What do you think?
Rate this book
His Majesty and Mission
This Easter season, strengthen your knowledge and testimony of the Savior by reading the words of inspiring speakers who expound on His life, His mission, His Atonement, and His influence in your life today. This timely volume includes talks given by six well-known speakers-- Sheri Dew, Kevin J. Worthen, Camille Fronk Olsen, Eric D. Huntsman, Daniel K Judd, and Hank Smith--as originally presented at Brigham Young University's annual Easter Conferences in 2016 and 2017.
160 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 27, 2017
10 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 20, 2023
This is a collection of six BYU Easter Conference talks about Jesus Christ and His Resurrection and the hope He brings. Here are some of my favorite quotes:
"Some religious pundits opine that the doctrine of the Resurrection is the fulcrum upon which all of the Christian belief system rests--that Christianity rises or falls based on the reality of the Resurrection (p. v)."
"'Without the Resurrection, the gospel of Jesus Christ becomes a litany of wise sayings and unexplainable miracles' (p. vii)."
"'Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!' (p. vii)"
Kevin J. Worthen
"Several years ago, I began to pay particular attention to the topical index at the front of the general conference issues of the Ensign magazine. It was part of an effort to determine the current focus of Church leaders (p. 1)."
"Jesus Christ is the core message of the restored gospel, the irreducible center of all we believe (p. 3)."
"'The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again on the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it' (Joseph Smith). It is instructive to note that Joseph Smith focused on the testimony of the apostles and prophets concerning Christ, rather than on just the facts concerning Christ and His Mission. There is special power and impact in the testimony prophets and apostles bear of Christ, for they are called to be 'special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world' (p. 5)."
"The family proclamation was given before we experienced the challenges now facing the family. 'The Living Christ' was prepared in advance of when we will need it the most (p. 6)."
"Christ's life was truly matchless. That life 'neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary' (p. 6)."
"Christ's entire earthly sojourn had to be lived in a way that qualified Him to perform the great atoning sacrifice (p. 8)."
"Christ 'entreated all to follow His example,' not just to show us what we could become, but also what we need to do to fully benefit from the atoning sacrifice that was to come (p. 9)."
"He came to earth not just to provide an example of what we should do to inherit eternal life but also to make it possible for us to do so, despite our weaknesses and imperfections (p. 9)."
"It is important and profitable for us to contemplate the monumental events of that sacrifice in an attempt to increase our limited comprehension, for such understanding can both better fit us to take full advantage of that infinite offering and provide us with the perspective and strength we need to endure the vicissitudes of life that inevitably occur (p. 11)."
"Christ was not anxious to go through the experience (p. 12)."
"Was it possible for God to accomplish His work without exacting such a price from His Only Begotten Son? Could the full effects of the Atonement have been achieved by some other means?... Full answers to such ponderings are beyond our mortal reach, but there are several reasons to believe that there was no other way that the plan of salvation could be fully effectuated for God's children than by application of what Elder Maxwell called the 'awful arithmetic of the Atonement' (p. 13)."
"The mere fact that God operates in harmony with eternal laws does not mean He cannot accomplish everything He desires to do. It merely recognizes that He accomplishes those things through eternal laws, which He fully understands (p. 15)."
"'Father, if thou be willing... remove this cup from me.' In the end, it was not a matter of God's power or might, but of His will... 'Nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done' (p. 15)."
"'It is instructive to try to imagine what the Atonement required of both the Father and His willing Son' (Richard G. Scott, p. 16)."
"Perhaps Christ had to be willing to carry out the atoning sacrifice not just because He knew His Father wanted Him to do so, but because He, the Savior, wanted to do so (p. 17)."
"Christ suffered intensely so He would be able fully to comfort and heal us in our extremities (p. 18)."
"To succor can mean to run to give relief (p. 18)."
"Without the Resurrection, the plan would fail (p. 22)."
