Lighting Our Way

Most popular Bible passages, #2:

John 1:1, the New Testament

Jesus was alive long before the world was created and lived with his Father, our God. Jesus would one day redeem all mankind from sin and death by His own suffering and death and this was the "word", or the gospel of Jesus Christ.

"I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the eternal, living God. I believe in Him as the Firstborn of the Father and the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. I believe in Him as an individual, separate and distinct from His Father. I believe in the declaration of John, who opened his gospel with this majestic utterance:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

That was from an address given by Gordon Hinckley in 1986. During that same year Ronald Reagan was President of the United States, gasoline was 89 cents per gallon, and Microsoft made it's initial public offering. A lot can change in 30 years, but as Paul said to the Hebrews almost 2,000 years ago, "Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever" (Hebrews 13:8).

It seems as if technology, laws, and the values of society are being upgraded, legislated and compromised almost daily. But in Jesus Christ and His gospel you will find a constant, steady source of confidence and peace.

One of the titles of Jesus is "The Son," meaning God's literal son. I have always thought this title was intended to be a metaphor to help us better understand the character of Jesus. The sun shines every day and lights our way. It always rises in the east and sets in the west. Day after day, season after season, and year after year, it follows the same predictable pattern.

Jesus loves us, we know, because He gave His very life for us - this is the good word of the gospel. That is as true today as it was 2,000 years ago. Just as the sun gives light to each new day, the Son of God and His gospel can be as a "lamp unto [your] feet, and a light unto [your] path" through life (Psalms 119:105). 

The Life of the World

Most popular Bible passages, #3:

John 14:6, the New Testament

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

I have never heard of any other person in history to have claimed either the desire or the ability to save the entire human race from death and sin, only Jesus Christ.  

He was the only one who could save us. 

As Mary's son He was subject to the pains and weaknesses of mortality and death. But as the literal Son of God He was more powerful than death, able to take life and give it again. Never in His life did He sin, not once. With this unique set of qualities, Jesus presented Himself to God and offered His own life to pay the penalty for the sins of every person who has lived or ever will live on Earth.

He did it because He loves us.

He told His apostles shortly before His crucifixion, "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you ... Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends." 

I believe that Jesus lived and died on this earth and that He lives today. His power to forgive sin, remove guilt, and give life is real. In the end all people will know for themselves the truth of His life, mission, power, and great love for God's children.

His prophets and apostles today testify that Jesus is our Savior: "We offer or testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His Great Atoning Sacrifice... He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son." 

Spaghetti

Most popular Bible passages, #4:

Romans 3:23, the New Testament

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

Spaghetti is one of my favorite meals, but I don't believe anyone - myself included - can eat it gracefully. How is that we can't manage to get the noodles and the sauce the 24 inches from the plate to our mouths without making a mess. I have stained many white shirts in my life and spaghetti - that delicious devil - is to blame. 

Life is a lot like eating spaghetti. Imagine that all of us in the world are two-year olds eating spaghetti. We love spaghetti and we're making a giant mess of it!

We all have sinned and none of us will be found guiltless before God. But Jesus can make us clean again by virtue of His atoning sacrifice. If you continue reading in Romans, verse 24 makes reference to Christ's Atonement: "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

Boyd Packer is one of Jesus's apostles today and he said, "We may not live perfect lives, and there are penalties for our mistakes, but before we came to earth, we agreed to be subject to His laws and to accept the punishment for violating those laws .. The Savior wrought the Atonement, which provides a way for us to become clean ... Those who will repent and forsake sin will find that His merciful arm is outstretched still. Those who listen to and heed His words and the words of His chosen servants will find peace and understanding even in the midst of great heartache and sorrow. The result of His sacrifice is to free us from the effects of sin, that all may have guilt erased and feel hope" (Oct. 2014).

So spaghetti is good; it's the mess we don't want. Life is good and God sent us here for a glorious purpose; it's the sin we don't want. Jesus Christ really can make us clean again if we believe in Him and do our best to live like He did.

Unwrapping Grace

Most popular Bible passages, #5:

Ephesians 2:8, the New Testament

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”

Most of us receive gifts from time to time on special occasions such as wedding anniversaries, birthdays, or at Christmas time. Often these gifts are covered in wrapping paper. And though wrapping paper is fairly easily torn away, until it is removed we will not fully understand or enjoy the gift we have been given.

Grace is a gift from God to each of us, but it is limited by our faith and obedience to God’s commandments. Christ’s grace has the power to raise us from the dead and to make us clean and pure. For this power to be active in our lives Jesus asks us to exercise faith in Him by doing our best to live the kind of life that He lived.

