Christ's Infinite Grace

Have you ever laid in bed at the end of a long day and just reflected? Have you ever experienced feelings of remorse or regret for something you wish had never happened, feelings of guilt for a temptation you succumbed to or intentionally chose, feelings of confusion, sorrow, or rage because of someone else's actions, or feelings of hopelessness for dreams that have shattered or loved ones you've lost?

After a time you may fall asleep, but in the morning the weight is still there, heavy on your heart. You try to smile and face the day, slowly putting one foot in front of the other. You struggle day after day searching for a brief moment of relief from the weight in your chest or the memories you wish you could undo. Where can you turn to feel the hope and peace that have long since disappeared?

Throughout my life I have had many experiences where I have felt lost and had difficulties and struggles that no one had any idea I was going through. At times I felt like I had hit rock bottom and the heavens were closed. There are other times when I have done things I knew would drive away the spirit, but did them anyway. All of us have regrets, sorrow, and heartaches that we wish we could change.

But, as we all know, sometimes when we are in the middle of our trials we can lose sight of hope and the promise of good things to come. Life is not fair, and it is hard. Bad things happen to good people. We all make mistakes, sometimes the same mistakes over and over again. Where do we turn for answers? For hope? For peace when we are struggling just to make it through the end of the day, or even the hour?

Several years ago I was sitting on my bed. It was 10:00 in the morning and I was pretty much worn out, tired, and exhausted. I had no idea how I was going to make it through the rest of the day. I pulled out my scriptures and read in 2 Nephi, 

“For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do" (2 Nephi 25:23).

My heart ached and I wanted to cry. “All we can do” seemed like such a burden. I turned to my Father in Heaven in prayer and said, “What if I’ve done all I can do for today?” 

As I waited, a peaceful feeling came over me. I knew He understood my capacity and limitations and that He understood that I really had done all I could that day.

Joseph Smith taught, 

“Our Father in heaven is more boundless in his mercies and blessings, than we are ready to believe or receive” (Joseph Smith, History, 1838–1856, volume D-1 [1 August 1842–1 July 1843]).

He loves us, in spite of our weaknesses and shortcomings. He has known us, His spirit children, for millions and millions of years. He knows what He is doing. He is not a junior God. He has created “worlds without number” and this world we live on is merely one of so many.

He has been where we are. He knows how hard life can be. He also knows what it will take to make it back to Him.

In Jesus the Christ we read, 

“The Eternal Father well understood the diverse natures and varied capacities of His spirit-offspring; and His infinite foreknowledge made plain to Him, even in the beginning, that in the school of life some of His children would succeed and others would fail; some would be faithful, others false; some would choose the good, others the evil; some would seek the way of life while others would elect to follow the road to destruction. He further foresaw that death would enter the world, and that the possession of bodies by His children would be of but brief individual duration. He saw that His commandments would be disobeyed and His law violated; and that men, shut out from His presence and left to themselves, would sink rather than rise, would retrogress rather than advance, and would be lost to the heavens” (James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, Deseret Book Company, 1990).

Our Father in Heaven knew we would make wrong choices and that is precisely why we are here! Life is about making mistakes, big and small. It is not about doing everything perfectly. We came to earth to learn by our own experience, to see what kind of choices we will make, and ultimately to find out what kind of person we want to be. 

President Dallin H. Oaks taught,

“The revealed doctrine of the restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that all the children of God—with exceptions too limited to consider here—will ultimately inherit one of three kingdoms of glory, even the least of which 'surpasses all understanding.' After a period [of time] all will be resurrected and proceed to the Final Judgment of the Lord Jesus Christ. There, our loving Savior,…will send all the children of God to one of these kingdoms of glory according to the desires manifested through their choices” (Dallin H. Oaks, "Kingdoms of Glory", General Conference, October 2023).

The plan of our Heavenly Father was based on agency, the ability to choose. In the pre-mortal world we had agency. The war in heaven started because “Satan rebelled against [God], and sought to destroy the agency of man.”

I love the perspective that Elder D. Todd Christofferson gives about this. He said,

“This was not simply a case of Jesus supporting the Father’s plan and Lucifer proposing a slight modification. Lucifer’s proposal would have destroyed the plan by eliminating our opportunity to act independently. Lucifer’s plan was founded on coercion, making all the other sons and daughters of God—all of us—essentially his puppets….

