Dear sisters and brothers, it is so special to be here with you today. I want to begin with my personal testimony and witness of the Savior, Jesus Christ, of His life, His mission, and His power. I want you to know that I know through many precious experiences that He is our living Savior.
I came to Ricks College in 1995 where I met and married my dear husband, Nathan, and four of our five children were born here in Rexburg. My adult life has been shaped by this place and I never get tired of the spirit that I feel when I am on this campus: it never runs out; it never gets old.
I’m glad you are here participating in devotional, and I thank you for your efforts to become a disciple of Jesus Christ.
My objective and purpose today is to help you gain confidence in and through our Savior, Jesus Christ. For He said, “Hearken and hear, O ye my people, … ye whom I delight to bless.” [1] “Come unto me …” He said, “and I will give you rest.” [2]
One of my favorite chapters in the New Testament is John 14. [3]
Listen to this exchange between Thomas and Jesus: [4] “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.” [5]
Now, consider Jesus’ disciples. They were listening and He was telling them He was going to go away, but He would come again. He was being as clear and direct as He could be, and they were really trying but were simply not understanding: “I go to prepare a place for you … I will come again”!
Now, Thomas’ question (and, by the way, without his question we wouldn’t have gotten Jesus’ response!): “Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?” [6]
What was Jesus’s response? “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life” [7]—“I am the way!”
My dear friends, I want you to have confidence in Jesus Christ. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” [8]
I recently pulled out my journal from when I was a teenager. It is filled with lots of pages of my teenage concerns; too many pages about boys. I discovered that I had ripped out quite a few pages (most likely about boys), and I found a few entries I probably should have ripped out.
But buried in its contents, I found this entry from August 10, 1990; I was 13 years old: “I don’t know what I would do without the gospel in my life! It means so much to me. I still haven’t found the real answer … I have heard all my life that the gospel is true, but I am still trying to find out for myself. Knowing that Jesus Christ lives would be the most important thing in my life.”
What a sweet recollection for me, to see myself and my desire to know Jesus Christ at such a tender age. And I loved reflecting on the development of my faith as I read several other entries in my journal.
In the October general conference, President Russell M. Nelson said this: “I have learned that the most crucial question we each must answer is this: To whom or to what will I give my life?” [9]
In my personal preparation for this speaking assignment, I had many conversations with family, friends, and colleagues about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and I asked these two questions:
- Practically speaking, how do you access the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ?
- If not too personal, please share an experience with me when you needed His power, and what did that look like for you?
Brothers and sisters, I invite you to ponder these two questions as well and consider your personal response.
I have had some of the sweetest, most tender, conversations as I have learned about our Savior’s power and influence in the lives of my friends. And I discovered some common themes:
Accessing God’s power came through consistent efforts to regularly seek Jesus Christ.
The power, influence, guidance, and comfort of the Savior is personal and individual.
In every experience that was shared, it was the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ that was utilized to heal, to receive comfort, and to do things that otherwise might not have been possible. (I think this is important because we often focus on the redemptive power of Jesus Christ, and that is so important! But in those tender experiences when we feel His love, His comfort, and His understanding, it is His enabling power that we access and utilize most often.)
Again, from President Nelson: “Please listen to this promise of Jesus Christ to you: ‘I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.’ There is no limit to the Savior’s capacity to help you. His incomprehensible suffering in Gethsemane and on Calvary was for you! His infinite Atonement is for you! I urge you to devote time each week—for the rest of your life—to increase your understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.” [10]
Did you hear President Nelson’s invitation? Have you considered how you will implement his invitation in your personal life?
Now, how do we access His power? Remember my first question: Practically speaking, how do you access the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ?
When I asked my friends about how they personally access His power, these were some of their suggestions:
- Get to know Jesus Christ
- Access His power every day through daily repentance
- Minister to “the one” [11]
- Hear Him
- Recognize that there are some things you can’t control and give those things to Him
- Surrender your will to Him
- Develop trust in Him by listening to His voice and following His promptings
- Develop routines that fill your life with His light
- Be sincere and focused in your study and prayer
- Recognize that He won’t necessarily solve your problem, but He will help you handle it
- Keep it simple, “look and live” [12]
- Pray for faith to not look beyond the mark
- The Atonement of Jesus Christ is individual and all-encompassing (He can help with anything!)
