Power
Elder Bednar, a leader in the Mormon church, says this: "It is one thing to know that Jesus Christ came to earth to die for us. That is fundamental and foundational to the doctrine of Christ. But we also need to appreciate that the Lord desires, through His Atonement and by the power of the Holy Ghost, to live in us—not only to direct us but also to empower us." In other words, Christ's Atonement not only gave Him the power to redeem us from our sins, it gave Him the power to help us in the here and now--in our daily lives. This semester I have called upon Heavenly Father in prayer, seeking this power in my life. I know that He has answered my prayers by giving me strength and desires beyond what I was capable of at the moment. The enabling power of the Atonement can help us make it through difficult times by empowering us to choose the right in difficult circumstances and by helping us repent and forgive when the desire to do so dwindles.
Perspective
The perspective that the gospel gives me is priceless. When I'm having a hard time I just step back, remember the bigger picture, and then I'm able to move on. The gospel perspective assures me that as long as I keep the commandments and follow the Lord that He will take care of me. The gospel perspective assures me that better things always lie ahead of me. The gospel perspective reminds me that people are more important than to-do lists and that serving others will make me happier than focusing on fixing my problems. Elder Jay E. Jensen in the First Quorum of the Seventy says: "When we understand the great plan of happiness, we are gaining an eternal perspective, and the commandments, ordinances, covenants, and the experiences, trials, and tribulations can be seen in their true and eternal light." An eternal perspective puts everything in it's place and reminds us of the things that really matter: God, family, the people around us, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Peace
Above all else, I'm grateful for the peace which the gospel of Jesus Christ gives me. I know no one who penned it better than Emma Lou Thayne in her song "Where Can I Turn For Peace?":
Where Can I turn for peace?
Where is my solace
When other sources cease to make me whole?
When with a wounded heart, anger, or malice,
I draw myself apart,
Searching my soul?
Where, when my aching grows,
Where when I languish,
Where, in my need to know, where can I run?
Where is the quiet hand to calm my anguish?
Who, who can understand?
He, only One.
He answers privately,
Reaches my reaching
In my Gethsemane, Savior and Friend.
Gentle the peace he finds for my beseeching.
Constant he is and kind,
Love without end.
In hard times I can have peace because I know that Christ is there and that He understands perfectly. I can have peace because I know that He loves me and will not give up on me. I can have peace because I know that God loves me and that with His help, everything will always be okay in the end.
I'm so grateful for power, perspective, and peace granted to me through the gospel. I can testify from my experience these past several weeks that if you pray for these things and then actively seek them, they will come into your life. Beyond knowing the reality of Christ and our Father in Heaven, I hope that we can each make Them a reality in our everyday lives. Accessing Their power, perspective, and peace is a way to do just that and will make everything we go through in this mortal experience worth it.