"Christ not only currently leads His Church, He is also active in our lives today--if we let Him (p. 22)."
"'His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come.' May we join those same witnesses in heartfelt expression: 'God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son' (p. 24)."
Sheri Dew
"The Holy Ghost can bear witness of Him with such clarity and power that we can each know, without question, that Jesus Christ is our Savior (p. 29)."
"A spiritual witness is never based on tangible evidence. A witness of truth comes as the Holy Ghost speaks to our minds and to our hearts (p. 33)."
"As men and women who have received the gift of the Holy Ghost, we can know things. In a world filled with loud and articulate but often misinformed voices, we can discern what is true and what is not (p. 34)."
"What do you know for sure (p. 34)?"
"We cannot stand as witnesses of Jesus Christ unless we can bear witness of Him (p. 36)."
"How do we gain an unyielding spiritual witness that Jesus is the Christ? And what happens to us when we understand what He did for us (p. 36)?"
"Look at the life of any prophet, and you'll find lots of spiritual wrestling... One of the governing rules of spiritual inquiry is that the Lord expects us to 'exercise our agency... to authorize the Spirit to teach us' (Richard G. Scott, p. 37)."
"'If all you know is what you see with your natural eyes and hear with your natural ears, then you will not know very much' (Boyd K. Packer, p. 38)."
"Not asking questions of God is far more dangerous than asking them (p. 40)."
"Learning by faith is every bit as crucial as learning by study, because there are some things we cannot learn from a book (p. 41)."
"Questions, especially the tough ones, can propel us to engage in a spiritual wrestle the deepens our witness that Jesus is the Christ (p. 43)."
"What happens to us when we understand what the Savior did for us (p. 44)?"
"I have thought of the Atonement in large measure as a doctrine of healing (p. 45)."
"The most sure way to gain access to the Savior's healing, strengthening power is to make covenants with Him and then keep them (p. 45)."
"The most powerful way to gain a witness of the healing power of Jesus Christ is to experience His healing power (p. 46)."
"Everything changed because of Jesus Christ. Everything is better because of Him. Everything about our Father's plan became operable because of Him (p. 48)."
Eric D. Huntsman
"Only as an adult did I come to learn that 'good' here might have been an archaic way of referencing God, as when we say 'good-bye,' which originally meant 'God be with ye' or 'Go with God.' That aside, it is good because it was 'holy' Friday, the day when... we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son (p. 57)."
"Speaking to the gathered Nephites, the Risen Lord proclaimed: 'And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works' (p. 60)."
"No one who has ever been falsely judged can fail to relate to how Jesus, innocent and pure, was falsely accused and condemned (p. 60)."
"Reclaiming Good Friday and the cross thus begins, perhaps, by seeing Jesus's salvific work as an atoning journey rather than as a discrete event in the Garden of Gethsemane (p. 61)."
"In some deep way we participate with Christ in the different aspects of his saving work, benefiting from their results and, sometimes, a degree of the experiences themselves (p. 64)."
"How often do we pray, asking the Lord to make us more like Jesus (p. 69)?"
"When our sorrows bring us closer to Jesus, the miracle of the Atonement is that he lifts them, carries them, and dies for them (p. 69)."
"Part of reclaiming the cross is seeing it not just as a symbol of death but as a source of new life (p. 71)."
"While President Hinckley taught that the lives of our people--lives transformed by Christ--are the most meaningful expressions of our faith and serve as the symbol of our worship (p. 73)."
"Thanks be to God, who has given us this victory through Jesus Christ, our Lord (p. 75)."
Daniel K. Judd
"In addition to the many blessings that have come to humankind through the mortal ministry and life of Jesus Christ, prophets, both ancient and modern, have also explained the eternal significance of the Savior's death and Resurrection (p. 77)."
"'The doctrine of the Resurrection is the single most fundamental and crucial doctrine in the Christian religion. It cannot be overemphasized, nor can it be disregarded. Without the Resurrection, the gospel of Jesus Christ becomes a litany of wise sayings and seemingly unexplainable miracles' (Howard W. Hunter, p. 77)."
