Andrew Gifford

Category: Repentance

  • Lord, Hear my prayer!

    Lord, Hear my prayer!

    —Jesus Christ suffered for me—

    As I sit here listening to John Rutter’s Requiem, I am flooded with feelings of love for my Savior, Jesus Christ. I marvel at how he could love me and want to redeem me when I continue to disappoint him and our Heavenly Father. I am a sinner – imperfect. I feel as Nephi exclaimed:

    …my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.

    (Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 4:17 – 18)

    I was overcome with the Spirit and overwhelmed with feelings of marveling in Sunday School today as I gazed at a picture of Jesus Christ in the garden of Gethsemane while a brother in our class read this scripture:

    For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I; Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.

    (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 19:16 – 19)

    The image of a wine press, pressing the juice out of grapes came to mind. Christ, under the weight of the sins of the universe, was crushed so that blood came out of every pore in like manner. It is beyond comprehension the excruciating pain that must have been.  But how thankful I am that because of his love for me, his brother, he finished the task and bore that pain.

    I pray that I can always live worthy of being able to bring this atonement into play in my life. As the hymn, Lead Kindly Light says in plea to the Lord, “Remember not past years.” Help me go forward and serve God with diligence and faith.

  • “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden”

    “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden”

    —I will give you rest—

    I got to teach the Gospel Doctrine class today in Sunday School. We were studying third Nephi chapters 8-11. It seems that in preparing a lesson for something like this, it always seems to end up being more for oneself than for anyone else. I feel like I was edified and learned more than anyone else in the class.

    These chapters talk about the destruction that occurred in the Americas after the death of Jesus Christ – the terrible storms, lightning, thunder, earthquakes, and the thick darkness that followed. The more wicked part of the people were destroyed. I was touched by the Lord’s invitation to the people that were spared to repent and come unto him. He descended out of heaven and showed himself – in his perfected, resurrected form – to the people, and taught them his doctrine: faith, repentance, baptism, and the receipt of the Holy Ghost. His whole message was one of love for the people, and his never ending mercy towards them, inviting them to come unto him and be saved.

    This is the same invitation that he offers to you and me today. He does not want any of us to perish. He does not want anyone to lose their eternal inheritance. He is willing to forgive us all if we come unto to him and repent. I can be spiritually healed if I repent. The choice must be ours – this must be done willingly.

    “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”  (Matthew 11:28 – 30)

    He can make my burden light if I allow him into my heart, if I take the steps to repent of my sins. I can find the peace that only the Spirit can give and so can everyone. This is the message that Jesus Christ wants us to give to the world – a message of hope and of joy.

  • Prone to Wander, Lord, I feel it

    Prone to Wander, Lord, I feel it

    —Bind my wandering heart to thee—

    A scripture to consider:

    This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God… ( 2 Timothy 3:1 – 4)

    Every day the fulfillment of this prophecy becomes more and more apparent.  The world today is a scary place, with all these evils all around us, even infiltrating our families.  What can we do to fight this tide of evil, this wave of wickedness? One of the answers is found in the same chapter:

    But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.  (2 Timothy 3:14 – 17)

    As I consider the implications of these scriptures I am reminded of how imperfect I am in my attempts to implement daily personal scripture study.  I tend to do all right for a while, then slack off.  I need to be more steady in my efforts with both daily scripture study as well as with personal prayers.  These are the basics by which we put on the armour of God.  “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”  (Ephesians 6:13)

    When I fail to take the simple steps of personal scripture study and personal prayer, I leave myself vulnerable to the temptations of Satan.  And he is not stupid – he is astute in his attacks.  He knows our weaknesses – he knows my weaknesses.  I pray that the Lord will strengthen me in my daily battles with this enemy, that I may come off conqueror and draw nearer to God.  The words of the hymn become my prayer:

    “O to grace how great a debtor
    Daily I’m constrained to be!
    Let that grace now like a fetter,
    Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
    Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
    Prone to leave the God I love;
    Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
    Seal it for Thy courts above.”

    I am so grateful this day for Heavenly Father’s mercy and grace.  I am so grateful for Jesus’ love and mercy too.  I am grateful that I can repent of my sins.  I know that I am so far from perfect, but I am trying.  I am just grateful to know that   the Lord loves us all so much and wants us all to return to him.  I am grateful for my family and the gospel of Jesus Christ on this Sabbath day.

    May we all follow the example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I know that he is my Savior.