And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. How would it feel if the God of the Universe said to you, "Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased"? I cannot think of a truth more important than the knowledge that I am God's child. While I may not hear God's verbal approval, I can know that God is pleased with me when I feel the Spirit in my life. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be with God. Near the end of his fast, Jesus went into the wilderness. With all the distractions around us, the wilderness is a place where we can feel near to God. Going into nature, we only hear and see the sounds and sights of God's creation.
The verse states that Christ was led "up" into the wilderness, suggesting he went to an area of high elevation. Since the days of Adam, prophets have gone to mountains to commune with God. Moses spoke face to face with God on a mountain. (See Moses 1:27-30.) Traveling to a high mountain is "symbolic of leaving Earth and approaching heaven itself." (See http://www.ldsphilosopher.com/blog_posts/temple-preparation-class-lesson-1/.) Despite being led by the Spirit up to the wilderness, Christ was tempted by the Devil. Even when we are trying to do the right thing--trying our very best to follow the Spirit--we will face the Devil's temptations. However, each of us has the ability to follow Christ's example and resist the temptation. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." (1 Corinthians 10:13.)
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And these twelve ministers whom thou beholdest shall judge thy seed. And, behold, they are righteous forever; for because of their faith in the Lamb of God their garments are made white in his blood It's easy to over-complicate Christ's Gospel. In reality, the beauty of the Gospel comes from its simplicity. I have faith in Christ. I believe in him, learn of him, and follow him. I become his disciple. This faith leads me to change (repent) so that I can become more like him. I then take the first step on the covenant path of discipleship: baptism. This allows me to receive the Holy Ghost, a constant companion for the rest of the path. I continue to develop faith in Christ, continue to repent, weekly partake of the Sacrament, and help others on their own paths. ...the Messiah who is the Lamb of God, of whom the Holy Ghost beareth record, from the beginning of the world until this time, and from this time henceforth and forever. The Holy Ghost has many names and many roles. When I think of his role in my life, I think of
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. Jesus Christ's life is our only tangible, mortal example of perfection. Our daily goal should be to draw closer to Christ, to be more like him today than we were yesterday. Though he was without sin, Christ was baptized to "fulfill all righteousness." The Light of the World showed the way that we must follow to return to our Heavenly Father.
Yesterday, during the weekly BYU devotional, Brother Douglas D. Holmes stated, "We don't simply want to know God, we want to be like God." (See https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/douglas-d-holmes_identity-doctrine-christ/.) His comment made me think about my purpose in writing this blog. As I continue my journey to know the Savior, am I committed to make the necessary changes to become more like Him? Am I willing to follow His example in all things? I want my answer to be, "Yes!" The Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel Teacher Manual explains that, "Like the Savior, we fulfill righteousness when we submit to the ordinances and covenants of the everlasting gospel." (See https://www.lds.org/manual/jesus-christ-and-the-everlasting-gospel-teacher-manual/lesson-8-jesus-christ-fulfilled-all-righteousness?lang=eng.) Ordinances, like baptism and the sacrament, are physical acts that symbolize sacred spiritual acts. They help us remember who we are and remind us of the covenants we have made with our Heavenly Father. (See https://www.lds.org/topics/ordinances?lang=eng.) A covenant is a "sacred agreement between God and a person or group of people." (See https://www.lds.org/topics/covenant?lang=eng.) Jesus Christ takes ordinances and covenants very seriously. I know that as I make and keep covenants with my Heavenly Father, I can have have the peace and assurance that my life is in line with Heavenly Father's will. |
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