A Dolly and Healing Ointment

Had the blessing and opportunity to give the lesson in Elders Quorum today.  As a Presidency we have focused on Prophetic Priorities over the last year plus.  President Fawson, what can I say, I love the man.  He is in tune and he follows the Spirit.  I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with him.  We have now been in for two years.  I can't believe it has been that long.  Anyway, back to today.  I thought much about this assignment today and felt impressed to talk about the Savior.  It is the month of Christmas and I hoped to convey a message that would help the members of the quorum focus on their relationship with the Savior.  I hope that was accomplished.  I don't know if it was for anyone else but I certainly have enjoyed the preparation and the time pondering my relationship with Christ.  The connection between Prophetic Priorities and the Savior is easy.  The reason we follow the Prophet is to enable us to come unto Christ.  These are things in our lives that lead us toward Him, that help us increase spiritually and grow in the Priesthood.  As we nurture our relationship with the Savior we become more like him. 

I have long believed that we have our own personal parables from which to learn.  Our lives are filled with things that happen and if we examine them, ponder them and look at how they point us to Christ we will find lessons in them.  I shared two experiences to open the lesson.  There were two scripture references that tied in to each story and point to Christ.  My hope was to point out that each of us has need of a Savior and that the Savior is there for us if we will turn to him.  Here are the experiences.
 

The Dolly

Yesterday we moved the restaurant.   We put off til the end the most difficult piece of kitchen equipment to move, our grill.  Our grill is quite large and it weighs hundreds of pounds.  When we originally moved it in I never wanted to have to move it again.  On that occasion my brother Dave and I carried it from just outside our front doors, as close as we could park the trailer, into the kitchen.  It took everything we had to get it in there.  The thought of having to move it out of the building was exhausting enough, having to then move it into the new place spelled certain death. 

When we got the new location there was left in the kitchen an old, battered and nasty looking dolly.  I thought to myself “we will throw that nasty thing away”.  Fortunately I hadn’t gotten around to that and yesterday my brother decided we should try and put the grill on it.  We had tried with a different dolly the first time but the grill weighed too much, the tires and axle couldn’t handle it and it was useless.  Funny, it is much newer and nicer looking then the old nasty dolly.  It was much more attractive.   Surely if it couldn’t hold the grill this old, battered dolly wouldn’t either.  Fortunately we had the faith to try.  That old dolly made all the difference and a job that I feared would be the death of me was made easy.

In Matthew 11:28-30 the Savior invites us to come unto Him.  He says:

28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29  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.

30  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. 

I appreciate that invitation from our Savior.  Like the dolly made that grill easier to move the Savior can make our burdens easier to bear.  I know that this is true and am grateful to the Savior for his love for me and for my children.  He does not leave us comfortless and he does give us rest.

Next I spoke about a skin condition and a healing cream. 

Healing Cream

I have a skin condition on my hands.  Doctors tell me that stress causes small blisters to form on my fingers and hands.  They are rather irritating.  My knuckles swell and crack and become quite painful as well.   There really is not a cure for the condition, all I can do it treat it with an ointment, a healing cream.  I went for many years with a single bottle that I would dole out a little at a time to keep the irritation to a minimum.  The ointment was nearly gone.  I had the small bottle for over 7 years and the ointment had dried out some and wasn’t quite as effective as it once was.  Perhaps the thought of going to the doctor for a new prescription was too easy and so I allowed myself to suffer.  In a recent visit to the doctor I decided to ask about a prescription for my hands.   I have it now and when I apply it to my hands when needed they are healed and feel great.

I couldn't help but think about the fiery flying serpents and the easiness of the way to be healed.  This verse in 1 Nephi chapter 17 verse 41 captured that nicely.

41  And he did straiten them in the wilderness with his rod; for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straitened them because of their iniquity. He sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished.

We don"t all have skin conditions, we do all suffer from temptation and sin and a variety of other trials or challenges that come our way.  The Lord can heal our hearts as we pass through mortality, he can make us whole, he can comfort and strengthen us and he does as we come unto him. 

There was a lot more in the lesson but I thought I would simply share these thoughts tonight and my testimony that Jesus Christ is our Savior and friend.  He is aware of each of us individually and loves to bless our lives.  Through him we can return safely home to our Heavenly Father.