Sunday, 20 December 2015

January 2016

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

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Of the general Relief Society meeting in 1995, when President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) first read “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Bonnie L. Oscarson, Young Women general president, said: “We were grateful for and valued the clarity, simplicity, and truth of this revelatory document. … The proclamation on the family has become our benchmark for judging the philosophies of the world, and I testify that the principles set forth … are as true today as they were when they were given to us by a prophet of God nearly 20 years ago.”1

“From the family proclamation,” adds Carole M. Stephens, first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, “we learn, ‘In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father’2 …

“… We each belong to and are needed in the family of God.”3

We live in a time when parents must protect their homes and their families. “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” can guide us.

Additional Scriptures

Mosiah 8:16–17; Doctrine and Covenants 1:38

Living Stories

“Lee Mei Chen Ho from the Tao Yuan Third Ward, Tao Yuan Taiwan Stake, said the proclamation has taught her that family relationships help develop divine characteristics such as faith, patience, and love. ‘When I try to improve myself according to the proclamation, I can experience real happiness,’ she said.”4

Barbara Thompson, who was present when the proclamation was read for the first time and later served as a counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, said: “I thought for a moment that [the family proclamation] really didn’t pertain too much to me since I wasn’t married and didn’t have any children. But almost as quickly I thought, ‘But it does pertain to me. I am a member of a family. I am a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a cousin, a niece, and a granddaughter. … Even if I were the only living member of my family, I am still a member of God’s family.”5

Consider This

How is “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” a document for our day?

Notes

1. Bonnie L. Oscarson, “Defenders of the Family Proclamation,” Liahona, May 2015, 14–15.
2. “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Liahona, Nov. 2010, 129.
3. Carole M. Stephens, “The Family Is of God,” Liahona, May 2015, 11.
4. Nicole Seymour, “‘The Family: A Proclamation to the World’ reaches 10-Year Milestone,” Liahona, Nov. 2005, 127.
5. Barbara Thompson, in Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society (2011), 148.

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Sunday, 22 November 2015

December 2015

Prayerfully study this material and seek to know what to share. How will understanding the life and mission of the Savior increase your faith in Him and bless those you watch over through visiting teaching? For more information, go to reliefsociety.lds.org.

This is part of a series of Visiting Teaching Messages featuring divine attributes of the Savior.

The Attributes of Jesus Christ: Compassionate and Kind
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“In the scriptures, compassion means literally ‘to suffer with.’ It also means to show sympathy, pity, and mercy for another.”1

“Jesus provided us many examples of compassionate concern,” said President Thomas S. Monson. “The crippled man at the pool of Bethesda; the woman taken in adultery; the woman at Jacob’s well; the daughter of Jairus; Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha—each represented a casualty on the Jericho road. Each needed help.

“To the cripple at Bethesda, Jesus said, ‘Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.’ To the sinful woman came the counsel, ‘Go, and sin no more.’ To help her who came to draw water, He provided a well of water ‘springing up into everlasting life.’ To the dead daughter of Jairus came the command, ‘Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.’ To the entombed Lazarus, ‘Come forth.’

“The Savior has always shown unlimited capacity for compassion. … Let us open the door of our hearts, that He—the living example of true compassion—may enter.”2

Additional Scriptures

Psalm 145:8; Zechariah 7:9; 1 Peter 3:8; Mosiah 15:1, 9; 3 Nephi 17:5–7

From the Scriptures

“My husband and I knelt by the side of our 17-year-old daughter and pleaded for her life,” said Linda S. Reeves, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency. “The answer was no, but … we have come to know … that … [the Savior] feels compassion for us in our sorrows.”3

“One of my favorite stories from the Savior’s life is the story of Lazarus. The scriptures tell us that ‘Jesus loved Martha, … her sister [Mary], and [their brother] Lazarus.’”4 When Lazarus became ill, word was sent to Jesus, but when He arrived Lazarus had already died. Mary ran to Jesus, fell down at His feet, and wept. When Jesus saw Mary weeping, “he groaned in the spirit, and … wept” (John 11:33, 35).

