In my New Testament class this week we have been reading in 2 Timothy, Philemon, and Hebrews. In 2 Timothy 2:19 it says, "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his." When I read this scripture, I immediately thought of the scripture in Doctrine & Covenants 35:1. It reads, "Listen to the voice of the Lord your God, even Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, whose course is one eternal round, the same today as yesterday, and forever."
It is such a comfort to me knowing that God is the same now as He was back in Old Testament times. In the Old Testament, God blessed His prophets by giving them the priesthood which enabled them to perform great miracles. Doing so let these prophets show the power of God to all of the people, bringing more of God's children to a knowledge of Him. To me, this is an expression of God's love for us.
Another expression of God's love was when He sent His son to the earth to set an example and guide the way for all of us. After Christ's Atonement in the Garden of Gethsemane and His crucifixion and resurrection, Christ visited the Americas. The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, and is the recorded history of the people on the American continent.
When Christ visited the Nephites He performed many miracles, blessing their children and healing their sick. In chapter 17 of 3 Nephi it records some wonderful things that Christ did for the people. To me, this has always been one of my favorite chapters. One of the main reasons I love this chapter so much is because in verses 20-23 it says:
20 And they arose from the earth, and he said unto them: Blessed are ye because of your faith. And now behold, my joy is full.
21 And when he had said these words, 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.
22 And when he had done this he wept again;
23 And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones.
I love this passage because it shows the tenderness and love of Christ. It shows how much he loves the people. Their righteousness and faith made Christ's joy full. I just love how much these verses show the love of Christ.
Coming back to the idea that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, if God unconditionally loved His people in the Old Testament, and since Christ unconditionally loved the Nephites, then the amount of love they have for us is no different. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love us unconditionally, and the magnitude of their love is incomprehensible.
I think that if we can truly grasp this, and try to understand how strong God's love for us is, we will realize that we can do anything. If you think about it, we have the most powerful, important, and all-knowing being in the universe on our side. He loves and believes in us. If we do our best to understand and believe that, then we can do anything. I echo Christ's words when in Mark 10:27 He says to His disciples, "With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible."
In a recent address by President Uchtdorf to the women of the LDS Church, he said:
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| The Forget Me Not Flower. This flower is the inspiration and the title of President Uchtdorf's talk. |
I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have a Heavenly Father and He loves me. And I'm grateful that I know that I have potential, and with faith in God and a trust in His love for me, I can do anything. God has loved His children throughout all time, and that isn't about to change.
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