Teens & Seminary

Early in the morning on the day after the Sabbath a mighty work was at hand. We know nothing of what occurred inside the Garden Tomb, testifying of the sacredness of the actual event, only that soon afterward the earth shook and two angels rolled away the great stone from the mouth of the tomb.

Two guards appointed by Pilate had been keeping watch. The chief scribes and Pharisees were so concerned with Christ’s prophecies about rising again they didn’t want to take any chances His followers would try any tricks (Matthew 27:62-64). In doing so they unintentionally gave quite a witness to the heavenly events. The two guards fainted at the sight.

Around this same time a group of women, many of whom had been disciples (devoted followers) of Jesus since He began His ministry in Galilee, were on their way to the tomb to anoint His body in the proper oils, thus giving Him the burial Jewish law required. They must have presented a desolate sight, grieving for the loss of their beloved leader and teacher.

The time line here gets a little fuzzy. Seeing the open tomb Mary Magdalene fears the worst. She runs to find Simon Peter, telling him, “They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him” (John 20:2). Mary believed someone had taken the Lord’s body, unwilling to let Him rest in peace but causing mischief even in His death.

While this was going on the women had looked into the tomb and saw two angels within (We discover there were two angels through the inspired translation of Joseph Smith in the King James Version of the Bible). “Why seek ye the living among the dead?” the heavenly visitors ask (Luke 24:5). The women are told to go immediately and tell everyone Christ had indeed risen.

No one believed them at first. In their grief and agony at such a loss, it isn’t too hard to imagine their doubt. As the women went on proclaiming the good news Simon Peter and John raced to see the tomb for themselves. Mary Magdalene was perhaps forgotten in their wonder at the sight of Christ’s burial clothes left undisturbed on the stone bench (by this time it seems the angels had left). Only then did they realize what had happened: Jesus the Christ had been resurrected!

Mary Magdalene had not come to this knowledge. In her mind she could not get past grieving over the loss of the Lord. She still thought someone had taken Him away. James E. Talmage, an apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed the Mormon Church), describes Mary as a noble woman and devoted soul.

“Mary became one of the closest friends Christ had among women; her devotion to Him as her Healer and as the One whom she adored as the Christ was unswerving; she stood close by the cross while other women tarried afar off in the time of His mortal agony; she was among the first at the sepulchre on the resurrection morning” (Talmage, James E., Jesus the Christ, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981, p.264-65).

Only when she found herself alone at the tomb did she look inside. Once again there were two angels who asked the grieving woman, “Why weepest thou?” to which she answered, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him” (John 20:13). She turned away from the tomb only to be met with the presence of another. She assumed he was the gardener, or caretaker of the garden. She also assumed he must know what had happened to the occupant of the tomb. When she is against asked why she is crying she responds, “Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away (John 20:15). She never calls Him by name.

Here is one of, in my eyes, the most beautiful events recorded in history. Perhaps it speaks to my heart of how the voice of someone we love, whether it be a treasured friend or family member, can be recognized even in the face of death. The man spoke just one word, “Mary.”

“One word from His living lips changed her agonized grief into ecstatic joy…. The voice, the tone, the tender accent she had heard and loved in the earlier days lifted her from the despairing depths into which she had sunk. She turned, and saw the Lord” (Talmage, James E., Jesus the Christ, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981, p.681).

In her joy she reached out. Christ beckoned for her to pause. “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God” (John 20:17).

Even as a resurrected being, when Christ could have stood in glory of what He had accomplished, He instead turns our attention to the Father.

Mary did what was asked of her, though again no one believed. How could they, when she hadn’t been able to understand until she saw the living Christ for herself? To Mary’s testimony came that of the other women. Once Christ had visited with our Father, He came to them, and then to others.

Christ was risen. All that He taught and prophesied had come to pass. He truly was the Messiah, the Redeemer of all mankind.

There are two men in particular to thank for the proper, though hurried, burial of our Savior. If it weren’t for these two men Christ’s body would have been treated the same way as any other Jewish convicted criminal: tossed into a common grave. This was not a burial meant for the one who had just redeemed all of mankind.

This occurred to Joseph of Arimathaea. Joseph was a rich man and a member of the Sanhedrin, the ancient Jewish court. His relationship to Jesus is uncertain, though some non-scriptural scholars have thought he might be the brother of Anna, Christ’s grandmother. It is more likely he was simply a devoted follower.

Joseph of Arimathaea went to Pilate, a ruler appointed by Rome, and asked to have the body of Jesus Christ released to him upon death. Though it seems a simple enough act, Joseph showed great courage. Not only could he have angered Pilate, he would also face the resentment of the Jewish leaders who originally sought the life of Christ and the court with which he served.

Pilate granted Joseph’s wish. Once death was declared Joseph went into action. Jewish law dictated that burial occur before the end of the day which was quickly approaching. Time didn’t allow for a proper burial in the sense of the body being appropriately anointed. All they could do was wash Him, wrap the head and body, and lay the body amid spices.

This is where we’re introduced to the second man who is only briefly mentioned at this time. Nicodemus, another ruler of the Jews (John 3:1) as a member of the Sanhedrin, had been a devoted follower of Christ, even in defending Him against the chief priests and Pharisees (John 7:45-52). He bought a large amount of spices, myrrh and aloe to prepare Jesus’ body for burial. The purchase was actually so large it was compared to that of what was used in royal burials, which I’m sure Nicodemus felt was appropriate.

These two men are those who took down the body of Jesus Christ. They removed the spikes from His hands, wrists, and feet. They lovingly washed His body clean, and did all that was needed in the short time available. I cannot picture the scene without seeing tears running down their faces, just as many of us who have grieved for our own loved ones who have passed on.

Jesus Christ was buried in Joseph of Arimathaea’s new tomb, freely given by this disciple (John 19:41-42). James E. Talmage, leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed the Mormon Church), sums up the next few events:

“The tomb was in a garden… Because of the nearness of the Sabbath the interment had to be made with haste; the door of the sepulchre was closed, a large stone was rolled against it; and thus laid away the body was left to rest” (Talmage, James E., Jesus the Christ, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981, p.665).

Only a few women followed, though they didn’t enter the tomb. Their Sabbath day was soon to begin and so they planned to come back in a few days to complete the anointing. Little did they know what scene would meet them the next time they would come to the Garden Tomb.

We don’t know for certain where Golgotha is found. Many hymns and paintings over the years depict it as being on a hill, but none of the four gospels indicate this to be true. As we learn more about the culture and the times, we come to know crucifixions were done outside city walls along main roads. This was done to further humiliate the person being crucified, as well as a warning to others what would happen if they were caught.

We know Christ was crucified at nine o’clock in the morning (Mark 15:25). Spikes were driven through the palms of His hands as well as the wrists, and then into the feet, making sure no bones were broken in the process. At this point He would have been lifted up to the tree where everything would be nailed into place. Included in this was the sign written up by Pilate. It read:

Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews

As we read in John 19:19-22, the chief priests wanted Pilate to add two more words, so that the sign would read, “I am King of the Jews.” In this point Pilate finally stood firm. “What I have written I have written.” Pilate knew Jesus was innocent. Perhaps he also knew of Christ’s divinity.

Bruce R. McConkie, leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed the Mormon Church), describes some of what Christ went through on the cross.