"Continue our journey in becoming... new creatures in Christ (p. 79)."
"'The idea that one is better off after one has sinned and repented is a devilish lie of the adversary' (Dallin H. Oaks, p. 83)."
"There are sins in our lives that have been or continue to be a part of us for which we could not or cannot make full restitution (p. 86)."
"The good news for Martin Luther, and for all of humankind, is that the Atonement of Christ isn't just for those guilty of sin, the Savior's sufferings are also for those who, in the words of the Book of Mormon prophet Alma, suffer 'pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind' (p. 88)."
"Luther's rediscovery of the grace of Christ was a key moment in the history of Christianity and was a major factor in preparing for the restored gospel (p. 89)."
"'No matter how hard we work, no matter how much we obey, no matter how many good things we do in this life, it would not be enough were it not for Jesus Christ and His loving grace. On our own we cannot earn the kingdom of God--no matter what we do' (M. Russell Ballard, p. 90)."
"The African people acknowledge the sovereignty and graciousness of God. Rarely do they ask, 'why' but most always 'how can my life glorify God?' (p. 92)"
"Missionaries from fifty-four different countries came together in a common cause to preach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. There was very little racial or cultural tension as they learned to feast upon the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon. They learned to work hard, work smart, and to love the Lord and those they teach--by his grace (p. 95)."
"Like the Savior, we too felt angels 'strengthening' us (p. 98)."
Camille Fronk Olson
"In a testimony addressed to deeply converted followers of Jesus Christ, the Apostle John devoted one-fourth of his entire Gospel, five of twenty-one chapters (John 13-17), to events and teachings that occurred during or shortly after the Last Supper (p. 101)."
"'Love one another; as I have loved you... By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.' I want to explore how obedience to this new commandment is at the heart of our being changed forever through the Atonement of Jesus Christ (p. 103)."
"Like Peter, we struggle to believe that Jesus can reach so low (p. 104)."
"As much as we like to think otherwise, we cannot truly cleanse ourselves from the filth of the world and mortality. It is only through the cleansing power of the Atonement that we ever become truly and completely clean (p. 106)."
"'To bear good fruit, we must be filled with more and more of his love and develop a deeper desire to follow his teachings. Jesus is the embodiment of all that he teaches (p. 111)."
"The imagery intensifies the meaning of abide to suggest far more than simply remaining loyal or connected (p. 114)."
"'To 'continue in' or 'abide in' the Savior's love means to receive His grace and be perfected by it. To receive His grace, we must have faith in Jesus Christ and keep His commandments, including repenting of our sins... God will always love us, but He cannot save us in our sins' (D. Todd Christofferson, p. 115)."
"Fruit is the desired outcome in the allegory. God's greatest redemptive purpose is to produce fruit. He has invited us to participate in this glorious process of fruit bearing or transformation. 'I am the vine, ye are the branches,' he stated. Only by abiding in Jehovah, the Great I Am--the Always Existing One--and the Great I Am dwelling in us can we become like he is. Only as extensions of the true vine do we fully internalize his word, produce Christlike character and attributes, and thereby reach all of God's children to invite them to learn of him and taste the sweetness of his word. Without his strength, we will wither and die (p. 116)."
"In what must be among the most selfless and poignant prayers ever uttered, Jesus imagines something akin to a chain of perfect love that forms a complete circle or an eternal round. Through the perfect love of God, the Father is gloriously united with the Son who did all that the Father asked him to do... Because of the Savior's sacrifice of selfless love, we may be resplendently united with the Son as his covenant sons and daughters. This empowering and fruitful unity occurs when we (1) willingly turn over our filthiness to him, trusting that he alone can cleanse us and (2) steadfastly abide in him to bear the fruit of joy that comes from obedience to his commandments and to represent him throughout the world (p. 118)."
