Hey LDS Girl fam!
It’s the end of the semester! As this will be my last entry in my religion
class thread, I wanted to write something special for you. But first, how are you all? Remember, while it’s a stressful time, it’s also
a wonderful time of year, with Christmas on its way and spending time with
family. I hope you are all doing well
and that you feel the joy of the season in your own lives.
To wrap up the semester, I wanted to share some thoughts
from John 21. This chapter takes place after
Christ’s resurrection, when Peter and the apostles decide to return to their
boats to fish. That night, they catch
nothing. Then Christ comes and tells
them to cast their nets on the other side of the ship, and they catch a
multitude of fish, so many that they cannot lift the net. Christ’s teachings to Peter that follow are
profound.
15 ¶ So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon
Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith
unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my
lambs.
16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of
Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love
thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of
Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third
time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things;
thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto
him, Feed my sheep.
From these verses, I learn three principles. First, as taught by Elder Neal A. Maxwell,
some of history’s greatest sermons are preached from the pulpit of memory to an
audience of one. Christ drew Peter to
reflect on the first time Christ called him to be a disciple. The situation mirrored this one, as he was
fishing and caught a multitude of fish under Christ’s direction. Christ then asked him to follow Him. Because He loved Peter, he chastened him and
asked him again to follow Him and feed His sheep. Christ also loves us, and He will not give up
on us, even when we stray from Him. Along
with that principle, something else we discussed is that the Lord asks us to
put Him over our greatest passions, and if we do so, He will bless us with immeasurable
blessings. Lastly, the final principle I
want to share is the suggestion to serve your fellow men. Serve them on the good days, the bad days,
and just whenever you want to feel closer to God. Serving others draws both them and us closer
to God, and it brings great happiness and joy.
So in conclusion, these verses are important to me because they
are a personal call for me to be a better disciple. They are also a reminder to me of Christ’s
great love for me, and His promise that He will help me as I come unto Him and
strive to be a better disciple. As I
have reflected on those thoughts, I am reminded of the verses in Romans 8,
where we are promised that we shall never be separated from the love of Christ.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? shall tribulation,
or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
37 Nay, in all these things we
are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor
life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor
things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other
creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of
God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
These are beautiful verses.
What a blessing this gospel is, to know of these truths, and have them
speak peace to our hearts. It is my
testimony that we can be instruments in God’s hands to bring others to Him, and
by doing so, we will also come closer to Him, and will feel of His great love
for us.
I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Love,
Brianna
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