“A death by crucifixion seems to include all that pain and death can have of the horrible and ghastly – dizziness, cramp, thirst, starvation, sleeplessness, traumatic fever, tetanus, publicity of shame, long continuance of torment, horror of anticipation, mortification of untended wounds, all intensified just up to the point at which they can be endured at all, but all stopping just short of the point which would give to the sufferer the relief of unconsciousness. The unnatural position made every movement painful...and, while each variety of misery went on gradually increasing, there was added to them the intolerable pang of a burning and raging thirst. Such was the death to which Christ was doomed” (McConkie, Bruce R., Donctrinal New Testament Commentary, vol. 1, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, p.816).

Everything Christ endured on the cross is horrible to think about. What is miraculous to me is through all of it He was concerned about others, as we can see in His last words.

1. “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Who were ‘they?’ Certainly not the men and soldiers who arrested, scourged, and mocked Him. None of these men had repented, nor deserved forgiveness. Christ was speaking to His Father in behalf of the soldiers who, following orders, nailed Him to the cross.

2. “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Two thieves were also crucified at the same time as Christ. One of these men went so far as to begin mocking the Savior. The second thief rebuked the first, showing come compassion. Was he more concerned with himself, wondering if he might make it into heaven? This is certainly a possibility. Even so, his heart was in a better place, and Christ gave him some peace in the promise to meet in the world of Spirits.

3. “Woman, behold thy son! … Behold thy mother!” (John 19:26-27). One among a group of faithful women was the Lord’s own mother. How her heart must have suffered to see her beloved Son come to such an end. Near her stood John the Beloved, one of Christ’s own faithful followers. In putting the two of them together, He ensured His mother would be well taken care of.

4. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). For me this is the most heart-wrenching cry to have been uttered from the Savior’s lips. At this moment He had gone through so much. So much! His life was ending, His body pushed to it’s limits. I think the only thing that kept Him going was His link to the Father, and now it had been removed. Now there was no angel to help support Him, no promise of a return, only darkness.

5. “I thirst” (John 19:28). At the removal of the Father’s light and life, Christ may have felt the physical torment to an even greater degree. Admitting such a base need truly testifies to the agony He was then suffering. Still, when offered, Christ declined, putting His mission before His own needs.

6. “It is finished” (John 19:30). In the footnotes of the King James version of the Bible put out by the Mormon Church we find a slightly different account as translated by inspiration through Joseph Smith. “It is finished, thy will is done.” Herein we see the completion of the Atonement. All that Christ suffered was at the will of the Father. In this moment, this blessed moment, Christ knows He has done all that the Father has asked.

7. “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46). Christ gave up the ghost. It was His choice. He had power over His own death, as was given to Him by being the literal Son of the Father. Why is this so significant? It wasn’t the chief priests or Roman soldiers who brought about His death. Because of the light and life of the Father, which was in Him, Jesus could have lived on. This was in part the reason the Spirit left Christ, so that He could have total control over when to end His life, of His own free will and choice.

The earth quaked, the veil of the Temple ripped in two, mountains were laid low and valleys became mountains. The earth, and all that was upon it, mourned for the loss of its Creator. But somewhere in the afterlife was a Being who stood in the presence of countless loved ones, free of pain and sin, at last at peace. Only one thing more was required, and those on earth would have to wait three more days to see it happen.

At last the verdict was in: Jesus Christ would be crucified. Already weak and exhausted from the Garden of Gethsemane, having stayed up all night being tossed here and there by evil men whose only aim was to see Him hung, by now Christ had suffered more cruelly than any other man on earth. His agony was only added upon by the Roman soldiers.

Roman regulations insisted that every man condemned to crucifixion be scourged first. This act alone was so brutal, so bloody, those inflicted often died even before they could be crucified. I don’t feel it’s necessary to go into the horrors of scourging here. Just know that it was far more horrible than we can possibly imagine.

After the scourging had passed, the Roman soldiers who held Christ captive here couldn’t quite leave Him alone. Instead they took Him back to the judgment hall where they once again stripped Him of His clothes, mockingly replacing them with one of scarlet, a sign of royalty. Someone braided together a crown of thorny vines. It’s possible each of those thorns were an inch long. He was given a reed to hold, like a scepter, and once again He was scorned.

One of the things that most amazes me about everything Jesus was asked to endure was His patience. Though men spat upon Him, swore at Him, said cruel things to make fun and provoke, Christ patiently bore it all. As He was beaten, slapped, scourged, and other physical abuses were heaped upon Him, Christ never once raised a hand to save Himself. He simply bore all things with patience.

Bruce R. McConkie, a leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed the Mormon Church), taught to us follow Christ’s example.

“To fill the full measure and purpose of our mortal probation, we must have patience. This mortal existence is the Lord’s sifting sphere, the time when we are subject to trials, testing, and tribulations. Future rewards will be based on our patient endurance of all things” (McConkie, Bruce R.,Mormon Doctrine, 2d ed. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966, 557; italics added).

At this time upon Christ’s back was placed the cross He was to carry to Golgotha. We cannot know for certain whether it was the entire cross, or the crossbar. Even the latter would be trial enough, perhaps weighing 75-125 pounds. Christ is generally thought to have carried the crossbar, as crucifixions were generally done on a tree. The bar would have lain across the back of His neck, His arms tied to either side.

In this fashion Christ was prodded along through the streets on their way out of the city (no executions were performed within the city walls. Look up Numbers 15:35; 1 Kings 21:13; Acts 7:58). One of the soldiers carried a sign made by Pilate, indicating Christ’s name and supposed crime, which would later be fastened to the top of the cross.

Only now do we begin to see what toll all of the agonizing events up to this point had taken. Christ, under the great weight of everything He had endured, stumbled. He needed help. A passerby was called to by the soldiers and ‘compelled’ to carry the cross.

It is this man, Simon of Cyrene, who offers us a small ray of light in such a dark moment. Though we don’t know much about him, we do gain the sense that he had nothing to do with Jesus before this moment. He was not among the crowd who had demanded the life of Christ. He was not among those who joined the crowd in mocking and taunting the Savior. He was simply there because Mosaic law required all males of the covenant to come before the Lord during the Passover feast.

This one encounter, however, seemed to have affected Simon deeply. In Mark 15:21 we are given a small clue as to what eventually happened to Simon. “And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.” Simon had two sons: Alexander and Rufus. How does this help us?

Rufus was later referred to in Romans 16:13, where the apostle Paul mentions him, and his mother, specifically. In fact Paul seems to know them very well. We learn an even more interesting fact through a professor at Brigham Young University.

“Archaeologists working in Jerusalem believe that a group of ossuaries (stone boxes for the burial of human bones) discovered in 1941 belonged to the family of Simon of Cyrene.... One inscription bears the name Alexander, a name rare among Jews at the time; he is identified as the Son of Simon” (Skinner, Andrew C., Golgotha, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2002, p.112).

The event that took place the day Simon found himself called forth out of the streets of Jerusalem had such a profound effect on his life he became a converted member to the Lord’s Church, and his family as well.

The thought I’d like to close with, however, is the thought of Simon carrying a load for our Savior. So many times we feel the crosses we are asked to bear are too heavy a load on our shoulders, and we stumble. Often we are told to allow the Lord to help us, for His burden is light. There are few individuals throughout the history of the world who can claim they were able to carry even a tiny portion of Christ’s heavy burdens. Though he may not have thought so at first, Simon's life was truly blessed for that small act of service.

