He Sent His Son

"For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  

John 3:16

Here in the "buckle" of the Bible belt as some refer to it, everyone loves The Bible (the actual Bible, although I hear great things about the show on the History Channel too); and from what I have gathered, this is the most commonly-known verse in all of the Old and New Testaments combined.

I love the simple doctrine taught in this short verse. God is our Heavenly Father. We are His children! He loves us and wants us to return to Him and have eternal life. He is separate from His son, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is His Only Begotten Son! We will have eternal life if we have faith in and believe in Jesus Christ. We will NOT perish! I know that this is true. 

This week we have been visiting dozens of homes and asking families, What does Easter mean to you?

Some of my favorite responses:

• "A new beginning. For me it's truly when the new year starts."
• "Love."
• "Everything!"
• "Spring."
• "The Resurrection, which brings me comfort to know that my Savior is always near."
• "General Conference...because April General Conference is always the same time!"

This is one of my favorite "Easter" songs. Just like John 3:16, it's simple. It's complete. It expresses my FAITH in my Savior, Jesus Christ. 

He Sent His Son

"How could the Father tell the world of love and tenderness?

He sent his Son, a newborn babe, with peace and holiness.

How could the Father show the world the pathway we should go?

He sent his Son to walk with men on earth, that we may know.

How could the Father tell the world of sacrifice, of death?

He sent his Son to die for us and rise with living breath.

What does the Father ask of us? What do the scriptures say?

Have faith, have hope, live like his Son, help others on their way.

What does he ask? Live like his Son."

-Mabel Jones Gabbott

LDS Children's Songbook

I Think the World is Glorious

Hello, Spring!!

To me, the arrival of Spring is like arriving at the end of a long, difficult trial. Like most Californians who are spoiled with warm, beautiful weather year-round, I struggle with the concept of winter. I do not like the cold or any thing that comes as a result of coldness. However, it makes me appreciate the warmth that slowly seeps back into the calendar. Days become longer, tan lines appear, and Mother Nature seems to explode, especially out here in Tennessee, the epicenter of trees, flowers, birds, and insects (and allergies)! The advantage I see to long, icy winters is the chance to experience opposition. I realize now that I took for granted the beautiful Southern California climate, now that I am finally experiencing winter.

Can you think of how this relates to the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Rather than answer that myself, I invite you to share your own insights.

This morning as I stood out on the balcony soaking up the sun's warm rays, I thought about how glorious this world is. An ancient prophet named Alma testified, "All things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator." (Alma 30:44)


When you look around you, especially this time of year, how can you deny the existence of Deity? There must be a Power beyond our own that is masterfully composing this symphonic eruption of life and intelligence.

There IS.

His name is Heavenly Father. He loves us, and He wants us to "have joy!" (2 Nephi 2:25)

From the LDS Primary Children's Songbook:
I Think The World is Glorious

Lucky

A lot of times, when something miraculous happens, we attribute it to "sheer luck" or "coincidence."

Disciples of Jesus Christ know that it is something much more.

President Thomas S. Monson said, "Remember that you are entitled to our Father’s blessings in this work. He did not call you to your privileged post to walk alone, without guidance, trusting to luck. On the contrary, He knows your skill, He realizes your devotion, and He will convert your supposed inadequacies to recognized strengths." (Sugar Beets and the Worth of a Soul)

This quote makes me think of a song from the 2011 EFY Album, "He Knows Me Better," by Jenessa Buttars.  The words might not be 100% right because I typed them from my memory.

He Knows Me Better

It feels like I've only got

a piece of the picture
I'm tryin' to figure out
Just where I fit here
But there is One who sees
All I'm meant to be

In a world of voices
that say they have the answer
I escape the noises
close my eyes and I turn
to the One who sees
all the pieces put together
He knows me better

Sometimes I can't see past

what's on the surface

But He helps me understand

the depth in my purpose

that gives me faith to hold

as my path unfolds

He knows every one of us
is learning as we go
His love is the compass
that guides us home

I consider myself LUCKY to know that my Savior Jesus Christ lives and that He suffered for all that I have and will ever go through.

This was quoted in this month's Ensign article, The Enabling Power of the Atonement. Elder Holland originally stated this here: Come Unto Me.

Some other quotes about luck that I like:

"In every prayer that children hear, there should be thankfulness expressed for God’s hand in all things, for evidences of his presence and influence. He is the God before whom man bows; to him we make acknowledgment and to none other. We live in a world dominated by the concept of 'Lady Luck.' Our children too soon learn that much of their success is attributed to being lucky or to chance." How to Teach the Ten Commandments

Spencer W. Kimball counseled an audience of women, "If you succeed, it isn’t because of luck. Success comes from faith and work and prayer and from constant righteous effort. It is a question of agency—of what you choose to do with gifts of God—everything upon the earth, wherein there is life" (Privileges and Responsibilities of Sisters, General Conference October 1978).