- Stay positive
- Carry on in joy
What beautiful advice!
Can I also offer one piece of practical advice? Personal study of the Book of Mormon is a wonderful way to access the power of Jesus Christ. I promise if you will make an effort to read this book, you will be amazed at the personal guidance, comfort, and direction you receive in your personal life.
The Sacrament
Sister Emily Belle Freeman shared this experience in general conference. Please pay attention to the simple way she accessed His power in her personal life:
“Recently my husband, Greg, received a diagnosis that would require an intensive surgery and months of chemotherapy. Like many of you who have faced a similar situation, we immediately began praying for heaven’s help and God’s power. The Sunday following Greg’s surgery, the sacrament was delivered to our hospital room.
“On this occasion, I was the only one taking the sacrament. One piece of bread. One cup of water. At church, my mind often focuses on the delivery system of the sacrament—the preparing, the blessing, and the passing. But on that afternoon, I pondered the gift of God’s power available to me through the sacred ordinance itself and the covenant promise I was making as I took that piece of bread and that cup of water. This was a time when I needed power from heaven. In the midst of great heartache, exhaustion, and uncertainty, I wondered about this gift that would allow me to draw upon the power from Him that I so desperately needed. Partaking of the sacrament would increase my companionship with the Spirit of the Lord, allowing me to draw upon the gift of God’s power, including the ministering of angels and the Savior’s enabling strength to overcome.
“I don’t think I had ever realized with this much clarity before that it’s not only who officiates in the ordinance that matters—what the ordinance and our covenant promise unlock also deserves the focus of our attention.” [13]
Did you notice the simple way Sister Freeman accessed the power of Jesus Christ? One piece of bread, one cup of water. I love the simplicity in the ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Participating in the ordinance of the sacrament each week is critical.
Elder Dale G. Renlund, when speaking here at BYU-Idaho in October 2023, said, “Conscientiously prepare for and worthily partake of the sacrament weekly. As you do, you will strengthen your connection to Jesus Christ. … If you choose to miss sacrament meeting when you could attend, you place yourself in spiritual jeopardy.” [14]
Please pay attention to the words and warnings of living prophets and apostles. If you find yourself sleeping through your Sunday meetings, I invite you to make a goal today to return to regular Sunday worship. And I promise that you will notice a difference in the way you feel and your overall well-being.
The Temple
Another way we can access the power of Jesus Christ is through participating in temple ordinances.
When Sister Meredith spoke at devotional in May, I tuned into this statement about spiritual oxygen. She said, “I was exhausted in every conceivable way. I told my husband that I needed to be in the temple. My spirit needed oxygen, and I knew being with the Savior in the temple would strengthen me.” [15]
Do you ever feel this way? I know we can all find relief through spending time in the house of the Lord.
And listen to this promise from President Nelson:
“My brothers and sisters, do you see what is happening right before our eyes? I pray that we will not miss the majesty of this moment! The Lord is indeed hastening His work.
“Why are we building temples at such an unprecedented pace? Why? Because the Lord has instructed us to do so. The blessings of the temple help to gather Israel on both sides of the veil. These blessings also help to prepare a people who will help prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord! . . .
“Here is my promise to you: Every sincere seeker of Jesus Christ will find Him in the temple. You will feel His mercy. You will find answers to your most vexing questions. You will better comprehend the joy of His gospel.” [16]
Students, your time here in Rexburg is limited! After this, will you ever find yourself living in a place where you can literally walk to the temple? Do not miss the opportunity to attend the temple as often as your circumstances allow. Please establish a pattern of regular temple attendance and I promise you will have greater capacity, strength, and vision for your life.
Prayer
During a particularly difficult time, I was feeling quite unsettled. Actually, pretty desperate for the Lord’s help. By this point in my life, I knew Jesus Christ: who He was, and what He had done for me. I had faith that He could help me and would provide comfort.