Hank R. Smith
"'We mourn the loss but we do not mourn as those without hope' (Joseph Smith, p. 121)."
"We mourn with hope. Where does the hope that Joseph spoke of stem from? (p. 121)"
"How is death like the monsters of a dark closet or the dreaded monsters we were sure were lurking under our bed? What is it that children actually fear? Perhaps our fear of a monster was actually a fear of the unknown. Without knowing what the monster actually looked like, our young imagination was free to create the most hideous and fearsome creature it could devise (p. 123)."
"'We have to live in the knowledge that the worst thing that can possibly happen one day surely will, the end of all our projects, our hopes, our dreams, of our individual world... that's frightening' (Stephen Cave, p. 126)."
"Latter-day Saints are not immune to the tragedy of death. The faithful are not exempt from grief (p. 129)."
"A testimony does not exempt anyone from the deep sense of loss that accompanies death (p. 130)."
"'I cannot yet dwell on the scenes of the recent past. Our hearts have been tried to the core. Not that the end of mortal life has come to two of the dearest souls on earth to me, so much as at the sufferings of our loved ones, which we were utterly powerless to relieve. Oh! How helpless is mortal man in the face of sickness unto death!' (Joseph F. Smith, p. 131)"
"'While we were sitting on the sofa, holding hands, enjoying a program on television, my precious Dantzel slipped peacefully into eternity. Her passing came suddenly and unexpectedly. Just four days earlier, our doctor's report at a routine checkup indicated that her laboratory tests were good. After my efforts to revive her proved fruitless, feelings of shock and sorrow overwhelmed me. My closest friend, angel mother... had been taken' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 131)."
"It was Jesus Christ. He was right there in front of them to see, hear, and touch. It was overwhelming in every sense. Among many other things, his presence was an irrefutable witness of life after death--his life after death and the life after death of so many loved ones (p. 133)."
"'Christianity is founded on the greatest of all miracles, the Resurrection of our Lord. If that be admitted, other miracles cease to be improbable' (Bible Dictionary, p. 135)."
"'Revelations and miracles seem like the natural consequences of having a compassionate and just Creator of the universe interested in human events' (Henry Eyring, p. 135)."
"The reality of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ has been and continues to be witnessed by many (p. 136)."
"The text of the New Testament reveals Jesus's followers gaining, not losing, confidence following his death. This is explained best by a powerful belief in his Resurrection (p. 137)."
"Our gospel is a search for truth, no matter where it is found (p. 138)."
"'The miracle of the Resurrection, wondrous as it will be, is marvelously matched by the miracle of our creation in the first place' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 139)."
"When one is focused on the Savior and his Resurrection, confidence replaces darkness; hope replaces fear (p. 139)."
"Each spring, the Lord teaches us that life and warmth follow the fall and the winter. The 'fortunate fall' of man brought about spiritual and physical death. These deaths, crucial to the Lord's plan of salvation, were meant to be overcome (p. 140)."
"The Resurrection is the 'greatest of all events in the history of mankind... On Easter Sunday we celebrate the most long-awaited and glorious event in the history of the world. It is the day that changed everything. On that day, my life changed. Your life changed. The destiny of all God's children changed. When I think of what the Savior did for us... I want to lift up my voice and shout praises to the Most High God and His Son, Jesus Christ! The gates of heaven are unlocked! The windows of heaven are opened!' (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, p. 140)"
"While we do not know what difficulty the Savior had to endure to ensure resurrection for all mankind, we can assume it was not done with ease (p. 141)."
"The certainty of the Resurrection is the only force able to mitigate the shock and bereavement of losing a beloved family member or friend to death (p. 141)."
"Marlene was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer. They fought with faith. They prayed and begged the Lord for an outcome different than those predicted by their doctors. Less than a year later... Marlene was placed on hospice care... This is where I learned personally what it means to mourn with hope. They both remained optimistic and sometimes even cheerful throughout the entire ordeal (p. 147)."