“That is our charge. We must feel and see for ourselves and then help all of Heavenly Father’s children to feel and see and know that our Savior has taken upon Himself not only all our sins but also our pains and our suffering and afflictions so that He can know what we feel and how to comfort us.”5

Consider This

Who could be blessed by your compassion?

Notes

1. Guide to the Scriptures, “Compassion,” scriptures.lds.org.
2. Thomas S. Monson, “The Gift of Compassion,” Ensign, Mar. 2007, 6–7, 10.
3. Linda S. Reeves, “The Lord Has Not Forgotten You,” Ensign, Nov. 2012, 120.
4. Linda S. Reeves, “The Lord Has Not Forgotten You,” 118.
5. Linda S. Reeves, “The Lord Has Not Forgotten You,” 120.

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Saturday, 24 October 2015

November 2015

The message for November is taken from a conference talk. As you carefully consider the needs of those under your care select a talk/talks that would uplift them.

These quotes are all from the conference and can be downloaded by clicking on 'Download'. They are 6x4 format ready to print.Or if you prefer resize and print smaller.

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Some other sites to check
Sugardoodle
The Idea Door
Inkablinka
My Happy Tribe

Still looking for ideas? Google 'Visiting Teaching Message November 2015'

Thursday, 24 September 2015

October 2015

Prayerfully study this material and seek to know what to share. How will understanding the life and mission of the Savior increase your faith in Him and bless those you watch over through visiting teaching? For more information, go to reliefsociety.lds.org.

This is part of a series of Visiting Teaching Messages featuring divine attributes of the Savior.

The Attributes of Jesus Christ: Filled with Charity and Love
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The Guide to the Scriptures defines charity as “the highest, noblest, strongest kind of love” (“Charity,” scriptures.lds.org). It is the pure love of Jesus Christ. As we learn of Jesus Christ and strive to become like Him, we will begin to feel His pure love in our lives and be prompted to love and serve others as He would. “Charity is having patience with someone who has let us down,” said President Thomas S. Monson. “It is resisting the impulse to become offended easily. It is accepting weaknesses and shortcomings. It is accepting people as they truly are. It is looking beyond physical appearances to attributes that will not dim through time. It is resisting the impulse to categorize others.”1

In the Book of Mormon, we learn the great truth that we “pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that [we] may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that [we] may become the sons [and daughters] of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure” (Moroni 7:48).

Additional Scriptures

John 13:34–35; 1 Corinthians 13:1–13; 1 Nephi 11:21–23; Ether 12:33–34

From Our History

“A sister who had recently been widowed was grateful for visiting teachers who mourned with her and comforted her. She wrote: ‘I was in desperate need of someone to whom I could reach out; someone who would listen to me. … And they listened. They comforted me. They wept with me. And they hugged me … [and] helped me out of the deep despair and depression of those first months of loneliness.’

“Another woman summed up her feelings when she was the recipient of true charity from a visiting teacher: ‘I knew that I was more than just a number on the record books for her to visit. I knew that she cared about me.’”2

Like these sisters, many Latter-day Saints around the world can attest to the truth of this statement by President Boyd K. Packer (1924–2015), President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “How consoling it is to know that no matter where [a family may] go, a Church family awaits them. From the day they arrive, he will belong to a quorum of the priesthood and she will belong to Relief Society.”3

Consider This

How is Christ our perfect example of love and charity?

Notes

1. Thomas S. Monson, “Charity Never Faileth,” Ensign, Nov. 2010, 124.
2. Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society (2011), 119–20.
3. Daughters in My Kingdom, 87.