I trusted Him. So I went in prayer, utilizing the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ for relief.
Brothers and sisters, it took me a long time, well into my adulthood, to learn how the power of the Atonement works for me. But in that moment of prayer, as I asked God to lift my burden so I could set aside my grief and my concerns and focus on the tasks that I had before me, I felt immediate relief, and I felt this wise counsel, “You know where to find peace.”
Do you need peace? Where do you find it?
How could you utilize the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ through prayer? Could you rely more often on Him in your studies? In our calling? In your decisions?
I love this message from King Benjamin in Mosiah 2: “And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; … therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you. … And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you.” [17]
I love that word, “immediately.” And the simplicity of that message. Don’t we all want to prosper? Not only financially—that’s great—but to spiritually prosper, to emotionally prosper, and to physically prosper. “Keep the commandments, in this there is safety and peace.” [18]
You can do more through Jesus Christ than you can do on your own.
This is our little family the same month that I started grad school. We were young parents, my husband was serving as the bishop of our ward and working on a PhD himself.
How did the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ help me?
I stayed up late and got up early so that I could be a mom, a companion, a disciple, and a student. My husband and I made weekly date night a priority. And I began the habit of praying for efficiency! Every time I opened my computer, I started my work with a prayer for efficiency.
Do you think Heavenly Father wanted us to succeed? He did! And He blessed me with the gift of good health, with the gift of gratitude, with a patient and understanding family, and the gift of efficiency. And, through His enabling power, He will bless you too!
At the beginning of the semester, President Alvin F. Meredith III left us with this special invitation: “As you press forward with your studies and activities at this amazing university, I invite you to think about not only what you will do and learn while you are here, but also, and more importantly, about what you will become. My hope is that you will become covenant-keeping disciple-leaders, that you will make and keep covenants with God, and that you will feel His blessings of power and confidence in your lives from doing so.” [19]
Brothers and sisters, we live in a blessed time and at a special and sacred and set-apart place. I testify that the Lord, our Savior, Jesus Christ will be with you as you become “at one” with him. He beckons you. He calls. And He invites you to come!
He will strengthen you, give you confidence, and bring peace to your soul. And He will bless you as you seek Him and trust in him, I promise. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Doctrine and Covenants 41:1.
[2] Matthew 11:28.
[3] See John 14:2–6.
[4] See “Sermon on the Mount: The Beatitudes” [video], Gospel Library, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/video/teachings/2011-10-032-sermon-on-the-mount-the-beatitudes.
[5] John 14:1–4; emphasis added.
[6] John 14:5; emphasis added.
[7] John 14:6; emphasis added.
[8] Proverbs 3:5–6.
[9] Russell M. Nelson, “The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again,” Liahona, November 2024, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/11/57nelson; emphasis added.
[10] Nelson, “The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again.”
[11] See Luke 15:4.
[12] Alma 33:19; see also verses 20–22.
[13] Emily Belle Freeman, “Live Up to Your Privileges,” Liahona, November 2024, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/11/13freeman.
[14] Dale G. Renlund, “Stronger and Closer Connection to God through Multiple Covenants,” BYU-Idaho Speeches, October 22, 2023, https://www.byui.edu/speeches/devotionals/dale-g-renlund/stronger-and-closer-connection-to-god-through-multiple-covenants.
[15] Jennifer E. Meredith, “How will the Lord Manifest Himself to You in the Temple?,” BYU-Idaho Speeches, May 7, 2024, https://www.byui.edu/speeches/devotionals/jennifer-e-meredith/how-will-the-lord-manifest-himself-to-you-in-the-temple; emphasis added.
[16] Nelson, “The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again.”
[17] Mosiah 2:22–24; emphasis added.
[18] “Keep the Commandments,” Hymns, no. 303.
[19] Alvin F. Meredity III, “Covenant-Keeping Disciple Leaders,” BYU-Idaho Speeches, September 17, 2024, https://www.byui.edu/speeches/devotionals/alvin-f-meredith-iii/covenant-keeping-disciple-leaders.