The Bishop had been sending mixed signals for the last 10 days or so about my speaking in church. I was pretty sure he wasn't going to do it, at one point he was fishing for thanks that I didn't get asked, at another he was talking about making it a tradition in the ward. He got Tara going on Saturday by telling her to make sure I wore a nice tie to church in case he asked me to speak. I contributed to the mania by actually wearing a nice tie to church, but he didn't call anyone up from the congregation to speak this year. (I have no illusions that this won't happen at some point...) Anyway, here's approximately what they would have gotten out of me: (Not having had anything written down but a couple of scriptures turned to...)
I've had opportunity over the past couple of months to think about the burdens people carry with them or the burdens that are placed upon us. It's an interesting thing. Sometimes these burdens are of our own making, but more often, I think burdens are placed on us to see how we will handle them.
One of my home teaching families have been in the hospital for about a month now. They seem to be handling things fairly well. They are having their first baby, who was in danger of being born about 4 months early. It was a scary thing for them. They seem to be doing well at this point, overall, and are bearing things pretty well as they wait out the day when the baby is born. A good part of that is their faith, prayers, and testimony, but a part of that is also the faith and prayers of those around them. They feel your support and prayers and appreciate them. It would be easy to be consumed by the situation in a case like that, but they appear to have placed themselves in the Lord's hands and are submitting to His will. They are an example for all of us.
In
Mosiah 24, Alma and his followers found themselves in bondage to their brethren. Heavy burdens were placed on their backs. The burdens were so great, the people started crying to the Lord. Their taskmasters forced them to stop praying out loud, so they continued to pray in their hearts. The record shows that the Lord made their burdens light on their backs, so they could bear them with ease.
I think I started really understanding this passage of scripture the day I was released as an Elder's Quorum president. As President Christiansen issued the release, it literally felt like a very large weight was lifted off my chest. I suddenly could breath deeper than I could before. I don't think this was some imagined weight that was lifted, I think it was a real burden I was carrying in relation to the calling. I couldn't get the stupid silly grin off my face for 3 full days. (Watch the next time an Elder's Quorum president is released.) Now, I didn't know the weight of the call was there. I just didn't really feel it until it was removed. Suddenly I understood what the scriptures meant when it said "And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease..."
Recently I have been brought to face a different type of burden, having to face some physical problems directly, instead of ignoring them. It's the same sort of thing. In
Alma 33, after talking about how to plant the word of the Gospel in our hearts like a seed; the need for prayer in all times. places, and things; and about how mercy comes from the Savior, Alma says something interesting. He says in verse 23 - "And now, my brethren, I desire that ye shall plant this word in your hearts, and as it beginneth to swell even so nourish it by your faith. And behold, it will become a tree, springing up in you unto everlasting life. And then may God grant unto you that your burdens may be light, through the joy of his Son. And even all this can ye do if ye will."
Clearly Alma indicates that our burdens can be lifted as we live the Gospel. The atonement of Christ is what allows our burdens to be lifted. He understands what burdens we bear, because He too bore those same burdens. He understands our struggles. It doesn't matter of the burdens we are currently carrying are mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, or related to work, serving in the church, or dealing with those around us. He has the power to assist us in our struggles. That's part of the power of the atonement. In some cases, it involves repentance on our part, in some cases, it just involves our asking for help with our struggles. It's not just sin that the atonement covers.
D&C 76:5-6 reads "For thus saith the Lord—I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end. Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory."
The during the Christmas season, it's easy to focus on the birth of the Savior. There's nothing wrong with that, as long as we remember the reason why His birth is important to us. The Christmas season, when we give and receive gifts of each other, could just as easily be a time where we remember the gift of the Atonement that Jesus have given us, and focus on doing the things we need to do to receive that gift. Maybe it should be. As we go out this week, I hope we can all come closer to our Savior, and bring our burdens, whether they be emotional, physical, spiritual, or whatever, but bring them to the Savior, and ask for His help in carrying on. If we do that, this Christmas time will be a wonderful time for us, no matter what our current circumstance.