“And let us remember, Satan was not volunteering to be our savior. He was not interested in suffering or dying for anyone. He wasn’t going to shed any of his blood. He wanted the glory, honor, and power of God without paying any price.…Lucifer was seeking for power without goodness. He supposed that he could be a law unto himself, meaning that the law would be whatever he said it was at any given moment and that he could change his mind at any time. In that way, no one could count on anything, and no one would have the ability to be an independent actor. He would be supreme, and no one else could advance” (D. Todd Christofferson, "A Message at Christmas", BYU Speeches, Dec 12, 2017).

The plan of our Heavenly Father was that Jesus would come down to earth and offer His life as a sacrifice for the demands of justice. Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained, “our Lord voluntarily abased himself, or, rather, emptied himself of all his divine power, or enfeebled himself by relying upon his humanity and not his Godhood, so as to be as other men and thus be tested to the full by all the trials and torments of the flesh” (Tad R. Callister, “The Infinite Atonement”, Deseret Book Publishing, 2000, p 119).

The price that was paid for us to have agency, the ability to make our own choices, cost  the life of His beloved Son and one-third part of all of our Father in Heaven’s spirit children. We had agency before we came to this earth, and it was so important that He allowed our spirit brothers and sisters the to use their agency to make that choice, knowing full well the eternal consequences of their decision.

Sometimes I have wondered why that third part was willing to follow Lucifer when they understood the eternal result of their choices. In response, Elder Robert D. Hales asks us an interesting question, “Do we ever do things that aren’t good for us, knowing full well what the consequences will be?”

In Matthew 25 the Savior teaches the parable of the talents. 

A man traveling to a far country called his servants together, “And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability;” and then he left. To clarify, in this context, "several" is an archaic term that means "individual" or "distinct." It doesn’t mean multiple abilities but instead emphasizes that each person has their own unique ability (Explanation from Duck.AI).

The one with five talents made five more and the one with two made two more. The servant who was given one talent hid it until the master returned. The first two servants were rewarded for their efforts and the last servant was chastised for not even trying. 

The Lord expects from each of us according to our individual and unique abilities. The Lord wants us to try with what we have (even on those days where all we can do is get out of bed), and to keep moving forward, which can be especially challenging on the hard days.

There may be some days where you feel like the widow of Zarephath who had done all she could do, and had nothing more to give. She was living during a famine and was using the last of her food to make a meal for herself and her son and then was planning to slowly die of starvation. In this crucial situation the prophet Elijah came and asked her to give even more. It was a test of her faith. In response to her faith, the Lord took her simple offering, 'an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse' (1 Kings 17:12) and made it enough for her and her family to thrive on until the famine was over.

There was a time in my life when I was overwhelmed with more than I could handle. I had tried to do everything I could do to find help and answers and had nothing more to give, and yet I was still lacking. I asked for a priesthood blessing and in the blessing I was told that the Lord was not going to take away this trial, but that He was aware of me. 

Honestly, my heart sank. I had always relied on priesthood blessings for comfort and had been hoping for that again. Just as with the widow of Zarephath, I had to trust that the Lord had a plan for me.

When we are doing everything we can, but know that we are still falling short, by a long shot, how can we be expected to do more? The simple answer is through the grace of God. He knows our weaknesses. He knows our abilities and limitations.

Orson F. Whitney reminds us, “Our little finite afflictions are but a drop in the ocean, compared with the infinite and unspeakable agony borne by him for our sakes because we were not able to bear it for ourselves”  (Tad R. Callister, “The Infinite Atonement”, Deseret Book Publishing, 2000, p128).

However, it is through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ that we are able to access His grace, his enabling power, his comfort, his help, and His love. 

Brad Wilcox shared a story that helped me understand grace a little better. He said: 

A BYU student once came to me and asked if we could talk. I said, “Of course. How can I help you?” 

She said, “I just don’t get grace.” 

I responded, “What is it that you don’t understand?” 

She said, “I know I need to do my best and then Jesus does the rest, but I can’t even do my best.”

She then went on to tell me all the things she should be doing…that she wasn’t doing.

She continued, “I know that I have to do my part and then Jesus makes up the difference and fills the gap that stands between my part and perfection. But who fills the gap that stands between where I am now and my part?”

She then went on to tell me all the things that she shouldn’t be doing… but she was doing them anyway.

Finally I said, “Jesus doesn’t make up the difference. Jesus makes all the difference. Grace is not about filling gaps. It is about filling us.”