"Mourning with hope means celebrating the time spent in mortality with those we love. It means we look forward with anticipation to joyful reunions... Mourning with hope means placing all your hope in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ (p. 150)."
"Some religious pundits opine that the doctrine of the Resurrection is the fulcrum upon which all of the Christian belief system rests--that Christianity rises or falls based on the reality of the Resurrection (p. v)."
"'Without the Resurrection, the gospel of Jesus Christ becomes a litany of wise sayings and unexplainable miracles' (p. vii)."
"'Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!' (p. vii)"
Kevin J. Worthen
"Several years ago, I began to pay particular attention to the topical index at the front of the general conference issues of the Ensign magazine. It was part of an effort to determine the current focus of Church leaders (p. 1)."
"Jesus Christ is the core message of the restored gospel, the irreducible center of all we believe (p. 3)."
"'The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again on the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it' (Joseph Smith). It is instructive to note that Joseph Smith focused on the testimony of the apostles and prophets concerning Christ, rather than on just the facts concerning Christ and His Mission. There is special power and impact in the testimony prophets and apostles bear of Christ, for they are called to be 'special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world' (p. 5)."
"The family proclamation was given before we experienced the challenges now facing the family. 'The Living Christ' was prepared in advance of when we will need it the most (p. 6)."
"Christ's life was truly matchless. That life 'neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary' (p. 6)."
"Christ's entire earthly sojourn had to be lived in a way that qualified Him to perform the great atoning sacrifice (p. 8)."
"Christ 'entreated all to follow His example,' not just to show us what we could become, but also what we need to do to fully benefit from the atoning sacrifice that was to come (p. 9)."
"He came to earth not just to provide an example of what we should do to inherit eternal life but also to make it possible for us to do so, despite our weaknesses and imperfections (p. 9)."
"It is important and profitable for us to contemplate the monumental events of that sacrifice in an attempt to increase our limited comprehension, for such understanding can both better fit us to take full advantage of that infinite offering and provide us with the perspective and strength we need to endure the vicissitudes of life that inevitably occur (p. 11)."
"Christ was not anxious to go through the experience (p. 12)."
"Was it possible for God to accomplish His work without exacting such a price from His Only Begotten Son? Could the full effects of the Atonement have been achieved by some other means?... Full answers to such ponderings are beyond our mortal reach, but there are several reasons to believe that there was no other way that the plan of salvation could be fully effectuated for God's children than by application of what Elder Maxwell called the 'awful arithmetic of the Atonement' (p. 13)."
"The mere fact that God operates in harmony with eternal laws does not mean He cannot accomplish everything He desires to do. It merely recognizes that He accomplishes those things through eternal laws, which He fully understands (p. 15)."
"'Father, if thou be willing... remove this cup from me.' In the end, it was not a matter of God's power or might, but of His will... 'Nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done' (p. 15)."
"'It is instructive to try to imagine what the Atonement required of both the Father and His willing Son' (Richard G. Scott, p. 16)."
"Perhaps Christ had to be willing to carry out the atoning sacrifice not just because He knew His Father wanted Him to do so, but because He, the Savior, wanted to do so (p. 17)."
"Christ suffered intensely so He would be able fully to comfort and heal us in our extremities (p. 18)."
"To succor can mean to run to give relief (p. 18)."
"Without the Resurrection, the plan would fail (p. 22)."
"Christ not only currently leads His Church, He is also active in our lives today--if we let Him (p. 22)."
"'His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come.' May we join those same witnesses in heartfelt expression: 'God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son' (p. 24)."
Sheri Dew
"The Holy Ghost can bear witness of Him with such clarity and power that we can each know, without question, that Jesus Christ is our Savior (p. 29)."
"A spiritual witness is never based on tangible evidence. A witness of truth comes as the Holy Ghost speaks to our minds and to our hearts (p. 33)."
