When the Samaritans did not receive Jesus, James and John asked Jesus, “wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?” (Luke 9:54)
Not long before, James and John had seen Elias (Elijah) face to face at the mountain where Jesus had been Transfigured and glorified. Jesus responded, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” (Luke 9:56) During General Conference, I was impressed by the mercy of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Being preached repentance can be hard, but think of the alternative: What if we could not change? What if a poor choice, like the Samaritans made in not receiving Jesus, led to our destruction? Repentance is the way we accept the enabling power of Jesus Christ, sometimes called grace, in our lives. This power enables us to put off the natural man and become Saints (see Mosiah 3:19). Through grace, we can develop the same humility and "teachability" of little children. President Oaks taught that repentance is “a joy, not a burden” ("Cleansed by Repentance," April 2019 General Conference). President Nelson taught, “To repent of sin is not easy. But the prize is worth the price” ("Repentance and Conversion," April 2007 General Conference). President Oaks, who served as a justice of the Utah Supreme Court, said, “The contrast that I’ve experience between the laws of man and the laws of God has increased my appreciation for the reality and power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ" (April 2019 General Conference). What manner of Spirit are we? We are sons and daughters of God. We are created in His image. He loves us and wants nothing more than for us to return to live with Him, in a state of never-ending happiness. His work and glory is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). I bear testimony that through Jesus Christ, we can change. Our weaknesses can become strengths. If we have a sincere heart and a contrite spirit, God can teach us and transform us into the men and women that He knows we can become.
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For anyone interested, I have a professional blog titled The Instructional Designer's Toolkit where I share tools and inspiration for instructional designers and e-learning developers.
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