Seeing that she was still confused, I took a piece of paper and drew two dots—one at the top representing God and one at the bottom representing us. I then said, “Go ahead. Draw the line. How much is our part? How much is Christ’s part?”

She went right to the center of the page and began to draw a line. Then, considering what we had been speaking about, she went to the bottom of the page and drew a line just above the bottom dot.

I said, “Wrong.”

She said, “I knew it was higher. I should have just drawn it, because I knew it.”

I said, “No. The truth is, there is no line. Jesus filled the whole space. He paid our debt in full. He didn’t pay it all except for a few coins. He paid it all. It is finished.”

She said, “Right! Like I don’t have to do anything?”

“Oh no,” I said, “you have plenty to do, but it is not to fill that gap. We will all be resurrected. We will all go back to God’s presence. What is left to be determined by our obedience is what kind of body we plan on being resurrected with and how comfortable we plan to be in God’s presence and how long we plan to stay there.”

Brother Wilcox continued, Christ asks us to show faith in Him, repent, make and keep covenants, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. By complying, we are not paying the demands of justice—not even the smallest part. Instead, we are showing appreciation for what Jesus Christ did by using it to live a life like His. Justice requires immediate perfection or a punishment when we fall short. Because Jesus took that punishment, He can offer us the chance for ultimate perfection and help us reach that goal. He can forgive what justice never could (Brad Wilcox, "His Grace is Sufficient", BYU Speeches, July 12, 2011).

I want to share what Tad R. Callister taught about what Jesus Christ went through for us.

“The Savior’s sacrifice required inexhaustible stamina in order to bear the consequences of our sins and weather the temptations of the Evil One. But his suffering must have been more than a resigned submissiveness or a fist-clenching ‘taking of the stripes.’…There was a need to rescue and deliver souls from ‘the chains of hell’….

“The Savior’s redemption was a one-man rescue mission to deliver the prisoners of all ages from death and hell, of which Satan was the ever-so-vigilant guard….

“With merciless fury Satan’s forces must have attacked the Savor on all fronts—frantically, diabolically, seeking a vulnerable spot, ,a weakness, an Achilles’ heel through which they might inflict a ‘mortal’ wound, all in hopes they could halt the impending charge, but it was not to beg. The Savior pressed forward in bold assault until every prisoner was freed from the tenacious tentacles of the Evil On….

“[On the cross] the Savior’s ordeal had reached its climax. The storm of guilt, remorse, embarrassment, shame, and hopelessness that accompanies sin pressed with its full weight and fury upon him. His pure and sensitive soul, which had no blemish, no spot, which had never known sin in any degree, at any time, at any place was now facing evil of cataclysmic proportions. The price for evil in infinite measure was accounted for and paid for. All the senses a man has—intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and psychological…—were monopolized by thew effects that follow evil. the last trace of God’s healing light withdrew, to let the unrestrained effects of evil run their full course. No longer could the Father’s Spirit remain in the presence of infinite evil, now being assumed by the very one who embodied infinite goodness. At that point, the Son of Man, acutely alone in the fullest sense of that term, cried out in a moment of ultimate pathos, ‘My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?’. No one could claim he was spared any consequence of sin. There was no softening of the blow. He descended beneath it all” (Tad R. Callister, “The Infinite Atonement”, Deseret Book Publishing, 2000, p129-130, 143).

Jesus Christ suffered more than we can ever imagine for you,,,and for me, because He loves us.

Now, when you lay in bed at the end of the day take time to reflect of God’s love for you. Rather than wonder if you deserve His sacrifice or His love—and none of us do—take time to ponder what He gave freely because of His love for you. Turn your thoughts from thinking about what you haven’t done and remember what He has done for you, and just celebrate it. Live in the wonder of it.

I testify that He is there. He is always there. He will always be there. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Parable of the Sower (Part 2: Spiritual State of the Soil)

“Spiritual” State of Soil

In the parable of the sower, that the Savior taught (see Matthew 13:3-9), we can look at the soil as all being equal in the beginning and evolving over time.

Alma teaches us that, “in the first place [we] were on the same standing with [our] brethren” (Alma 13:5). In the very beginning state of our pre-mortal existence, we all started out on equal footing. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all of us were born into mortality innocent before God, as Joseph Smith taught:

“Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning; and God having redeemed man from the fall, men became again, in their infant state, innocent before God” (Doctrine & Covenants 93:38).