Suggested handouts

(download)

These files will download automatically and is 6x4 suitable for a photo print if you wish

Some other sites to check
Sugardoodle
The Idea Door
Inkablinka
My Happy Tribe

Still looking for ideas? Google 'Visiting Teaching Message October 2015'

Sunday, 23 August 2015

September 2015

Prayerfully study this material and seek to know what to share. How will understanding the life and mission of the Savior increase your faith in Him and bless those you watch over through visiting teaching? For more information, go to reliefsociety.lds.org.

This is part of a series of Visiting Teaching Messages featuring divine attributes of the Savior.

The Attributes of Jesus Christ: Powerful and Full of Glory
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The scriptures teach us that Jesus Christ “received all power, both in heaven and on earth, and the glory of the Father was with him” (D&C 93:17). Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said that by this power our Savior created the heavens and earth, performed miracles, and endured the pain of Gethsemane and Calvary.1 As we come to understand this, our faith in Christ will increase, and we will become stronger.

As we make and keep temple covenants, the Lord blesses us with His power. Linda K. Burton, Relief Society general president, said: “Covenant keeping strengthens, empowers, and protects. … I recently met a dear new friend. She testified that after she had received her temple endowment, she felt strengthened with power to resist temptations.”2

Nephi bears testimony of covenant power: “I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended … upon the covenant people of the Lord, … and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory” (1 Nephi 14:14).

Additional Scriptures

Jeremiah 51:15; Revelation 1:6; Jacob 4:6–7; Mosiah 3:17

From the Scriptures

Being filled with great compassion for Martha and Mary, Jesus Christ raised their brother Lazarus from the dead by the power of God He possessed.

Jesus arrived at Martha and Mary’s home after Lazarus had been in the grave for four days. They went to Lazarus’s tomb, and Jesus commanded that the stone covering the entrance be taken away. Jesus said to Martha, “Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” He then prayed to God the Father and “cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
“And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes.” (See John 11:1–45.) The Savior uses His power to redeem and empower us. Our faith in Him will increase as we remember that He is full of power and glory.

Consider This

How does the power of God arm us with power and glory?

Notes

1. See M. Russell Ballard, “This Is My Work and Glory,” Ensign, May 2013, 18.
2. Linda K. Burton, “The Power, Joy, and Love of Covenant Keeping,” Ensign, Nov. 2013, 111.
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Saturday, 25 July 2015

August 2015

Prayerfully study this material and seek to know what to share. How will understanding the life and mission of the Savior increase your faith in Him and bless those you watch over through visiting teaching? For more information, go to reliefsociety.lds.org.

This is part of a series of Visiting Teaching Messages featuring aspects of the attributes of the Savior.

The Attributes of Jesus Christ: Meek and Humble
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Jesus said, “He that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth” (Luke 22:26–27).

“The Savior is our supreme example of the power of humility and submissiveness. After all, His submitting His will to the Father brought about the greatest, and even the most powerful, event in all of history. Perhaps some of the most sacred words in all the scriptures are simply, ‘Not my will, but thine, be done’ (Luke 22:42).”1

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we always seek to be like Him. “Meekness is vital for us to become more Christlike,” said Elder Ulisses Soares of the Seventy. “Without it we won’t be able to develop other important virtues. Being meek does not mean weakness, but it does mean behaving with goodness and kindness, showing strength, serenity, healthy self-worth, and self-control.”2 As we work to develop this attribute, we will find that “humbly submitting our will to the Father brings us the empowerment of God—the power of humility. It is the power to meet life’s adversities, the power of peace, the power of hope, the power of a heart throbbing with a love for and testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ, even the power of redemption.”3

Additional Scriptures

Matthew 26:39; John 5:30; Mosiah 3:19; Helaman 3:35

From the Scriptures

One of the sweetest and most powerful moments of Christ’s ministry was when He washed the feet of His disciples. “He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded” (John 13:4–5).