Jesus Christ was bound and led away by an interesting group of people. First you had the chief priests who performed the ordinances of the Aaronic Priesthood temple worship. There were also captains of the temple, who acted as security guards, so to speak. They kept order within the walls of the temple. There were also the elders of the church, who were spiritual and social leaders and teachers. Mixed in were Roman guards, thought to be included to make the entire arrest look official.

These men were essentially the same group who desired to take and kill Jesus back when He removed the moneychangers from the temple (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:18).

After His initial arrest Jesus was first taken to Annas, father-in-law to Caiaphas the official high priest. Annas himself had served as high priest when Jesus was a youth (A.D. 7-15), and had great influence within the system. Annas began to question Jesus about His doctrines, hoping to find something within His words to condemn Him (John 18:19-21).

Christ had preached in their temples. The chief priests and elders knew precisely all He had taught. All Annas had to do was ask the men personally. It was in His answer Christ let it be known He knew of the entire plot. They could have taken Him at any time when He preached right in front of them. Instead they chose to claim Him during the night, while most of His devout followers would not be aware of what happened.

At this moment a servant of Annas came forward and slapped Christ for embarrassing his master. Christ was then sent on to Caiaphas, who seemed to share the courtyard with his father-in-law. Here the chief priests and scribes came together in a meeting that turned out to be neither legal, nor fair. In fact all the succeeding trials turned out to be full of ironies and hypocrisies (Matthew 26:59-60; Mark 14:55).

They looked for false witnesses and found two, but the two witnesses couldn’t even agree with one another (Mark 14:59). Do you know what the punishment is for lying in a council meeting? The same as that of the accused. By right these two men should have been crucified as well. Obviously this didn’t happen.

Eventually Christ was accused of sedition. Sedition can also be called trouble-making, treason, or incitement to rebellion (things the very leaders caused in front of Pilate). This was the most they could come up with, other than blasphemy by referring to Himself as the Son of God. For these two things the leaders of God’s own Church cried out for Christ to die.

The council then sought to take their anger out on Him. Christ was spat upon, battered, slapped, taunted and mocked. Around six in the morning Jesus was taken to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. Pilate was a cruel man who cared little for what the Jews wished, but had burned far too many bridges up to this point and stood on shaky ground with those directly over him.

Pilate asked the Jewish council, “What accusation bring ye against this man?” (John 18:29) to which the council responded, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King” (Luke 23:2). This, of course, wasn’t true (Matthew 22:21).

Pilate probably knew what the Jewish leaders wanted – to keep their own hands clean by making this a government issue. The council also had no power to put anyone to death, lest it be through stoning by their own hands. Though Pilate tried to make them take care of their own disputes, the council would not leave. In speaking with Christ, Pilate couldn’t see that He’d done anything worth being put to death and tried to communicate this with the crowd. The people only became “more fierce” and adamant that something be done. So Pilate did the only thing he could think of: he sent them all to Herod.

As Jesus was from Galilee, He was strictly out of Pilate’s jurisdiction. He also knew Herod had long desired to see the purported Messiah in the hopes of witnessing a miracle. In this Pilate had two hopes. First, that it would take the entire matter out of his hands. Second, that it would help mend the two leaders poor relationship. Only one of the two matters were accomplished. Later he and Herod became friendly.

This was the same man who had murdered John the Baptist, Christ's cousin. Jesus refused to say a word to Herod. In anger Herod and his men ridiculed and mocked the Savior and sent Him back to Pilate. In a last ditch effort to save Christ’s life, Pilate took the tradition of setting free a prisoner on this day and brought forth a man who was the exact opposite of Christ: evil, notorious, a convicted criminal. When asked who should be released, the Jews cried out, “Barabbas.”

Pilate felt he could do no more without sacrificing his own position. In an effort to rid himself of any supposed guilt he did the ceremonial washing of his hands in front of the assemblage. Neal A. Maxwell, a leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed the Mormon Church) wrote, “Pilate sought to refuse responsibility for deciding about Christ, but Pilate’s hands were never dirtier than just after he had washed them” (Neal A. Maxwell, “Why Not Now?”, Ensign, November 1974).

Through all of this Christ stayed quiet, calm, and humble. The one who could create worlds, heal the sick, command legions of angels to come to His rescue, did not lift a finger to save Himself. Even in some of His darkest moments He stood still, patient to the end, though hoards of evil men reviled and smote Him. If only we could all strive to be so patient in our afflictions.

Things unfolded quickly after Christ’s triumphant exit from the Garden of Gethsemane. Even as He told His friends to sleep on and take some rest (Matthew 26:45), a group of men came to take Him. This group included chief priests and elders, all men of the Jerusalem Temple who acted almost like a police force in keeping the peace. Unfortunately these men had evil in their hearts, and were determined to rid themselves of the man who claimed to be the Son of God.

How delighted they must have been when one of His own devoted followers approached them. Remember, Judas left quite a while ago, even knowing Christ was aware of His coming betrayal.

“And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said” (Matthew 26:21-25).

Judas could have repented. He could have humbled himself, and asked for forgiveness. Instead his heart became hardened. Anger and hatred took hold, and he committed one of the most appalling acts this world has known: for thirty pieces of silver he betrayed his Lord.

The following events occur so quickly it’s easy to dismiss some important points. Judas led the group of men to the Garden, a place Jesus had taken his disciples to many times to teach, ponder, and pray. Judas knew this was where He would be, and led the priests and elders there.

Let’s stop here for a moment. Try to recall what the Christ had just gone through. He probably didn’t look like the same man. His robes were probably filthy, His face and hands encrusted with His blood mixed with sweat. Of all the men standing there I would think He looked the least like a man who could be the literal Son of God. Yet this is the man Judas approached and kissed.

In today’s time a kiss is often given without thought. It was not always so. The kiss is significant in Old and New Testament times. As Andrew Skinner, who currently serves as dean of Religious Education and professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University, tells us in his book Golgotha, the kiss could mean a reconciliation between people who had been estranged, separated for a long time, or fighting (Look up Genesis 33:4; Exodus 4:27; Genesis 45:15). A kiss could be a token of respect. Religious and educational leaders were often greeted with a kiss by those who were taught. In 1 Thessalonians 5:26 Paul counseled the brethren to greet one another with a ‘holy kiss.’

For Judas to greet the Master with a kiss was a great contradiction. There was no love in it, only betrayal. Could Judas have been more properly reprimanded than for the Lord to have called him, “Friend…” (Matthew 26:50).

Though the timing is not confirmed, just before or after this betrayal Christ asked the men who had accompanied Judas whom they were seeking.

“They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he” (John 18:5).

At this point the men stepped back and fell to the ground. They were so stunned not one of them said a word. Once again Christ asked whom they were seeking, and again they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”

Why were these men so surprised at Jesus’ answer? Andrew Skinner gives us an idea.

“The translators of the King James Version of the Bible added the word he after each use of the phrase “I Am” in this passage, believing it rounded out the translation. Without that added word, however, we can understand more readily why the chief priests and elders responded as they did, for when they heard Jesus utter those words, they fell backward to the ground – as might anyone who has had the wind knocked out of him because God himself has just responded to his inquiry” (Skinner, Andrew C., Golgotha, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2002, p.11).