In the beginning all the soil—all of us—were on equal standing. The seed—the word of God—is available to all but there are some who, through their own decisions, have allowed the adversary to snatch the word away (see Matthew 13:19). To “snatch” means to “to take (something) quickly or eagerly” (link to definition). The adversary is ever on the lookout for opportunities to deceive the children of men. Peter admonishes us to, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He may be subtle and crafty, or blatant and bold, but his intentions are the same – to deceive mankind.

The soil that has the seed snatched away are those who “[hear] the word of the kingdom, and [understand] it not” (Matthew 13:19). Like Laman and Lemuel, in the Book of Mormon, it could represent those who neglected to inquire of the Lord, or failed to keep the commandments, when they didn’t understand (see 1 Nephi 15:8-10). They failed to do what was required and never gave the seed a chance to sprout.

If we have sincere questions about the gospel we should continue to be obedient as we seek them out. In the Ensign magazine we are taught that, “A sincere questioner continues to be obedient while searching for answers….The doubter’s posture is generally to withhold obedience or limit it, pending resolution of the doubts” (link to article). As for obedience, we can always remember the Lord’s promise: “I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” (Doctrine & Covenants 82:10).

The stony soil represents those who receive the word with joy, but don’t make the effort to focus on their roots. They have not taken the work and effort to dig out the rocks and prepare the soil for planting so when temptation, trial, and tribulation come they have no root to hold them firm and steadfast (and there are a lot of stones in the way). The Apostle Paul’s counsel can apply to us today when he said, “continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel” (Colossians 1:23). We need to be obedient to the principles of the gospel so our feet can be firmly planted, deeply in the soil.

When I think of the stony soil I think of the experience I have had with fruit trees. After transplanting a fruit tree, it is very important to remove all of the buds for the first couple of years, so that the tree can focus more on establishing the roots than on producing fruit. If we attempt to produce “fruit” in our lives without establishing our roots, the tree will be less fruitful and the fruit will be smaller. This may be the type of soil that describes those who do things for show, or the praise of the world (see Matthew 6:2, 5, 16).

We need to take time to really establish our root system so that we can weather the storms of life. We need to prepare our soil by establishing the needed habits of daily scripture study, daily prayer, weekly Family Home Evening, and temple worship in order to sustain us during our trials. President Henry B. Eyring stated it so simply, “If the foundation of faith is not embedded in our hearts, the power to endure will crumble” (link to talk).

The soil that is covered with thorns describes one who hears the word, but seems to be distracted by “the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in” (Mark 4:19).

When thinking of “the cares of the world” we might include the philosophies of men. Elder Dallin H. Oaks speaks of, “the ‘captivity’ into which this ‘church [of the devil]’ seeks to bring the saints will not be so much physical confinement as the captivity of false ideas” (link to article).

The deceitfulness of riches is very prevalent. In this world if you have enough money you can buy pretty much anything you want - except for the important things, like family, love, faith, and an abiding testimony in the Savior. The other week in church one of the speakers stated it so plainly when he said, “some people are so poor all they have is money”. We must remember the words of the Savior, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). President Ezra Taft Benson taught,

“When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities” (link to talk).

One thing that has been taught over and over again is about the dangers of pornography (which I think applies to “the lusts” referred to in the parable). Elder Richard G. Scott so bluntly states,

“Satan has become a master at using the addictive power of pornography to limit individual capacity to be led by the Spirit. The onslaught of pornography in all of its vicious, corroding, destructive forms has caused great grief, suffering, heartache, and destroyed marriages. It is one of the most damning influences on earth. Whether it be through the printed page, movies, television, obscene lyrics, vulgarities on the telephone, or flickering personal computer screen, pornography is overpoweringly addictive and severely damaging. This potent tool of Lucifer degrades the mind and the heart and the soul of any who use it. All who are caught in its seductive, tantalizing web and remain so will become addicted to its immoral, destructive influence. For many, that addiction cannot be overcome without help. The tragic pattern is so familiar. It begins with curiosity that is fueled by its stimulation and is justified by the false premise that when done privately, it does no harm to anyone else. For those lulled by this lie, the experimentation goes deeper, with more powerful stimulations, until the trap closes and a terribly immoral, addictive habit exercises its vicious control” (link to talk).

