The warm peace in Christ.

A new year. 2021 has finally arrived. And, while we would all be delighted if all the chaos of 2020 disappeared as easily as turning the calendar to this new year, month and day...we also know that will not be the case. I for one actually feel a bit better prepared for this new year than I expected to feel. Great have been the blessings I have received in 2020. 

As is the custom the first Sunday of each month, we have the opportunity for any member of our congregation to stand before us and testify of our truths in the gospel. Today however my sweet friend Elizabeth, started to make her way towards the front when the meeting was called to a close. She sat quietly in a row where she was. The spirit whispered to me, "You need to ask her to share her testimony with you." After the meeting concluded I made my way to her and we sat quietly in the back as she shared her testimony, her truths, tears and love. She told me her very frail father had covid. This I knew. One morning her sister asked if she had seen the text from their brother, she said no. And suddenly felt a cold chill sweep through her whole body. She decided to talk to Heavenly Father first. So she knelt down and poured out her heart to Him. Almost immediately she felt the warm peace of Christ fill her whole body. She knew her Dad was going to be ok. And he is. She said I realized how powerful the peace Christ gives us is even amidst the chaos of our world. 

Two thoughts immediately came to my mind. First, I had never consciously given thought to the two polar opposites of cold and warm in the context of the Spirit. Then the thought popped into my mind, "But I have never felt cold peace."  That made me think of other times and people that have seemed cold to me, maybe they were without the warmth of Christ's peace! 

Then I thought just like my mission in London nearly forty years ago, there were lessons I learned there that I still draw upon today. Some have referred the mission to a mini-life of sorts.

Maybe this Pandemic is a little bit like that. Ever since President Nelson was sustained and set apart as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, without us even realizing it, he has been preparing us for this chaotic time. He made changes to the way we did things. The home centered, church supported curriculum. Subtle changes to Temple procedures. He and the other Apostles taught us boldly and purposefully that we needed to immediately prepare ourselves both temporally & spiritually for the coming days. There seemed to be a real sense of urgency behind their powerful instructions. Now in retrospect, nearly three years later, I see again he was divinely inspired.

Those who chose to follow the Prophets counsel, have been blessed, and have felt their spiritual confidence grow. I am one who has felt the warm Peace in Christ while much of the world is in utter chaos. So now I am wondering, if this Pandemic, in part, is to wake us up out of our complacency, both spiritually & temporally. I think my perspective has changed. I knew from the beginning this Pandemic would prove challenging to all. I just don't think I realized the depth of the lessons to be learned during this Pandemic. 

As I was getting ready for church today, I pulled out my notebook, and immediately felt impressed to grab a different notebook, which I did. When I opened it before the meeting began I was stunned at some of the things I had written nearly seven years ago.

Joseph Smith was prepared to act on his answer before he ever entered the Sacred Grove. Am I prepared to act upon my answers to prayer with the same level of faith & commitment?

Another nugget, Joseph Smith, though he didn't realize it at the time, during the first vision-saw the fulfillment of the Plan of Salvation in the resurrected and perfect and glorified bodies of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

The Witness Trees in the Sacred Grove, some are 350 years old so they were present when Joseph had the vision there (200 years ago) However there is an underground brook there, which meant the roots didn't have to go very deep for the life-giving water they needed to grow with-so when a windstorm came through many of them fell. Just like these Witness Trees, if our spiritual roots aren't deep, then we are in danger when the winds and trials come our way.

So as I contemplate my personal goals for 2021 I am reminded that I need to focus less about the outcome and more about the journey I am on. (Thanks Gary Little) and I need to look at trials as if they are gold mines (Thanks Jake Hoyt) sometimes we have to go through a lot of stuff to find the blessings/treasures/gifts from God. 

So maybe this 2021 will be one of my best years ever! I'm going to hold hope in that. And hopefully I will make the choices that bring the warm Peace in Christ into my life more often. May each of us look upwards, realize who we really are, and act the part of choice sons and daughters of God. And may we remember to treat everyone we meet as if they are also sons and daughters of God, because they are too!  Let the chaos rage around us, but within I choose the warm peace of Christ. Happy New Year.