As the Savior introduced this ordinance, the disciples may have been overwhelmed that their Lord and Master knelt before them and performed so meek a service. Jesus then explained the lessons He wanted them and all of us to learn:

“If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.“For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:14–15).

Consider This

How can having humility help us love as the Savior did?

Notes

1. Richard C. Edgley, “The Empowerment of Humility,” Ensign, Nov. 2003, 99.
2. Ulisses Soares, “Be Meek and Lowly of Heart,” Ensign, Nov. 2013, 9.
3. Richard C. Edgley, “The Empowerment of Humility,” 99.

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Wednesday, 24 June 2015

July 2015

Prayerfully study this material and seek to know what to share. How will understanding the life and mission of the Savior increase your faith in Him and bless those you watch over through visiting teaching? For more information, go to reliefsociety.lds.org.

This is part of a series of Visiting Teaching Messages featuring aspects of the attributes of the Savior.

The Attributes of Jesus Christ: Forgiving and Merciful
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Understanding that Jesus Christ has been forgiving and merciful to us can help us forgive and extend mercy to others. “Jesus Christ is our Exemplar,” said President Thomas S. Monson. “His life was a legacy of love. The sick He healed; the downtrodden He lifted; the sinner He saved. At the end the angry mob took His life. And yet there rings from Golgotha’s hill the words: ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do’—a crowning expression in mortality of compassion and love.”1

If we forgive others their trespasses, our Heavenly Father will also forgive us. Jesus asks us to “be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful” (Luke 6:36). “Forgiveness for our sins comes with conditions,” said President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency. “We must repent. … Haven’t we all, at one time or another, meekly approached the mercy seat and pleaded for grace? Haven’t we wished with all the energy of our souls for mercy—to be forgiven for the mistakes we have made and the sins we have committed? … Allow Christ’s Atonement to change and heal your heart. Love one another. Forgive one another.”2

Additional Scriptures

Matthew 6:14–15; Luke 6:36–37; Alma 34:14–16

From the Scriptures

“We are to forgive even as we are forgiven,” said Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.3 The story of the prodigal son shows us both sides of forgiveness: one son is forgiven and the other son struggles to forgive.

The younger son took his inheritance, quickly spent it, and when a famine arose, he worked feeding swine. The scriptures say “when he came to himself,” he returned home and said to his father he was not worthy to be his son. But his father forgave him and killed a fatted calf for a feast. The older son returned from working in the fields and became angry. He reminded his father that he had served many years, never transgressed the commandments, yet “thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry.” The father replied, “Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found” (see Luke 15:11–32).

Consider This

How can forgiveness benefit the one forgiving?

Notes

1. Thomas S. Monson, “Love, the Essence of the Gospel,” Ensign, May 2014, 91.
2. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Merciful Obtain Mercy,” Ensign, May 2012, 70, 75, 77; emphasis in original.
3. Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Peaceable Things of the Kingdom,” Ensign, Nov. 1996, 83.

Suggested handouts

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These files will download automatically and are 6x4 suitable for a photo print if you wish

Some other sites to check
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Inkablinka
My Happy Tribe

Still looking for ideas? Google 'Visiting Teaching Message July 2015'

Friday, 22 May 2015

June 2015

“Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven” (D&C 121:45).

What is virtue? President James E. Faust (1920–2007) said: “Virtue in its fuller sense encompasses all traits of righteousness that help us form our character.”¹ President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) added: “Love of God is the root of all virtue, of all goodness, of all strength of character.”²

Of the relationship between women and virtue, Elder D Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “Women bring with them into the world a certain virtue, a divine gift that makes them adept at instilling such qualities as faith, courage, empathy, and refinement in relationships and in cultures. …

“Sisters, of all your associations, it is your relationship with God, your Heavenly Father, who is the source of your moral power, that you must always put first in your life. Remember that Jesus’s power came through His single-minded devotion to the will of the Father. … Strive to be that kind of disciple of the Father and the Son, and your influence will never fade.”³