Those in thorny soil may have lost focus of their true priorities. They have made something else more important than following the Lord. They may rely on their riches, or their own understanding, rather than trusting in the Lord. Those in thorny soil may feel like they will be able to get around to the spiritually important things later, or they may feel hopelessly entangled. To become free they need to access the power of the Atonement; which can rescue them from the choking influence of the world. Elder Scott continued,

“If you are ensnarled in pornography [or any other vice, for that matter], make a total commitment to overcome it now. Find a quiet place; pray urgently for help and support. Be patient and obedient. Don’t give up” (link to talk).

Elder Ullises Soares also offered this comforting counsel: “Don’t be discouraged. If you are striving and working to repent, you are in the process of repenting” (link to article).

The good soil represents those who hear the word, understand it and endure (see Matthew 13:23, JST). They have cultivated an attitude of seeking for the things of God (see Doctrine & Covenants 25:10).

Ask any farmer—or anyone who has planted a garden—good soil takes time, effort, and consistency to prepare it for planting. But once you plant the seeds the work is far from done. It requires the daily efforts of watering, weeding, and just walking through it to see if there are any trouble spots.

Like Captain Moroni who fortified his weakest cities (see Alma 48:7-10) we need to recognize our weaknesses and fortify ourselves against times of weakness, opposition or temptation.

I wonder if, like the parable of the Ten Virgins (see Matthew 25:1-13), the soil can be likened to members of the Church. How are we doing in weeding and watering our soil to keep it in a good state?

All plants need water, soil, and sunlight in order to survive. I like to think that in this parable the soil represents the experiences that we will have in mortality—the outcome of the soil is determined by our use of agency to make choices. The sunlight can be likened to the Light of Christ when He said, “Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God…I am the light which shineth in darkness” (Doctrine & Covenants 6:21). This light is available to all. The water that is so essential to our survival can be likened to the living water that the Savior spoke of when He said, “whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). All of these are necessary for our spiritual growth.

We must not neglect the importance of the daily care and weeding needed to maintain good soil. Weeding can be likened to repentance. If we do it daily, we can pick the weeds when they are small. If we “procrastinate the day of [our] repentance” (Alma 13:27) we may have much larger weeds that are much harder to pull out. All weeds can be pulled out but some will take more effort than others. We must remember that is it through the Atonement of Jesus Christ that we can repent. As we use our agency to follow the Savior we can be guided in our lives. Elder Ulisses Soares said,

“We were born with the seed of divinity in our spirits because we are God’s children. This seed needs to grow. It grows as we exercise our agency in righteousness, as we make correct decisions, and as we use the Light of Christ and the Holy Ghost to guide us in the decisions we make during the course of our lives. This process takes time, and it is not possible to shape our lives from one day to another” (link to article).

When thinking of the parable of the sower we may ask ourselves why the sower allowed the soil to become thorny or rocky. Why didn’t he take care of it? The answer is simple. The Lord allows us to make our own decisions because of our agency. Our agency is worth so much that the Lord would not trade it for anything–not even His knowledge of the tragedies, pain, sorrow, fear, loneliness, and every other trial that His children would face. Not even for the sake of one-third of His spirit children.

Why?

He has been this way before. He knows what it takes to become exalted, because He once walked in mortal shoes. He knows that getting to where He is will be worth every heartache, every trial, or every challenge that we will ever face. Joseph Smith taught that,

“[God] was once a man like us; yea…God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself did” (Joseph Smith, from the King Follett Address in History of the Church 6:305-6).

And Elder Bruce R. McConkie testified that,

“The Father is a glorified, perfected, resurrected, exalted man who worked out his salvation by obedience to the same laws he has given to us so that we may do the same” (Taken from "A New Witness For the Articles of Faith" by Bruce R. McConkie, pg 64).

The Lord isn’t sending us on a mission to do something because He doesn’t want to do it. He is asking us to follow in His footsteps, and do what He has done. As we follow Him we can become as He is.

The sower does care for his field. He has given instructions to each of us in how we may have a successful crop. As we are obedient to His instructions He is bound to keep His side of the bargain (see Doctrine & Covenants 82:10).

Those entangled in the thorns, or burned by the stones have not heeded the instructions of the sower. There may be times where we may wish to bask in the warm sun (until it scorches us) or enjoy the gentle caressing of the thorns (until they choke us), but if we disregard the instruction we have received we are only deceiving ourselves. The choice to change must come from within. We must take the first step, for the Lord will not stand in the way of our agency. I love the words in the following Hymn:

“Know this, that ev’ry soul is free

To choose his life and what he’ll be;

For this eternal truth is giv’n:

That God will force no man to heav’n.