I think there is one more aspect to Christ proclaiming the words, “I Am.” He’s literally just gone through what no other man on earth could ever hope to accomplish. He rose triumphant, having accomplished the first part of the Atonement. As the words “I Am” came from His lips, I would think there was such determination, such knowledge, such power behind those two words.

It was at this point Jesus was seized by the temple men. Peter, who always seemed to allow his heart to rule his head, pulled out his fisherman’s sword and cut off the ear of one of the men to protect his Lord. Christ, ever mindful of what needed to happen, rebuked Peter. “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?” (Matthew 26:53-54.) A legion in the time of Christ included 6,000 soldiers. Could you imagine having 72,000 angels coming at you?

Christ’s mission was not yet completed, as He tried to remind His friends. At this point He healed the guard (a blessing seemingly ignored by those who would kill Him), and meekly submitted to being bound and taken away.

Jesus must have been physically, mentally, and emotionally worn out at this time, yet His thoughts were ever on the welfare of others. He didn’t fight back when the soldiers took Him, knowing precisely what was still to come.

It’s a heavy concept, the thought of taking upon oneself the sins of every person who ever has, and ever will, live. Even those of us with the most incredible imaginations could never possibly hope to come close to understanding what it was the Savior took upon Himself that night in Gethsemane.

All of us have sinned at least once in our lives, even if we did it in ignorance. Many children are taught incorrect truths as they grow up: swearing, hatred, intolerance, etc. I have known such sweet and innocent children, and even teens and adults, who have come to think evil things to be good, because that’s what they have been taught. Christ took every one of those sins upon Himself. But this is not all.

There are those out in the world who know what the laws of God are, and knowingly break those laws. At some point in their lives they have been taught what is right, or have felt the promptings of the Holy Spirit telling them what they are doing is wrong and have ignored those feelings. Even to the most vile sinners has the Lord offered the chance to be cleansed, by taking upon Him those sins, fully experiencing what they experienced, and knowing why they did what they did. But this is not all.

“In Gethsemane Jesus took the full force of God’s overwhelming and retributory punishment. Justice demanded it, and we, who are sinners, deserve it. According to the rules framing the universe, the full consequences of transgressed laws cannot be dismissed or overlooked. They must be borne by someone – the sinner or the substitute. Jesus was that substitute for all of us who will allow him to be so” (Skinner, Andrew C., Gethsemane, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2002, p.51).

In other words, when we sin justice demands a punishment. If we do not repent we must face the punishment ourselves. However if we become remorseful, and truly repent of the sin(s) committed, Christ’s suffering in the Garden will be enough to erase the sin. He has already endured the punishment for us. But this is not all.

In the Book of Mormon, another testament of Christ, we are taught a new truth of what the Savior took upon Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane. These words come from a prophet by the name of Alma, who lived in the Americas around 80 BC.

“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.

“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” (Alma 7:11-12).

Christ took upon himself our infirmities. What does this tell us? He knows what it’s like to have cancer, lupus, multiple sclerosis, autism, depression, and myriads of other illnesses and diseases we are sometimes asked to endure to bring us a little closer to Him. Not only this, but He understands our pains. He knows what it’s like when we lose a loved one to death, to watch someone suffer needlessly and feel unable to help, to be tempted to the point of aching to give in. He knows and understands everything we will ever go through, whether it’s what God the Father places on our shoulders to endure, or what we will bring upon ourselves through incorrect choices. He knows. Surely all of this should be enough for us to be spiritually saved, but even this is not all.

There came a point in those awful hours, when He had gone through so much already even to the point of having an angel there to strengthen Him (Luke 22:43), when one more thing had to happen for the Atonement to truly be complete. The Spirit of God was removed from Him. Think for a moment about how terrifying and horrible this must have been to someone who had never been without the light of God the Father in His entire life. In that moment of spiritual darkness He became subject to the fullness of Satan’s wrath.

Boyd K. Packer, a leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed the Mormon Church), said:

“He, by choice, accepted the penalty for all mankind for the sum total of all wickedness and depravity….In choosing, He faced all the awesome power of the evil one who was not confined to the flesh, nor subject to mortal pain. That was Gethsemane” (Boyd K. Packer, "Atonement, Agency, Accountability", Ensign, May 1988).

It was then, divided from the light of His Father, enduring everything we choose and are asked to go through, subject to the worst Satan could inflict, that Christ began to bleed from every pore (Luke 22:44). What did Christ do in this awful moment? He began to pray more earnestly. This man, who knew more about prayer than anyone on earth could ever hope to understand, prayed even harder.

At last it was done. Can there have been a more achingly glorious sight, unless it be the Resurrected Christ, than the picture of Him rising to His feet. Shaking, drenched in sweat and blood, He arose victorious! How the angels in Heaven must have cried out in joy! I would imagine the most comforting words to Jesus must have come from His Father. “Soon,” He might have said, “You will have rest. Just a little while longer, and we will be together again.”

All of this Christ did, for us and for His Father. In taking upon Himself everything, justice has been satisfied. We can repent and become clean again. The light of God can be a constant in our lives. All of these blessing and more, because our elder brother descended far below us all. All of this because He loves us.

“And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matthew 26:37-39).

We read a little different account in Mark.

“And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt” (Mark 14:33-36).

The messages in these verses are so powerful, so intensely moving, but you may miss what lies behind them if you’re not careful.

I think the thing that strikes me most is when Christ begins to be sore amazed. He has barely taken a few steps away from His trusted friends and suddenly he feels “exceeding sorrowful,” “heavy,” “even unto death.” Before now I had never given the matter of these immediate feelings a whole lot of thought. Of course I understood that He was about to take upon Himself all of our sins, and had attributed the sense of sorrow and foreboding to that. It wasn’t until I began to study this a little deeper that one particular comment I read struck me harder than anything I had read before.

“Yet, for all the things the Savior knew, there was one thing he did not know, and, in fact, could not know because of what he was. The scriptures declare with absolute certainty that Jesus was perfect, without sin…

“Being perfect, Jesus did not and could not know what sin felt like. He did not have the experience of feeling the effects of sin – neither physically, spiritually, mentally, nor emotionally… Now, in an instant, he began to feel all the sensations and effects of sin, all the guilt, anguish, darkness, turmoil, depression, anger and physical sickness that sin brings” (Skinner, Andrew C., Gethsemane, Salt Lake: Deseret Book, 2002, p.58).

Have you ever thought of that before? Christ didn’t understand why this heaviness and sorrow suddenly came upon Him because He had never sinned. In that moment the meaning behind the Atonement changed for our Savior. In that instant He began to fully understand how sin weighs us down, hides the light of God, and binds us spiritually.

It hit Him so hard He fell to the ground. As Neal A. Maxwell, a former leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed the Mormon Church), describes it:

“Imagine, Jehovah, the Creator of this and other worlds, ‘astonished’! Jesus knew cognitively what He must do, but not experientially. He had never personally known the exquisite and exacting process of an atonement before. Thus, when the agony came in its fullness, it was so much, much worse than even He with his unique intellect had ever imagined!” (Neal A. Maxwell, "Willing to Submit", Ensign, May 1985).

In other words, Christ knew what had to be done in His head, but experiencing it was so much worse than He could possibly have imagined. What was the first thing He said? Abba. Father. He cried out to His father. How many times do you hear a child cry out to a parent when hurt, injured, confused or scared? Jesus loved his Father dearly. He trusted His father completely. Yet at this moment He found Himself enduring something He could never have understood up to that point.