ToddChristofferson is one of Christ’s apostles today. He said, “‘We know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do’ (2 Ne 25:23). And we do not need to achieve some minimum level of capacity or goodness before God will help—divine aid can be ours every hour of every day, no matter where we are in the path of obedience. But I know that beyond desiring His help, we must exert ourselves, repent, and choose God for Him to be able to act in our lives … My plea is simply to take responsibility and go to work so that there is something for God to help us with” (Oct. 2014 General Conference).

Through the grace of Jesus Christ our sins and mistakes can be forgiven and forgotten. This gift of His grace He freely gives to any who will receive it. We receive grace by believing in Jesus Christ and repenting of our sins – by removing the wrapping paper.

Adam and Eve and You and Me

Most popular Bible passages, #6:

Genesis 1:1, the Old Testament

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

Last of all, God created a man and a woman - Adam and Eve.

The Earth and all it's beauty and wonder were created for and given to mankind: "and let them have dominion ... over all the earth." God commanded Adam and Eve to "subdue [the earth]: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth" (Genesis 1:27-28). 

Why did God create the earth? Why are we here? And how are we related to God?

Russell Nelson, an apostle of Jesus Christ, said, "The earth was created that families might be. Scripture explains that a husband and wife “shall be one flesh, and all this that the earth might answer the end of its creation” (The Creation, Russell M. Nelson, General Conference, Apr. 2000).

Another apostle, Dallin Oaks, said this about our relationship to God: "Here is the answer to one of life’s great questions, “Who am I?” I am a child of God with a spirit lineage to heavenly parents. That parentage defines our eternal potential. That powerful idea ... can strengthen each of us to make righteous choices and to seek the best that is within us" (Powerful Ideas, Dallin H. Oaks, General Conference, Oct. 1995).

We are literally children of God. Families are central to His plan for our happiness in this life and after. 

He created the sky, dry land and seas, grass and trees, Adam and Eve, and YOU and ME. And WE are children of our Heavenly Father.

What Should We Believe?

When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Ghost descended upon him in the form of a dove.

Most popular Bible passages, #7 (#8 on our list):

Acts 1:8, the New Testament

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Jesus spoke these words to his apostles after his crucifixion and resurrection from the dead. He taught them and prepared them before sending them into the world to preach his gospel (remember Matthew 28:19?).

Many people believed what the apostles taught, others did not.

How can we know the truth? There are so many different ideas and opinions in the world today. What should we believe? God knows everything and He will tell us the truth about anything (if we want to know) through the Holy Ghost. Truth that we learn from the Holy Ghost is powerful and convincing.

Elder Todd Christofferson, an apostle of Jesus Christ living today, wrote in 2010, "Faith comes by the witness of the Holy Spirit to our souls, Spirit to spirit, as we hear or read the word of God."

When the Holy Ghost speaks to us, it is very quiet and very personal. His communication comes most often in the form of feelings or thoughts rather than an audible voice. But these feelings can be sometimes very strong and very clear because they come from God.

Those who believed the apostles of Jesus' time received a powerful witness from the Holy Ghost that what they taught was true. 

You can know the truth about anything you hear or read if you will pray and ask God for a witness from the Holy Ghost.

Holy Scriptures

Most popular Bible passages, #8:

2 Timothy 3:16, the New Testament

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

Though this counsel was originally intended for Timothy, a bishop in Ephesus, we can all benefit from it. Paul explains how reading the Bible (scripture) can help us live the way God expects us to live.

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God"

When you and I are inspired, we are mentally stimulated to do something or to feel something. If the source of this inspiration is our Father in Heaven through His Holy Spirit, we are also stimulated spiritually. The Bible and other scriptures constitute inspiration from God to His servants, the prophets, which they recorded for the benefit of you and me.

"profitable for doctrine"

Doctrines are God's truths and the foundation of a person's faith in God. By reading the Bible and other scriptures, we will know the truth.

 "for reproof, for correction"

God's disapproval of sin is obvious in the scriptures. Sometimes when we are not making the best choices, reading the scriptures will remind us to straighten up and fly right. Often, this is not something we want to hear, but our Heavenly Father wants us to be happy and He will forgive us as we recognize our mistakes and try again to do what is right.

"for instruction in righteousness"

Studying the scriptures will help us do good things. We will be kinder to our spouses and children, more sympathetic to people experiencing hard times, and more eager to help someone when they need help.

Todd Christofferson said, "The scriptures enlarge our memory by helping us always to remember the Lord and our relationship to Him and the Father. They remind us of what we knew in our premortal life... And as these things penetrate our minds and hearts, our faith in God and His Beloved Son takes root."