“He’ll call, persuade, direct aright,

And bless with wisdom, love, and light,

In nameless ways be good and kind,

But never force the human mind 

(link to Hymn)

Once we come to ourselves (see Luke 15:17) and have “viewed [ourselves] in [our] own carnal state” (Mosiah 4:2) we will need to “[put] off the natural man” (Mosiah 3:19), bid Babylon farewell (link to Hymn) and turn to the Lord. He will help us to get rid of the thorns and stones so that we may have good ground. The process will not be easy, and may be painful and long, but if we trust in Him, we will be eternally blessed. Elder Richard G. Scott stated,

“Challenges help us become more like our Father in Heaven, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ makes it possible to endure those challenges. I testify that as we actively come unto Him, we can endure every temptation, every heartache, every challenge we face” (link to talk).

Sometimes it may feel incredibly difficult to commend ourselves fully unto the Lord (see Ether 6:4), but if we trust in Him we will be led to our own land of promise—a land more beautiful and fruitful than we can ever imagine.

Parable of the Sower (Part 1: Physical State of Soil)

Jesus taught a parable that has got me thinking this past week.

“Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

“And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

“Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

“And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

“And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

“But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

“Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 13:3-9).

Jesus taught His disciples that the seed is “the word of the kingdom” (Matthew 13:19). I take this to mean the word of the kingdom of God, or the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I have had two trains of thought regarding this parable – both which seem to make sense to me. The first one is looking at the parable from the “physical” state of the soil – where it was already in its varied states when the sower went out to sow. The second one is from a more “spiritual” angle, where the soil started out good, and over time it changed.

“Physical” State of Soil

In thinking about this parable, if it represents those who have the opportunity to hear the word of God why didn’t the sower make sure that all of the seeds landed in good soil (why waste good seed on poor soil)? Why does mortality require that we face thorns and thistles, scorching sun, or stony places? Why didn’t the sower make it so every seed had a chance? Doesn’t he care about where his seeds fall?

If we look at the soil as earth life, and how each of us was placed into different circumstances, we may wonder how life can be “fair”, when some may seem to have it so easy (having things given to them so readily). We may get caught up in all the differences that we find surrounding each of us. However, Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge reminds us:

“Regarding the few things that matter most in life, no one is disadvantaged or privileged. Everyone is on equal footing. This is surprising because there is otherwise so much inequality in life.

“In the end it does not matter how well liked you are or how much money you acquire or how beautiful you may be. The greatest gifts are equally available to everyone” (link to talk).

We are here on earth for a purpose. Nephi taught that, “it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things” (2 Nephi 2:11). We knew that the plan of our Father in Heaven would include trials, challenges, and opposition, to help us grow and develop into the person He knows we can become. We knew we would struggle, but we were willing to come down to earth because we knew our Heavenly Father and wanted more than anything to become as He is. We knew life would be hard, but were willing to accept the challenge despite the difficulties. Elder Marlin K. Jensen Jensen taught,

“There is no formula for guaranteeing happiness every day of our lives; in fact, scripture suggests that God did not intend for every day to be entirely happy. There is eternal design and purpose to be seen in suffering, sadness, and adversity” (link to article).

We are each given the joy, trials, hope, sorrow, and everything else we will need in this life to return to our Father in Heaven (see 2 Nephi 2:27). We are each on a specifically, uniquely individual path. Our circumstances—good or bad—are for our good (see Doctrine & Covenants 122:7).

Sometimes we may think that life would be much easier if everything could work out perfectly for everyone—but that can never be. I love the way Dallan R. Moody phrased it, when he said:

“A plan in which supposedly everything would go right so nobody would be lost was 
already proposed and rejected. The plan of salvation, on the other hand, allows for opposition in all things: sadness and sweetness, wrongdoing and repentance, trial and testimony” (link to talk).

How could we ever learn the godly attribute of patience if we never had to wait? How could we learn to love without loss; find virtue in a world filled with vice; or know joy without sorrow? We can’t. Sometimes we need to pass through the trials of life in order to more fully understand them. Brother Moody also stated,

“From time to time the Lord puts certain truths into our hearts that affect our future destiny. We may not fully understand His 
reason for teaching us these principles at these particular times. Instead, it is often once we have passed through the ensuing experiences that 
clarity comes. We can then look back through life’s lenses and more fully see that God does prepare a way for us to accomplish what He 
commands” (link to talk).

