
knew it not.” I wrote, “we are bathed in the
Spirit after we are baptized and confirmed. We may not realize it because He is
always there (by default).”
He
continued with the story. “’So
what’s the difference?’ the girl asked. ‘Whether our efforts are required by
justice or by Jesus, they are still required.’” Brad gave this helpful reply, “True…
but they are required for a different purpose. Fulfilling Christ’s requirements
is like paying a mortgage instead of rent or like making deposits in a savings
account instead of paying off debt. You still have to hand it over every month,
but it is for a totally different reason.” Then he
shared a really helpful analogy. “Christ’s arrangement with us is similar to a mom providing
music lessons for her child. Mom pays the piano teacher… Because Mom pays the
debt in full, she can turn to her child and ask for something. What is it? Practice!
Does the child’s practice pay the piano teacher? No. Does the child’s practice
repay Mom for paying the piano teacher? No. Practicing is how the child shows
appreciation for Mom’s incredible gift. It is how he takes advantage of the
amazing opportunity Mom is giving him to live his life at a higher level. Mom’s
joy is found not in getting repaid but in seeing her gift used—seeing her child
improve. And so she continues to call for practice, practice, practice. If
the child sees Mom’s requirement of practice as being too overbearing… perhaps
it is because he doesn’t yet see with mom’s eyes. He doesn’t see how much
better his life could be if he would choose to live on a higher plane.”
He explained, “In the same way,
because Jesus has paid justice, He can now turn to us and say, ‘Follow me’ (Matthew
4:19), ‘Keep my commandments’ (John
14:15). If we see His requirements as being way too much to ask (‘… None of
the other Christians have to pay tithing… go on missions, serve in callings,
and do temple work!’), maybe it is because we do not yet see through Christ’s
eyes. We have not yet comprehended what He is trying to make of us.” He then
quoted Bruce C. Hafen’s book. “The great Mediator asks for our repentance not
because we must ‘repay’ him in exchange for his paying our debt to justice, but
because repentance initiates a developmental process that, with the Savior’s
help, leads us along the path to a saintly character” (The Broken Heart
[Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1989], 149; emphasis in original).
He
continued the explanation, “Let’s put that in terms of our analogy: The child
must practice the piano, but this practice has a different purpose than
punishment or payment. Its purpose is change. I have born-again Christian
friends who say to me, ‘You Mormons are trying to earn your way to heaven.’ I
say, ‘No, we are not earning heaven. We are learning heaven. We are preparing
for it (see Doctrine
and Covenants 78:7). We are practicing for it.’ They ask me, ‘Have you been
saved by grace?’ I answer, ‘Yes. Absolutely, totally, completely, thankfully—yes!’
Then I ask them a question that perhaps they have not fully considered: ‘Have
you been changed by grace?’ They are so excited about being saved that maybe
they are not thinking enough about what comes next. They are so happy the debt
is paid that they may not have considered why the debt existed in the first
place. Latter-day Saints know not only what Jesus has saved us from but also
what He has saved us for… As my friend Omar Canals puts it, ‘While many
Christians view Christ’s suffering as only a huge favor He did for us,
Latter-day Saints also recognize it as a huge investment He made in us.’ As
Moroni puts it, grace isn’t just about being saved. It is also about becoming
like the Savior (see Moroni
7:48). The miracle of the [Savior’s] Atonement is not just that we can live
after we die but that we can live more abundantly (see John
10:10). The miracle of the [Savior’s] Atonement is not just that we can be
cleansed and consoled but that we can be transformed (see Romans 8). Scriptures make it clear that no
unclean thing can dwell with God (see Alma
40:26), but… no unchanged thing will even want to. …Heaven will not be
heaven for those who have not chosen to be heavenly.”
Then
he explained this in an even more profound way. “…The older I get, and the more
I understand this wonderful plan of redemption, the more I realize that in the
final judgment it will not be the unrepentant sinner begging Jesus, ‘Let me
stay.’ No, he will probably be saying, ‘Get me out of here!’ Knowing Christ’s
character, I believe that if anyone is going to be begging on that occasion, it
would probably be Jesus begging the unrepentant sinner, ‘Please, choose to
stay. Please, use my Atonement—not just to be cleansed but to be changed so
that you want to stay.’ The miracle of the [Savior’s] Atonement is not just
that we can go home but that—miraculously—we can feel at home there. If Christ
did not require faith and repentance, then there would be no desire to change… [Some
people] are not trying to abandon sin and become comfortable with God. Rather,
they are trying to abandon God and become comfortable with sin. If Jesus did
not require covenants and bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost, then there would
be no way to change. We would be left forever with only willpower, with no
access to His power. If Jesus did not require endurance to the end, then there
would be no internalization of those changes over time. They would forever be
surface and cosmetic rather than sinking inside us and becoming part of us—part
of who we are.”