Additional Scriptures

Psalm 24:3–5; Philippians 4:8; 2 Peter 1:3–5; Alma 31:5; Doctrine and Covenants 38:23–24

From the Scriptures

Today, virtuous women, full of faith, reach out to the Savior. In Luke 8 we read of a woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years that could not be healed. She sought healing when she “came behind [Christ], and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood [stopped]. … And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue⁴ is gone out of me.” This virtuous faithful woman fell down before Him, declaring “unto him before all the people” that “she had touched him” and “was healed immediately. And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole” (see Luke 8:43–48; see also 6:17–19).

Through His virtue,⁵ Christ can heal, enable, strengthen, comfort, and cheer when we choose with courage and faith to reach out to Him.

Consider This

How does virtue empower and strengthen us?

Notes

1. James E. Faust, “The Virtues of Righteous Daughters of God,” Ensign, May 2003, 108.
2. Gordon B. Hinckley, “Excerpts from Recent Addresses of President Gordon B. Hinckley,”   Ensign, Apr. 1996, 73.
3. D. Todd Christofferson, “The Moral Force of Women,” Ensign, Nov. 2013, 29, 31.
    Virtue has power (see Mark 5:30).
4. In Guide to the Scriptures, “Priesthood” is defined as “the authority and power that God gives to man to act in all things for the salvation of man (D&C 50:26–27).”

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Sunday, 19 April 2015

May 2015

The message for May is taken from a conference talk. As you carefully consider the needs of those under your care select a talk/talks that would uplift them.

These quotes are all from the conference and can be downloaded by clicking on 'Download'. They are 6x4 format ready to print.Or if you prefer resize and print smaller.

Download

Some other sites to check

Sugardoodle
The Idea Door
Inkablinka
My Happy Tribe

Still looking for ideas? Google 'Visiting Teaching Message May 2015'

Sunday, 22 March 2015

April 2015

Prayerfully study this material and seek to know what to share. How will understanding the life and mission of the Savior increase your faith in Him and bless those you watch over through visiting teaching? For more information, go to reliefsociety.lds.org.

This is part of a series of Visiting Teaching Messages featuring aspects of the attributes of the Savior.

The Attributes of Jesus Christ: Without Guile or Hypocrisy
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Understanding that Jesus Christ is without guile and hypocrisy will help us faithfully strive to follow His example. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (1917–2008) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “To beguile is to deceive or lead astray. … A person without guile is a person of innocence, honest intent, and pure motives, whose life reflects the simple practice of conforming his [or her] daily actions to principles of integrity. … I believe the necessity for the members of the Church to be without guile may be more urgent now than at other times because many in the world apparently do not understand the importance of this virtue.”1

Of hypocrisy, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, said: “None of us is quite as Christlike as we know we should be. But we earnestly desire to overcome our faults and the tendency to sin. With our heart and soul we yearn to become better with the help of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.”2

We know “we will be judged according to our actions, the desires of our hearts, and the kind of people we have become.”3 Yet as we strive to repent, we will become more pure—and “blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).

Additional Scriptures

Psalm 32:2; James 3:17; 1 Peter 2:1–2, 22

From the Scriptures

Little children are without guile. Jesus Christ said: “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. … And he took [the children] up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them” (Mark 10:14, 16).

Christ also ministered to the children in the Americas after His Crucifixion. He commanded that the people bring their little children to Him and “set them down upon the ground round about him, and Jesus stood in the midst; …

“… [And] he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them. …

“And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and … they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, … and the angels did minister unto them” (3 Nephi 17:12, 21, 24).

Consider This

What can we learn about being without guile from little children? (See Guide to the Scriptures, “Guile.”)

Notes

1. Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Without Guile,” Ensign, May 1988, 80, 81.
2. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Come, Join with Us,” Liahona, Nov. 2013, 23.
3. Handbook 2: Administering the Church (2010), 1.2.1.

