General Conference on the
mission is like the ultimate Recharge! I feel so ready to continue this battle
for my own soul and for the souls of men! Some talks that stood out to me were
Russell M. Nelson's, Elder Sabin's, and 2 of my favorites were Presdient Uchtdorf's and President Eyring's in Priesthood session...Straight up power!!!
I
was particularly enlightened by this teaching by President Nelson: "It is doctrinally incomplete to speak
of the Lord’s atoning sacrifice by shortcut phrases, such as “the Atonement” or
“the enabling power of the Atonement” or “applying the Atonement” or “being
strengthened by the Atonement.” These expressions present a real risk of
misdirecting faith by treating the event as if it had
living existence and capabilities independent of our Heavenly Father and His
Son, Jesus Christ. Under the Father’s great eternal plan, it is the Savior who
suffered. It is the Savior who broke the bands of death. It is the Savior who
paid the price for our sins and transgressions and blots them out on condition
of our repentance. It is the Savior who delivers us from physical and spiritual
death.There is no amorphous entity called “the Atonement” upon which we may
call for succor, healing, forgiveness, or power. Jesus Christ is the source.
Sacred terms such as Atonement and Resurrection describe
what the Savior did, according to the Father’s plan, so that we may live with
hope in this life and gain eternal life in the world to come. The Savior’s
atoning sacrifice—the central act of all human history—is best understood and
appreciated when we expressly and clearly connect it to Him."
I am so grateful for the blessing of modern day Apostles
and Prophets. I do not doubt their statements of Testimony or their special
witness. I believe them with my whole heart.
Something I have been learning a lot about is Learning and Exercising our Faith as a Principle of Power. This is something that is not
easily understood and much harder to learn how to enact. Faith in Jesus Christ
is developed as we Hear the word of God, Hear the Testimony of Others, Study
the scriptures, Labor in fervent Prayer, take upon ourselves Covenants, and
follow his example of selfless service.
We as members of the Church are here to Labor with God. We
are here to act not simply to be acted upon. Once we have developed Faith in
Christ God wishes to teach us More about how He exercises His power, to help us
to continue to walk to path that will lead us to become like our Eternal
Parents.
This Power of Faith in Christ can Cause things to be that
otherwise would not have been. It is not changing the will of God. It is acting
as Agents in his Glorious work of Salvation! God works among His children
according to their Faith and if you think he isn't limited in his involvement
in our lives and the lives of others by the Faith we have in Him and His Son
you have not understood the scriptures.
Any
phrase stand out to you in those? God's work and His glory is to bring to pass
our immortality and eternal life....this work would be frustrated and our
spirits would be crippled if he Blessed us and worked in our lives NOT
according to our Faith in Him and His son.
It requires a complete Submission of our will to
His. It is the key to success in missionary work not only in bringing souls
unto him but in Changing and becoming exactly who your Father wants you to
become. This kind of Faith cannot be achieved on our own. It is a divine
bestowal after our wills become aligned with the Father's...Not all at once. If
God gave us everything to work on at once we would be overwhelmed and
discouraged but as we learn how to discern for ourselves the will of God and to
continually ask ourselves the question "what lack I yet"? and
"what am I holding Back that I need to give up"? He will answer that
prayer... It's usually something he has told us over and over again:)
I love you all! Hope you have a good week:) I testify of
Christ and his living Reality. I have Faith in Him and hope to be able to bless the
lives of many with that faith.
Elder Cordner