Because
I still struggle with perfectionistic tendencies, the next part of his talk was
very instructive to me. He listed some general excuses, “…‘I’m just not very
good at the piano. I hit a lot of wrong notes. It takes me forever to get it
right.’ Now wait. Isn’t that all part of the learning process? When a young
pianist hits a wrong note, we don’t say he is not worthy to keep practicing. We
don’t expect him to be flawless. We just expect him to keep trying. Perfection
may be his ultimate goal, but for now we can be content with progress in the
right direction. Why is this perspective so easy to see in the context of
learning piano but so hard to see in the context of learning heaven? Too many
are giving up on the Church because they are tired of constantly feeling like
they are falling short. They have tried in the past, but they always feel like
they are just not good enough. They don’t understand grace. … There should
never be just two options: perfection or giving up. When learning the piano,
are the only options performing at Carnegie Hall or quitting? No. Growth and
development take time. Learning takes time. When we understand grace, we
understand that God is long-suffering, that change is a process, and that
repentance is a pattern in our lives. When we understand grace, we understand
that the blessings of Christ’s Atonement are continuous and His strength is
perfect in our weakness (see 2 Corinthians 12:9). When we understand grace, we can…
‘continue in patience until [we] are perfected’ (Doctrine
and Covenants 67:13).”
There
is a very misunderstood scriptural passage in our culture. Brad clarifies it
beautifully. “…Christ is not waiting at the finish line once we have done ‘all
we can do’ (2
Nephi 25:23). He is with us every step of the way.” He then quotes Bruce C.
Hafen’s book as a second witness, “The Savior’s gift of grace to us is not
necessarily limited in time to ‘after’ all we can do. We may receive his grace
before, during and after the time when we expend our own efforts” (The
Broken Heart [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1989], 155). A third witness
comes from a “Don’t Miss This” video I watched on March 5, 2020. David Butler
and Emily Belle Freeman focus on this concept frequently in their teaching and
writing. This is the full verse, “For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and
also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to
be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are
saved, after all we can do.” David and Emily point out that it says earlier
in the verse that “believing in Christ is all we can do.” They also point out
that “we” is the combination of Jesus and each of us.
Brad then strings these powerful phrases together, “So grace is not a booster engine
that kicks in once our fuel supply is exhausted. Rather, it is our constant
energy source. It is not the light at the end of the tunnel but the light that
moves us through the tunnel. Grace is not achieved somewhere down the road. It
is received right here and right now. It is not a finishing touch; it is the
Finisher’s touch.” He references Hebrews
12:2 there. It is one of my favorite verses in all of scripture and I
learned to love it even more as I studied it during my institute classes. “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross…” I
wrote a note in my scriptures next to that verse. “We are the joy that was set
before Christ which helped Him endure until His atoning sacrifice was finished.” I
cross referenced that with Hebrews
6:18-20. It says, “That by two immutable things,
in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong
consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as
an anchor of
the soul, both sure and steadfast, and
which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus.” I love that! I wrote
another note in my scriptures on March 5, 2020, so it was also inspired by that
“Don’t Miss This” video. “Jesus provides
the hope that is set before us, just as we were the joy that was set before Him
during His atoning sacrifice for each of us.”
Brad continued, “The first company of Saints entered the Salt Lake
Valley on July 24, 1847. Their journey was difficult and challenging;
still, they sang:
Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear;
But with joy wend your way.” (That phrase is the inspiration for the name of my blog.)
“Though hard to you this journey may appear,
Grace shall be as your day.
[“Come,
Come, Ye Saints,” Hymns, 2002, no. 30]
‘Grace shall be as your day’—what an
interesting phrase. We have all sung it hundreds of times, but have we stopped
to consider what it means? ‘Grace shall be as your day’: grace shall be like a
day. As dark as night may become, we can always count on the sun coming up. As
dark as our trials, sins, and mistakes may appear, we can always have
confidence in the grace of Jesus Christ. Do we earn a sunrise? No. Do we have
to be worthy of a chance to begin again? No. We just have to accept these
blessings and take advantage of them. As sure as each brand-new day, grace—the
enabling power of Jesus Christ—is constant. Faithful pioneers knew they were
not alone. The task ahead of them was never as great as the power behind them.”