The Lord knew, when He presented the Plan to us, that not everyone would have a chance to have the gospel during their mortal life. He did, however, provide a way that all of His children could enjoy the blessings of the gospel. Through the atonement of His Son the way was opened for all to receive these blessings either in this life or in the life to come. Through the restoration of the gospel, through the Prophet Joseph Smith, we now have temples that dot the earth making saving ordinances available for both the living and the dead.

Through the Atonement we are able to not only receive the blessings and ordinances of the gospel, but also the healing power that comes through the use of its divine power. Elder David A. Bednar taught,

“because of His infinite and eternal sacrifice, [the Savior] has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy. He can reach out, touch, succor, heal, and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do relying only upon our own power….The unique burdens in each of our lives help us to rely upon the merits, mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah” (link to talk).

We were given the very trials we face because the Lord knew they would bring us closer to Him. We don’t see everything, because we have limited vision, but He does.

I had an interesting experience that helped teach me more about the Lord’s perspective. I took an art class where I learned about “perspective drawing”. This method is a more realistic way of drawing where things that are closer appear larger and things that are farther away appear smaller. As you look at the picture, you will see that far off on the distant horizon is a place where everything seems to come together. This is known as the “vanishing point” (photo taken from here).

Imagine if you will, that you are part of a finished painting. From your vantage point you can see what is in front of you, but not behind, above, or below you (because people in paintings can’t move). You are limited in your vision. The artist, however, can see the complete picture.

After taking that class I looked at things in a new way – I saw everything from my new “perspective” point of view. I saw how I could change the vanishing point of what I saw by changing where I looked. Everything, no matter where I stood, eventually led to some distant point on the horizon.

I started seeing the world in a new light, and gaining a greater understanding for how the Lord sees it. Taking it a little deeper, for example, when I look at a bird I see an animal with feathers, eyes, a beak, and sometimes can watch it fly or hear it sing. The Lord, with an intricate understanding of how the bird was created, has a much deeper understanding of the bird. He not only knows the details of every feather, and shape of the eyes, but every bone, organ, internal and external feature, the mechanics of how they create their song, and everything else about them.

In like manner, when we look at our own life we may see ourselves, our strengths, weaknesses, circumstances, trials, hopes, dreams, joys, sorrows, and everything else that surrounds us. When the Lord looks at us, however, He sees the whole picture. He sees where we are in the canvas, and also the point on the horizon where everything in our lives will come together and we will see ourselves as He sees us. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin taught,

“We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won’t, for He sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming” (link to talk).

In the end the Lord won’t judge us by our circumstances or situation in life. What He will look at is not where we are or what we may have (or feel we lack), but what we are doing with the life He has given us. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf reminds us,

“The Lord doesn’t care at all if we spend our days working in marble halls or stable stalls. He knows where we are, no matter how humble our circumstances. He will use—in His own way and for His holy purposes—those who incline their hearts to Him.

“God knows that some of the greatest souls who have ever lived are those who will never appear in the chronicles of history. They are the blessed, humble souls who emulate the Savior’s example and spend the days of their lives doing good” (link to talk).

If we feel that life has planted us in undesirable soil, remember that there is a way to be transplanted to the good soil. It comes only in and through the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We may have plenty of thorns to untangle or stones to move, but if we turn to the Lord we can gain comfort in His promise,

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30.)

About this scripture President Howard W. Hunter stated,

“This marvelous offer of assistance extended by the Son of God himself was not restricted to the Galileans of his day. This call to shoulder his easy yoke and accept his light burden is not limited to bygone generations. It was and is a universal appeal to all people, to all cities and nations, to every man, woman, and child everywhere.

“In our own great times of need we must not leave unrecognized this unfailing answer to the cares and worries of our world. Here is the promise of personal peace and protection. Here is the power to remit sin in all periods of time. We, too, must believe that Jesus Christ possesses the power to ease our burdens and lighten our loads. We, too, must come unto him and there receive rest from our labors” (link to talk).

Let us work to allow the Atonement of Christ to help us move to good ground. Then we can bring forth fruit to help further the work of the Lord's kingdom in these, the last days.

<to be continued...>