He asked for the bitter cup to be taken from Him, but never without adding that His Father’s will came first. Though He was asked to endure what no mortal could, and asked not once, but three times for the cup to be removed, He always submitted to the will of the Father. Just as important is this: after He had endured the first round, Christ knew full well what would be asked of Him the next time, and He came back. He. Came. Back.

I cannot begin to know all that He went through during those 3 or 4 hours He spent in the Garden. We all know what sin can do to us, the guilt, the sorrow, the bondage we place ourselves under when we willingly commit it. These moments for us are but a drop in the ocean of what our elder brother, Jesus Christ, endured that night. He who was perfect, who had never sinned before, who was sore amazed at the effects of sin on the entire world from the beginning to the end, came back to finish the work. He loves us, He loves our Heavenly Father, that much.

I have not even begun to touch on the intricacies of the Atonement. I cannot hope to do so in a lifetime. I do know this: no other man on this earth could have done what Jesus Christ did for us in that moment. Because He came back to finish the work, we are able to repent, to become clean again, to have the remarkable hope of one day living with our Father in Heaven again. He loves us that much. Of this, I can testify.

The Garden of Gethsemane was a familiar place to Jesus Christ and His Apostles. We can see it was not the first time they had visited there by looking at John 18:1-2.

“WHEN Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples. And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples.”

Bruce R. McConkie, former latter-day apostle for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed the Mormon Church), made a powerful comment on Gethsemane and it’s significance for Jesus and the disciples.

“Two thousand years ago, outside Jerusalem’s walls, there was a pleasant garden spot, Gethsemane by name, where Jesus and his intimate friends were wont to retire for pondering and prayer.

There Jesus taught his disciples that the doctrines of the kingdom, and all of them communed with Him who is the Father of us all, in whose ministry they were engaged, and on whose errand they served.

This sacred spot, like Eden where Adam dwelt, like Sinai from whence Jehovah gave his laws, like Calvary where the Son of God gave his life a ransom for many, this holy ground is where the Sinless Son of the Everlasting Father took upon himself the sins of all men on condition of repentance” (Bruce R. McConkie, "The Purifying Power of Gethsemane", Ensign, May 1985).

Before we move on into what Christ endured within the garden, I felt it was necessary to take a moment and try to understand the importance of this spot for the Lord. This was not some random place He picked out because it was secluded. This was a place he’d been to so many times before, a place of teaching, a place of pondering, a place of spiritual renewal.

“The word Gethsemane means ‘oil press.’ Situated on the lower half of Oliver, or the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane was a lovely area and the site of the production of olive oil in ancient times” (Skinner, Andrew C., Gethsemane, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2002, p.49).

There was an oil press in Gethsemane in the time of Christ, the remains of which can still be seen today. There is a symbolic significance to Jesus being here in the garden of the oil press. In this place olives were crushed to gain the precious oil. This oil played a prominent part in the culture of the day. It was used for cooking, medicine, anointing, lighting (think oil lamps), and other things.

In the same way our Lord and Savior was pressed and crushed by the illnesses, sins, and temptations of the world. The result of that horribly wonderful experience is similar to that of the olive oil: His sacrifice anoints, feeds, and heals broken hearts and souls. His sacrifice brings light and hope into our lives, hope that we will not live in sin for eternity.

Think for a moment about a place you like to go when you need to retreat from the pressures of the world. Even if you knew something hard would be required of you there, it would still be a place of refuge. The Garden of Gethsemane was such a spot for our Savior. It is not to be rembered with pain and sorrow. I like to think if the Savior had not died so soon after, He would have returned to the Garden, regarding it as even more sacred than before.

When I decided to write a little about the Atonement my thoughts did not go directly to the Garden of Gethsemane. Instead they trailed back a little in time to the Passover Feast that had occurred just a few hours before. Why?

Think about the last time you had a test. Did you merely start without studying beforehand? Well, I certainly hope not. The best course to help you succeed, to claim that perfect grade, is to prepare.

The Savior knew there was a big test, or trial, about to come upon Him. Did He know just how difficult it would be? I don’t know. I do know He realized how important it was for Him to prepare spiritually before the big test came. The Passover Feast was His way of preparing.

I don’t know a lot about the Passover as it is practiced today. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, nicknamed the Mormon Church, we don’t hold this feast. Our reasons for this will be discussed a little later.

For several months now Jesus had been trying to prepare His apostles for this day – the day when He would no longer reside with them on this earth in His mortal form. As these months passed rejection of Him as Savior grew steadily worse. Even members of His own family, James, Joses, Simon, and Judas (Matthew 13:55), denied Him as the Christ (John 7:2-4, 7).

“Neither did his brethren believe in him” (John 7:5).

And so He clung even more to the men who had stood by Him through His ministry, and chose to spend His last few hours in their company.

“During Jesus’ time, the Passover lambs used in the feast were killed on the fourteenth day of the month of Nissan, and the meal was eaten between sundown and midnight, in conformity with Exodus 12:6” (Skinner, Andrew C., Gethsemane, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2002, p.29).

In the next several days of the Apostles lives they will come to know, as do we, the true symbolism in the Passover meal. Andrew Skinner, quoted above, gives us a basic description of this symbolism.

First is the representation of Jesus, the Firstborn of the Father, and the firstborn lamb who would be sacrificed. This lamb had to be without blemish (Exodus 12:5), as was Christ. No bone of the lamb could be broken. Through all that Christ endured, no bone of His was broken.

No stranger was to eat of the Passover lamb. Those who have not come to know of Christ and become a member of His Church should not partake of the sacrament. Just as hyssop was used to put the blood of the lamb upon the doorframe (Exodus 12:22), it was also used to bring the vinegar, at that time used as a pain reliever, up to Christ as He hung on the cross (John 19:29). Lastly, the blood of the Passover lamb had been a symbol to the destroying angel of their belief in Christ. So now would the blood of the Lamb of God allow us, His believers, to be free from sin and spiritual death.

The day of the Passover Christ sent Peter and John to one of His believers, or a disciple, asking to use the upper room. The lamb was slaughtered at the temple, and roasted according to law. At the appropriate time he sat down with His Apostles, His friends, and said, “With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:15). It was at this time He began to teach them about the true meaning behind the Passover Feast, a feast He instituted over 1200 years before.

The order of events went according to custom until the traditional breaking of the unleavened bread. Instead of reciting the customary blessing Jesus “took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).

I would imagine this breaking of tradition astounded the Apostles. Did they realize at that moment the new law Christ was instituting?

Yet another change occurred. “Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup in the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:20).

Christ had shown His Apostles a new ordinance, that of the sacrament. This was to replace the sacrifice of the lamb, for He was the Lamb. It brought home the importance of individual commitment and interaction with God. Our sacrifice now should be a humble heart and a contrite spirit, represented through the bread (body of Christ) and wine (blood of Christ). This is why members of the Latter-day Saint Church no long practice the Passover Feast, but rather partake of the sacrament (though we use water instead of wine).

All of this was of vital importance in preparing the Lord for what was to come. Introducing the sacrament fortified Him spiritually and emotionally to face His future. The night was far from over. Christ offered up what is now known as the Intercessory Prayer (John 17). In one of His last lessons, Christ washed the feet of his friends. Then it was time to go.