Emily Freeman also shared her thoughts about this phrase, “The grace, or
enabling and strengthening power, we desire will be given according to the
needs of our day. In other words, ‘Grace will be given as your day requires.’
Another favorite hymn teaches this same principle: ‘As thy days may demand, so
thy succor shall be’ (‘How
Firm a Foundation,’ Hymns, no. 85)” (Making it Through the Middle,
[Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2014], 17-18). A dictionary definition of succor is “assistance and support in times of hardship and
distress.” I’ve also heard it described
as the Savior “running to” someone in distress.
Brad
Wilcox concluded, “The grace of Christ is sufficient—sufficient to cover our
debt, sufficient to transform us, and sufficient to help us as long as that
transformation process takes. The Book of Mormon teaches us to rely solely on ‘the
merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah’ (2
Nephi 2:8). As we do, we do not discover—as some Christians believe—that
Christ requires nothing of us. Rather, we discover the reason He requires so
much and the strength to do all He asks (see Philippians
4:13). Grace is not the absence of God’s high expectations. Grace is the
presence of God’s power (see Luke
1:37). Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said the following: ‘Now may I
speak . . . to those buffeted by false insecurity, who, though laboring
devotedly in the Kingdom, have recurring feelings of falling forever short. . .
.This feeling of inadequacy is . . . normal. There is no way the Church can
honestly describe where we must yet go and what we must yet do without creating
a sense of immense distance. . . .This is a gospel of grand expectations, but
God’s grace is sufficient for each of us’ [‘Notwithstanding
My Weakness,’ Ensign, November 1976, 12, 14]. With Elder Maxwell, I testify
that God’s grace is sufficient. Jesus’ grace is sufficient. It is enough. It is
all we need…. Don’t quit. Keep trying… Look for the Lord and His perfect
strength… Search for someone to help you. Seek Christ, and, as you do, I
promise you will feel the enabling power we call His amazing grace…. Jesus is
pulling with you…”
Grace
is one of the gifts of God that I am most grateful for. That’s why I combined
gratitude with grace in this chapter. “Gratitude is a
feeling of appreciation and thankfulness for blessings or benefits we have
received. As we cultivate a grateful attitude, we are more likely to be… spiritually
strong.” When we “regularly express our gratitude to God for the blessings He
gives us and to others for the kind acts they do for us,” our gratitude grows. “Gratitude
is an uplifting… attitude. People are generally happier when they have
gratitude in their hearts. We cannot be bitter, resentful, or mean-spirited
when we are grateful” (“Gratitude,”
Gospel Topics, churchofjesuschrist.org).
I
love these descriptions of gratitude from The Book of Mormon: Another
Testament of Jesus Christ. “…render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to
that God who has created you… and is preserving you from
day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live
and move and do according to your own will, and even
supporting you from one moment to another… and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye
do keep his commandments he
doth bless you and prosper you” (Mosiah
2:20-22). “…worship God,
in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye live
in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you”
(Alma
34:38).
Henry B. Eyring has often taught the importance of expressing
gratitude in our prayers and in a journal. He explained, “Before I would write,
I would ponder this question: “Have I seen the hand of God reaching out to
touch us or our children or our family today?” As I kept at it, something began
to happen. As I would cast my mind over the day, I would see evidence of what God
had done for one of us that I had not recognized in the busy moments of the
day. As that happened, and it happened often, I realized that trying to
remember had allowed God to show me what He had done” (O,
Remember, Remember, Ensign, Nov. 2007).
In my Positive Psychology class, we were
also taught the importance of gratitude journals. I’ve noticed that gratitude
in my present circumstances doesn’t necessarily change anything about my
situation, but it changes how I feel about it. It can almost instantly transform
my worry into peace. I’m grateful every day for the
atonement of Jesus Christ, which showers the gifts of grace, repentance, forgiveness,
hope, and peace into my life and allows me unlimited opportunities to change
and improve. I’m equally grateful to Heavenly Father for giving us the gift of
His Son. I’m grateful to Him for answered prayers, divine intersections,
miracles, freedom to choose, and eternal perspective. I’m grateful for the gift
of the Holy Ghost, which testifies of Them, and for the personal revelation, inspiration,
guidance, and protection from harm He gives. I’m grateful for living prophets
and apostles, for Priesthood power, for temples and ordinances, and for the
sacrament, which allows us to renew our covenants each week. I’m grateful for
the strength and comfort I receive from studying the scriptures and listing to uplifting
music.
