Nov 2007 Ensign, Elder Porter says:
"After His Resurrection, Jesus Christ declared to the people in the New World:
“Your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of [them]. …
“And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart … , him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost” (3 Nephi 9:19–20).
What are a broken heart and a contrite spirit? And why are they considered a sacrifice?"
I had to look up the word contrite. We don't offer burnt offerings to God anymore. We offer broken hearts and contrite spirits. Contrite means sorrow or regret. Since I haven't been running away from my sins, I can be more honest in my sorrow and regret for the wrongs I do. It is a wonderful feeling to be forgiven.
Elder Porter continues:
"As in all things, the Savior’s life offers us the perfect example: though Jesus of Nazareth was utterly without sin, He walked through life with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, as manifested by His submission to the will of the Father. “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38). To His disciples He said, “Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29). And when the time came to pay the ultimate sacrifice entailed in the Atonement, Christ shrank not to partake of the bitter cup but submitted completely to His Father’s will.
The Savior’s perfect submission to the Eternal Father is the very essence of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Christ’s example teaches us that a broken heart is an eternal attribute of godliness. When our hearts are broken, we are completely open to the Spirit of God and recognize our dependence on Him for all that we have and all that we are. The sacrifice so entailed is a sacrifice of pride in all its forms. Like malleable clay in the hands of a skilled potter, the brokenhearted can be molded and shaped in the hands of the Master.
A broken heart and a contrite spirit are also preconditions to repentance. Lehi taught:
“Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah. …
“Behold, he 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; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered” (2 Nephi 2:6–7).
When we sin and desire forgiveness, a broken heart and a contrite spirit mean to experience “godly sorrow [that] worketh repentance” (2 Corinthians 7:10). This comes when our desire to be cleansed from sin is so consuming that our hearts ache with sorrow and we yearn to feel at peace with our Father in Heaven."
This is a fabulous talk! I suggest the full read. It is such a pity that I was not taught any of this in my youth. But, oh how I rejoice that I am learning it now! For my heart does ache to feel at peace with Father in Heaven always. And the glorious gift of the Atonement given us by our Savior Jesus Christ is everything to me.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
An angel speaking
An angel speaking to Nephi said:
1 Ne 14:10 And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.
The angel continues.
1 Ne 13:6-9 And it came to pass that I beheld this great and abominable church; and I saw the devil that he was the founder of it.
7 And I also saw gold, and silver, and silks, and scarlets, and fine-twined linen, and all manner of precious clothing; and I saw many harlots.
8 And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the gold, and the silver, and the silks, and the scarlets, and the fine-twined linen, and the precious clothing, and the harlots, are the desires of this great and abominable church.
9 And also for the praise of the world do they destroy the saints of God, and bring them down into captivity.
Is it so simple that when we set our hearts on the things of this world and for the praise of men that we commence to be a part of the devils' great and abominable church? Wow, this is so eye opening to me and reminds me of the parable of the sower that Jesus spoke of. And then when we belong to that abominable church, we then seek to destroy the saints of God. What a horrible thought!
Boyd K. Packer said"Satan is the deceiver, the destroyer, but his is a temporary victory.'
'The angels of the devil convince some that they are born to a life from which they cannot escape and are compelled to live in sin. The most wicked of lies is that they cannot change and repent and that they will not be forgiven. That cannot be true. They have forgotten the Atonement of Christ.'
“For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him” (D&C 18:11)."
It has been said that the Book of Mormon is the most anti-romantic book written. Yes, that would seem so to me. It doesn't seek to put rose-colored glasses on me AT ALL! Thank goodness!
1 Ne 14:10 And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.
The angel continues.
1 Ne 13:6-9 And it came to pass that I beheld this great and abominable church; and I saw the devil that he was the founder of it.
7 And I also saw gold, and silver, and silks, and scarlets, and fine-twined linen, and all manner of precious clothing; and I saw many harlots.
8 And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the gold, and the silver, and the silks, and the scarlets, and the fine-twined linen, and the precious clothing, and the harlots, are the desires of this great and abominable church.
9 And also for the praise of the world do they destroy the saints of God, and bring them down into captivity.
Is it so simple that when we set our hearts on the things of this world and for the praise of men that we commence to be a part of the devils' great and abominable church? Wow, this is so eye opening to me and reminds me of the parable of the sower that Jesus spoke of. And then when we belong to that abominable church, we then seek to destroy the saints of God. What a horrible thought!
Boyd K. Packer said"Satan is the deceiver, the destroyer, but his is a temporary victory.'
'The angels of the devil convince some that they are born to a life from which they cannot escape and are compelled to live in sin. The most wicked of lies is that they cannot change and repent and that they will not be forgiven. That cannot be true. They have forgotten the Atonement of Christ.'
“For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him” (D&C 18:11)."
It has been said that the Book of Mormon is the most anti-romantic book written. Yes, that would seem so to me. It doesn't seek to put rose-colored glasses on me AT ALL! Thank goodness!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Snowmobiling..
This is Jared's favorite part of winter. He adores snowmobiling. It is an expensive sport, sadly. It makes it so that we don't get to join him on his journey's. Maybe someday in the future...
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