As Christ and the Apostles left it was very late at night. Even without what was to come I’m certain they were all fairly exhausted. I love that one of His last acts before going into the mount of Olives was to sing a hymn (Mark 14:26), for music is one of the most powerful tools to keep the Holy Spirit close by.

At this point all had been done by the Savior to prepare Himself for the agony of Gethsemane.

The lesson we can gain from this is simple: we must spiritually prepare ourselves for whatever may come. None of us will ever be asked to endure what the Savior did, but we will have our own trials to bear. If we do not prepare ourselves now, it will be like heading into that classroom knowing there is a test and having not studied a word.

To begin to understand the Atonement and Resurrection of Christ, we have to go back about 1200 years to when a certain occurrence first began. Anyone who has ever been a part of the Passover Feast, or read the Old Testament, knows when the first Passover Feast was instituted.

In the time of Moses the Israelites had been placed under the bondage of the Egyptians for a few hundred years. A way had been provided to free the Israelites in the form of a prophet, Moses.

Pharaoh, the leader of Egypt, had no intention of letting his slaves go. Even plagues of locusts, frogs, lice, hail, and other awful testaments of the Lord’s power could not soften Pharaoh’s heart enough to let the Israelites go.

This is when the Passover Feast first happened (Exodus 12). Moses and the Israelites were commanded to sacrifice a lamb or kid (sheep or goat) about a year old. The blood of the lamb was to be sprinkled along the sides and top of the doorframe.

“It washed away 430 years of Egypt’s contamination. The blood of the lamb protected them from the wrath of the Almighty. Its roasted flesh nourished their bodies with strength for the long, perilous journey ahead. They ate in haste, loins girded, staff in hand, shoes on their feet, prepared to leave at any moment at God’s command (Rosen, Ceil, and Moishe Rosen. Christ in the Passover: Why Is This Night Different? Chicago, Ill.: Moody Press, 1978, pp.23-24).

This was certainly not the one and only time for the feast. For thousands of years the Passover Feast has been celebrated since that day. For Christians who participate in this ritual feast it typically occurs at the same time we celebrate Easter. When it comes to how the Feast is celebrated in this day I am at a loss. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, nicknamed the Mormon Church, we do not celebrate the Passover Feast, though the true message of Easter is certainly held in reverence.

Three big changes happened in the Passover Feast almost immediately, as we can read in the Latter-day Saint edition of the King James Version of the Bible.

1. It lost its domestic character, and became a sanctuary feast.
2. A seven days’ feast of unleavened bread (hence its usual name), with special offerings was added (Exodus 12:15; Numbers 28:16-25). The first and seventh days were Sabbaths and days of holy convocation.
3. The feast was connected with the harvest.

These weren’t the only changes made. In later times several other ceremonies were added, and were practiced by Christ and His apostles in their lifetime. We can also read of these in the Bible Dictionary.

1. The history of the redemption of Egypt was related by the head of the household.
2. Four cups of wine mixed with water were drunk at different stages of the feast.
3. Psalms 113-118 (the Hallel) were sung.
4. The various materials of the feast were dipped in a sauce.
5. The feast was not eaten standing, but reclining.
6. The Levites (at least on some occasions) slew the sacrifices.
7. Voluntary peace offerings were offered.

There is so much more that goes into the spirit of the Passover Meal that I hope to share with you in my next post, in particular the symbolic nature of what the Lord taught in this Feast. It is also significant to note the two big changes the Lord creates in His last meal upon this earth.

This time of year always comes with mixed emotions for me. I love that Spring begins to win out over Winter. I don’t love the thoughts in the back of my mind that another year is almost in full bloom, and my kids are getting so much older.

I love that flowers begin to bud, purple and yellow crocuses pop out of the ground, and tulips are well on their way to blooming. I don’t love that birds think it’s okay to nest in the eaves of our house and lay droppings all over the place. Ewww.

I love that with the coming of Spring we are reminded of the Atonement and Resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I love the peace and knowledge we are blessed with because of it. I don’t love that I had to lose a son for Easter time to become so much more meaningful to me. I don’t love it, but I am grateful for it.

During the month of March several years ago my husband and I watched as our little boy, then barely over an hour old, drew his last breath. He’d been born with some major defects within his body, and he was unable to sustain life. Before he died my husband, my father, and my older brother all stood around me as I held this precious baby. These three worthy men of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, nicknamed the Mormon Church, laid their hands on his head and gave him a priesthood blessing.

Only a few weeks later I sat in church listening to fellow members bear their testimony about what the Atonement means to them. It struck me all of a sudden of how much more I appreciated the sacrifice our Lord made. I had lost family members and friends before, but there’s something different about losing a child. I dearly hope none of you ever have to experience it.

Over the next several posts I hope to share with you a little of what I’ve come to learn about the Atonement and the Resurrection. I know there are others who could cover the subject so much more thoroughly than I can hope. I know there are others who could recite scripture and prophetic proclamations with precision I could never accomplish at this time.

I also know that Heavenly Father gives us certain tasks, trials, tests so that we can learn, grow, and become closer to Him and His ways. I know He wishes for us to share these experiences for the benefit of others. I know my son was given to me for a reason, and I really have learned so much since then. The experience of losing my son at times felt like too much to bear, and yet I have been so blessed in my life because of it.

Two of my favorite scripture verses that really bring this home come from the Book of Mormon, another testament of Christ.

“For I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day” (Alma 36:3).

"I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith” (Ether 12:6).

I have not witnessed the Atonement. I was not there when Christ was crucified and rose again. But because of what I have experienced with my son, I have such great faith that both things occurred.

Granted I was older when all this happened. This does not mean the Atonement and Resurrection cannot mean just as much to you as teens. If you wish to gain a closer relationship with the Lord, begin by studying His words and His life. Even if it’s just by reading a few words of testimony this blogger has to give.

I do have a testimony. I know that the Lord sacrificed Himself so that we might be forgiven of our sins. I know that not only did He endure the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane once, but went back twice more knowing full well the pain He would continue to endure. I know that after this excruciating experience He willingly allowed Himself to be taken, beaten, and crucified for us. I also know that three days later He rose, triumphant.

I do not love that He had to go through all of that, but I am grateful He did.

Over the last several weeks we’ve gone over some of the areas teens today should especially guard against to maintain a true sense of happiness and self worth. Prophets over the ages have warned and pled with the youth to be observant of their thoughts and actions. It’s when we begin to think we’re okay that our spiritual armor begins to slip.

Agency and accountability. Gratitude. Education. Family. Friends. Dress and appearance. Entertainment and the media. Music and dancing. Language. Dating. Sexual purity. Repentance. Honesty. Sabbath Day observance. Tithes and offerings. Physical health. Service to others. We’ve discussed all of these things, though perhaps not in as much detail as each of these subjects warrant.

Leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, nicknamed the Mormon Church, placed these topics in a booklet titled For the Strength of Youth as a guide and warning to help teens today navigate through these morally treacherous times.

Take a moment to ask yourself, “Am I living the way the Lord wants me to live?” Each of these standards presented are there to help you make correct choices. Making good choices, even if they seem like the hardest thing in the world to do, will work towards making your life happier and helping you to deal with the hard times.

In addition to the areas listed above, we are encouraged to continue in certain other daily activities that will further increase our spiritual armor. First is daily prayer.

“To help you become all that the Lord wants you to become, get on your knees each day and express to Him the desires of your heart. He is the source of all wisdom, and you need His help. He will hear and answer you” (For the Strength of Youth, p.40).