"As men and women who have received the gift of the Holy Ghost, we can know things. In a world filled with loud and articulate but often misinformed voices, we can discern what is true and what is not (p. 34)."
"What do you know for sure (p. 34)?"
"We cannot stand as witnesses of Jesus Christ unless we can bear witness of Him (p. 36)."
"How do we gain an unyielding spiritual witness that Jesus is the Christ? And what happens to us when we understand what He did for us (p. 36)?"
"Look at the life of any prophet, and you'll find lots of spiritual wrestling... One of the governing rules of spiritual inquiry is that the Lord expects us to 'exercise our agency... to authorize the Spirit to teach us' (Richard G. Scott, p. 37)."
"'If all you know is what you see with your natural eyes and hear with your natural ears, then you will not know very much' (Boyd K. Packer, p. 38)."
"Not asking questions of God is far more dangerous than asking them (p. 40)."
"Learning by faith is every bit as crucial as learning by study, because there are some things we cannot learn from a book (p. 41)."
"Questions, especially the tough ones, can propel us to engage in a spiritual wrestle the deepens our witness that Jesus is the Christ (p. 43)."
"What happens to us when we understand what the Savior did for us (p. 44)?"
"I have thought of the Atonement in large measure as a doctrine of healing (p. 45)."
"The most sure way to gain access to the Savior's healing, strengthening power is to make covenants with Him and then keep them (p. 45)."
"The most powerful way to gain a witness of the healing power of Jesus Christ is to experience His healing power (p. 46)."
"Everything changed because of Jesus Christ. Everything is better because of Him. Everything about our Father's plan became operable because of Him (p. 48)."
Eric D. Huntsman
"Only as an adult did I come to learn that 'good' here might have been an archaic way of referencing God, as when we say 'good-bye,' which originally meant 'God be with ye' or 'Go with God.' That aside, it is good because it was 'holy' Friday, the day when... we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son (p. 57)."
"Speaking to the gathered Nephites, the Risen Lord proclaimed: 'And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works' (p. 60)."
"No one who has ever been falsely judged can fail to relate to how Jesus, innocent and pure, was falsely accused and condemned (p. 60)."
"Reclaiming Good Friday and the cross thus begins, perhaps, by seeing Jesus's salvific work as an atoning journey rather than as a discrete event in the Garden of Gethsemane (p. 61)."
"In some deep way we participate with Christ in the different aspects of his saving work, benefiting from their results and, sometimes, a degree of the experiences themselves (p. 64)."
"How often do we pray, asking the Lord to make us more like Jesus (p. 69)?"
"When our sorrows bring us closer to Jesus, the miracle of the Atonement is that he lifts them, carries them, and dies for them (p. 69)."
"Part of reclaiming the cross is seeing it not just as a symbol of death but as a source of new life (p. 71)."
"While President Hinckley taught that the lives of our people--lives transformed by Christ--are the most meaningful expressions of our faith and serve as the symbol of our worship (p. 73)."
"Thanks be to God, who has given us this victory through Jesus Christ, our Lord (p. 75)."
Daniel K. Judd
"In addition to the many blessings that have come to humankind through the mortal ministry and life of Jesus Christ, prophets, both ancient and modern, have also explained the eternal significance of the Savior's death and Resurrection (p. 77)."
"'The doctrine of the Resurrection is the single most fundamental and crucial doctrine in the Christian religion. It cannot be overemphasized, nor can it be disregarded. Without the Resurrection, the gospel of Jesus Christ becomes a litany of wise sayings and seemingly unexplainable miracles' (Howard W. Hunter, p. 77)."
"Continue our journey in becoming... new creatures in Christ (p. 79)."
"'The idea that one is better off after one has sinned and repented is a devilish lie of the adversary' (Dallin H. Oaks, p. 83)."
"There are sins in our lives that have been or continue to be a part of us for which we could not or cannot make full restitution (p. 86)."