What are you grateful for? In addition to the important list above, I’m grateful for the beauty of
nature and the opportunity to live close to these majestic mountains. I’m especially
grateful for warm sunshine and cool breezes, blue skies, white fluffy or wispy
clouds, sunsets and rainbows after rain, green leaves on shade trees and colorful
leaves in the fall, crunchy leaves to walk through, spring blossoms on a
variety of trees, cheerful flowers in other people’s yards, and the sound of
ocean waves. I’m grateful for the blessings of freedom and protection in our
country, for garbage trucks that pick up our waste each week; for a comfortable
home that provides protections from the elements with electricity, running
water from faucets, warm water for showers, indoor plumbing, air conditioning and
ceiling fans to keep us cool in the summer, furnaces to heat our homes in the
winter, vacuums and microwaves, stoves and ovens, dishwashers and garbage
disposals, freezers and refrigerators with ice and water dispensers, washing
machines and dryers, curling irons and hair dryers, fresh smelling detergent
and fabric softener, toilet paper and paper towels, comfortable beds with clean
sheets.
I’m also grateful for locks on doors and windows that keep us safe, lights on the
outside of houses and nightlights for comfort, bannisters next to stairs, lawnmowers
and other yardwork equipment, automatic sprinkler systems and automatic garage
doors that open with the push of a button, dependable cars, computers and printers,
laptops, internet and email, cell phones with built in cameras, texting and
Instagram, digital pianos and streaming music. I’m grateful for a healthy body,
eyes that see, ears that hear, nose that smells, able hands to serve with, feet
and legs to walk with, good hair days, times when I can think clearly and
focus, smiles and straight teeth, orthodontists who know how to straighten them
if they’re not, healing and restorative sleep, healthy pregnancies, modern
medicine, kind doctors and dentists, empathetic psychiatrists and therapists, life
coaches who teach how to think and feel in beneficial ways, plenty of food,
feeling full and not fat, clothes that fit well, wrinkle-free clothes, savings
in the bank, Quicken and finances that balance, paid bills and tax returns. I’m
grateful for my husband who loves me and sees the good in me (even when I don’t),
who works so hard to provide our comfortable lifestyle; for his ability to cook
delicious meals, his willingness to help keep the house clean and in good repair,
his conscientious care of the yard, his talent with woodworking and playing the
guitar. I’m grateful for our two children and how they have grown into kind and
capable adults, for a healthy and happy grandson who lives with us, and for
parents and siblings who care. I’m grateful for good friends to walk and talk
with, hugs and laughter, good people who inspire me and are willing to serve
others, the ability to drive where I need to go, the ability to organize and
carry a tune, time to relax and recover, not having to work outside the home, having
my own office with uplifting pictures and sayings on every wall. I’m grateful
for yummy smelling lotion for dry skin, Neosporin for cuts, lip balm, sugar
cones for an occasional ice cream treat, pebbled ice, kiwi strawberry Propel to
drink, Belvita breakfast biscuits for snacks, puppies and babies… This list could go on and on.
***
The main reason I chose to serve a mission was to share the good news that there is always hope in Christ. Jeffrey R. Holland explained. “Repent (is) perhaps the most hopeful and encouraging word in the Christian vocabulary” (“Broken Things to Mend,” Ensign, May 2006). Richard G. Scott reminded us, “Repentance is not punishment. It is the hope-filled path to a more glorious future.” (“Personal Strength Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, Ensign, Nov. 2013). The Bible dictionary gives this helpful explanation of repentance, “The Greek word of which this is the translation denotes a change of mind, a fresh view about God, about oneself, and about the world.” (“Repentance,” Bible Dictionary).
I
once taught a lesson about repentance to the women in our church congregation.
Ezra Taft Benson taught, “The Lord works from the
inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people
out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take
themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their
environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world
would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature. …Christ
changes men, and changed men can change the world” (“Principles
of True Repentance,” Teachings of
Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson, 78). That quote has held
special significance to me, especially since I served in North East
Philadelphia during the first three months of my full-time proselyting mission.
One person who truly changes can help break the cycle of poverty and
hopelessness in their family.
Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” That is good counsel for all of us.