When Christ visited the Americas, an account of which can be read in the Book of Mormon – another testament of Jesus Christ, he “commanded them that they should not cease to pray in their hearts” (3 Nephi 20:1).

How often do you think of your Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ during the day? Is it only when you kneel down at night to pray? Prayer should happen more than once or twice a day. We should pray first thing in the morning, over our meals, in times of trouble, in times of joy. We don’t have to be on our knees when it happens. So long as we keep a reverent feeling at the time we find ourselves in need of praying. It takes practice to keep in constant communication with our Heavenly Father, but it can happen.

Next we are cautioned to read our scriptures daily. “They are a powerful source of personal revelation and a constant strength to your testimony” (p.40). Do you need an answer to a question or problem you’re facing? Try reading your scriptures. You’d be amazed at what insight can be revealed to you.

“Be true to the Lord…in all circumstances…. Be humble and willing to listen to the whisperings of the Spirit. Place the wisdom of the Lord above your own wisdom” (For the Strength of Youth, p.40).

It’s not easy to choose the way of the Lord in every circumstance of our lives. Too many times we let what others think guide our thoughts and actions. If these choices go against what we’ve been taught by the Lord, more often than not it will only end in misery. The Lord wants us to be happy. Choosing His way will help us make it.

This post is titled ‘Go Forward With Faith.’ Faith is not just a hope. It’s what we do with that hope. Faith is an action word. We have to put our faith to the test in order for it to become strong. In particular we need to show faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. It is His work we are doing here on earth, but we have to choose to follow His path.

“When you do these things, the Lord will make much more out of your life than you can by yourself. He will increase your opportunities, expand your vision, and strengthen you. He sill give you the help you need to meet your trials and challenges. You will find true joy as you come to know your Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, and feel their love for you” (For the Strength of Youth, p.42).

Keep in mind, you don’t have to begin do everything all at once. Not only is it overwhelming, but you’re almost certain to fail by doing too much too soon. Pick one area. Try working on your dress and appearance before you move on to music and dancing. Like everything in this life we need to take things line upon line, and precept upon precept. As we find ourselves mastering one area, we will be more prepared to start a second.

Don’t ever forget how precious you are to your Heavenly Father. He wants you to succeed in this life. He wants to see you become the extraordinary individual He knows you are. Listen to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit. It is through his voice you will be guided in the ways that will keep you on the path to lead you back to your Heavenly Father.

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35).

The simple definition of a disciple is to be a follower of Christ. That little statement is quite easy to say, but not quite as easy to accomplish. To be a disciple of Christ almost automatically defines you as a person who serves others, and yet service is often something we shy away from, thinking of it as work rather than a way to show love.

Yet it is those who offer much service, without expecting anything in return, who are some of the most loved people in the world. Our best and brightest example of service is our Lord Jesus Christ. He taught the concept. He lived the concept. Every day of His life was spent serving someone in some way.

Service is one of the greatest hallmarks of followers of Christ. It is so important that leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, nicknamed the Mormon Church, placed it among a small group of essential standards teens of today should strive to remain strong in, and put these standards in a small booklet. For the Strength of Youth contains these standards, partnered with scripture and wise counsel given as a warning and a guideline to help keep teens out of danger in these treacherous times.

Why is service something we should hold strong to?

“Service to others is one of the most important characteristics of a disciple of Jesus Christ. A disciple is willing to bear other people’s burdens and to comfort those who need comfort” (For the Strength of Youth, p.38).

As an example we are given the account of the Good Samaritan as found in Luke 10:25-37. A man had been beaten, robbed, and left by the side of the road. Two men, a priest and a Levite, both left him in this awful condition. In fact, they hurried off to the other side of the road, keeping as far from this man as possible.

Then came the Samaritan. It should be noted that feelings between the Jews and the Samaritans at the time were hostile, due to circumstances within their history. But Christ taught that this Samaritan was the one who stopped to check on the man. Not only did he stop, but when he witnessed the man’s injured condition he placed the man on his beast, and took him somewhere to be cared for. He even paid the innkeeper extra money for the man’s care, and promised to repay the innkeeper if the money wasn’t enough.

Christ referred to the Samaritan as the neighbor, or the man who showed mercy. Then he tells us to “go and do thou likewise” (Luke 10:37).

“There are many ways to serve others. You can serve in your church assignments and in your home, school, and community. Seek daily the guidance of the Holy Ghost to know whom to serve and how to help meet their needs. Often the most important service is expressed through simple, everyday acts of kindness” (For the Strength of Youth, p.38).

Serving those around us does not have to mean doing huge service projects. Service can mean being a shoulder to cry on, baking cookies for a friend or neighbor, helping your mom or dad do a few chores around the house and yard. Service can mean helping a younger sibling with their homework, reading to someone who’s eyes just don’t work as well anymore, or even mowing someone’s lawn without being asked.

The most amazing thing will happen as you strive to serve those around you.

“You will draw closer to Heavenly Father. Your heart will be filled with love. Your capacities will increase, and your life and the lives of those around you will be blessed” (For the Strength of Youth, p.38).

Before I end I’d like to offer up a challenge. It’s easy to love and serve those who are kind to us. But what about those who are not as kind? What about someone who grinds on your nerves, or is rude and not sorry about it, or who seems to push every button until you want to lash out? It’s not as easy to love them, but the Lord would have us try.

Herein lies my challenge. Find one person who you honestly can’t see loving and look for ways to serve him or her. Be it a family member, someone from school, or a person you know at church, look for ways to serve. Take the matter to the Lord in prayer and sincerely ask for a way to offer up some sort of service. Keep it going for a few weeks at least, and see if your attitude toward that person doesn’t change to something friendlier.

A young man named Daniel knew, perhaps more than many of us personally know today, the importance of being watchful over what he took into his body. Many of us know the scripture account well. The king had asked for some of the best and brightest children of the land to be brought up in the ways and tongue of the Chaldeans. He even asked for them to be given the same food he ate, which consisted primarily of meat and wine. This was to go on for three years until he could decide whom he wanted to keep in his court.

Daniel and three of his friends didn’t want to eat the king’s meat and wine.

“Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants” (Daniel 1:12-13).

Pulse is food made of grains and seeds. Daniel and his friends knew this would be much healthier than a constant diet of meat. In fact, after the ten days there was a noticeable difference in the countenance of these four young men as compared to all the others who had been gathered. They continued to eat the pulse and drink the water for the remainder of the three years. At that time, not only had they been blessed with health, but with wisdom beyond their years. (Daniel 1:3-20)

We have the Food Pyramid to guide us in how much of what food we’re supposed to take into our bodies. We know that balance is important when choosing the foods we eat. But maintaining our physical health goes far beyond that.

The leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed the Mormon Church) put together a booklet called For the Strength of Youth. This booklet is meant to be a guide for teens in today’s world against increasing temptations. One of the topics covered is physical health.

“Eat nutritious food, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep. When you do all these things, you remain free from harmful addictions and have control over your life. You gain the blessings of a healthy body, an alert mind, and the guidance of the Holy Ghost” (p.36).

Did you ever link a healthy mind and body to allowing the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit, to reside with you? Think about that for a minute.

In the Latter-day Saint Church we have additional scripture that further explains how we can take care of our bodies. It was actually a revelation in response to Joseph Smith’s wife’s concern with several of the men smoking tobacco. This revelation is now known as the Word of Wisdom. (For a complete account go to Doctrine and Covenants 89.)

One of the first things warned against is the use of tobacco products. Even just a few years ago we couldn’t fully comprehend the effects tobacco would have not only on those who use it, but those who are exposed to it secondhand. I’ve watched the lasting effects on a loved one whose father smoked cigars. Her lungs have been damaged, she has almost constant bronchitis, and is a victim of severe headaches. All because of a father who didn’t think his smoking was doing any harm.

We’re also warned against drinking coffee or tea, for these can be just as addictive. Countless numbers can’t even face the world until they’ve had their first cup of coffee, yet they don’t see it as being addictive.

Alcohol is a vicious master, and has done vast amounts of damage to people and their families.

“Any form of alcohol is harmful to your body and spirit. Being under the influence of alcohol weakens your judgment and self-control and could lead you to break the law of chastity or other commandments. Drinking can lead to alcoholism, which destroys individuals and families” (For the Strength of Youth, p.36).

Much the same is said of drugs.

“Any drug, chemical, or dangerous practice that is used to produce a sensation or ‘high’ can destroy your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. These include hard drugs, prescription or over-the-counter medications that are abused, and household chemicals” (For the Strength of Youth, p.37).

We know these things are bad for us, and yet too many of us still allow Satan or peers to lead to believe we’d be so much happier if we gave in. Turns out this isn’t true. Ask anyone who’s stealing from loved ones so they can afford their next fix, or the person who just hit and killed someone because they were driving drunk. Look at the so-called stars of today and the misery they’ve placed on themselves by making these wrong choices.

Members of the Latter-day Saint Church are often ridiculed for clean living. Peers would say we’re so restricted by these guidelines we don’t know how to have any real fun. I would like to yell to the world that this is not true! In fact, I can testify that those who choose to live clean are freer, happier, and better off than anyone who smokes that first cigarette, drinks that first beer, or tries drugs for the first time. Why?

You can never become addicted to something you’ve never tried. You will remain the master of your destiny. This choice proves you have more control over the outcome of your life than many of those who are trapped in the nightmare of addiction.

The blessings don’t stop there. Not only will you have a healthy body, but your mind will be sharp, your spirit will remain strong, and like Daniel you will be granted wisdom beyond your years. Does all this sound worth it? I certainly think so.

The truth is I don’t know a whole lot about how tithes and offerings work in other churches. I only really know how it works in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, nicknamed the Mormon Church. I also know it’s important. In fact it’s so important the leaders of the Latter-day Saint Church placed it in a booklet titled For the Strength of Youth. In this booklet are included many areas these leaders feel needed to be particularly addressed for teens of today. These areas are to act as a guideline and warning to help teens navigate through an increasingly difficult world.

So what exactly is tithing? I really like the way it’s described in Deuteronomy 12:6 –

“And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks.”

As we can see from this list a tithing is attributed to things like sacrifice, a vow, a freewill offering. Everything we are blessed with in this life has been a gift of the Lord. In return for this, He asks us to make a freewill offering, or a tithe. How much should we give? To answer this, let’s look in Numbers 18:26.

“When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe.” (Italics added.)

A tenth of what we earn is all we are asked to give. So if we earn $10, all the Lord wants back is $1. If we earn $350, all He asks for in return is $35. At times it may feel like paying out a tenth of what you’ve earned feels like so much money. This is when we need to change out attitude in regards to how we pay it, and why.

“Your attitude is important in paying tithing. Pay it because you love the Lord and have faith in Him. Pay it willingly with a thankful heart. Pay it first, even when you think you don’t have enough money to meet your other needs” (For the Strength of Youth, p.34).

I can’t tell you how many times I knew without a shadow of a doubt that if we paid our tithing we wouldn’t have enough money to finish paying the bills. Every single time I made sure that tithing was paid, our bills were covered. Over the years I’ve come to make certain tithing is the first thing that comes out of a paycheck. I have never regretted doing so.

Even teens and children are encouraged to pay their tithing in the Mormon Church. When 'payday' comes for my children, I make sure the first thing they do with that money is pay tithing. As a teen I recall many times that my father did the same thing with me. It is easier to do the younger you start.

In our Church tithing money goes into a general fund where it is used for many wonderful things.

“It is a way to help build up God’s kingdom on earth. Tithing is used to build temples and meetinghouses, translate and publish the scriptures, prove Church materials to members, do missionary work, perform temple and family history work, and support seminaries and institutes” (For the Strength of Youth, p.34).

Paired with tithing is fast offerings. Once a month, typically the first Sunday, Mormons are asked to fast for the day. This includes everyone eight and over who are baptized members of the Church.

“A proper fast day observance includes not eating or drinking for two consecutive meals and giving a generous fast offering to help care for those in need. Begin and end your fast with prayer, asking for special help with a specific need” (For the Strength of Youth, p.35).

Of course anyone with health problems who cannot go without two meals should not do this, but in all others it is encouraged. Fasting is a personal choice. There are those who choose to do it and others who do not. Is it important? If we look to the example of the Lord we are shown it is. In Matthew 4:2 we are told He fasted for forty days. Though we are not asked to fast for that long, we are taught that through fasting our physical bodies are made weak so that our spiritual selves might have a chance to commune with God the Father. It is a way to feed our spirits more fully. When our bodies are weak we are, perhaps, made to see what our spirits go through when they are not fed.

Fasting should be done with a purpose. Is there a problem you need help with? Do you have a friend or family member who is struggling or sick, and needs extra help? Try fasting for them, beginning and ending it with prayer. Answers, guidance, and healing can take place.

Those in the Mormon Church are asked to pay something called a ‘fast offering.’ This is normally described as the money we would have spent on the two meals, though many who can afford to do so will often pay more. Parents will pay for their children until they are old enough to pay it for themselves. The money donated for fast offerings go right back into the ward (congregation) to help those who are in need.

Paying tithing and fast offerings are a vital part in showing our gratitude for all that God has given us. It helps us overcome selfishness. We become more receptive to the Spirit. I can also testify that as we strive to pay our tithing and fast offerings, God only blesses us more.

The Sabbath day is a special day. In fact, it is so special the Lord created a commandment to remind us to treat it differently than all other days.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8).

Sadly the Sabbath no longer means what it used to for a lot of people, but it doesn’t mean you have to follow suit. In fact, if the rest of your family doesn’t look to making Sunday a special day, you can set a wonderful example for them.

There is a booklet put out by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed the Mormon Church) called For the Strength of Youth. Like its’ name implies, it was put together primarily to help teens of today remain strong against increasing temptations. One of the most powerful ways is through how we strive to keep the Sabbath day holy.

“The Lord has given the Sabbath day for your benefit and has commanded you to keep it holy. Observing the Sabbath will bring you closer to the Lord and to your family. It will give you needed rest and rejuvenation” (p.32).

There are so many things we can do on the Sabbath that can help us keep this commandment.

“Worship the Lord, attend church, spend quiet time with your family, study the gospel, write letters, write in your journal, do family history work, and visit the sick or homebound” (p.32).

The list does not stop here. Think about the music you listen to on Sunday. Does it reflect the Lord and His teachings? Think about the movies or television shows you choose to watch. Are they uplifting and encourage the Holy Spirit to reside with you?

Think ab