"The good news for Martin Luther, and for all of humankind, is that the Atonement of Christ isn't just for those guilty of sin, the Savior's sufferings are also for those who, in the words of the Book of Mormon prophet Alma, suffer 'pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind' (p. 88)."
"Luther's rediscovery of the grace of Christ was a key moment in the history of Christianity and was a major factor in preparing for the restored gospel (p. 89)."
"'No matter how hard we work, no matter how much we obey, no matter how many good things we do in this life, it would not be enough were it not for Jesus Christ and His loving grace. On our own we cannot earn the kingdom of God--no matter what we do' (M. Russell Ballard, p. 90)."
"The African people acknowledge the sovereignty and graciousness of God. Rarely do they ask, 'why' but most always 'how can my life glorify God?' (p. 92)"
"Missionaries from fifty-four different countries came together in a common cause to preach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. There was very little racial or cultural tension as they learned to feast upon the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon. They learned to work hard, work smart, and to love the Lord and those they teach--by his grace (p. 95)."
"Like the Savior, we too felt angels 'strengthening' us (p. 98)."
Camille Fronk Olson
"In a testimony addressed to deeply converted followers of Jesus Christ, the Apostle John devoted one-fourth of his entire Gospel, five of twenty-one chapters (John 13-17), to events and teachings that occurred during or shortly after the Last Supper (p. 101)."
"'Love one another; as I have loved you... By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.' I want to explore how obedience to this new commandment is at the heart of our being changed forever through the Atonement of Jesus Christ (p. 103)."
"Like Peter, we struggle to believe that Jesus can reach so low (p. 104)."
"As much as we like to think otherwise, we cannot truly cleanse ourselves from the filth of the world and mortality. It is only through the cleansing power of the Atonement that we ever become truly and completely clean (p. 106)."
"'To bear good fruit, we must be filled with more and more of his love and develop a deeper desire to follow his teachings. Jesus is the embodiment of all that he teaches (p. 111)."
"The imagery intensifies the meaning of abide to suggest far more than simply remaining loyal or connected (p. 114)."
"'To 'continue in' or 'abide in' the Savior's love means to receive His grace and be perfected by it. To receive His grace, we must have faith in Jesus Christ and keep His commandments, including repenting of our sins... God will always love us, but He cannot save us in our sins' (D. Todd Christofferson, p. 115)."
"Fruit is the desired outcome in the allegory. God's greatest redemptive purpose is to produce fruit. He has invited us to participate in this glorious process of fruit bearing or transformation. 'I am the vine, ye are the branches,' he stated. Only by abiding in Jehovah, the Great I Am--the Always Existing One--and the Great I Am dwelling in us can we become like he is. Only as extensions of the true vine do we fully internalize his word, produce Christlike character and attributes, and thereby reach all of God's children to invite them to learn of him and taste the sweetness of his word. Without his strength, we will wither and die (p. 116)."
"In what must be among the most selfless and poignant prayers ever uttered, Jesus imagines something akin to a chain of perfect love that forms a complete circle or an eternal round. Through the perfect love of God, the Father is gloriously united with the Son who did all that the Father asked him to do... Because of the Savior's sacrifice of selfless love, we may be resplendently united with the Son as his covenant sons and daughters. This empowering and fruitful unity occurs when we (1) willingly turn over our filthiness to him, trusting that he alone can cleanse us and (2) steadfastly abide in him to bear the fruit of joy that comes from obedience to his commandments and to represent him throughout the world (p. 118)."
Hank R. Smith
"'We mourn the loss but we do not mourn as those without hope' (Joseph Smith, p. 121)."
"We mourn with hope. Where does the hope that Joseph spoke of stem from? (p. 121)"
"How is death like the monsters of a dark closet or the dreaded monsters we were sure were lurking under our bed? What is it that children actually fear? Perhaps our fear of a monster was actually a fear of the unknown. Without knowing what the monster actually looked like, our young imagination was free to create the most hideous and fearsome creature it could devise (p. 123)."