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I thought it might also be nice to have a list of the attributes mentioned each month. This handout will updated each month.

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Relief Society Birthday

This week we had a Relief Society birthday celebration and I was asked to do a mini class on Creative Caring. I had lots of fun searching the internet for ideas to include in the 'goodie bag' I was putting together. One thing I did do was cards for Visiting Teachers to use so here they are. You are welcome to download and print as required. The download is a sheet of 8 cards.

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Saturday, 21 February 2015

March 2015

The Attributes of Jesus Christ: Long-suffering and Patient

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Patience is often thought of as a quiet, passive trait, but as
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, said, “Patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something … even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!”

In our premortal life, our Heavenly Father prepared a plan for us—His spirit children—and we shouted for joy at the opportunity to come to earth (see Job 38:7). As we choose to align our will with His during our earthly life, He “will make an instrument of [us] in [His] hands unto the salvation of many souls” (Alma 17:11).

President Uchtdorf continued, “Patience means accepting that which cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace, and faith. It means being ‘willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us], even as a child doth submit to his father’ [Mosiah 3:19]. Ultimately, patience means being ‘firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord’ [1 Nephi 2:10] every hour of every day, even when it is hard to do so.”1

Additional Scriptures

Psalm 40:1; Galatians 5:22–23; 2 Peter 1:6; Alma 17:11
From the Scriptures

The scriptures tell us that in our earthly life, we should “be patient in afflictions, for [we shall] have many.” God then gives us this comforting promise, “Endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days” (D&C 24:8).

The following Bible story is an example of patience and faith.

“And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years … touched the border of [Christ’s] garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched [stopped].

“And Jesus said, … Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.

“And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.

“And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace” (Luke 8:43–48).

Like her, we can find blessings and comfort, and even healing, as we reach out to Jesus Christ—whose Atonement can heal us.
Consider This

From the account in Luke 8, how was this woman’s years of patience and then her faith in Jesus Christ rewarded?

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Saturday, 24 January 2015

February 2015

The Attributes of Jesus Christ: Without Sin

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Our Savior, Jesus Christ, was the only one capable of making an atonement for mankind. “Jesus Christ, the Lamb without blemish, willingly laid Himself on the altar of sacrifice and paid the price for our sins,” said President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency.1 Understanding that Jesus Christ was without sin can help us increase our faith in Him and strive to keep His commandments, repent, and become pure.

“Jesus was … a being of flesh and spirit, but He yielded not to temptation (see Mosiah 15:5),” said Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “We can turn to Him … because He understands. He understands the struggle, and He also understands how to win the struggle. …

“… The power of His Atonement can erase the effects of sin in us. When we repent, His atoning grace justifies and cleanses us (see 3 Nephi 27:16–20). It is as if we had not succumbed, as if we had not yielded to temptation.

“As we endeavor day by day and week by week to follow the path of Christ, our spirit asserts its preeminence, the battle within subsides, and temptations cease to trouble.” 2

Additional Scriptures

Matthew 5:48; John 8:7; Hebrews 4:15; 2 Nephi 2:5–6

From the Scriptures

The Savior paid the price of our sins through His divine Sonship, His sinless life, His suffering and the shedding of His blood in the Garden of Gethsemane, His death on the cross and His Resurrection from the grave. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can become clean again as we repent of our sins.

King Benjamin taught his people of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and then asked if they believed his words. “They all cried with one voice, saying: … the Spirit … has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually. …

“And we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things” (Mosiah 5:1–2, 5).

We too can have a “mighty change” like the people of King Benjamin, who “had no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” (Mosiah 5:2).

Consider This

How does being pure differ from being perfect?

Notes

1. Dieter F Uchtdorf, “You Can Do It Now!” Liahona, Nov. 2013, 56.
2. D Todd Christofferson, “That They May Be One in Us,” Liahona, Nov. 2002, 71.

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