"'We have to live in the knowledge that the worst thing that can possibly happen one day surely will, the end of all our projects, our hopes, our dreams, of our individual world... that's frightening' (Stephen Cave, p. 126)."
"Latter-day Saints are not immune to the tragedy of death. The faithful are not exempt from grief (p. 129)."
"A testimony does not exempt anyone from the deep sense of loss that accompanies death (p. 130)."
"'I cannot yet dwell on the scenes of the recent past. Our hearts have been tried to the core. Not that the end of mortal life has come to two of the dearest souls on earth to me, so much as at the sufferings of our loved ones, which we were utterly powerless to relieve. Oh! How helpless is mortal man in the face of sickness unto death!' (Joseph F. Smith, p. 131)"
"'While we were sitting on the sofa, holding hands, enjoying a program on television, my precious Dantzel slipped peacefully into eternity. Her passing came suddenly and unexpectedly. Just four days earlier, our doctor's report at a routine checkup indicated that her laboratory tests were good. After my efforts to revive her proved fruitless, feelings of shock and sorrow overwhelmed me. My closest friend, angel mother... had been taken' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 131)."
"It was Jesus Christ. He was right there in front of them to see, hear, and touch. It was overwhelming in every sense. Among many other things, his presence was an irrefutable witness of life after death--his life after death and the life after death of so many loved ones (p. 133)."
"'Christianity is founded on the greatest of all miracles, the Resurrection of our Lord. If that be admitted, other miracles cease to be improbable' (Bible Dictionary, p. 135)."
"'Revelations and miracles seem like the natural consequences of having a compassionate and just Creator of the universe interested in human events' (Henry Eyring, p. 135)."
"The reality of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ has been and continues to be witnessed by many (p. 136)."
"The text of the New Testament reveals Jesus's followers gaining, not losing, confidence following his death. This is explained best by a powerful belief in his Resurrection (p. 137)."
"Our gospel is a search for truth, no matter where it is found (p. 138)."
"'The miracle of the Resurrection, wondrous as it will be, is marvelously matched by the miracle of our creation in the first place' (Russell M. Nelson, p. 139)."
"When one is focused on the Savior and his Resurrection, confidence replaces darkness; hope replaces fear (p. 139)."
"Each spring, the Lord teaches us that life and warmth follow the fall and the winter. The 'fortunate fall' of man brought about spiritual and physical death. These deaths, crucial to the Lord's plan of salvation, were meant to be overcome (p. 140)."
"The Resurrection is the 'greatest of all events in the history of mankind... On Easter Sunday we celebrate the most long-awaited and glorious event in the history of the world. It is the day that changed everything. On that day, my life changed. Your life changed. The destiny of all God's children changed. When I think of what the Savior did for us... I want to lift up my voice and shout praises to the Most High God and His Son, Jesus Christ! The gates of heaven are unlocked! The windows of heaven are opened!' (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, p. 140)"
"While we do not know what difficulty the Savior had to endure to ensure resurrection for all mankind, we can assume it was not done with ease (p. 141)."
"The certainty of the Resurrection is the only force able to mitigate the shock and bereavement of losing a beloved family member or friend to death (p. 141)."
"Marlene was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer. They fought with faith. They prayed and begged the Lord for an outcome different than those predicted by their doctors. Less than a year later... Marlene was placed on hospice care... This is where I learned personally what it means to mourn with hope. They both remained optimistic and sometimes even cheerful throughout the entire ordeal (p. 147)."
"Mourning with hope means celebrating the time spent in mortality with those we love. It means we look forward with anticipation to joyful reunions... Mourning with hope means placing all your hope in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ (p. 150)."
January 24, 2023
A compilation of articles from various authors, some articles are better than others. I thought Sheri Dew was outstanding.
April 25, 2017
Loved it.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews